Canon EOS Lens Reviews
Note: More detailed reviews of certain selected lenses can be found from the Reviews Index Page or via this dropdown list:The first question a lot of new Canon EOS DSLR owners will ask is "what Canon EOS lenses should I buy?". If this is their first digital SLR, perhaps even their first SLR or digital camera, this is a reasonable question. Those with previous experience with the Canon EOS system will probably already have a bag of Canon EOS lenses, or at least enough experience to know what they want!
This review is for the new users. The assumption is that they don't want to spend $7000 on an EF 600/4L IS USM, and indeed they probably don't even want to spend $1150 on an EF 300/4L IS USM. I've chosen a series of Canon EOS lenses which the new user might be most interested in. These are mostly zooms and mostly priced in the $200-$500 range. I've avoided recommending most of the low end, plastic mount, inexpensive Canon EOS lenses normally sold with Rebel series bodies because, quite frankly, they aren't all that good. If you're spending $900-$1500 on a digital SLR it really doesn't make sense to buy the cheapest lens you can find for it when spending another $100-$200 can give you significantly better performance.
I'm also assuming that most new Canon EOS DSLR owners probably won't be interested in many prime (non-zoom) lenses. For those who are intersted in primes, all the Canon EOS prime lenses are excellent and they can all be recommended if you have need for a fast lens of a particular focal length. I have included the 50/1.8 though since it's so cheap and so useful, it's almost a crime not to own one!
| Focal Length | Equivalent 35mm Focal length | Aperture Range | USM* | Filter Size | Estimated Price | Lens Mount | Distance Scale |
| 10-22 | [16-35] | 3.5-4.5 | Yes | 77mm | $700 | Metal | Yes |
| 17-40 | [27-64] | 4 | Yes | 77mm (or rear gel) | $700 | Metal | Yes |
| 17-85 | [27-135] | 4-5.6 | Yes | 67mm | $540 | Metal | Yes |
| 18-55 | [29-88] | 3.5-5.6 | No | 58mm | $100 - with 300D | Plastic | No |
| 20-35 | [32-56] | 3.5-4.5 | Yes | 77mm | $370 | Metal | Yes |
| 24-85 | [38-136] | 3.5-4.5 | Yes | 67mm | $310 | Metal | Yes |
| 28-105 | [45-168] | 3.5-4.5 | Yes | 58mm | $220 | Metal | Yes |
| 28-135 | [45-216] | 3.5-5.6 | Yes | 72mm | $400 | Metal | Yes |
| 28-200 | [45-320] | 3.5-5.6 | Yes | 72mm | $360 | Metal | No |
| 55-200 | [88-320] | 4.5-5.6 | Micro USM (no FTM) | 52mm | $225 | Plastic | No |
| 70-300IS | [112-480] | 4-5.6 | Micro USM (no FTM) | 58mm | $570 | Metal | No |
| 75-300 | [120-480] | 4-5.6 | Choice (no FTM) | 58mm | $140-$390 | Metal | No |
| 100-300 | [160-480] | 4.5-5.6 | Yes | 58mm | $270 | Metal | Yes |
| 50 | [80] | 1.8 | No | 52mm | $80 | Plastic | No |
| 70-200 | [112-320] | 4 | Yes | 67mm | $550 | Metal | Yes |
| 70-300DO | [112-480] | 4.5-5.6 | Yes | 58mm | $1200 | Metal | Yes |
| 28-300 | [45-480] | 3.5-5.6 | Yes | 77mm | $2250 | Metal | Yes |
*USM = Ultrasonic Motor. Ring USM motors are silent and manual focus (FTM = Full Time Manual) is possible without switching out of autofocus. Micro USM motors are quiet, but do not allow full time manual focus.
