When you buy a Canon EOS Rebel T7i, it often comes in a kit with one or two zoom lenses to cover a decent breadth of focal range. That’s just the beginning of your photog adventure, though, and adding more lenses expands both your possible shooting settings and your skills.
Explore things further by adding primes to your mix and you’ll find this body to be as versatile and flexible as its more expensive full frame cousins.
The T7i is an APS-C sensor (crop sensor) camera, which means the focal range you read on the lens is not how it shoots. Multiply the range by a factor of 1.6 to get the equivalent focal range; in essence, the range and framing you’re seeing through the viewfinder. We’ve done the math for you and provide this criterion in our list of primes and zooms below.
Another factor to consider is cost of the lenses. Hundreds of great third party lenses exist for this EF-S lens mount, and they offer you the opportunity to play with glass you might not be able to afford at the pro level. Here’s our list of the best lenses for the Canon EOS Rebel T7i by range and prime versus zoom, so get ready to unleash your inner imaging explorer.
9 Best Canon EOS Rebel T7i Lenses
Best Standard Prime: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Art DC HSM
- Best For: General purpose, photojournalism, travel
- Equivalent Focal Length: 48mm
- Aperture: f/1.4
- Minimum Focus Distance: 1 ft.
- Image Stabilization: No
- Weather Sealing: No
- Weight: 1.0 lbs.
Sigma has committed to making the best third-party glass in the business, offering you an opportunity to expand your lens collection at a lower price point. The Art line is comparable to professional grade lenses from Canon, fully compatible with your APS-C sensor.
Keep in mind that a 30mm lens on this sensor will function at an angle of view and focal range nearest to the human eye, 50mm.
This is a fast lens, which is what you want in gear you can use as a Nifty-Fifty on your Rebel. Users note that this lens needs calibration for the camera it will be used on, as all lenses do. Once that simple procedure is accomplished (something you can do at home), they praise its low light performance and silent autofocusing.
Best Standard Zoom: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
- Best For: General purpose, portraits, photojournalism, travel
- Equivalent Focal Length: 38-112mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Minimum Focus Distance: 15 in.
- Image Stabilization: No
- Weather Sealing: Yes
- Weight: 1.8 lbs.
Investing in professional glass for a fixed aperture zoom in the standard lens makes sense, since it’s a versatile focal range selection for diverse shooting situations. The zoom lock on this lens is effective in freezing the focus, a big benefit in quick imaging settings. Even when adjusted for the equivalent APS-C focal range, it is highly effective in everything from Canon wide angle work to people shots such as weddings.
This lens is fast and bright at both the wide and tele ends, a great feature for low light conditions. Reviewers wish it included image stabilization and wish the price was lower, but as this is a pro-level lens, you are getting a superior optics product. Users love the bokeh they can achieve, which is part of why you want it to be fast in the first place.
Best Short Telephoto Prime: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
- Best For: Portraits, candids, photojournalism
- Equivalent Focal Length: 80mm
- Aperture: f/1.2
- Minimum Focus Distance: 18 in.
- Image Stabilization: No
- Weather Sealing: No
- Weight: .6 lbs.
You might find it to be strange that a favorite 50mm lens is listed as a short tele, but once the equivalent focal range is calculated, this is where it falls.
On your T7i, this makes it just about perfect for portrait work and street scenes, particularly when its fast aperture is taken into consideration for low light settings. Its light weight makes it easy to use in any kind of handheld work.
A significant number of users say they find this to be a better lens than its pro-level counterpart. Images are sharp and autofocus is fast. While it might not allow you to pull in as tight as a 30mm would, it proves to be a great lens for serious enthusiasts as well as entry-level hobbyists.
Best Medium Telephoto Prime: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
- Best For: Products, portraits
- Equivalent Focal Length: 136mm
- Aperture: f/1.8
- Minimum Focus Distance: 2.8 in.
- Image Stabilization: No
- Weather Sealing: No
- Weight: .9 lbs.
