Canon Lens - Analysis and Buying Guide - 2023
When you're ready to brush up on your photography skills, you can take a few classes or read up on this enjoyable art form. You may also decide to invest in new and advanced camera equipment.
A new DSLR camera won't instantly make you a better photographer. But it will help you correctly apply the photographic principles you are learning by giving you precise results and full control over settings.
If you want to stick with a brand name that has been proven successful over time, it's hard to go wrong with Canon. The Canon name has been one of the top two in photography for many decades, successfully migrating from film to digital cameras.
If you have already chosen a Canon DSLR camera body, you are going to need to purchase lenses for that camera. Fear not – aside from making great cameras, Canon also excels at making lenses.
At Real Indian we can help you get the most out of your investment in the best Canon lenses with our buying guide and product recommendations. Our goal is to help readers learn all the key information about each product category we cover.
What is a Canon lens?
When you take photos with a smartphone or a simple point-and-shoot camera, the lens is built into the device. However, with advanced mirrorless DSLR (digital single lens reflex) or ILC (interchangeable lens camera) models, the lens detaches from the camera body.
Changing the lens gives you various features and capabilities when taking pictures.
There are dozens of different Canon lenses available. They are often called stand-alone or interchangeable lenses. You can buy any lens that meets your photographic needs.
It's important to use Canon lenses with Canon camera bodies, because the connection is physical. You screw the back of the lens into the Canon camera mount, and once they connect correctly, they communicate electronically. The camera body controls many lens adjustments and settings.
Canon Lens Designs
All types of Canon DSLR lenses are made for the EF lens mount on the camera body. This means that any Canon lens with "EF" in its name will fit the EF mount. (EF is short for “electrofocus.”)
Canon offers a few different types of lenses with this designation.
- EF Lenses
Canon makes EF designated lenses to work with their more expensive DSLR cameras. An EF lens works best with Canon DSLRs that contain full frame image sensors as well as APS-C sized sensors.
A full-frame image sensor is the largest sensor offered in consumer DSLRs, creating exceptional photographic quality. However, full frame cameras are expensive. EF lenses will also work with smaller APS-C sized image sensors. This is a common sensor size for entry-level and mid-level Canon DSLRs.
The large circle of light that the EF lens projects onto the image sensor completely covers both full frame and APS-C sized image sensors. This explains why an EF lens can work with both sizes of image sensors.
- EF-S Lenses
Canon DSLR lenses that contain an EF-S designation in the name will work best with DSLR cameras with APS-C sized image sensors.
The EF-S lens projects a small circle of light onto the image sensor, so it will not be able to cover the larger full-frame image sensor with light. However, it is perfectly adequate to cover the smaller APS-C image sensor.
Although the EF-S lens will fit on a full-frame DSLR camera, it won't give you very high image quality.
- EF-M lenses
Canon EF-M lenses only work with Canon mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, which have a different body style than DSLR cameras. EF-M lenses cannot be used on DSLR cameras.
History of Canon lenses
Canon began using the EF lens mount in the late 1980's with 35mm film SLR cameras. All of their digital SLRs have used EF mounts.
Before the EF mount, Canon used the FD mount and the FL mount. Older FD and FL lenses are not compatible with Canon DSLR and EF mount cameras. However, some Canon mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras can use these older lenses, if you purchase an adapter.
Important Canon Lens Terms
When shopping for Canon lenses, come armed with an understanding of the jargon often used in this product category. Shopping for the best Canon lenses will be frustrating unless you understand what features you're buying.
- Aperture :
The aperture is the adjustable opening of the lens through which light travels. A small aperture allows less light, but allows the depth of the image to be greater. A large aperture is called a fast aperture lens, and it works well for portrait photography, where the subject will be in focus and the background will be blurred. All Canon lenses can use a range of apertures, but the largest aperture the lens offers is the most important measurement.
- F-stop :
The f-stop measurement on the lens is the numerical representation of the aperture setting. A low f-stop number equals a large aperture, and a high f-stop number equals a small aperture. Canon lenses can work over a range of f-stop numbers. f-stops of 1.4 or 2 are common at the low end, while f-stops of 22 or 32 are common at the high end. Often the name of the Canon lens will include the lowest number of f-stops it can achieve.
- Focus :
Most Canon lenses will allow you to mark the focal point in a photographic scene in one of two ways. With autofocus, the lens sets the focus for you. Or you can use manual focus to turn a dial and fine-tune the focus yourself.
- Focal Length :
The focal length of a Canon lens is measured in millimeters and is listed in the model name. Small focal length numbers indicate a lens with wide-angle capability. A large focal length number indicates telephoto capabilities. A focal length of 50mm is considered average, as it closely approximates human vision.
- Prime :
A prime lens can only achieve one focal length, such as 50mm. Create sharper photos than a zoom lens.
- Zoom :
A zoom lens can achieve a range of focal lengths, such as 35-175mm. The zoom lens provides more versatility than a prime lens, but its images are not as sharp, especially at the extreme edges of the zoom range.
Canon Lens Costs/Prices
This probably won't surprise anyone with experience as a photographer: Shotgun lenses are expensive. As a general rule, you will pay more for higher quality lenses.
Canon's most basic lenses fit into this low price range. Such lenses work well for beginners. Rarely will you find telescopic features, high-quality lenses, or fast apertures on these cheap lenses.
Canon's mid-range lenses work well for most hobby photographers. You will find a good collection of medium telephoto lenses, high quality optics, wide angle lenses and fast aperture lenses here. None of these lenses will be top-of-the-line professional models, but they do work well.
Canon's professional level lenses can range from Rs. 25000 to a few Lakhs. Higher quality telephoto lenses will appear at the higher end of this price range. These lenses will also have the fastest apertures and quiet operation. Still, only professional photographers will be able to take full advantage of these lenses.
FAQ
Que. What is a Canon kit lens?
Ans. When a Canon DSLR camera body is purchased, it may be shipped without the lens included. However, sometimes the manufacturer includes a lens with the camera body. This type of lens is called a kit lens because it ships with the camera body as part of a kit. Typically, a kit lens doesn't offer the image quality and high-end components of a stand-alone lens that you. will buy later, but it's a good starter lens.
Que. How do I know which cameras fit my Canon lenses?
Ans. If you buy a new Canon lens, you can count on it to fit any Canon DSLR camera. All digital photography equipment from Canon. they are made to be compatible with each other. Canon DSLR cameras use EF mounts. This means that as long as your Canon lens has an EF designation in its name, no matter how old it is, it will work with your Canon digital camera.
Que. What is a Canon USM lens?
Ans. When you see "USM" in a Canon lens name, it refers to the inclusion of an ultrasonic motor inside the lens. Canon uses an ultrasonic motor to handle the autofocus work of the lens. In contrast to a standard autofocus motor, Canon says that the ultrasonic motor works faster, quieter and with greater precision.
Que. What is a Canon STM lens?
Ans. “STM” in the lens name is short for “stepping motor drives.” This type of lens runs even quieter than a USM lens when dialed into focus. This means that an STM lens is perfect when you're looking to shoot video with your Canon DSLR. The camera's audio track can often pick up the sound of the autofocus motor. Canon's new lenses are more likely to include STM technology.