The 300D (Digital Rebel), 350D (Digital Rebel XT), 400D (Digital Rebel XTi), EOS D30, D60, EOS 10D, 20D and 30D have sensors smaller than the normal 35mm film frame. The format is known as "APS-C" because it's approximately the same size as th eold APS-C film format. The consequence of this is that the image recorded is effectively a cropped version of a 35mm image. Since it's cropped it has a smaller angle of coverage - and another way to say this is that the effect is equivalent to putting a longer lens on the full frame camera. So, for example, if you shoot with a 50mm lens on an EOS 300D, 350D, 20D or 10D, you get the same coverage (or FOV - Field of View) as you would with a lens 1.6x longer - 80mm - on a full frame 35mm camera. This is sometimes called a "1.6x" multiplication factor, though it's more accurately called a "1.6x" cropping factor.
Canon have two lens lines. The first are their "EF" series lenses. These will fit on any EOS camera body ever made, including all 35mm fil, APS film, APS-C digital and 1.3x and 1x (full frame) DSLRs. Any EF lens will work with any EOS body. The second line of lenses are the "EF-S" series. These lenses have reduced frame coverage suitable only for use with recent APS-C DSLRs. That means they will fit on the Digital Rebel, Digital Rebel XT, Digital Rebel XTi, EOS 20D and EOS 30D. The advantage of EF-S lenses is that they can be slightly smaller than EF lenses, they can be optimized for the smaller sensor size and they can be made with shorter focal lengths then full frame lenses (for example the EF-S 10-22 can be made, but the widest lens made for full frame cameras in the EF series is 16-35mm).
In the table above the first column lists the actual focal length and the second column lists the focal length you would need to use on a full frame 35mm camera to get the same angle of view. As you can see, a 300mm lens "becomes" a 480mm lens on an APS-C DSLR - which is great if you want a telephoto lens! At the other end of the range though the effect may be less desirable. Your super wide-angle 20mm lens now has the coverage of only a 32mm lens on a full frame 35mm camera and 18mm becomes the equivalent of a 29mm lens on 35mm full frame.
Canon EF-S 10-22/3.5-4.5
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This is the widest lens available for the 300D, 350D and 20D (won't fit the 10D). At 10mm it gives you the same field of view as a 16mm lens mounted on a full frame 35mm camera. Though it's not cheap (around $675) it does give you that ultra-wide coverage. Possible alternatives (though none are quite as wide) are the Sigma 12-24/4.5-5.6 (which has full frame coverage) and the Tokina 12-24/4 and Tamron 11-18/4.5-5.6 (which are both APS-C frame coverage). Sigma has a 10-20/4-5.6 (APS-C coverage). Prices on the 3rd party lenses range from around $500 to $650. |
Canon EF 17-40/4L
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Though again it's not cheap at $675 and probably not likely to be high on the list for new Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT owners, many EOS 30D/20D owners are buying this lens. It does give you true wide angle coverage (equal to a 27mm lens on a full frame 35mm camera) and being an "L" series lens it's built to professional standards with high quality optics, a silent USM ring motor, distance scale and comes with a hood. It's certainly a recommended lens if you can afford it. It has full frame coverage so can be used on any Canon EOS film or digital body. |
Canon EF-S 17-85/4-5.6 IS USM
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The 17-85/4-5.6 IS USM gives the same coverage on a Digital Rebel XT or 20D as the EF 28-135/3.5-5.6 IS USM does on a full frame 35mm camera (note, it's an EF-S lens and won't fit the EOS 10D). This is a very useful range for everything from landscapes to portraits and covers the focal lengths that most photographers will use most often. The Image Stabilization (IS) means it can be handheld at 3 stops slower shutter speeds then a non-IS lens and still provide equally sharp images. It's not an inexpensive lens (about $510), but it can replace several others and it might be the only lens some photographers will need. NEW: A full review of the EF-S 17-85/4-5.6 IS USM has now been added |
Canon EF-S 18-55/3.5-5.6 USM
