How many lenses do you need? Maybe just one more! Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves when we’re looking for the next addition to Photophique’s guide for the 10 best all around, everyday lenses for our Canon camera bodies.
Whether it’s a wide angle prime for close-up work or a telephoto zoom for vista shots, there’s a lens (many lenses) for each of us out there. Availability isn’t an issue. Budget – well, yes.
How should you decide what lens is the next best addition to your growing gear bag? The decision is more complex than you might believe. Let’s walk through what you need to consider about your Canon lens choices.
Top 10 All Around Canon Lenses
Ranking | Lens | Best for | Mount type | Effective focal range | Aperture | Review | Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Canon EF-S 18-55 f/4-5.6 IS STM | Travel, wide angle, close ups | EF-S/APS-C only | 27-83mm (APS-C) | f/4-5.6 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#2 | Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM | Telephoto, travel, action | EF/Full frame, APS-C | 75-300mm (Full Frame), 105-450mm (APS-C) | f/4-5.6 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#3 | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM | Travel, portraits, action, all purpose | EF/Full frame, APS-C | 50mm (Full Frame), 80mm (APS-C) | f/1.8 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#4 | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM | Wide to medium range all purpose | EF/Full frame, APS-C | 24-105mm (Full Frame), 36-158mm (APS-C) | f/4 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#5 | Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM | Ultra wide angle, real estate, travel | EF-S/APS-C only | 15-27mm (APS-C) | f/4.5-5.6 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#6 | Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM | Wide angle, close ups, travel | EF/Full frame, APS-C | 24mm (Full Frame), 36mm (APS-C) | f/2.8 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#7 | Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD | Portraits, close ups | EF/Full frame, APS-C | 85mm (Full Frame), 135mm (APS-C) | f/1.8 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#8 | Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD | All purpose | EF and EF-S/ Full frame, APS-C | 16-300mm (Full Frame), 24-450mm (APS-C) | f/3.5-6.3 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#9 | Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS | All purpose | EF-S/APS-C only | 29-320mm (APS-C) | f/3.5-5.6 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon | |
#10 | Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM | Landscape, wildlife, medium distance | EF/Full frame, APS-C | 70-200mm (Full Frame), 105-300mm (APS-C) | f/2.8 | Read Review | See Price on Amazon |
What You Need to Consider About Your Next Canon Lens Purchase
Admittedly, writing these articles on Canon camera bodies and lenses creates temptation. When I’m researching wide angles, I feel a sudden urge to buy one. Ditto on Canon portrait lenses – and I don’t even shoot portraits as a rule.
That brings us to the core of making your lens selection. How do you plan to use it? In other words, photog, know thyself.
Many aspects go into a lens buying decision. Think about your answers to these questions as you browse through our list of suggestions.
What’s your overall budget?
Think it’s strange this discussion opens with the money issue? There’s a good reason. If you can afford to buy a dozen lenses, a choice that only suits a limited purpose doesn’t make a difference.
If you need a lens to satisfy many different types of shooting situations because of your budget, though, you might be reframing your thinking about an extensive focal length zoom over a prime, or third-party glass instead of Canon. More on this later when we talk about the practical side of owning too many lenses.
Keep in mind too that paying more doesn’t translate into better glass. Optics on non-professional lenses have improved considerably over the last few years. The effects offered by a brand or design might outweigh the issue of its price tag too.
What’s your preference, Canon or third party?
In the world of optics, advances come in phases. The Canon lens might not have been updated in recent years, with the design and its benefits or flaws showing its age.
Likewise, once a Canon lens has been on the market for a period, third-party brands have had an opportunity to reverse engineer it and develop their own similarly featured offerings.
In addition, all glass is not created equal. Sometimes, the Canon choice isn’t rated as highly as Tamron or Sigma, for example. It’s often best to think about features first, then consider who has the best match of those before you decide on brand.
Weighing the features and trade-offs you’ll make, selecting one brand over the other boils down to personal choice. Often, you’ll find a focal length or type of lens available from multiple manufacturers, and few real differences between them.
Reviews on reputable distribution channels can tell you a lot about what people like and warnings about what they don’t, so that’s a good place to increase your knowledge before that credit card comes out.
Will a prime work better than a zoom?
Back in time (a decade or so ago), the general belief among professional photogs was that prime lenses were better. The quality of optics and manufacturing were thought to be more precise, producing better image results.
