Third-party companies manufacture lenses to mount on the Canon A2.
Camera companies make more than just cameras. They make full lines of lenses designed specifically to work on the camera bodies that they manufacture. Canon is known for manufacturing some very good lenses that go with their line of digital and film cameras such as the EOS A2. The A2 is a semi-professional film camera body that was first brought to market in 1992. And while Canon has a number of lenses that work with the A2, there are a number of third-party lens manufacturers that also make lenses that work with the A2; they are often as good as Canon's and can be considerably less expensive.
Sigma
Sigma is a third-party lens manufacturer that produces lenses and a mount to go with Canon cameras. Founded nearly 50 years ago, Sigma continues to work on the quality of its lenses. Presently the company has over 50 lenses available, ranging from a fisheye lens, which is an extreme wide angle lens, all the way up to "Super Telephoto Lenses." Sigma has several lenses that will fit the Canon A2, from its 8mm lens all the way up to its 300mm to 800mm telephotos. If you are looking to build a kit using prime (non-zoom) lenses, their 24mm, 50mm and 85mm lenses are a great start for any photographer. The company also makes zoom lenses to fit the A2, with the 24-70mm and 70-200mm being two that would cover most photographers' needs. Sigma also produces teleconverters that will extend the focal length of a lens.
Tamron
Tamron produces lenses for film and digital SLRs, as well as lenses for closed-circuit TV security systems that are not designed for 35mm photography. Tamron company produces four categories of camera lenses including "All in One Zooms," a lens that covers focal lengths from 18mm to 270mm. This type of lens covers just about any shooting requirement. Tamron also makes "Fast Zooms," which have a shorter focal length but larger apertures, allowing more light in and thus giving the photographer an option to use a faster shutter speed, an option that may be needed for sports or wildlife. The company also has "Macro" and "Wide and Tele" lenses. When using third-party lenses, if you change the brand of camera you are using, you can still use your old lenses on your new camera, by simply buying the correct mounting bracket. All of these Tamron lenses can be used on the Canon A2 when they have the correct mounting bracket installed.
Tokina
Like the other two manufacturers, Tokina has a product line that includes zoom lenses as well as fixed focal length lenses, most of which are compatible with the A2. In the company's "AT-X Pro Series," photographers can select from both zoom and prime (non-zoom) lenses. The company also produces macro lenses in the 35mm and 100mm focal lengths. Since the A2 is a film camera, however, there are some Tokina lenses that will not work well with it, as they are specifically designed for digital cameras and their smaller sensors, commonly known as APS-C sensors. The AT-X 116 Pro DX (11mm to 16mm) is such a lens. In non-full frame digital cameras, the crop factor is usually 1.6x. This means that a 11mm lens on a cropped sensor DSLR has the equivalent film or full frame sensor focal length of 17.6mm. This lens, when mounted on a A2, would produce images in which the corners are rounded off, producing a non-full frame picture. The company's AT-X 124 Pro DX is also specifically designed for APS-C sensors and would not work on the A2.
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