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The EF-S 18-55/3.5-5.6 is supplied as a standard "kit" lens with the EOS 300D, 350D and EOS 20D. It can't be bought separately, but the similar EF-S 18-55/3.5-5.6 USM can. The only difference is the USM version has (obviously) A USM motor. This lens gives the coverage of a 29-88mm lens on a 35mm camera - very similar to the popular 28-90mm lenses often sold in camera "kits". It's one of Canon's low end, inexpensive lenses and typically they do not perform as well as Canon's mid-range lenses. However, for $140 (or around $100 for the non-USM version bought as part of a kit) you get a lens with coverage it might cost you $700 to get with Canon's better lenses so I think it is a lens well worth considering. There's a full review of this lens on this website and it actually turns out to be a pretty decent lens for the price. |
Canon EF 20-35/3.5-4.5 USM
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This is the least expensive of Canon's higher quality wide-angle lenses. Performance is good, even wide open and it has a ring USM motor giving silent operation and full time manual focus (i.e. you don't have to switch from AF to manual focus). It's well built with a metal lens mount, distance scale and IR focusing marks. It also works very well on Canon EOS 35mm film bodies. The cost is higher than the 18-55, it's not as wide and the zoom range is smaller, so you have to decide whether it's worth spending more. A lot depends on what other lenses you buy since you don't want too much overlap in focal length. |
Canon EF 24-85/3.5-4.5
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Another higher quality lens with ring USM and full time manual focus. It matches pretty well in focal length with either a 75-300, 100-300 or 70-200mm lens without to much overlap or too much of a gap, so it's a good choice for the semi-wide to semi-telephoto lens of a higher quality lens pair. The only drawback is, of course, it's not very wide on an EOS 300D, 350D, 20D or 10D, 24mm being the equivalent of a 38mm on a 35mm full frame camera. |
Canon EF 28-105/3.5-4.5 USM
| This is a workhorse 35mm lens, highly recommended as a relatively low cost, high quality alternative to Canon's cheap "low end" lenses. Much better built, ring USM motor with full time manual focus, distance scales, IR focus marks and a metal mount. It takes 58mm filters. The only reservation is that 28mm isn't all that wide on an EOS 300D, 350D, 20D or 10D since it gives the same field of view as a 45mm lens on a full frame 35mm camera. If that's not a problem for you this lens is maybe the best $240 you can spend. |
Canon EF 28-135/3.5-5.6 IS USM
| One of my personal favorite lenses, especially on a full frame camera. It has IS (Image Stabilization) which is a scheme which allows you to hand hold this lens at shutter speeds 2 to 3 stops slower than you could without IS and still get sharp images. If you don't like carrying a tripod this is invaluable. It's a sharp lens, one of Canon's better mid-range zooms. Again the 28mm wide end equates to 45mm in full frame 35mm terms, but the lens also goes out to 135mm - which is 216mm in full frame terms - and that's a respectable telephoto. |
Canon EF 28-200/3.5-5.6
| Though the 28-200 sounds attractive, especially to those who just want one lens that does everything, the large zoom range results in lower performance than lenses like the 28-135 IS. Especially at the 200mm end this lens has a reputation for being soft, and even at shorter focal lengths it's not as good as some of the shorter range zooms. If you must have just one lens, it's the only affordable Canon choice (the 28-300L lens is $2500!), but it's still not cheap at $360 or so. If I wanted a "do it all" lens, I'd look at the Tokina 24-200/3.5-5.6, which not only has a wider zoom range, but is cheaper too, or the Tamron 28-200 /3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical. |
Canon EF 50/1.8 II
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It's under $80, it's small, it's light, it's sharp and it's 2-3 stops faster than any of the zooms. What more can I say. Buy one. You won't regret it. |
Canon EF 55-200/3.5-5.6 II
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Another of Canon's low end lenses. Originally designed to be sold with APS film cameras and then discontinued since APS never took off, it's now back in a "mark II" version for use with the Digital rebel, Digital Rebel XT and EOS 20D. Plastic lens mount, no distance scales, no ring USM or full time manual focus (though it's a USM lens, it's a different type of USM). It does match the 18-55 in focal length but it's not inexpensive and unless you really need the 55mm focal length I think that a 75-300 would be a better buy. I doubt you'd miss the 55-75 range much. |
