Buying a good camera lens is equally important as buying out the DSLR in the first place. The kit lens that comes with a DSLR is decent for the most part but soon you will grow out of it. There are thousands of other options available in the market that can dramatically boost up your photography game, but choosing the best lens for the type of photography you are into can be really confusing. We did our research to help you pick up the best lens for your Canon DSLR. So without further ado, let’s get started:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
We are going to start our list with the most budget-friendly prime lens that every photographer should own. This Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM is a very popular lens and is also known by the name nifty fifty.
It has a really wide aperture that allows you to get a shallow depth of field which is ideal for portrait photography. This lens also allows you to shoot in the low light environment as its f/1.8 aperture lets a lot of light to enter the body. The 7 blade iris design works incredibly to get that perfect circular bokeh.
The autofocus system is also decent and fast it instantly locks on to the subject. Thanks to the Stepping Motor (STM) technology in the lens, focusing is smooth and quiet which important for videography. The photo quality is also pretty sharp, prime lenses are known for producing sharp images, color reproduction is also on point.
It is made up of hard quality plastic and has a metal mount. The rubberized focus ring is petty smooth but small which could be a problem while manual focusing. Overall this is a pretty great lens for 100 bucks and is definitely worth trying out.
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
The next lens on our list is another great prime lens which will provide a slightly more zoomed focal length of 85mm. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is perfect if you want to get into wedding photography on a budget.
The 85mm focal length and f/1.8 aperture will provide you with the really creamy depth of field making the subject stand out in your photographs. The build quality of this lens is pretty solid, it does not feel cheap.
The lens focuses really silently on the subject thanks to the inclusion of Canon’s Ultra Sonic Motor (USM). The glass elements are multi-coated which prevents any kind of ghosting and flaring. The only down point of this lens is that it is soft around the edges but this is not a big deal for portrait lenses since you will be blurring out the background to isolate your subject. You can get your hands on this lens for about $370.
Canon EF 70–200mm f/4L USM
The Canon EF 70–200mm f/4L USM is a professional zoom lens. This lens offers wide range of focal length which allows you to zoom in or out of the scene for the perfect composition. It’s very rare when a photojournalist, sports, wedding or wildlife photographer doesn’t own a 70-200mm zoom.
The Canon L series lenses are designed for the professionals, they have really good quality glass inside them which produces phenomenal images. The build quality of this lens is also pretty rugged, it sports weather sealing allowing you to shoot in bad environment conditions.
The autofocus system is really great and accurate, it also stays quiet while focusing. The 8 blade diaphragm produces nice round bokeh balls. Overall this lens is an excellent buy and it is the best 70-200 mm lens that you can get for $600.
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a fast standard zoom lens and is one of the newest lenses in the lineup. It provides the best focal range allowing you to capture both landscapes as well as portraits.
You also get wide f/2.8 aperture to capture more light allowing you to shoot at higher shutter speeds. The AF performance is active, accurate and quiet. It has image stabilization which will help you to capture sharp and crisp images.
There are 19 glass elements in 12 groups which produce really pleasing results.The only down point of this lens is that it is slightly less sharp at 55mm and there is also color fringing in some cases. You can get this lens for around $880.
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
The last lens on our list is an ultra slim and ultra wide-angle prime lens which is popularly known for its speed, versatility and portability. This lens offers a really wide focal length for such an inexpensive price.
It features a pancake type design, the built quality is also pretty decent and solid. This lens is the perfect choice for travelers looking to save weight and space as this lens is only an inch long.
The AF performance is good and it has the STM motor for silent and smooth autofocus. The lens also has a specialized coating to reduce flaring. You can get your hands on this lens for only about $150.
So this is our list of the best Canon DSLR lenses to buy in 2018. I hope you enjoyed our round up; if you know any other good lenses that should be on our list, then make sure to tell us about it in the comment section below.