Professional photographers demand a lot from their lenses. They often want lightweight, sturdy, fast-focusing lenses that also deliver when it comes to image quality. But they also often don’t want to spend much money. Luckily, in today’s world, that’s possible. We dove into our Reviews Index to find lenses for professional photographers on a budget. And trust us, these are the ones we think you folks are looking for.
This piece is presented in partnership with TAMRON. We’ve independently and ethically reviewed all the products in this post already without sponsorship. And we worked with them to recommend a few key gems to you.
How We Chose These Lenses for Professional Photographers
There are great reasons why we chose the lenses for professional photographers. Here’s some insight into how they were selected.
- Our Editorial Policies don’t let us talk about products we haven’t tested. But luckily, we’ve done more real-world reviews of lenses than any other publication currently standing. Further, each section links to our fuller reviews. In fact, images you see here are bound to be found within our reviews.
- Tamron, in the mirrorless space, currently makes lenses for Sony and Fujifilm with possibly more to come in the future. With that said, this roundup focuses on lenses for professional photographers who bought into those camera systems.
- The 28-75mm f2.8 Di III VXD G2 is a fantastic lens because it’s lightweight, has a constant aperture, and delivers in every way it needs to.
- The 17-70mm f2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is one of the best lenses for professional photographers using the Fujifilm X system. No other lens gives you this kind of range with a constant aperture.
- The 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD is one of our favorite lenses made in the past few years.
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2
What to Know
The Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III VXD G2 lens is a follow-up to the previous version. It’s arguably more useful for those who shoot events and portraits, but superb for travel and more. There are also improvements to the focusing speed, the built-in USB port to customize lens features, and more. Overall, the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2 is a solid lens that we enjoyed using.
How’s the Image Quality?
In our review, we state:
“The Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2 is sharp without being too sharp. That’s my favorite kind! If you’re a fan of Canon L lenses, consider this lens to be on par with those. It will mean a whole lot less retouching needs to be done too!”
Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
What to Know
The Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is the full-frame equivalent of a 26-105mm f2.8 lens available for both Sony E-mount and Fujifilm X-mount APS-C cameras. This is the first time we’ve ever gotten a lens like this. Add onto this the vibration compensation, sharp optics, and weather sealing features. Then realize it’s under $1,000. To me, this sounds like a no-brainer.
It’s a truly functional broad range that photographers and videographers can use with confidence every day. The VC image stabilization features AI technology for superb hand-holding results when filming.
How’s the Image Quality?
In our review, we state:
“As always, it’s hard to complain about Tamron’s image quality. They’re not always the sharpest lenses on the market, but they provide massive value. And the Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is no exception. You’re getting a generally solid lens with a bit of character to it. In fact, this lens made me a bit nostalgic. When shooting with it and the a6600, the images looked familiar. On further inspection, I knew I’d seen this somewhere. The images look a lot like the output from old Sony cameras. Remember when they had more of a purple tone to them? I’m talking about way back in the NEX days. That’s the case here. And it’s awesome!”
Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD
What to Know
When you first hold the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD, you realize it’s the most solid lens they’ve made for mirrorless cameras so far. It focuses incredibly fast and offers innovations other lenses don’t. This is a perfect lens for anyone who shoots portraits, events, landscapes, photojournalism, etc. If you’re a working photographer shooting with Sony, this is arguably the only lens you need.
How’s the Image Quality?
In our review, we state:
“The first time Tamron’s colors really hit me was when they came out with their 35mm f1.8 and 85mm f1.8 for DSLR cameras. The colors from the Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD hit me pretty much as hard, but the colors here are a bit more muted. I adore that. And it’s also so much more important for anyone shooting portraits.”
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
