For Sony SLRs, the lens and aperture range are always broader and most affordable with their integrated AI and accurate image previews.
Plus, you can find a comprehensive range of best budget lenses for Sony A7iii and others with price cuts multiple times lesser and built-in image processing always higher than DSLR lenses in the recent versions.
A 50mm lens type works great in still photography and portrait modes without cutting the corners. If it has an aperture large enough to handle low-lighting still images, you can still shoot stars and galaxies with the same apparatus without buying another lens.
For wide-angle photography, a 14mm, 16mm, or 18mm is better to start with for landscape capturing and videography.
The mighty macro lenses are exclusively for 1:1 image shootings. For natural and wildlife photographers, preferably a 60mm to 100mm macro lens is required to get things going.
The best lens is counted on its speed, applications, and budget range. A photographer expert in videography always needs a wide-angle lens, preferably a macro with a motor-assisted focus ring for wide zooming and Image stabilization.
Mirrorless cameras have so far dominated the conventional DSLRs with their outstanding color depth, focus, and wide shooting ranges. Comparably, DSLRs are expensive, not as much of advanced, and usually bulkier than mirrorless SLRs.
Best Compatible Budget Lenses Under $499 for Sony A7III
- Sigma 16mm F1.4 Wide-Angle Prime Lens
- Sony 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 Wide-Angle Zoom Lens
- Sony 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 FE All in One Zoom Lens
- Sony – FE 50mm F1.8 Portrait Lens
- Sigma 70mm F2.8 Art DG Macro Lens
- Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 Telephoto Lens
1. Sigma 16mm F1.4 Wide-Angle Prime Lens
Sigma 16mm wide-angle photography lens is made with a wide aperture and high focal range that works best in low light conditions and night photography. The DC DN Contemporary lens series is originally made for the E-mount mirrorless Sony A7 series.
Features
- Sigma low-light performance is immaculate with its large f1/4 aperture. However, the wide-angle lens also works great in natural light for capturing landscapes, wildlife, and event videography.
- The stepping AF motor inside Sigma 16mm improves speed and focus without color dispersion and ghosting effects in still photography and filmmaking.
- The motor is quiet and weightless adding no glitch to the overall lens performance. Sigma’s f1/4 bright aperture also amplifies color depth and selective focus with its wide extraction technology.
- Dual aspherical special elements inside DC DN contemporary lens maximizes pre-shoot and post-shoot focusing and sharpness by limiting distortions and spherical aberrations.
- Two SLD and three FLD elements are also stacked inside Sigma 16mm to reduce color fringing and axial aberrations.
- A compact rubber sealing is wrapped around the brass mount to protect from dust, splashes, and unwanted drops.
Pros
- Works Perfectly in Low-light Conditions
- Multi-layer Coating for Anti-Ghosting
- Sigma 16mm Provides a 24mm Equivalent Focal Length
- Stepping Motor Delivers Quick and Smooth Focusing
Cons
- Only Compatible with Sony E-Mount SLRs
- Limited Focal Length Up to 16mm
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2. Sony 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 Wide-Angle Zoom Lens
For telephoto and full-range zoom photography, no mirrorless camera lens is better than Sony’s evergreen 16-50mm. It creates a powerful zoom functionality to focus and smooth out images instantly.
Sony 16-50mm is lightweight and falls well below the $500 mark in affordable lens options.
Features
- Sony’s 50mm zoom range is meticulous. It enhances zoom capability up to 24-75mm with extra-low dispersion glass elements and bokeh effects, reduces noise grains, and chromatic aberrations in a split second without needing post-photograph retouching.
- The aperture is set to variable that significantly minimizes the overall weight and dimensions of Sony lens.
- The elements inside Sony Alpha comprise one ED glass element and four aspherical elements for coma and multiple aberration reductions.
- For image smoothness and defocusing of telephotos, the bokeh effect enhances depth effects and smoothen up images when needed.
- Unwanted blurs and ghost effects are removed by Optical SteadyShot stabilization algorithms in both the automatic and ISO modes.
- For more control over handheld photography, combine Sony A7iii sensor-shift image stabilization with SteadyShot and get more optimal results in night photography as well as landscapes.