However, in the past decade, that’s no longer true, as manufacturers invested in the same quality for their zoom options.
The other argument for prime over zoom has been aperture. Primes come with constant apertures, meaning you have fewer adjustments to make. For a person with developing skills, this equates to having fewer things you can mess up – but also, fewer things you can adjust for those of us who want to play with the edges of a lens’s capabilities.
Zooms have flexibility going for them, shooting across a range of focal lengths and often a range of aperture settings as well. Today’s reality is that most wildlife photogs wouldn’t be caught without their tele zoom in the field.
It’s hard to find a single perfect Canon telephoto prime lens to meet all needs, meaning there’s an appropriate place for a zoom in every camera bag.
Why is the camera body sensor type important to note?
Canon bodies that allow interchangeable lenses come in three sensor types – full frame (equivalent to 35mm film), APS-C (a cropped sensor that’s smaller than full frame), and mirrorless.
Because the world of mirrorless lenses for Canon bodies is very small, we’re not including them here. Pay attention to our response to the next question to understand how sensor affects lens type choice, too.
The focal length of a lens is represented as #mm in the name of the lens. For a full frame sensor, that is the effective focal length. For APS-C sensor bodies, multiple the focal length numbers by 1.5-1.6 to know the approximate effective focal length. (Note: Where effective focal length has been verified by the manufacturer, we’ve used their numbers in this comparison.)
This means that the range for a lens marked as 70-200mm will be 70-200mm on a full frame body, and 105-300mm on an APS-C body. This can work in your favor, such as giving you more telephoto capability in this example, but also make it harder to shoot as close in at the wide angle end.
For primes, the same adjustment applies, so a 50mm remains 50mm on full frame, and 75mm on APS-C.
What’s the difference between Canon EF and EF-S lenses?
EF stands for Electro-Focus, an autofocusing advancement internal to the lens that Canon built into its products beginning in 1987. EF lenses mount on full frame DSLR cameras right out of the box. And despite reports to the contrary, we’ve confirmed they also work on APS-C cameras out of the box with no adapter ring required.
EF-S lenses only work on APS-C sensor cameras. The S designation roughly translates into a reminder that they have a smaller image circle to correspond to the smaller sensor size. Less light allowed through to the sensor means you will probably need to shoot with a longer shutter speed to get the same effect you would on a full frame camera.
As most people grow their lens collection, they opt for EF lenses (or their third party brand equivalent) because of that flexibility to mount them on both full frame and APS-C DSLR bodies. As of this writing, Canon makes about 250 different EF lenses, and roughly 50 EF-S.
Is there a difference in quality between EF, EF-S and third party lenses?
Some reviewers hold the opinion that EF-S lenses are inferior in terms of quality, construction materials and manufacturing. Ditto for third party, as noted before. This has generally been disproven across the board.
You can argue that making something out of plastic instead of steel means it is weaker construction. You can also say it’s lighter weight, making it easier to carry. It depends on what part of the lens the alternative material is used.
The one area you don’t want to skimp on is the optics glass (as in, the lens itself). Poor optics beget image problems like distortions and color aberrations. These kinds of issues are most likely to be noticed at the ends of a lens’s useful focal and aperture range.
Why does the aperture matter in everyday lens choice?
Aperture is represented in lens names by the f-stop or f/#. The lower the number, the larger the hole through which light passes to hit your sensor, allowing your camera to record an image. Lower equals larger – if you remember that, you have a leg up on most people with their first DSLR kit camera.
Larger apertures (lower f-stops) let in more light, meaning you can shoot them in darker conditions and still get a good result. If you like to shoot without a flash, you want all the light you can get flowing through that lens. If you’re mostly shooting sports, gardens or other daytime shots, you can get away with a higher number f-stop because it lets in enough light.
Why does depth of field matter in everyday lens selection?
Aperture also controls depth of field, or the perceived distance between the subject you’ve framed in the shot and their surroundings. Take as an example a f/2.0 lens (low number, large opening.) This is also called a ‘wide’ lens or the ‘wide end’ of a variable aperture zoom lens.
For a wide lens, depth of field will be shallow (only a narrow area in sharp focus) when the lens is closer to the subject, and deep (large zone of sharpness) when the subject if further away. If you’re shooting landscapes, you probably want the whole image to be sharp, meaning you’ll want a lens with a higher f-stop to get a smaller opening.
