Best canon lens - in your opinion.

UaeExile

UaeExile

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Adam
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Nothing more to add, but in your opinion, regardless of cost, what is Canons best lens?

I've came into a little money, so there is actually a point to this thread :D
 
70-200 f4 no question, will do everything you need and more outdoors, focus is rapid, great construction, light, zoom and focus rings are good and the optical quality is excellent, all for a bargain price of £300~, if we were talking nikon I'd probably say the 50 1.8 D, but canon unfortunately doesn't have one.
 
There's 2 for me, the 100 f2.8L macro and the 70-200 f2.8L IS MkII. I've got them both and there's no way I'd part with them now. Just fabulous IQ from both.
 
The best one I've owned or used was the 50mm f2.5.

I've read that it's Canon's sharpest 50mm and mine was pretty sharp, compact and light too but not a true macro and rather an old design and slow to focus.

Still a lovely thing though and the negatives aren't really, they're character :D
 
Depends what you plan to shoot. 24-105 and 70-200, with an extender for sports, cover about 95% of my work. Both excellent in IQ, build and residual value. And the Mk III extender actually works so I don't need to lug a 100-400 around as much as I did (although that's a cracking lens as well)
 
Kind of hard to suggest really as you could make a case for everything from the 14mm to the 800mm and many of the primes and zooms in-between.

I tend to buy lenses because of what I need them for - and select the best I can afford from the sub-set that apply.

Not worth recommending the 500mm f/4 L MkII or 200-400 f/4 L with in-built extender if you want to shoot architecture.

So what are you planning to shoot with this lovely new lens ?
 
to answer the question i would say.. the canon 400 2.8 mkII COST ABOUT 9+ THOUSAND..

Guessing your question isnt as open as you make out though :)
 
For me its the 135mm f2.

But you say "regardless of cost" ...... Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG
 
The three that I would say have already been mentioned. The workhorse 70-200mk2 IS, The 400mm 2.8 MKII IS and the 24-105 f/4. The MK III Canon 1.4TC is also very good.
 
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meonshore said:
Kind of hard to suggest really as you could make a case for everything from the 14mm to the 800mm and many of the primes and zooms in-between.

I tend to buy lenses because of what I need them for - and select the best I can afford from the sub-set that apply.

Not worth recommending the 500mm f/4 L MkII or 200-400 f/4 L with in-built extender if you want to shoot architecture.

So what are you planning to shoot with this lovely new lens ?
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Yeah I know what you're saying. I'm just looking for inspiration.

I'm lleaning towards a portrait lens. Been looking at the 85m 1.2 or the 70-200 2.8.
 
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Magnus said:
70-200 f4 no question, will do everything you need and more outdoors, focus is rapid, great construction, light, zoom and focus rings are good and the optical quality is excellent, all for a bargain price of £300~, if we were talking nikon I'd probably say the 50 1.8 D, but canon unfortunately doesn't have one.
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Yes agree:)
The 70-200 f4 is a fantastic lens
But it depends on what you shoot
If it was macro I would say the 100L macro:)
 
UaeExile said:
Yeah I know what you're saying. I'm just looking for inspiration.

I'm lleaning towards a portrait lens. Been looking at the 85m 1.2 or the 70-200 2.8.
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I can't fault the 70-200mm f2.8 as a lens. It is verstile and is a fantastic portrait lens, as well as good for some sports and some wildlife. You can shoot landscapes with it as well.

The 85mm f1.2 is a huge hunk of glass, much slower to focus and tough to get right at f1.2. I passed on it and bought the 85mm f1.8 (at £300 instead of £1300) faster to focus and just as sharp - but really only ever used it when shooting bridal preps for weddings, using the very shallow DOF wide open to loose background detail in untidy bedrooms and hotel rooms.

If you really don't know what you are looking for then you either need to (a) buy a versitile lens, (b) a lens that you *could* sell on easily if you made a mistake, (c) maybe wait until you know what you want.

None of Canon's lenses are any good sitting in their boxes never attached to a camera because you bought on a whim.
 
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I love the 50/1.2 (& the 85, but I use the 50 more).

