Best Lens Options for Canon DSLR Cameras

I put together this list because a friend of mine was looking to start into his photography journey. He wanted a list of camera lenses that he could purchase that would allow him to get in mainly landscape, sports, and wildlife photography.

Obviously that Is a very diverse list so lets get started

For each category I tried to come up with 3 options. Best better and budget.

Landscape

Best

Canon L glass has always been regarded as some of the best glass in the world. Canon L glass has great weather sealing which is almost a must have for any landscape photographer. the 16-35 focal range is great for massive wide angle landscape shots. This focal length is the go to for a majority of landscape photographers. The version 3 of this lens offers All-new optical design for significant improvements in outer and corner sharpness over previous versions. Incredible sharpness and a fast f 2.8 aperture for when you need the most light gathering ability. If money was no concern, this would be the lens in my camera bag.


Better

Lots of people love this lens and its the go to for many landscape photographers. If you don’t need the extra 1mm and can get away with f/4 instead of f/2.8 you can save yourself a bunch of cash and invest in more lenses.

Budget

By far the least expensive lens on the list. I've never used it personally, but really good price and great reviews on amazon, it may be worth checking out. If you can live with traditional 35mm focal length this could be your lens.

All around Everyday Lens

Best

Probably the most popular and versatile focal length around. Canon L glass reputation. Image stabilization. Fast aperture and extremely sharp images.

Better

The f/4 lens doesn't let in as much light as its big brother, and wont give you that same buttery background that the larger aperture will, but it can save you a whole lot of cash.

Budget-ish

This has been my go to travel lens on a canon 6d for many years. Has a lot of the features of the more expensive canon L 2.8, image stabilization, larger aperture, silent drive focus motor, but at a fraction of the cost. If you can find this lens used under $500 I wouldn’t hesitate to pick it up.

Sports/Wildlife

Best

When you need ultra clarity and extended reach, this is your lens. Also Check out the Sharper 400m prime if you don’t need the zoom feature!

Better

This has been my go to Telephoto lens for the past few years. Ive photographed everything from Elk, eagles, mountain goats, and butterflies. If you need reach at an affordable price check out the sigma. This lens is heavy and requires some proper technique to hold steady, but well worth it!

Budget

If you aren’t sure that you want to jump full fledged into sports and wildlife photography this is a great starter lens that won’t break the bank. It doesn’t have the best light transmission, or the most reach, but it can get the job done!