Why is image stabilization important in a lens?
There are three values you can play with in your camera, aperture (hole to let in light), ISO (speed of the ‘film’, be it digital or actual negatives) and shutter speed (faster lets in the least amount of light). Unless you’re shooting on Automatic mode, you set two and the third is selected by the camera.
Canon DSLRs come with a setting called aperture priority, AV (Aperture Value). This is the setting many professionals and beginner camera hobbyists use to control their exposures because it allows you as the photographer to maximize the effect you want in depth of field and lighting. Most choose aperture and ISO, and let the camera decide how long the shutter is open.
And therein lies the problem. The shutter might need to be open for longer than you can handhold that camera steady, producing image shake. Over the past few years, Canon has defaulted to relying on image stabilization (IS) in its lenses more than its bodies, so if you shoot in a lot of low light conditions, lenses with IS are a gear must-have.
How many bodies will you be carrying?
This section could also have been called how much gear do you want to lug around? Modern gear bags that mimic backpacks can hold a lot but think about swapping out lenses in the middle of a travel adventure or while on a hike. It’s often better to consider how many lenses you might need for a single outing and only carry those.
Professional camera users often have more than one body ready, with different types of lenses on each one. Portraiture done indoors means you could have three or four lined up, each fulfilling a different purpose. Even in outdoors work, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to carry two at ends of the possible use spectrum.
Canon camera bodies aren’t necessarily heavy, but when mounted with a high-range zoom lens, they become weighty. Primes are often lighter, but then you face that more limited range of uses. When a zoom can take the place of three primes, though, they might serve you more if it can capture the images you want to shoot.
What do you like to shoot?
This brings us back to photog, know thyself. Your preferences in terms of subjects and conditions determines which lenses will be best for you. If you like to shoot landscapes and cityscapes, you probably want something with a higher aperture value and perhaps telephoto capability in a zoom.
If portraits (human, animals, food, flowers) are your thing, you’ll be adding a Canon wide angle lens to your repertoire. In this case, a prime wide lens (low f-stop value) might be more applicable.
If you shoot all kinds of things, zooms at the ends of focal ranges with matching variable apertures fit the bill. Lower numbers on focal range and lower numbers on f-stop make that lens more attractive for close-in, shallow depth of field work. Large #mm numbers and larger aperture values (smaller opening, deeper depth of field) are great for landscape-type shooting.
What do you plan to do with your images?
Most of us shoot first and foremost for ourselves. We want to save memories and share them with people close to us. They might be great images, but the most public viewing they’ll ever receive is on your computer screensaver at the office or attached to a blog post.
Others of us have hopes and aspirations about selling our work. Stock photo websites make this easier to do – and harder as well.
Their standards are high and require us to keep in mind what kinds of images people want to buy, what can’t be used in a public image (like a person’s identifiable face without their written permission or a brand logo without the company’s written permission), and what they expect in terms of image resolution and settings.
At the end of this spectrum, some of us also want to make art. Whether it’s something to enlarge on a wall or turn into a calendar, we plan to capitalize on it somehow. In this case, investing in the best lenses you can afford to buy for your growing semi-professional needs is the answer.
What came in your kit?
Many of us buy our first Canon body as part of a kit, meaning a lens or two was included. Today’s kits arrive with various zoom lenses and the occasional prime, depending on your buying channel of choice. Those selections are a good place to begin if you didn’t get your body with a variety of attachments.
There is a good reason the kit comes as it does. The lenses included are often what Canon (and the distribution channel) deem the best matches for their typical customers. You can do a lot with them right out of the box, which is why they are included with your Canon body.
Should you throw out the kit lenses, assuming they aren’t as good as what you can buy individually? Not at all, as these are often similar to lenses you see advertised by themselves. But if your budget is limited, add something different from what you already own to increase your range and versatility.
Criteria for Selecting the 10 Best Everyday Lenses for Canon Cameras
Our recommendation is that you take a little time to write down the kinds of photos you like to take, and how often you take them. You want a lens to maximize your potential in whatever you do most. A good place to start is the last few digital file folders you have of photos from recent months (or years).
Now to gear. Check you kit lenses and inventory anything you’ve added and consider worth of keeping. If you don’t know what kind of sensor your body has, this is a great time to find out.
