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Today we are looking at the best Canon lenses. These are the best lenses to use for Canon cameras, either for your EOS, your EOS R, or your EOS M. We will go over a range of popular lenses so that you get a good idea of which one will work best for you.
The most popular Canon lenses are telephoto lenses, wide-angle zoom lenses, standard zoom lenses, macro lenses, and portrait lenses. Telephoto lenses are ideal for wildlife photography or taking pictures during sporting events, as you can capture the perfect image of your subject from far away.
Wide-angle zoom lenses are great for landscape photography and street photography, making them ideal for travelers and hikers. Standard zoom lenses are usually cheaper, more versatile in that they don’t specialize in just one type of photography, but overall underwhelming.
Lastly, macro lenses are for enhancing small subjects and taking beautiful photos with incredibly sharp details – like small animals, flowers, and everyday objects. Portrait lenses are similar to macro lenses, but are better for taking pictures of people, and are especially useful for wedding photographers.
If you already know what kind of photography you are interested in, deciding on which lens to buy will be much easier. If you are unsure, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money, I always recommend standard zoom lenses, as these won’t waste your money and they are still a good upgrade from the standard Canon camera.
The Best Canon Lens
1. Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM Telephoto Lens
First on the list is an affordable telephoto lens. This is definitely cheaper than many similar lenses from Sony or Nikon, and it is phenomenal. It has an incredibly wide zoom range and with a nearly silent and very fast autofocus. If you are in the market for a long-distance lens, this is definitely a great option. It comes equipped with unique Nano USM technology to help you focus quicker, snapping photographs the instant an event occurs. No lag! You also get perfectly silent operation even when recording video, keeping your ears free for the sounds you want to hear.
The lens comes with a convenient information display so that you can always keep track of your focal length, your focus distance, and your depth of field. The lens also has integrated image stabilization to keep your photos crystal clear whenever a tripod isn’t handy. The UD lens element is perfectly placed to produce images with the highest contrast and clearest details, while at the same time reducing chromatic aberrations.
This is a rockin’ telephoto lens great for beginners and professionals alike. The optics are great, the autofocus is fast, and the zoom range is impressive. Anyone looking to expand the capabilities of their Canon camera should seriously consider this lens. Plus, it’s affordable!
Pros
- Image Quality is Impressive
- Nano USM Autofocus System
- Wildly Affordable
- Lightweight & Portable
- LCD Display is Convenient
Cons
- No Weather Sealing
- Extras are Expensive
2. Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM Wide-Angle Lens
First of all, this lens is brand new. The price is definitely outrageous, coming in at almost $3000, but it is also the best wide-angle lens available from Canon right now. This is fresh technology, and for any professional photographer, it is well worth the price. Quality costs money, and this is what quality looks like. The f/2.8 aperture remains constant throughout the entire range of zoom. It has a focal length of 15-35mm, allowing you to capture the most stunning photographs of landscapes, city panoramas, and gorgeous architecture.
Designed especially for the EOS R series, this lens is built using Canon’s own Nano USM technology, Which gives focusing that is smooth and silent, with effective shake correction and the ability to take beautiful photos in bright light, in low light, and even in darkness. The minimum focusing distance is 0.92 feet, which is impressive on its own. The weather sealing around the lens’s panels, switch, and lens mount work to prevent dust and water from ruining the lens. This is one of the most well-designed lenses for use outdoors.
While this lens is definitely out of most people’s price range, it is definitely one of the very best, from Canon or anyone else.
Pros
- New Technology/New Lens
- Ultra-Fast & Constant Aperture
- Hood is Removable
- Excellent Minimum Focusing Distance
- 5-Stop Imagine Stabilization
Cons
- Outrageously Expensive
- Heavy & Bulky
3. Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM UD Standard Zoom Lens
This standard zoom lens is a major upgrade from your basic APS-C Canon camera. It has an impressive focal length range of 24-136mm in the 35mm format, making it ideal for everyday photography of all sorts. The standard zoom lens is one of the better lenses for random photography, whether you are practicing in the city, taking photographs while hiking, or simply hanging out with your friends.
