Canon Camera Lenses

Prime vs zoom lenses

All lenses fit into one of two categories – primes and zooms. The difference is simple: prime lenses have a single fixed focal length, such as 50mm or 35mm, and zoom lenses offer a range of focal lengths, say between 24-70mm. 

Why would anyone choose a prime lens? Because the fact that they don’t include a zoom mechanism allows prime lenses to be constructed with superior optics, improving image quality. The rule of thumb to remember is this: if you want quality, get a prime, if you want versatility, get a zoom.

Wide-angle lenses

This term refers to lenses with a focal length of between about 10mm and 35mm. Wide-angle lenses fit a huge amount into a frame, providing an exaggerated perspective that is fantastic for shooting landscapes and architecture. The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens is a fantastic, affordable wide-angle zoom for APS-C DSLRs.

Standard lenses

Standard lenses provide a slightly longer focal length, and a more naturalistic perspective than a wide-angle. A focal length of about 50mm is considered to be roughly the field of view of the human eye – this is why 50mm primes are so popular for general-purpose shooting, and why they’ve earned the nickname “nifty-fifty”.

Many reportage and documentary photographers like to use standard zoom lenses as it leaves them well-covered for most eventualities. Canon professional lenses Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens tend to be very popular among such photographers as a “do-it-all” lens. In this case, it also benefits from a professional-grade image stabiliser. This allows for the use of slower shutter speeds, without image blur caused by camera shake.

Telephoto lenses

Telephoto lenses have a longer focal length – anything above about 85mm is considered telephoto. Short telephotos like 85mm tend to be great for portraits, especially if they have a wide aperture that allows them to create images with a sharp subject and a background in soft focus.

Big Canon lenses with a longer telephoto zoom range like the Canon RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L IS USM Lens tend to be used for sports or wildlife, where it’s not physically possible to get close to a subject.

Fisheye lenses

Fish eye lenses are essentially ultra-wide angle lenses, which provide a hugely exaggerated perspective for creative effects and a unique look. The Canon EF 8-15mm f4 L USM Fisheye Lens can produce circular images for a true fisheye perspective.

Macro lenses

A macro lens is built for close-up photography, allowing for close-focusing and the enlarging of very tiny subjects. The Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM Lens is a perfect choice for images of insects, tiny plants and other great macro subjects. These Canon specialty lenses are ideal if you have a very specific style of photography in mind.