Our comparison offers something across a range of shooting situations for both full frame and APS-C sensors. There’s no priority implied in the order because needs are so different. Criteria will help you decide which ones are for you.
Best for
This criterion is less a criterion and more a notation about why you might want this lens. Some lenses have a broader range of uses, and sometimes we omit a category because it’s not commonly used in that situation. It’s still photographer preference that drives how lenses are used throughout their ranges.
Mount type/Sensor type
While we tend to like EF lenses because of the selection and the flexibility across both full frame and APS-C, some lenses on our list are only designed for crop sensors. If you plan to keep shooting with that body, we’ve noted lenses that are only for you. We attempted to offer both types of choices, though the lenses are not always perfectly equivalent.
Effective focal range
While the focal range appears in a lens’s name, we’ve called out the effective range for APS-C too. In our descriptions, we’ve noted if lenses have any peculiarities at the edges of their capabilities, like distortions or chromatic aberrations (CA), that can often be linked to focal range.
Aperture
The f-stops are also in lens names, but we’re emphasizing them. Keep in mind that aperture doesn’t live in a vacuum, and constant (a fixed number) doesn’t mean that’s the only aperture value it can shoot.
Image stabilization
If you regularly use a travel tripod, IS might not matter to you. If you’re most often shooting handheld and in low light conditions, it will. Consider your propensity for camera shake and blurring when you consider if IS is vital for you.
Weight
If you want to minimize blurring and shaking but can’t use a tripod under your usual circumstances, weight will matter to you. It’s also a factor in the bag as you lug it around. These weights are for the lens only, so remember to add that to your Canon body weight.
What lenses did we pick? Here’s our take on the best gear to add to your ever-growing want/need list for all purposes uses. We’ll start with some of the common kit lenses to inform the rest of what you might find you need.
#1. Canon EF-S 18-55 f/4-5.6 IS STM
- Best for: Travel, wide angle, close-ups
- Mount type/sensor type: EF-S/APS-C only
- Effective focal range/full frame: N/A
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 27-83mm
- Aperture: f/4-5.6
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Weight: .48 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
This is probably the most common lens for APS-C Canon kits, including the long line of ever-popular Rebel models and the D series DSLRs. The exact focal length has varied over the years with generations of body models, but the intention for making it a perennial favorite is clear. This is a versatile all purpose lens at the wider end of your range.
Reviewers comment on the depth of field offered by this focal length range, as well as the quality of the optics and build. It produces high quality images in a portable format, making it easy to set it on your camera body and forget about it. Image stabilization (IS), a nice feature for what is commonly a kit lens, minimizes shake for handheld shooting in low light conditions.
If you’re also using this lens for video, its near silent autofocusing on a screw-type stepping motor (STM) adjusts your framing continuously and without mechanical noise.
It creates an acceptable amount of background blurring (bokeh) at the tele end of its range and with the aperture closed to its smallest (the larger numbered end of its range). IS is similarly silent for video recording opportunities.
Considerations:
One complaint is that this aperture range does not allow for the same quality images in low light situations as you might enjoy in daylight or full illumination.
While this might be okay for your usual travel shots, it can be a problem for nighttime venues or interiors without additional lighting. Given the distance limitations for most built-in flashes, this can be a problem for those of us who like to capture the insides of the places we visit.
Another image quality issue is the tendency to soften the central focal point of your results. Chromatic aberration (color distortion) and fringing (imprecise color at high contrast points) have been reported. Some users aren’t fond of the plastic used in the mounting ring, but no outright problems with it have been noted.
#2. Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM
- Best for: Telephoto, travel, action
- Mount type/sensor type: EF/Full frame, APS-C
- Effective focal range/full frame: 75-300mm
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 105-450mm
- Aperture: f/4-5.6
- Image stabilization: No
- Weight: 1.06 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
While the previous lens covers the wide end, this zoom is the common kit choice for tele. It is not a particularly fast lens given its higher apertures, but it still accommodates action work for sports or other events. It gives you the range you need to bring wildlife in the distance closer with minimal distortion.
At its wide end, this lens works well for portraits and close-ups, though APS-C sensor bodies will create some flattening. Image stabilization allows you to get a little more out of it in lower light situations. The light weight makes it a good lens for handheld work, too.
