FIND THE THRIFTY 3
(ON EBAY*) & THEN GO
TAKE THE CHALLENGE
Before you can take the Thrifty 3 Challenge you must search...as lore-like as it sounds. Yes, we do earn a small commission "from qualifying purchases" when you use the links below, but our goal is to help you to get your kit, as quickly as possible...so that's another reason we do it. Sometimes, we might sell these items on our eBay store too, but that means you'll be getting the exact gear we were testing, so you know it works.
WIDE: Kit Lenses (& More)
THRIFTY 3
WIDE: Tokina 11-16 2.8 (Nikon)
I used to recommend using a KIT LENS, but this is now the first wide angle lens I recommend, as it's now LESS EXPENSIVE than most kit lenses! This one works well because of the constant 2.8 aperture, and it even works with most sensor sizes (yet on full-frame sensors, it's only at 16mm). This lens is very common on the used market (in the US anyway) and I prefer adapting it from the Nikon mount version.
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TIGHT: Nifty 50
THRIFTY 3
TIGHT: Nikon AF 50 1.8 D
There are multiple options for good, affordable 50mm prime lenses, but this early Nikon AF 50 1.8 D is one of the best. It's optically better than the f/1.4 version (of the same vintage) and because it is optically so good, you can even use it with an old Vivitar 2x MACRO teleconverter, and turn it into a 100mm macro (the teleconverter reduces the sharpness, but the lens starts out so sharp that it works really well).
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TELE: 70-300 (1990s)
THRIFTY 3
TELE: Quantaray 70-300 (1:2)
I’ll cut to the chase and say this lens is super useful but it’s one of the least expensive lenses I use. It’s a 1990s vintage Quantaray AF 70-300 4-5.6 1:2 MACRO version (for Nikon) and it’s almost identical to some of the Tamron and Promaster versions (of the same specifications) which leads me to believe they were manufactured by the same source, and that they are optically identical, which I proved out during testing.
As an Amazon or eBay Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase through a link (at no additional cost to you).