The Best Budget Lenses for Real Estate Photography in 2023
The best budget lenses for real estate photography from the 3 major camera brands are the following:
Canon: Canon EF 17-40mm F4 USM
Sony: Sony Vario-Tessat T* FE 16-35mm F4
Nikon: Nikon 16-35mm F4 ED VR
Although these are the top 3 options for the more affordable lenses for real estate photography, there are other even more affordable options that I’ll review in this article.
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Affordable Lenses for Real Estate Photography
The best budget lenses for real estate photography aren’t going to have impressive aperture capabilities or be newly released lenses. What we want to find are lenses with the correct focal lengths that will produce sharp images at a decent price point.
All affordable lenses for real estate photography will need to be wide angle lenses that come in under the $1000 price mark.
For this list, I’ve decided to stick to the 3 major camera brands (Canon, Sony, and Nikon) rather than include any 3rd party lenses. Doing so should help you pick a camera brand to get you started in real estate photography.
If you haven’t yet decided on which camera you’ll be using for real estate photography, check out our article Best Cameras for Real Estate Photography. It has several affordable options to choose from.
Canon's Best Budget Lenses for Real Estate Photography
Canon EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS STM
If you’re looking for the cheapest Canon lens possible to get started in Real Estate Photography, look no further. This Canon EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 has great focal lengths for interiors and will produce some decent images to get you started.
This is very much an entry level lens though, so be advised that you will need to upgrade eventually if you want to raise your image quality.
Pros:
- Extremely affordable
- Good focal length for interiors
Cons:
- Low quality build
- Tighter focal length would be ideal
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Our choice for Canon’s best affordable lens for real estate photography, this Canon EF 17-40mm F4 is a great piece of glass and it comes in at a very attractive price point.
The focal lengths are ideal for real estate photography, it produces nice sharp photos, and is a very well built lens. Of all Canon’s best budget lenses for real estate photography, I’d say this is by far the best option.
Pros
- Great focal lengths
- Good build quality
- Produces sharp photos
Cons
- None
Sony's Best Budget Lenses for Real Estate Photography
Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS
Unlike Nikon and Canon, there aren’t many extremely cheap Sony lenses that are good for real estate photography. This Sony E 10-18mm f4 is Sony’s most affordable lens for real estate photography.
The focal lengths are great for interiors, it will produce solid quality images, and should cover all the angles you need to get started in real estate photography.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Good focal length for interiors
Cons:
- Tighter focal length would be ideal
- There are better options for not that much more money
Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4
This Sony Vario-Tessar 16-35mm f4 is a great lens if you’re looking to not break the bank but are willing to spend a bit extra for a solid quality lens.
In my opinion, this lens is the perfect balance between high quality glass and affordability. It’s easily my choice for Sony’s best affordable lens for real estate photography.
Pros:
- Perfect focal lengths
- Very well built
- Captures sharp images
Cons:
- One of the more expensive lenses on this list
Nikon's Best Budget Lenses for Real Estate Photography
Nikon 16-35mm F4 ED VR
This Nikon 16-35mm F4 is the lens I used to use for the bulk of my real estate photography work when I was first getting started. It’s wide enough to capture the entire room without creating too much distortion and narrow enough to get tighter shots.
In my opinion, this lens offers you the best value for price and quality. I love this lens and it was a workhorse for me, so naturally I highly recommend it.
Pros:
- Perfect focal lengths for interiors
- Strong build quality
- Extremely sharp
Cons:
- Slightly expensive
Nikon DX 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
Even though this Nikon DX 10-20mm F4.5-5.6 is a crop sensor lens, it will still work on a full frame Nikon and will be ideal focal lengths (15mm – 30mm) for real estate photography.
Of all Nikon’s best budget lenses for real estate photography, this one is by far the most affordable. If you can’t afford the 16-35mm F4 above, this one will work to get you started in real estate photography.
With that being said, the 16-35mm F4 is a true professional lens and is such a great value, so I would recommend trying to stretch your budget and purchase that lens instead.
Pros
- Will work for crop sensor and full frame Nikon cameras
- Good focal lengths for interiors
- Very affordable
Cons
- Will want to upgrade eventually to increase image quality
Recommendations for Affordable Lenses for Real Estate Photography
If you’re simply looking for the best budget lens for real estate photography, then I’d highly recommend the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4. It offers excellent quality at a great valued price point.
If you’re really looking for the most affordable lenses for real estate photography, any of the lenses in this article will work. Although you may want to upgrade eventually, they will get you started with real estate photography and create some solid images.
However, I would recommend, if your budget can stretch a bit, that you purchase one of the following 3 lenses:
Canon: Canon EF 17-40mm F4 USM
Sony: Sony Vario-Tessat T* FE 16-35mm F4
Nikon: Nikon 16-35mm F4 ED VR
All 3 lenses are affordable lenses for real estate photography, capture high quality images, and you won’t need to spend more money on an upgrade in the future.
Additional Resources
If you’re just getting started in real estate photography, check out our Beginners Guide. It’s full of helpful articles and tips that will guide you in the right direction as you begin your real estate photography journey.
You can check out our Gear section as well to see reviews and recommendations on the latest real estate photography gear.
If you’re more interested in other resources that can help your real estate photography business, check out our Business Resources page.
