Canon's 16 best lenses – from 'fixes' to teleoptics

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

No self-respecting photographer can do without additional lenses. But how do you decide on a specific purchase? For example, now there are several hundred lenses for Canon SLR cameras – how not to get lost in such a variety? This article is intended to help you navigate.

Below you will find some of the best optics made for Canon photography equipment available to buy right now. At the same time, the authors divided all products into several categories, because there is no point in directly comparing lenses for portrait photography with optics having a 400 mm focal length. Separately, it should be noted that here we will only talk about products manufactured by Canon itself. We'll probably talk about third-party optics sometime next time.

Best Canon Lenses

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Best standard constant-light lenses for Canon cameras	1	Canon EF 85mm f / 1.2L II USM	RUB 94,900
	2	Canon EF 85mm f / 1.8 USM	RUB 20,000
	3	Canon EF 50mm f / 1.4 USM	RUB 17,000
Best Canon lenses for portrait photography	1	Canon EF 35mm f / 1.4L II USM	RUB 94,890
	2	Canon EF 85mm f / 1.2L II USM	RUB 94,900
	3	Canon EF 135mm f / 2L USM	RUB 49,900
Best Canon zoom lenses	1	Canon EF 28-300mm f / 3.5-5.6L IS USM	RUB 115,000
	2	Canon EF 24-105mm f / 4L IS USM	RUB 38,900
	3	Canon EF-S 18-200mm f / 3.5-5.6 IS	RUB 32 490
The best Canon telephoto lenses	1	Canon EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM	RUB 105,990
	2	Canon EF 135mm f / 2L USM	RUB 49,900
	3	Canon EF 400mm f / 5.6L USM	RUB 61,000
Best Canon Wide Angles	1	Canon EF 16-35mm f / 2.8L III USM	RUB 102,500
	2	Canon EF 17-40mm f / 4L USM	RUB 33,300
The best Canon lenses for macro photography	1	Canon EF 100mm f / 2.8L Macro IS USM	RUB 46,990
Best fisheye lenses	1	Canon EF 8-15mm f / 4.0L Fisheye USM	RUB 63,400

Best standard constant-light lenses for Canon cameras

Canon EF 85mm f / 1.2L II USM

Rating: 4.9

If there are optics that perfectly blur the background, then this is this particular 85mm lens. The photographer here has an aperture of f / 1.2, at which the field of focus is narrowed to an indecent value. The 8-blade diaphragm, which gathers in a perfect circle, also contributes to the beautiful bokeh.

The lens may seem small. However, high-quality glass and metal body did their job – this copy weighs exactly 1 kg. This imposes certain difficulties on using the lens when traveling. Also, do not expect a quick autofocus from the product – this model is tailored for portraits, and not for reportage photography.

Advantages

• Reliable construction;

• Very wide aperture;

• Ultrasonic (silent) focusing;

• Beautiful bokeh even when the aperture is closed;

• Highest aperture ratio;

• Soft contrast.

disadvantages

• Slow autofocus;

• Impressive weight;

• The cost reaches 91 thousand rubles.

Canon EF 85mm f / 1.8 USM

Rating: 4.8

One of the most inexpensive lenses, which, nevertheless, is sometimes used even by professionals. For about 21 thousand rubles. the buyer receives 'glass' with an 85mm focal length and an ultrasonic autofocus motor. Eight aperture blades open up to f / 1.8, which may seem like an insufficient parameter to some. However, it is quite difficult to find fault with the resulting picture; with the proper skill, the photographer will achieve very nice bokeh. Another undoubted advantage of the optics is its low weight, which is 425 g.

Beginner photographers will find it difficult to use the widest aperture. The fact is that autofocus can miss at such moments. This is a traditional disaster for all inexpensive portrait 'glass'.

Advantages

• High sharpness;

• Ultrasonic autofocus;

• High aperture ratio;

• Decent bokeh

• The lens is light enough;

• No chromatic aberration.

disadvantages

• Not the most reliable design;

• Autofocus at f / 1.8 regularly misses;

• It is extremely difficult to use on a cropped camera.