Canon EF 70-300/4-5.6IS USM
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This new lens, announced August 22nd 2005, is a replacement for the EF 75-300IS USM. It has 5mm more on the wide end (70mm vs. 75mm), upgraded IS (3rd generation), with a panning mode, upgraded autofocus performance, upgraded coatings optimized for digital, a zoom lock at 70mm and new optics including one UD element.The sharpness of this lens should is better than the original 75-300IS and this is quite noticable at 300mm. The only downside is that the price has increased a little, but I think the new lens is worth the extra cost. I've posted my detailed EF 70-300/4-5.6 IS USM Review on another page of this website. |
Canon EF 75-300/4-5.6
[Note that the 75-300/4-5.6 IS USM has been discontinued and replaced by the EF 70-300/4-5.6 IS USM as described above]
There are three of these, a non-USM version (above left), a USM version (above center)and a USM version with IS (Image stabilization - above right). Though the lens has a metal lens mount, it has no distance scale and the USM motor isn't a ring type so it isn't silent and you don't get full time manual focus. The USM version is probably marginally quieter and marginally faster focusing then the non-USM version. Optically all three lenses are very similar. The two non-IS lenses have identical optics but the IS lens has additional optical elements as part of the IS mechanism. All three lenses are very sharp at the short end but start to become a little soft at the long end. They're still not bad - but not as good as a 300/4L lens. The IS version is one of my favorite lenses. You can shoot hand held at 300mm at speeds down to 1/125, maybe 1/90 and still get images which are sharp. At 300mm you have an "effective" 480mm lens compared to the view with a 35mm full frame camera which is very useful for sports and wildlife.
Canon EF 100-300/4.5-5.6 USM
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This is an "upscale" version of the 75-300. It adds a ring USM motor for fast focus, silent operation and full time manual focus, plus a distance scale and a front element which does not rotate during focusing (making the use of a polarizer a little easier. You do lose 25mm on the short end though. Optically it performs on about the same level as the 75-300 lenses. Sharp at the short end but starting to get a little soft at the long end. IS is not available on this lens. It's more expensive then the non-IS versions of the 75-300, but cheaper than the 70-300 USM IS. |
Canon EF 70-200/4L USM
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This is one of Canon's professional quality "L" series lenses, but at under $600 it's the least expensive. For the extra cost over the consume zooms you get better construction, better optical performance and a case and hood included in the price. It of course has a ring USM motor with full time manual focus. It can also take an accessory tripod ring and it will accept both the 1.4x and 2x Canon TCs (teleconverters or multipliers). With the EOS 300D, 350D, 20D and 10D, full autofocus is maintained with the 1.4x TC, giving you a 98-280/5.6 autofocus zoom (157-448 equivalent). The 2x TC gives you a 140-400/8 zoom (224-640 equivalent), but you have to focus manually. It's a great lens and the price - under $600 - is very low for an "L" series lens. You can't beat this one for quality, so if the price is within your budget it's highly recommended. |
Canon EF 70-300/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
| This is Canon's latest super zoom and their second lens to use diffractive optics (DO, the first was the 400/4 DO IS USM). It also has the latest generation of image stabilization (allowing hand holding at 3 stops slower than normal). The use of DO allows the lens to be small (about the size of the 28-135) and eliminates chromatic aberration. The downside is the price. It started out around $1300, but is now down to around $1150. |
Canon EF 28-300/3.5-5.6L IS USM
| Finally here is the lens for anyone who wants one lens to do it all, from semi-wideangle to long telephoto. The EF 28-300/3.5-5.6L IS USM is one of Canon's "top of the line" L series lenses and it also incorporates the latest generation of image stabilization technology. It was $2500 when first introduced, but the price has now fallen by $300 to around $2200. It's a good performer but even at $2200 it's more than most users are willing to pay. |
My Lens Recommendations for APS-C DSLRs (Rebels, 20D, 30D etc.)