Autofocusing is quiet and quick with its ultra sonic motor (USM) built into the lens. Since it’s small and light, it makes handheld photography work easy. This is a good lens for developing skills in introductory telephoto zoom work, and if you’re starting out, finding this in a kit is a bonus.
Considerations:
Kit lenses are usually made with cheaper materials and construction, and this 75-300mm is no exception. Sharpness at the wide end has been reported as a downside, and slowness at the wide end means you’ll need additional illumination in lower light situations, even late dusk and early dawn. Zoom and focusing aren’t smooth, so patience will be required.
Still, for a first tele zoom, this isn’t a bad lens per se. It helps you learn the basics of combining focal length and aperture to achieve the framing and depth of field you want. It’s better than a beginner’s lens and might serve your needs throughout your photo shooting life.
#3. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
- Best for: Travel, portraits, action, all purpose
- Mount type/sensor type: EF/Full frame, APS-C
- Effective focal range/full frame: 50mm
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 80mm
- Aperture: f/1.8
- Image stabilization: No
- Weight: .29 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
If you’re very lucky, your full frame kit came with this fast prime lens, and if not, full frame or APS-C, you’ll want to add this to your gear.
This ‘nifty-fifty’ 50mm choice is perhaps one of the most versatile lenses crossing the boundaries between enthusiast and pro, while satisfying a limited budget. Check out photography contests, and you’ll see this focal range (and often this lens) highly represented in the winners.
If you’re shooting people more than places or things, this lens will be a must for you. Its central sharpness brings out details, while fast accurate focusing means your subject won’t get bored while you fiddle with settings. It’s also great for action shots because at f/1.8, it’s fast.
Solid metal build quality in the places that count, like the mount, and design improvements over previous 50mm versions, such as the manual focusing ring, make it a perennial favorite. Great bokeh blurring and consistently good low light performance means that while this lens is a prime, it can still meet a range of your shooting needs. It’s so light, you’ll forget it’s there.
Considerations:
A prime is a prime – and not a zoom. That alone makes some users skeptical about selecting any fixed focal length lens. That’s often answered by its general versatility at the 50mm range.
As for real problems, there don’t appear to be any complaints. Some people have had issues with the occasional lemon, but those are rare, considering the thousands upon thousands of units Canon makes. Add this lens today, perhaps before adding anything else, because it will probably become the go-to walk around lens in your gear bag.
#4. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM
- Best for: Wide to medium range all purpose
- Mount type/sensor type: EF/Full frame, APS-C
- Effective focal range/full frame: 24-105mm
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 36-158mm
- Aperture: f/4
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Weight: 1.75 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
Yes, I said we weren’t including professional glass in this list, but there’s unique versatility in this selection. Its affordable price sets it apart from other L designation lenses. Most of all, though, it provides an interesting focal range covering the gamut from wide angle close ups to medium telephoto zoom, with portrait and street work in between.
While the narrower fixed aperture isn’t designed for darker conditions, this lens overall is more appropriate for the kinds of street or nature photography that’s general purpose. It becomes an essential part of the shooting arsenal because it can get close, or it can boost your coverage range.
Many reviewers said this is now their go-to lens, the first pick out of the bag for conditions where they’re shooting in a variety of ranges and environments.
Several improvements were made in this second generation, including IS to help avoid handheld shaking (not available in the first) and better brightness at the edges in images. Bokeh at the wide end produces the right amount of blurring. Vignetting, flaring and ghosting have been reduced through better optical build quality, too.
Considerations:
Heavier than most other lenses on this all purpose list, this choice is also a bit heavier on the budget. However, its performance supports this. Some users still say the first generation is better, but that lens was based on technology that’s over twenty years old.
Overall, reviews have been good for this newer lens. People shooting action sports particularly comment that it’s a good addition for their uses. Similarly, wedding photogs and portrait folks also have fallen in love with this flexible use lens.
#5. Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
- Best for: Ultra wide angle, real estate, travel
- Mount type/sensor type: EF-S/APS-C only
- Effective focal range/full frame: N/A
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 15-27mm
- Aperture: f/4.5-5.6
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Weight: .53 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
This ultra wide zoom lens fills the wide end gap we find when we try to get in tight with our introductory kit lens, while not breaking the budget. Even with the effective focal range adjustment, this lens lets you get close, less than a foot, with reliable focusing. Its stepper motor AF system is noiseless, meaning it works perfectly for videos too.