Canon EF 50mm f / 1.4 USM

Rating: 4.7

A versatile lens that can be used on a cropped camera or full frame. This 'glass' is very inexpensive – just over 17 thousand rubles. Such an affordable price tag is due to the plastic case. On the one hand, this made the design less reliable – it is not recommended to drop the lens. On the other hand, the optics weigh only 290 g, which will be especially appreciated by amateurs.

Advantages

• Highly visible bokeh;

• High sharpness;

• Minimum dimensions and weight;

• Good luminosity;

• Low price.

disadvantages

• The lens cannot be called durable;

• Auto focus does not always work perfectly;

• Not all lenses are glass.

Best Canon lenses for portrait photography

Canon EF 35mm f / 1.4L II USM

Rating: 4.9

A lens with a 35mm focal length is a must have for every owner of a cropped camera. The above model allows for very beautiful portraits. The maximum aperture here opens up to f / 1.4, while the picture, even with it, remains very sharp. Beautiful bokeh is also achieved through the nine-blade diaphragm design. The product should also please with the ultrasonic focusing motor, which can be heard only in complete silence.

Reviewers only find fault with the lens over its relatively light weight and appearance. The product does not really look expensive, although such optics cost 89 thousand rubles.

Advantages

• High sharpness over the entire area of ​​the frame;

• Very good aperture;

• Nice bokeh;

• Focuses on close objects;

• Fast and very quiet autofocus.

disadvantages

• Not everyone likes the look;

• High price.

Canon EF 85mm f / 1.2L II USM

Rating: 4.8

The lens already mentioned in our collection. But it's not a sin to repeat myself, having already mentioned the strictly portrait qualities of this optics, without focusing on the specifications. Unlike many analogs, the product is capable of opening its aperture up to f / 1.2. Usually, with this value, the picture starts to 'float', the sharpness disappears somewhere. But in the case of this model, there are no such problems. The background here is blurred almost perfectly. It is not for nothing that this 'glass' is used for artistic photography, when it is necessary to draw the viewer's attention to a particular detail.

Advantages

• Almost maximum aperture;

• Perfect build quality;

• Beautiful bokeh;

• The sound of the autofocus is almost inaudible;

• Sharpness is maintained across the entire aperture range.

disadvantages

• Autofocus does not work instantly;

• The cost will not suit every professional.

Canon EF 135mm f / 2L USM

Rating: 4.8

Not everyone likes to use a long focal length for portraits. Meanwhile, it is it that allows you to achieve the maximum blurring of the background. At 135 mm, and even with an f / 2 aperture, it literally turns into jelly or milk. It is surprising that a lens with such characteristics costs only 49 thousand rubles. It seems that the manufacturer understands that there will be very few people willing to purchase such a large 'portrait lens', so there is a price lure.

Before buying it is worth considering that with such a focal length you will have to move very far from the subject, thereby risking losing contact with it. But no other portrait lens offers such blurry bokeh.

Advantages

• Quiet autofocus;

• Relatively light weight for such a lens (750 g);

• The price tag is not extremely high;

• High aperture ratio;

• Perfect color reproduction.

disadvantages

• Not the best choice in low light;

• The focal length will not suit everyone.

Best Canon zoom lenses

Canon EF 28-300mm f / 3.5-5.6L IS USM

Rating: 4.7

A very expensive lens, the cost of which is due to its unrivaled performance. In fact, this product can be called universal. The focal length range here starts at 28 mm, and this allows you to photograph landscapes and even the simplest portraits. The maximum available to the user is 300 mm, which is suitable even for sports photography. Surprisingly, at maximum FR, the aperture will open up to f / 5.6. This increases the aperture ratio, and provides a very beautiful bokeh. The product has a built-in optical stabilizer, so you can not be afraid to make the exposure a little longer.

Of course, this optics also has disadvantages. They consist, as mentioned above, in cost (116 thousand rubles – a significant amount even for a very successful photographer) and great weight.

Advantages

• There is an image stabilizer;

• Excellent build quality

• The minimum focusing distance is only 0.7 m;

• Quiet focusing;

• Natural color rendering.

disadvantages

• Weight reaches an impressive 1670 g;

• Very high cost;

• Autofocus does not work perfectly in all situations.