If you want a fast lens to capture portraits and create lovable bokeh, this is the one to add to your T7i arsenal. After the equivalent focal range adjustment, it functions as a medium tele, but in practice, it’s so much more. This is a good lens to use for a small group or individual subjects, or for isolating products against a background.
Users who rate themselves as beginner camera operators say this is a lens that will make you look accomplished from the start. It renders sharp images with fast autofocusing. If you plan to grow into your gear, this lens gives you that flexibility.
Best Super Telephoto Prime: Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM
- Best For: Wildlife, nature, extreme distances
- Equivalent Focal Length: 640mm
- Aperture: f/5.6
- Minimum Focus Distance: 11.5 ft.
- Image Stabilization: No
- Weather Sealing: No
- Weight: 2.8 lbs.
If you’re a wildlife or nature photog and you want to zoom in on the action without frightening off the critters, this lens is for you. It is professional grade glass, which is what you want for these kinds of distances. The lens comes with a tripod collar to keep your focusing steady, though many say it is a great handheld option.
Users have few complaints about this lens. It has a slow aperture and is not a lens for low light settings. For most outdoors work, resulting images are sharp and for this pro lens, a deal at this price point.
Best Short-to-Medium Telephoto Zoom: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II USM
- Best For: Closer range sports and action
- Equivalent Focal Length: 112-320mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Minimum Focus Distance: 3.9 ft.
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Weather Sealing: Yes
- Weight: 3.3 lbs.
For multi-purpose closer range action and sports, the newest model of this tele zoom lens will provide you with versatile focusing options. The fixed aperture is fast, giving you opportunities in lower light conditions at both the wide and tele ends. Focusing happens internally, so there is no extension of the lens to inhibit you.
Users seem universally pleased with this lens. Note that it is heavier than you might expect, so it might be harder to manage for handheld work. Buy it from an approved seller to make sure you are getting what you pay for.
Best Medium-to-Super Telephoto Zoom: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
- Best For: Distant sports, wildlife, action
- Equivalent Focal Length: 160-640mm
- Aperture: f/4.5-5.6
- Minimum Focus Distance: 3.2 ft.
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Weather Sealing: Yes
- Weight: 3.5 lbs.
If you prefer your zoom to come with variable aperture, you’ll find this mid-to-super tele to cover a gamut of shooting settings. It is slow at both ends, making it less than ideal for low light situations, but it is a great outdoors lens with weather sealing. It captures sharp images at slow shutter speeds.
Autofocusing might want to hunt a bit for your subject, according to some users. This doesn’t dissuade them from loving the image quality, though; it is more of a learning curve issue. Use this lens for both Canon macro and bokeh work and find out all it can do.
Best Wide Angle Prime: Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
- Best For: Interiors, architecture, products
- Equivalent Focal Length: 38mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Minimum Focus Distance: 6 in.
- Image Stabilization: No
- Weather Sealing: No
- Weight: .3 lbs.
Low light interior work will be easy with this wide angle prime. It is light and inexpensive and has no vignetting and minimal chromatic aberration. For this aperture, it is a fast lens.
Note that this is an EF-S lens, so it is made for APS-C cameras like the T7i; it will not be something you can use if you upgrade to full frame in the future. The stepper motor autofocusing makes it a good choice for videography. Some users even use it for landscapes with awesome results.
Best Wide Angle Zoom: Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
- Best For: Interiors, architecture, videos
- Equivalent Focal Length: 16-29mm
- Aperture: f/4.4-5.6
- Minimum Focus Distance: 9 in.
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Weather Sealing: No
- Weight: .5 lbs.
If you don’t always have flexibility in distance to your subject, like limited movement around a room for real estate images, this zoom will help you get the wide angle positioning you need. While it is slow at both the wide and tele ends, it works well in higher lighting situations. The addition of image stabilization helps with handheld close-up work.
Users like the full-time manual focusing to augment the stepper motor silent autofocusing. Video work appears to be easy, though there is some distortion at ultra-wide settings. The lens produces minimal chromatic aberration, making it a solid contender for all your wide angle needs.
Back to Top