Pros
- Five Elements for Sharp and Comprehensive Photography
- Works Great in Macro Filmmaking
- Cost-effective and Lightweight
- Remarkable Image Stabilization
- Powerful Zoom
Cons
- Incompatible with Sony A-mount Cameras
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3. Sony 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 FE All in One Zoom Lens
For mid-range zoom and excellent focus to nearby and distant objects, Sony 28-70mm is wholly a sensible choice. It features a focal length of 35mm with optical zoom and bokeh effects to cancel out minor blurs caused by hand movements.
Features
- The high contrast and color depth are retained at the entire focal range, thanks to extra-low dispersion glass elements inside.
- The ED glass cancels out chromatic aberration and helps in shooting faraway pictures with absolute precision and focus and evolving extra-sharp results.
- Optical SteadyShot image stabilization compensates for shaky clicks that cause ghost effects and noise while taking a photograph.
- The linear stepping motor is embedded for accurately capturing and zooming. Make videos flawlessly with the controlled access to the focal ring and without listening to motor noise in videography.
- The internal focusing is designed to create smooth images after processing them, allow fast autofocusing, and filters out the noise when the lens is rotated.
- Likewise, a 7-blade circular design keeps the aperture circular throughout F-stops. It is designed to increase background blurring and adds a bokeh effect instantly keeping all the contrasts and color depth intact.
- Sony’s mid-range F3.5-5.6 standard lens creates awesome portrait and landscape photographs with the right settings. The full-frame imaging lens is compatible with all E-mount Sony cameras including A7 series mirrorless DSLRs.
- The advanced AA elements improve light misalignments and diminish spherical aberrations caused by direct light exposure to the lens.
Pros
- Three Aspherical Elements and One ED Glass Element Create Excellent Images
- Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization
- 7-blade Circular Design Works Throughout the Focus Range
- Amicable Bokeh Effect for Smooth Defocusing
Cons
- Not Feasible for Full-range Zooming
- Does Not Work with A-mount Camera Range
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4. Sony - FE 50mm F1.8 Portrait Lens
Sony FE 50mm is a standard lens for portrait and macro landscape modes. The wide aperture and built-in elements make it a considerable choice for a wide range of shooting applications.
The E-mount full-frame lens is compact and lightweight with several compatibility options including Sony A7 series and NEX cameras.
Features
- FE 50mm standard lens features a wide aperture with automatic smoothening and defocusing elements inside. The bokeh effect retains the contrast and colors when defocusing backgrounds in portrait and landscape photography.
- The large F1.8 aperture helps in capturing low-light and faraway objects with prime defocusing and color treatment. There is no need to switch to manual ISO modes with F1.8 lens as it smoothens and stabilizes results internally.
- The aperture offers a 75mm focal length for details and contrasts with APS-C sensors. Additionally, the angle of view in APS-C extends up to 32-degree for a broad range of light capturing.
- For image stabilization of distant objects, a perfect amount of light must be passed through the lens aperture. For this, the light is controlled by a 7-blade circular aperture assisted with bokeh effect. All the captured images are internally filtered for distortion, chromatic aberration, and comas in bokeh effect modes.
- Sony FE 50mm Standard lens produces amazingly sharp and curved images for both the portrait and landscape photography. The DC brushless motor suitably rotates the focal ring quietly and swiftly for precise and steady focusing.
- The lens barrel has a brass bayonet mount and a rubber wrapped around the metal to protect the lens body and front from sand and splash.
Pros
- 7-blade Circular Aperture for Better Image Quality
- Wide F1.8 Aperture
- Compact and Lightweight
- Sharp and Refined Image
- Metal Mount Adds Robustness
Cons
- Limited Focal Range for Landscape Photography
- Unsuitable for Sports Videography
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5. Sigma 70mm F2.8 Art DG Macro Lens
Designed and made in Japan, Sigma 70mm delivers impressive results with E-mount cameras.
It supports all the E-mount versions by default without needing Sigma mount converters and any compatibility issues.
Conveniently shoot life-sized 1:1 photos in close-up with extreme precision and detail in normal and backlit conditions with Sigma Art DG
Features
- The superior design and ergonomics add great worth to Sigma ART without spending a dime out of budget range. It is a great pick if you are looking for the top budget lenses for Sony A7iii under $499 tops.
- The focal stabilization and image sharpening are ensured with the compatible Canon Lens Aberration correction when shooting bugs, flowers, or wildlife from faraway. Feel free to capture landscapes with controlled convergence technology powered by Sigma’s versatile focus-by-wire ring.