The lens is equipped with some of the best image stabilization technology and some of the best premium optics, giving you a huge upgrade in performance. The lens has excellent wide-angle potential, and it even has an awesome telephoto reach thanks to its massive zoom range. The Ultra Sonic Motor works well to give you quiet focus control with manual override every time you are shooting in AF mode.
As far as versatile standard lenses go, this is a great deal. It has a moderate price tag, it offers stunning image quality, and it does a little bit of everything. If you don’t want to spend too much money but you want that extra bit of professionalism with your photos, this is the number 1 choice of lens for your Canon APS-C camera.
Pros
- Versatile w/ Wide Angle + Telephoto Abilities
- Premium Lens for Low Price
- Greatly Improves a Standard APS-C Camera
- Image Stabilization is Perfect
- Ideal for Beginners & Hobbyists
Cons
- Extras Sold Separately
- Some Barrel Distortion
4. Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM Lens
Macro lenses are great for seeing the small world in big detail. With this Canon macro lens, you get a whole world of options for your macro photography. This particular unit is designed to be used with APS-C DSLR cameras, and it gives you loads of flexibility with your picture taking. It comes with a built-in Macro Lite so that you always have the perfect illumination, even in darker conditions. You can control the intensity of the light between bright and dim for your desired effect. Plus, with the bright f/2.8 aperture, you get excellent field effects for close-up shots of flowers, insects, and food.
The lens has great image stabilization to minimize blurring and camera shake, it’s designed to be small and lightweight so that you can get even closer to your subjects, and it has Movie Servo AF to give you ultra-smooth video recording. For just a few hundred dollars, this isn’t a bad little unit. It’s definitely a “walk-around” lens for people who love macrophotography.
Pros
- Great Quality w/ Great Price
- Hybrid Image Stabilization
- Bright Aperture w/ 35mm Standard Angle
- Integrated Macro Lite
- Smooth Movie Servo AF
Cons
- LED Not Very Bright
- Budget Unit/Sacrifice in Potential Power
5. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Portrait Lens
Last but not least is the most affordable lens on today’s list. This lens costs barely over $100, and it is ideal for portraits, for nighttime photography, and for getting quick action shots. It comes with a powerful Stepping Motor that gives near-silent AF for movies and incredibly smooth AF for photographs. It has a 50mm focal length with an aperture of f/1.8, and a minimum focus distance of 0.35m.
Unlike other budget lenses, this model is surprisingly solid. It actually feels like a real lens when you hold it in your hand, even though it is extremely lightweight at just 160 grams. For such a low price, you really can’t go wrong with this lens. It has excellent image quality, an awesome autofocus system, and it is ideal for portrait photography.
Pros
- Amazingly Inexpensive/ Fully Replaceable
- Lightweight & Small
- Well-Rounded Aperture for Portraits
- Smooth Autofocus Transitions
- Solid Build Quality
Cons
- No Image Stabilization
- Not Completely Silent
Final Thoughts
Before you even think about making a purchase, you must remember that different lenses are compatible with different cameras. For example, the EOS M mirrorless cameras from Canon utilize a different lens mount than the standard EOS DSLR cameras. And while you can always pick up an adapter to switch between cameras and lenses, it is ideal if you stick with the dedicated lens. Always double-check the compatibility before you buy.
Even DSLR cameras have differences. Canon cameras that are full-frame use the Canon EF mount, whereas APS-C cameras use the Canon EF-S mount. You can use EF lenses on either camera, but you cannot use the EF-S lens on a full-frame camera because it is too small.
Then we have RF lenses, which use their own mounts and are not compatible with DSLR cameras or EOS M mirrorless cameras. However, they can be used with some EOS R cameras by using a special adapter. As you can tell, this system is a little confusing. The best bet is to stick with your camera’s dedicated lens.
There are independent companies that make quality lenses, and some of them are even better and even less expensive. You can always check Sigma, Tamron, or Tokina for what kind of lenses they currently have available, as it may be a better fit for your camera and your budget.