Image stabilization is another feature not often found in lenses at this price point and focal range. While it is an inherently slow lens due to its aperture range, it produces results with soft edges at the corners and sharp central focus. As it does not extend when moving through its focal ranges, it works well with a lens hood or polarizing filter.
Its design and construction include optical corrections for distortion and glaring. Reviewers like it for travel, everyday pictures, and real estate wide angle uses. It’s a good lightweight choice for photogs working in tight scenes or to capture for far-reaching perspectives.
Considerations:
Some users complain about ghosting from light sources in their shots. A certain level of fisheye bulge with distortion at the corners has also been reported. It appears that this lens is not as reliable if purchased used, though there are plenty of used models out on the market from reputable dealers too.
The bottom line is that this lens is a great value for what it produces. Real estate photogs love it because it functions well for their typical uses. Its main competitor is the Canon EF 10-22mm, which is almost three times as costly and does not have the same noiseless AF, so if video or real estate are your primary uses for a wide angle, this is a great tool to add to your kit.
#6. Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM
- Best for: Wide angle, close ups, travel
- Mount type/sensor type: EF/Full frame, APS-C
- Effective focal range/full frame: 24mm
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 36mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Weight: .62 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
Having a prime lens in the wide angle range might seem like a luxury, and for some, it might be at this price tag.
On the other hand, if you value great focusing via a ring-type ultrasonic system and high build quality with a solid feel in your hand, this lens fits the bill. While not as compact as a pancake lens in the same focal length, it excels because of its IS system and dramatic image quality.
Focusing quickly while keeping your framing sharp are two performance qualities users boast about for this lens. Optics are judged to be great, particularly for a walk around lens. Full time manual focusing allows you to take control for fine-tuning after autofocusing has done its job.
Reviewers call this lens a versatile multitasker, able to cover a variety of photo situations and subjects. For scenery shots, results have been superb, as they have been for extreme close-up work. Minimum distance is just over half a foot, so get in tight with those bugs and flowers and shoot away.
Considerations:
Some users comment this lens is noisy and not recommended for videography. Spotty reports of focusing issues at the bright end have been noted, raising questions about manufacturing build quality.
Post-processing corrections for vignetting, minimal chromatic aberration (CA) and flaring may be required at the corners of images, depending on the contrasts in your subject and how close in you’re ultimately shooting.
While other prime lens with a longer focal may be better for a broader range of all purpose shots, this focal length uniquely positions you to pull in close and create dramatic background blurring. Users say it’s solid for daylight and well-lit interior shots, but nighttime is an issue.
#7. Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD
- Best for: Portraits, close ups
- Mount type/sensor type: EF/Full frame recommended, APS-C
- Effective focal range/full frame: 85mm
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 135mm
- Aperture: f/1.8
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Weight: 1.5 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
If portraiture in any manner is your gig and you shoot a full frame body, this is the lens to buy. Arguably the best in its focal range, it represents the sweet spot for getting sharp central images while producing excellent bokeh blurring in the background. Its fixed aperture also allows for fast shooting in low light conditions.
Its distance to subject sweet spot is three feet and further, so it works well in studio settings as well as outdoors. Vibration control and optical stabilization make it a good choice for handheld work. When fast shooting is required, like candids, it performs like the champ it is.
Tamron has become a solid competitor to Canon lenses overall, and recent models function reliably on full frame sensor bodies. It will also work on APS-C cameras but consider the equivalent focal length as it rises considerably and may no longer be what you want for portraiture. Still, when you have a lens this fast, you can forgive a little distance issue.
Considerations:
Of third-party lenses, Tamron has consistently rated as best overall performers. However, its lenses are generally known to need calibration out of the box for your camera. That application is available at no extra charge.
This is one of those rare lenses that bring up no real issues from reviewers. It’s almost scary good. While it might not be the best bet if you’re shooting food, for example, it is ideal for subjects where you can maintain some distance or when your subjects are moving.
#8. Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD
- Best for: All purpose
- Mount type/sensor type: EF and EF-S/Full frame, APS-C
- Effective focal range/full frame: 16-300mm
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 24-450mm
- Aperture: f/3.5-6.3
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Weight: 1.19 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
There is so much to love about this all purpose lens because it covers the gamut of so many types of photography. That effective focal length means it might be the only lens you ever need. This lens takes care of your ultra wide end close-ups, while its super telephoto makes your wildlife shots pop.