Canon EF 24-105mm f / 4L IS USM

Rating: 4.7

A rare type of lens where a constant aperture is used at a variable focal length. And if at 24mm f / 4 may seem insufficient, then at 105mm it gives nice bokeh and a very high aperture. Also, this product has received an image stabilizer, which will never interfere with long focal lengths. Another feature of this model is the minimum focusing distance, not exceeding 0.45 m. This makes the lens universal – in fact, it can shoot in a variety of genres (however, real macro photography is still not given to it).

Advantages

• Weight does not exceed 670 g;

• There is built-in image stabilization;

• Focuses even on very close objects;

• Autofocus sound is almost inaudible;

• The price tag is not astronomical;

• There is dust and moisture protection.

disadvantages

• The zoom ratio (4.4x) is not too great;

• Not very sharp;

• There is slight distortion and vignetting.

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f / 3.5-5.6 IS

Rating: 4.6

One of the most inexpensive zoom lenses available from Canon. In Russia, about 23 thousand rubles are asked for this 'glass'. In this regard, one should not be surprised at the 600-gram weight, which indicates not the highest quality of the case and glass. However, this is a great option for crop cameras. There is even an image stabilizer here, thanks to which you can not worry about a not wide-opening aperture. In a word, the lens should suit many people who have decided to try their hand at photography.

Advantages

• There is an optical stabilizer;

• Macro mode is available;

• Very high zoom ratio (11.1x);

• Relatively small size and weight;

• Affordable even for amateur photographers.

disadvantages

• There are geometry distortions at a minimum FR;

• Sharpness is far from ideal;

• Unreliable design;

• Not the best color rendering.

The best Canon telephoto lenses

Canon EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM

Rating: 4.9

An excellent telephoto lens suitable for sports photography or bird photography, for example. In the second case, however, you will need a magnifier, since the 200mm focal length may not be enough. The price tag of 96 thousand rubles indicates the high quality of both the housing and the lenses. This is also hinted at by the one and a half kilogram mass.

The product includes a four-stage stabilizer. This allows the shutter speed to be very slow. The stabilizer also helps out in those moments when the photographer is trying to shoot a moving vehicle or a running football player.

Advantages

• Excellent shooting quality;

• Competently implemented image stabilization;

• Autofocus works instantly and without unnecessary noise;

• The lens contains five low-dispersion elements;

• Huge aperture for such optics;

• Dust and moisture protection implemented;

• Artistic bokeh.

disadvantages

• Large dimensions and weight;

• Huge cost;

• The tripod foot is slightly small.

Canon EF 135mm f / 2L USM

Rating: 4.8

Fixed 135mm lens. Has a black body. Like almost all the products we reviewed, it has an ultrasonic autofocus. In this case, it is also very fast, because focusing motors do not need to go through many different focal lengths. Fixed FR allowed the creators to implement the f / 2 aperture. It makes the lens fast and very sharp. Of course, it also leads to a beautifully blurred background.

Advantages

• High aperture ratio for such FR;

• Beautiful bokeh;

• Fast and quiet autofocus;

• The price tag is not transcendental (49 thousand rubles);

• Weight does not exceed 750 g.

disadvantages

• In low light, a shutter speed of at least 1/160 s is required;

• There is no optical stabilizer.

Canon EF 400mm f / 5.6L USM

Rating: 4.7

The length of this lens reaches an impressive 256mm. But to this you also need to add a lens hood, you are unlikely to photograph without it. Strange as it may seem, such a long body hides only seven optical elements in six groups. A knowledgeable person will immediately understand that such a lens cannot but be fast. And this with a huge 400mm focal length!

This model is sold in Russian stores for 61 thousand rubles. In fact, this is one of the cheapest 'glasses' with a fixed 400mm lens and an f / 5.6 aperture. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that many aspiring sports photographers choose this lens. Before buying, you should take into account that there is no stabilizer here, and therefore shooting handheld is almost impossible. It is also difficult to hold a camera with optics weighing up to 1250 g.

Advantages

• Very long focal length;

• Not a bad aperture ratio;

• Reliable construction;

• An ultrasonic motor is used;

• High sharpness throughout the frame.

disadvantages

• No image stabilizer.

