Canon’s Best Zoom Lenses (10 Amazing Picks)

Are you looking for Canon’s best zoom lenses?

Look no further.

Because this article will give you the rundown on the best-quality zooms you can get from Canon, no matter your budget.

In fact, there’s something here for everyone. If you’re looking for a wide-angle zoom to capture stunning landscapes, we have some great options for you. If you’re hoping to grab a standard zoom for portrait or street photography, you’ll love our choices. And if you want to take some gorgeous photos of distant birds, wildlife, or sports, we’ve got you covered.

So if you’re ready to determine the best Canon zoom lens for your needs, let’s dive right in.

Choosing the Best Canon Zoom Lens

When it comes to picking a zoom lens, there are a few key factors you should take into account.

After all, you want to make sure you get a zoom lens that will capture gorgeous images with ease.

So the first thing you’ll want to look at is obvious:

Image Quality

Lenses vary widely in their ability to produce sharp, high-quality photos.

This is especially true when dealing with zoom lenses. Zooms are known for their inconsistent image quality. And while there are some impressive zoom lenses out there, it can be tough to find them.

Now, the best Canon zoom lenses have a few key optical features.

First, the best zoom lenses should be decently sharp at the center of the frame, even while using a maximum aperture. While corner softness isn’t a dealbreaker, you don’t want your photos to be noticeably blurry at the edges. Sharpness should improve as you stop down to f/8. This should remain constant across all focal lengths; you should be able to achieve sharp shots in the center of the focal length range, as well as the extremes.

(Note that this is often where zoom lenses fall down. Poorly constructed zoom lenses can’t produce sharp photos at the wide or long end of the focal length range.)

The precise levels of sharpness you’re willing to accept depends on your needs. But I prefer zoom lenses that are tack-sharp in the center at all focal lengths.

Second, you want a zoom lens that has minimal optical imperfections. These are manifested as chromatic aberration (i.e., color fringing along high-contrast edges). The more chromatic aberration you have, the less professional your photos will look. And while you can correct chromatic aberration in Lightroom or Photoshop, it’s far easier to avoid the problem in the first place.

Distortion is another key optical problem, which results in photos that look slightly warped. You should get a zoom lens that manages to minimize distortion as much as possible.

Finally, the absolute best zoom lenses produce beautiful bokeh – that is, a stunning background blur. The best bokeh is described as creamy, and helps your photos stand out from the crowd.

Build Quality and Handling

If you plan to subject your zoom lens to harsh conditions, you’re going to want a well-built, rugged piece of kit. At minimum, you’ll want a weather-sealed body, preferably metal.

However, excellent build-quality usually comes with a tradeoff: It’s heavy. So I don’t recommend jumping for a rugged lens unless you can see yourself using one. If you primarily shoot portraits in a studio, a durable build may be a hindrance, not a help. And if you want a lens for casual walkaround shooting, a heavy lens will cause you a lot of frustration.

Note also that some lenses handle much more smoothly than others. If you’re going to be doing a lot of manual focusing, you’ll want a manual focus ring that turns smoothly. And if you’re going to be working on long exposures with a tripod, you’ll want to avoid zoom lenses with creep – where the lens extends on its own while shooting.

So make sure you get a lens that fits your shooting needs.

Aperture and Image Stabilization

Wide maximum apertures (e.g., f/2.8) allow you to capture shots in low light – something that’s tough to do with a narrower maximum aperture, such as f/5.6. So if you’re an indoor event photographer or a night photographer, or you often find yourself shooting in dark conditions, you’ll want to get the widest maximum aperture you can afford.

Wider maximum apertures also contribute to better background blur. A lens with an f/2.8 maximum aperture can create a deeper blur than a lens with an f/4 aperture. So if stunning background blur is important to you, aim for a lens with an f/2.8 maximum aperture.

These days, many of the best lenses have image stabilization, a technology that minimizes camera shake when shooting handheld. Image stabilization is a nice addition if you like to shoot still scenes in low light, and this is something we all do from time to time.

So I recommend you get a lens with image stabilization if you can.

Focal Length

One of the biggest choices you have to make when choosing between Canon’s best zoom lenses is the focal length. Different focal lengths result in radically different types of images, and can restrict (or enhance) your ability to capture certain types of photos.

