10 Best Wide-Aperture Prime Lenses Under £1000

Fixed focal length prime lenses offer unparalleled image quality, with little distortion and great sharpness making them the choice of professionals the world over.

Best Wide-Aperture Prime Lenses

by Kirk Schwarz |
Updated on

Every manufacturer has a capable f/1.8 prime to suit any budget in its range, but the most coveted lenses are usually those with the widest apertures, thanks to their ability to let in more light than traditional kit lenses, allowing us to work handheld in much darker conditions than normal.

Related: Sharpest Nikon Prime Lenses Under £1000

So for this month’s group test we’re exploring the wider world of primes, with a range of focal lengths on offer from 24mm to 135mm.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 wide-aperture primes under £1000...

Sigma 35mm F/1.4 DG HSM

Rrp: £899.00

Price: £679.95
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This lens has a versatile focal length and fast f/1.4 aperture. With 13 elements packed into 11 groups, the image quality is amazing. It is a bit heavy but itu2019s fine for larger cameras.

Specs

Max aperture: f/1.4

Min aperture: f/16

Elements/groups: 13/11

Min focusing distance: 30cm

DxL: 77x94mm

Weight: 665g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Sigma 35mm F/1.4 DG HSM prime lens.

Fujinon XF 56mm F/1.2 R
Price: £1115.62
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With a super-fast aperture of f/1.2 and 7 rounded diaphragm blades you can shoot amazing bokeh with this lens. The 70cm minimum focusing distance and 28.5u00b0 angle-of-view also makes this an excellent portrait lens.

Specs

Max aperture: f/1.2

Min aperture: f/16

Elements/groups: 11/8

Min focusing distance: 70cm

DxL: 73x70mm

Weight: 405g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Fujinon XF 56mm F/1.2 R prime lens.

Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
Price: £474.00
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This lens has a deserved reputation as the king of portrait lenses due to its sharp results and amazing bokeh. It has the longest focal length in test but when shooting wide-open vignetting is noticeable. Itu2019s a very heavy lens but feels balanced on-camera.

Specs

Max aperture: f/2

Min aperture: f/32

Elements/groups: 10/8

Min focusing distance: 90cm

DxL: 83x112mm

Weight: 750g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM prime lens.

Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G

Rrp: £449.95

Price: £406.95
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Adorama$175.00View offer
B&H Photo Video$406.95View offer
Newegg$415.21View offer

This lightweight lens boasts fantastic sharpness, excellent build quality smooth bokeh. The vignetting is noticeable when shooting wide open and there is a little barrel distortion, but nothing that canu2019t be fixed with editing.

Specs

Max aperture: f/1.4

Min aperture: f/16

Elements/groups: 8/7

Min focusing distance: 45cm

DxL: 74x54mm

Weight: 280g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4Gprime lens.

Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM

Rrp: £399.00

Price: £349.00
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Newegg$311.54View offer
B&H Photo Video$349.00View offer

50mm is a very popular focal length for wide-aperture prime lenses, and this Canon u2018nifty fiftyu2019 features a maximum f/1.4 for superb bokeh in out-of-focus areas, bringing your portraits to life.

Specs

Max aperture: f/1.4

Min aperture: f/22

Elements/groups: 7/6

Min focusing distance: 45cm

DxL: 74x51mm

Weight: 290g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM prime lens.

Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM | Art
Price: £1039.00
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Adorama$687.00View offer
Newegg$780.00View offer
Walmart$909.95View offer
B&H Photo Video$1099.00View offer

The fast aperture and 9 rounded diaphragm blades produce beautiful bokeh, making this a great portrait lens, it also has a Hyper Sonic Motor that provides near-silent autofocusing. It is very weighty at 1131g but it does feel very high quality.

Specs

Max aperture: f/1.4

Min aperture: f/16

Elements/groups: 14/12

Min focusing distance: 85cm

DxL: 95x126mm

Weight: 1131g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM | Art prime lens.

Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.8G ED

Rrp: £746.95

Price: £676.95
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This wide-angle from Nikon is very highly regarded, offering great image quality at an affordable price. It offers fantastic sharpness, itu2019s lightweight and the AF performance is impressive too.

Specs

Max aperture: f/1.8

Min aperture: f/16

Elements/groups: 12/9

Min focus distance: 23cm

DxL: 78x83mm

Weight: 355g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.8G EDprime lens.

A member of Tamronu2019s SP (superior performance) family, this 35mm features a fast aperture of f/1.8 and a focal length which gives it a superb level of versatility. Itu2019s a little bulky, though a reasonable weight. The USD motor makes auto-focus quick and accurate.

Specs

Max aperture: f/1.8

Min aperture: f/16

Elements/groups: 10/9

Min focus distance: 20cm

DxL: 80x81mm

Weight: 480g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD prime lens.

Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F/1.7 ASPH
Price: £160.75

This Lumix G 25mm is an exceptional lens for portrait or travel photography, given its 35mm equivalent length of 50mm, and the wide f/1.7 aperture makes it easy to shoot handheld in low light conditions. It doesnu2019t feel as premium as other lenses and lacks sharpness at max aperture but a great lens nevertheless.

Specs

Max aperture: f/1.7

Min aperture: f/22

Elements/groups: 8/7

Min focus distance: 25cm

DxL: 61x52mm

Weight: 125g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F/1.7 ASPH prime lens.

Samyang 14mm F/2.8 IF ED UMC
Price: £291.84

Korean optics company Samyang is known for fully manual lenses and superb optical quality, and this ultra-wide 14mm has a fast maximum aperture of f/2.8 which lets you capture stunning scenes in low light. The build quality is excellent but as itu2019s fully manual, you wonu2019t be able to shoot in auto modes.

Specs

Max aperture: f/2.8

Min aperture: f/22

Elements/groups: 14/10

Min focus distance:20cm

DxL: 87x96mm

Weight: 505g

Want to know more? Read our full review of the Samyang 14mm F/2.8 IF ED UMC prime lens.

If you're still undecided what type of camera lense is right for you, read our tried and tested guides on these incredible lenses from Canon to Nikon and even Tamron.

Discover Nikon lense reviews:

Reviewed: Nikon AF-S 24mm F/1.8G ED

Reviewed: Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G

Discover Canon lense reviews:

Reviewed: Canon EF 100mm F/2.8L Macro IS USM

Reviewed: Canon EF 135mm F/2L USM

Reviewed: Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM

Discover Fujinon lense reviews:

Reviewed: Fujinon XF 56mm F/1.2 R

Discover Panasonic lense reviews:

Reviewed: Panasonic 42.5mm F/1.7 ASPH POWER O.I.S

Reviewed: Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F/1.7 ASPH

Discover Samyang lense reviews:

Reviewed: Samyang 100mm F/2.8 ED UMC Macro

Reviewed: Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC

Reviewed: Samyang 14mm F/2.8 IF ED UMC

Discover Sigma lense reviews:

Reviewed: Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM

Discover Tamron lense reviews:

Reviewed: Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD

Reviewed: Tamron SP AF 180mm F/3.5 DI LD IF Macro

Discover Tokina lense reviews:

Reviewed: Tokina AT-X M100 AF Pro D 100mm F/2.8

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Kirk Schwarz is a tech-addicted photographer with over a decade's experience; Kirk’s used to putting new gear through extreme field testing. He's previously written for Practical Photography.

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