Best Canon Wide Angles

Canon EF 16-35mm f / 2.8L III USM

Rating: 4.9

A fairly specific lens, the design of which provides the user with a variable focal length at a constant f / 2.8 aperture. It is important that even at the widest angle the picture does not have serious geometric distortions. The 16mm focal length is suggested for landscape and urban photography. And 35mm will help you shoot a portrait when there is no more suitable lens at hand.

This 'glass' is primarily intended for Canon's most expensive full-frame cameras, which can easily shoot at very high ISOs. If you use a lens on a simpler technique, you will notice strong vignetting.

Advantages

• High sharpness in the corners of the frame;

• Lack of geometric distortion;

• Fast and fairly quiet autofocus;

• Excellent color rendering with good contrast

• High aperture ratio;

• A nice blurry background can be achieved.

disadvantages

• The price (97 thousand rubles) will not please everyone;

• Severe vignetting on most cameras.

Canon EF 17-40mm f / 4L USM

Rating: 4.8

Another lens with a variable focal length, but with a slightly wider range. This 'glass' is already less versatile, as the aperture here only opens up to f / 4. This means that portraits with such optics are not so beautiful. It is because of the lack of versatility that only 35 thousand rubles are asked for the lens. However, there is another reason – this is not the most reliable design, as evidenced by the 500-gram weight.

Nevertheless, it is quite a good wide-angle for city buildings and landscapes. Despite the relatively low cost, ultrasonic autofocus is used here, which works quickly and without unnecessary noise. The picture is sharp and detailed. You can only complain about small geometric distortions, which can be corrected in a graphics editor with just one click.

Advantages

• Excellent color rendering;

• Sharpness is maintained throughout the entire field of the frame;

• Autofocus works quickly and quietly;

• Focal length range that suits most buyers;

• Very light weight.

disadvantages

• Subtle geometric distortion;

• Outwardly, the lens does not give the impression of an expensive product;

• Not the highest aperture ratio.

The best Canon lenses for macro photography

Canon EF 100mm f / 2.8L Macro IS USM

Rating: 4.9

Enough massive and large optics designed for shooting insects, coins and other small objects. For this, the creators have achieved that the 'glass' focuses on an object located 30 cm from the camera. At 100mm focal length, the subject is huge and well-detailed, even if it's some kind of beetle. Autofocus responds quickly to subject movement, as helps to sharpen the picture and image stabilization. Here, one cannot even find fault with the weight – the 625-gram “glass” can hardly be called heavy.

Advantages

• Fast and accurate focusing;

• Relatively light weight;

• The minimum focusing distance is only 0.3 m;

• The cost (43 thousand rubles) cannot be called very high;

• There is a possibility of limiting the focusing range;

• Excellent working image stabilizer.

disadvantages

• Some units suffer from focus ring play;

• The native hood supplied in the kit is weak;

• Autofocus is too noisy.

Best fisheye lenses

Canon EF 8-15mm f / 4.0L Fisheye USM

Rating: 4.8

Lens with a pronounced convexity of the front lens. By this feature, you can understand that the product has a huge viewing angle. If you use an 8mm focal length, the field of view is 180 degrees! In contrast to budget 'fish', there is an opportunity to change the FR by choosing the 15 mm option and having a viewing angle of 91 degrees. This allows you to act on a case-by-case basis using one lens instead of two. It's nice that the product turned out to be relatively light, as well as the aperture that opens up to f / 4.0. Only the cost, which reaches 60 thousand rubles in Russia, is capable of confusing. Nevertheless, the authors feel that such 'glass' should be in the arsenal of every wedding photographer using the Canon technique.

Advantages

• Variable focal length;

• Comparatively wide opening diaphragm;

• Weight does not exceed 540 g;

• You can get a picture with a viewing angle of 180 degrees;

• High contrast and color rendering;

• Excellent sharpness across the entire FR range.

disadvantages

• Slightly scary price

• The hood cover is not secured securely enough.

Conclusion

The Japanese company Canon has been making lenses for many decades. And even if we take the fleet of modern optics designed for digital SLR cameras, then even it will turn out to be extremely wide. We have selected the best 'glasses' especially for you. Rest assured, buying any of them will definitely not disappoint. The downside of each lens is the high price – alas, budget optics are immensely far from ideal.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.