There are dozens of possible lens combinations and the one that's best for you depends on your particular needs and how much you want to spend. Here are three or four suggestions, but they are by no means the only good combinations. I'm sticking here with the modestly priced lenses described above which I think represent good value. Obviously you could buy all fast "L" series primes and zooms, but besides being larger and heavier, they are also significantly more expensive.
I'd say that the best low cost solution would be the 18-55 coupled with a 50/1.8 and a 75-300. This gives you one wide-angle zoom, one telephoto zoom and one fast lens ideal for portrait work. I wouldn't worry too much about the gap between 55mm and 75mm.
The best single lens solution is probably the EF 28-135 IS or the EF-S 17-85/4-5.6. The 28-135 doesn't go very wide (45mm equivalent), but it does go quite long (216mm equivalent) and it has image stabilization so you can hand hold the system in conditions where you'd need a tripod to get sharp shots with a non-IS lens. It's a very sharp lens too! If you want more at the wide end and don't care so much about the long end, then the EF-S 17-85 is the obvious choice. Of course I'd throw in a $70 50/1.8 for really low light work and portrait work where you want blurred backgrounds. I know that's two lenses, but the 50/1.8 is so small and cheap, it doesn't really count!
The best two lens solution if you want to cover all bases at reasonable cost would be to add the EF 70-300/4-5.6IS USM to the single lens package as above. You'd than have 18-300mm covered with image stabilized lenses (and of course the EF 50/1.8 II for when you need a fast lens).
The best higher end solution might be the EF-S 10-22/3.5-4.5 for the truly wide end of the range, a Tamron 28-75/2.8 Di for the mid-range and the 70-200/4L for the telephoto end of the range. If you want to stick with Canon lenses and also cover the 24-28mm range, you could pick the EF 24-85/3.5-4.5 (or the EF 24-70/2.8L, depending on the depth of your wallet!).
Alternative WIDE lens
There's a Sigma 15-30mm lens which is pretty good
by all accounts and costs around $550. It is the equivalent of a 24-48mm lens on a 35mm
full frame camera. Still not really wide and pretty expensive. Sigma now
also make a 12-24mm lens with with full frame 35mm coverage for around $675
[ Sigma - 12-24/4.5-5.6 EX DG ]
I've now written a new article comparing the wideangle zoom options from Canon, Tokina, Tamron and Sigma. Wide angle APS-C DSLR lenses compared
What about 3rd party lenses
Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and several other manufacturers make autofocus lenses for Canon EOS cameras, so why not use one of them? Well, the main reason is that in general the Canon lenses are of higher quality and are more compatible. If there's a problem and you have a Canon lens and a Canon body, then there's no doubt that it's Canon who will fix the problem. If you have a Sigma lens on a Canon body, who has responsibility for them working togther? There are also a lot of examples (especially with Sigma lenses) of older lenses not working on newer EOS bodies. Often the lens maker can "rechip" the lens and make it work, but can you depend on that?
Of course 3rd party lenses are often cheaper and some lenses made by 3rd party manufacturers just aren't made by Canon (e.g. Sigma's 15-30 zoom and 50-500 zoom), so if you want one of those lenses, you don't have a lot of choice but to go 3rd party. Many people are quite happy with 3rd party lenses and equally happy to have saved some money by buying them. So I'd recommend sticking with Canon if Canon make the lens you want at a price you can afford. If they don't, then 3rd party lenses are always an option.
| One 3rd party lens I can recommend if you're looking for a fast mid range zoom is the Tamron 28-75/2.8. I've Just tested it (see review HERE) and found it to be very good value at around $370 ($340 with current rebate good through 12/31/04). It's small, light, sharp, flare resistant and well made. If 28-75 is a range you use a lot and you'd like an f2.8 lens, it's about $800 cheaper than the Canon 24-70/2.8L. |
| Another good buy is the Tamron 17-50/2.8. If you want a good, fast, wide-to-normal zooms, the Tamron 17-50/2.8 is about 1/3 the price of the Similar Canon 17-55/2.8 IS lens. The Canon lens is image stabilized, but not everyone can afford to spend well over $1000 on a lens and the Tamron is pretty good. It's reviewed HERE |