Superb for full body portraits. Just don't shoot at or near to MFD between f/1.8 and f/2.8!

Phil
 
Best Canon lens i ever used was the 200mm f/1.8 simply the very best lens ever produced by anyone, just a pity that anyone who used one died 30 years later through Mercury poisoning.
 
Gary Coyle said:
Best Canon lens i ever used was the 200mm f/1.8 simply the very best lens ever produced by anyone, just a pity that anyone who used one died 30 years later through Mercury poisoning.
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No pain, no gain!
 
LCPete said:
Yes agree:)
The 70-200 f4 is a fantastic lens
But it depends on what you shoot
If it was macro I would say the 100L macro:)
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I highly disagree, the 70-200 f/4 is canon's best lens ever made(if you factor in price of course)

If price was of no object, as I've just noticed is OP's circumstance, then I personally would probably get something extravagant, 50 1.0/1.2/0.95, 100-400 f/4 1.4x, of course it depends on your circumstances, I'd never buy either even if I could as I have no real need for them.
 
meonshore said:
Kind of hard to suggest really as you could make a case for everything from the 14mm to the 800mm and many of the primes and zooms in-between.

I tend to buy lenses because of what I need them for - and select the best I can afford from the sub-set that apply.

Not worth recommending the 500mm f/4 L MkII or 200-400 f/4 L with in-built extender if you want to shoot architecture.

So what are you planning to shoot with this lovely new lens ?
Click to expand...

This^

If I'd come into some money I'd probably plump for either the 200mm or 135 f2, but I shoot portraits and love shallow DoF.

Although I could also be tempted by one of the TSE lenses, but that means nothing to anyone else, who might have different needs, desires and existing kit.
 
The MTF charts won't get much better than the 200 f/2 IS or the new 400mm f/2.8 IS II. The 1200mm f/5.6 is ultra rare and massively expensive if you go down the exotic route. You can't really go wrong with the humble 50mm f/1.8 either.
 
Magnus said:
I highly disagree, the 70-200 f/4 is canon's best lens ever made(if you factor in price of course)

If price was of no object, as I've just noticed is OP's circumstance, then I personally would probably get something extravagant, 50 1.0/1.2/0.95, 100-400 f/4 1.4x, of course it depends on your circumstances, I'd never buy either even if I could as I have no real need for them.
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What I was trying to say is I agree the 70-200 f4 is awesome I used mine two days ago got some beautiful shots
But the best lens for the OP is the best lens suitable for whatever he wants to photograph
 
There's no correct answer but I think the Canon 100-400 has been a masterstroke for Canon over the years.
 
There really is no answer to this without all the information.

For example, when I'm shooting manta rays I want the 8-15mm, when its distant birds, the 600mm f4 will be my weapon of choice (neither of which I currently, or am likely, to own!)
 
AndyHayball said:
No love for the 35mm 1.4?? That lens is constantly attached and amazing results. I pretty much stay at 1.4 and lovvvveeee it!!!!
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I used to be impressed with the Canon 35 1.4, then I tried the Sigma variant!
 
Best for what YOU want to capture.

I bought the 300 2.8 mkii when I got made redundant - it was / is the sharpest lens I have used BUT I recently sold it on, why? because after the novelty of owning it had worn off it just sat in a bag not being used. I found I used the 70-200 2.8 mkii with the 1.4 extender 99% of the time trackside (300 was no use when the cars / bikes are 10 foot away) and without the extender for just about everything else.

My main use glass is:

70-200mm 2.8 mkii without a doubt my favourite for everything.

100mm 2.8 IS for gardens / macro / people

24-105 walk about when I don't want to stand out with the 'white'

Also have the mk3 versions of the 1.4 and 2x extenders.

SO - The big question is what is your main choice of subject? if your not sure then rent first, you will lose a lot less than I did by buying on a whim and then not using. Let us know what you go for in the end

.DAVID.
 
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Icee said:
For me the 300 f2.8
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:plus1: from me. Also the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS is a cracker.

For a different perspective on architecture, consider the 8-15mm fisheye.
 
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