- The manual focus is always there to assist even in the autofocus modes. Also, the quiet brushless DC motor inside Sigma 70mm aids in a wide angle of rotation and to avoid needless lens aberrations and focal distortions.
- Sigma F2.8 Art allows switching between the shooting modes and distances with a pioneering two-group focus mechanism. The glass elements inside the Sigma lens allows switching between normal and macro photography modes in a tick.
- With Sigma F2.8 Macro lens, capture all the distant and nearer images without having to switch lenses. Simply rotate the focus ring and get a sharp and symmetric shot right away with ease and perfection.
- The hardware is as sturdy and meticulous as the lens performance. The brass mount construction adds strength and durability to the lens with exceptional parameters set by the Japanese industrial standards.
Pros
- Includes Brass Bayonet Mount for Lens Protection
- Sigma USB Dock for Firmware Updates
- Image reproduction with 9-blade diaphragm blurring
- Auto resolution enhancement for close-up photography
- Compatible with Canon lens aberration correction
Cons
- Only compatible with Sony E (NEX) and Sony FE series
- Designed Only for Macro Shooting
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6. Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 Telephoto Lens
Sony E 55-210mm is a perfect pick for natural landscapes and sports photography. It features a wide aperture with automatic focus locking for sharp and high-contrast captures.
The bokeh effect adds further enhancement to the wide-angle shots with circular aperture blades embedded in a 55-210mm lens.
The resulting focused images are sharper and shinier with the background bokeh effect defocusing in wide-angle photography.
Features
- For videography, the manual focusing is controlled with Optical Steady Shot image stabilization. It stabilizes video when filming sporting events, landscapes, and low-light photography.
- The wide-angle lens in Sony 55-210mm offers a viewing angle and focal range up to 315mm with automatic image stabilization and grain-free night shots.
- Also, the wide focal length allows extended zoom and added stability with its seven aperture blades.
- The magnifying ED glass is developed specifically for Sony E-mount mirrorless SLRs. ED glass performs better than its predecessor versions in reducing chromatic aberration and low color saturation.
- Super ED further enhances image contrasts and saturation levels in distant video making and still photography applications.
- The focal ring locks itself in automatic shooting modes for better image stabilization and ease of operation.
- Sony f4.5-6.3 wide aperture lens features a minimum focus distance of 3.28ft with a magnification ratio of 0.23x for steady and powerful telephoto applications.
- Sensors and motors inside the telephoto lens are synced for coordinated image stabilization and blurs.
- Gyro sensors amiably detect the slightest movements and adjust images in microseconds, reducing unwanted blur and improves maximum pixel strength.
- Sony 55-210mm is compatible with all the E-mount versions of Sony mirrorless cameras.
Pros
- Internal Focusing is Faster and More Effective
- Built-in Gyro Sensors and Motors for Image Stabilization
- Circular Aperture for Bokeh effects
- Extra-low Dispersion Glass for High Contrast and Colors
- Multiple AA Elements for Depth and Sharpness
Cons
- Performance Limitations in Capturing Near-field Objects
- Compatible Only With Sony E-Mount Cameras
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Conclusion
Wide-angle lenses do a great job of capturing stretched images with maximum sharpness and commanding zoom capacity. Though 16mm wide-angle photography lenses are pricey yet the investment is worth it.
Sony 16-50mm is inexorably the top-runner for mid-range photographers. That is for their prodigious focus speed compatible with videomaking and focal range to satisfy both the landscapes and sharp portraits.
Sony 55-210mm is a popular choice for wide-angle photography without spending out of budget. For professionals, Sony 16mm is the best wide-angle shooting range in E-mount cameras.
Macro photographs can be achieved with the specialized 70mm Sony SLRs and their variants under the specified $500 budget range.
Frequently Asked Questions
E-mount lenses were introduced by Sony specifically for their NEX mirrorless camera range.
Yes, Sony A7 series mirrorless camera range is compatible with E-mount lenses.
The main difference is the presence or absence of a reflex mirror inside the camera. DSLRs have a reflex mirror that mirrors light into the optical viewfinder. Mirrorless cameras comprise image sensors to absorb light with the electronic viewfinder to show a photograph.
No, E-mount lenses are only compatible with E-mount cameras.
Yes, mirrorless cameras produce more vibrant images, and they are lightweight and economical than DSLRs.