The aperture range will gather light under a wide array of conditions. Its vibration compensation system and smooth autofocusing drive make it make it fun to use in, yes, all purposes. Its compact size and reasonable weight won’t exhaust you or take up your whole gear bag.
Users mention the minimum focusing distance of under a foot and a half across the full focal range as a big plus. Images remain crisp and sharp. Think about using it for macro type wide shots like flowers and nighttime star panoramas too.
Considerations:
Some users report CA and distortion, but these appear to be from refurbished lenses. Others report focusing problems, but it could be that they did not calibrate their lenses using Tamron’s calibration application. The prevalent complaint appears to be just-off sharpness throughout the focal range.
This lens comes with two different mounts, so make sure you’re ordering the correct mounting system for your camera sensor. With the versatility offered from this lens at a reasonable price point, it’s hard to deny it as a great option. When we need to shoot under a range of conditions and don’t want to carry multiple bodies or lenses, this choice fills the gap.
#9. Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
- Best for: All purpose
- Mount type/sensor type: EF-S/APS-C only
- Effective focal range/full frame: N/A
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 29-320mm
- Aperture: f/3.5-6.3
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Weight: 1.31 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
Depending on when and where you bought your APS-C body, your kit might have come with this standard zoom lens. It provides the benefit of wide angle and tele in one package. If the issues with our previous Tamron lens turn you off, this is a solid, affordable alternative.
Sharpness is notably consistent throughout its focal range. The wide end satisfies most all purpose needs while the effective high tele range brings the distance up close and personal. This is an ideal lens to hang on your camera for a day of mixed shooting conditions and ranges.
Reviewers like the optical IS in this lens, along with the bokeh and depth of field opportunities. You can get close, within a foot and a half, and create the wide angle effect you need. Similarly, there is little distortion at distances, making it a true general use lens.
Considerations:
Some distortion at the wide end and CA in tele range have been reported. These can for the most part be corrected in post production. However, reviewers still criticize the overall sharpness.
If you’re traveling and want a good lens that fits your range of options, from lower light scenes to artsy shots, this is a good option for the price point. Other lenses you could try all fall within the professional range and come with a professional price tag.
If you don’t have a tele for your APS-C and plan to stay with crop sensor bodies, this is a wonderful lens to consider.
#10. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM
- Best for: Landscape, wildlife, medium distance
- Mount type/sensor type: EF/Full frame, APS-C
- Effective focal range/full frame: 70-200mm
- Effective focal range/APS-C: 105-300mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Image stabilization: Yes
- Weight: 2.9 lbs.
Reviewers’ Likes:
Yes, this is another professional-grade lens, and yes, it has a pro’s price tag, too. But if you’re planning to sell distance work like wildlife shots, you’ll need this quality to make your work its technical best.
Even better, you can add more focal length with extenders, making it the longest possible range lens overall in our comparison.
This telephoto zoom is known for its terrific optics, which you would expect from an L designation lens. Its optical IS is superb, which almost makes up for its weight. The full time manual feature allows you to fine tune your distance work after the AF has done its thing.
Professionals seem to be adopting this lens in greater numbers, even when they love their primes for most regular shooting. The reason is that it allows greater flexibility when they can’t get close enough for their prime glass to capture the shot they want.
Playing with depth of field is easier too, giving you more shooting choices to make and greater flexibility.
Considerations:
Weight is a factor here, both in your hand and on your budget. There aren’t real complaints about the lens and its performance, but make sure you buy it from a reputable dealer. Price is the biggest complaint people seem to have.
On the other hand, if you’re heading in a pro direction and want to sell your work, you owe it to your future to put this lens in your arsenal. Its fixed aperture offers the right speed for almost anything you throw it into. When this lens has become a top choice of photojournalists, it’s hard to think it will be anything but terrific for you.
I would love your advice on which lens you would recommend as an upgrade to my 18-135mm Canon kit lens that came with a Rebel I have had for several years. I now use a 7D Mark II and have a good 400mm for bird photography but need an all round lens for travel. I find the 18-135mm to be a pretty poor lens. Any suggestions? Thanks. Joanna Crilly