Best Canon Lenses

Best lens for Canon APS-C digital SLRs

Best walk around lens

The best walk around lens is Canon EF-S 17-55 mm f/2.8 IS USM.

With IS and f2.8, I was able to get good pictures at speed of ¼ s in dark!. The color, contrast, resolution of this lens are excellent. With 1.6 factor, it is corresponding to 27-88 mm in a 35 mm camera. The telephoto lens that you need is Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L IS USM. It is relative light at 700 g with 4 stop IS, this is one of the best lens available on the market. Another cheaper alternative is Canon 70-200 f4L USM($539). For the comparison of Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS, Canon 70-200mm f/4L, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L, read here. However, if money is not an issue, the best telephoto lens is Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM. This lens is sharp, with large aperture, and three stop image stabilization. It is a great walk around lens, a great portrait lens and a great indoor sports lens as well. This lens has great building quality and image quality. A new Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM will be available in Feb 2010. The new Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM features one fluorite and five UD elements for increased optical quality and reduced chromatic aberration. It has a minimum focusing distance of 1.2m/3.9 ft. at all zoom settings. The most significant improvement over the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is the 4 stops of image stabilization instead of three. If you feel these lenses are too expensive, an one lens solution is Canon EF 24-105 mm f/4 IS USM. If you still feel this one is expensive, then the kit lens with Canon 40D: canon EF 28-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is your choice. For the best value of non canon lens, Tamera 17-50 mm f/2.8 and Tamera AF 18-250 mm f/3.5-6.3 are good choices. In summary:

• Favorite higher end lens: Canon EF-S 17-55 mm f/2.8 ISUSM($1030) and Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L IS USM
• Favorite lower end lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS ($183, or ca $100 sold with XSi) and Canon EF 70-200mm f4L USM or Canon EF70-300mm f/ 4-5.6 IS USM ($556)
• For beginners, the most affordable options are the kit lens Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS with Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS ($289 on amazon). Both Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS and Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS received great reviews at photozone.de.

Best lenses for Canon full frame DSLRs such as Canon 5D Mark II:

Best telephoto lens:

Best special Canon lenses

• Favorite higher end travel lens Canon EF 24-105 mm f4 IS USM ($979), lower end travel lens: Canon EF 28-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 ISUSM. details: Best Canon travel lenses, read here.
• Favorite wide angle for EF-S Camera Canon EF-S 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 USM.  For full frame camera, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8
• Best low light lenses: Canon EF 50 mm f /1.4, on tight budget, Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8
• Best Macro lenses: Canon EF 100mm f /2.8 USM or Canon EF-S 60 mm f/2.8 Macro USM, for best macro lenses, read here
• Best Portrait lenses: Canon EF 85 mm f /1.8 USM or the best Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 if you are really serious on portrait photography. For detailed information on portrait lenses, read here.
• Best Outdoor sports lenses: Canon EF 400 mm f/2.8L IS USM, Canon EF 300 mm f/2.8L IS USM, Canon EF 70-200 mm f /2.8L IS USM
• Best In door sports lenses: Canon EF 135mm f/2.0 L USM Lens
• For more detailed information on Canon sports lenses, read here.
• Best affordable wildlife lenses: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM; Best wild life lens:Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, For more details on best wildlife lenses for Canon read here.
• Best Canon wedding lenses read here.
• For landscape lens read best canon landscape lenses

Best lenses need best filters.

For the best polarizing filters, read here.

For the best UV filters, read here.

Many discussions at dpreview.com and flickr suggest that there aren’t any “best” lenses, which is true. But the list above gives a good idea for beginners to build up their lenses collections. For most people, it is necessary to have at least a standard lens or walk around lens, such as the most affordable Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, or Canon EF-S17-55 mm f/2.8 IS USM and a telephoto lens, such as affordable Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS or Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM, or Canon 70-200mm f4L USM. For people who bought entry level Canon XSi or Canon 450D, might be it is good idea to buy the affordable sets Canon EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS and Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS. For people who bought Canon 40D, it might be good to buy Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM.

For the best reviews on Canon lens, see photozone.de, www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/