Lens Mount

Before you purchase a Canon zoom lens, make sure you’re getting a lens that fits your camera mount. APS-C (crop-sensor) cameras can use both EF-S and EF lenses, while full-frame Canon cameras can only use EF lenses. Don’t make the mistake of buying an EF-S lens, only to find it doesn’t work on your camera!

Canon’s Best Zoom Lenses: The Rundown

Now that you’re familiar with the key factors in choosing a zoom lens, it’s time to get into the good stuff:

Choosing a zoom lens that fits your needs.

We’ve broken down the recommendations by focal length, so that you’re able to easily see the lenses you might want.

Canon’s Best Wide-Angle Zoom Lenses

When it comes to wide-angle lenses, you have several fantastic options.

If you’re shooting landscapes, you’ll want to concentrate less on the maximum aperture, and more on the overall optical performance of the lens. But if you’re shooting indoor events, pay careful attention to the lens’s maximum aperture; f/2.8 is ideal for low-light photography.

1. Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS

Here’s the absolute best wide-angle zoom lens that Canon has to offer:

The Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS.

What makes this lens so great?

First, the focal length:

16mm to 35mm is perfect for all sorts of photography. A lens like this sees lots of use from landscape and architecture photographers, but you can also use it for event photography, street photography, and even portrait photography. At 16mm, you can capture ultra-wide scenic shots, then you can zoom to 35mm for some detail shots, or even portraits of people.

Related Post: Best Canon Landscape Lenses Compared

Second, this lens offers outstanding image quality across the board. At f/4, this lens is tack-sharp, even in the corners; this improves slightly by stopping down to f/5.6. Chromatic aberration is limited to 16mm, and distortion is barely present.

Third, autofocus is very fast, allowing you to lock onto your subjects with ease. And if you like to take your equipment on outdoor expeditions, you’ll appreciate the weather-sealing. Build quality is impressive, and handling is smooth and comfortable.

The image stabilization on this lens adds a nice touch, especially if you like to shoot indoors or in low light. An f/4 aperture isn’t ideal for low light shooting, but the IS technology will allow you to drop your shutter speed several stops below what you can normally expect, making handholding far easier.

All in all, this is a powerful wide-angle option for landscape photographers, architecture photographers, event photographers, and more. While the lens doesn’t come cheap, the price is reasonable given the quality.

2. Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM

If you’re on a budget and need a wide-angle lens, look no further than the Canon EF-S 10-18mm IS.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice that this is an EF-S lens, which means it can only be used on crop-sensor cameras. This gives you an effective focal length of 15-27mm, which should satisfy landscape and architecture photographers alike. If you’re an event shooter, you might want a wide lens like this, as well, but just bear in mind that a 16-35mm might serve you better, offering a bit more reach (for a price).

One great thing about the Canon 10-18mm is its size: It’s small and light. You’ll love using it as a walkaround wide-angle, even if the lack of weather-sealing makes it less than ideal for outdoor shoots in tough weather.

Also noteworthy is the image quality that the 10-18mm produces. No, it’s not as sharp as a Canon L lens, but it’s tough to find a better option for the price. The lens is sharp, especially in the center, across the entire focal length range and wide open. Corner performance isn’t quite as good as center performance, but it’s certainly usable.

That said, image quality does take a hit from chromatic aberration, which is noticeable throughout the focal length range of this lens. Vignetting, too, is a problem across all focal lengths, as is distortion, though you can correct these problems with a bit of work in post-processing.

Related Post: Best Canon DSLR Lenses for Beginners)

The aperture on this lens isn’t impressively wide, which makes it less than ideal for low light and indoor event shooting. But the image stabilization will help you shoot handheld at slow shutter speeds, and you’ll also be able to use it if you’d like to shoot at narrow apertures under decent light (assuming that your subject is stationary).

The bottom line is that this is a great lens for the price, but you should be aware that a bargain EF-S lens can only stretch so far. For those looking for a budget wide-angle zoom, the Canon EF-S 10-18mm is the way to go.

3. Canon 17-40mm f/4L USM

The Canon 17-40mm offers a focal length and a maximum aperture similar to the 16-35mm discussed above, which makes it good for most of the same things: landscape photography, architecture photography, and some types of portrait photography. Unfortunately, the lack of IS makes any indoor or low light photography much more difficult, and will likely prevent serious event photographers from being interested.

Note that the Canon 17-40mm performs very well optically, with excellent center sharpness that falls off slightly toward the corners. As usual, sharpness improves when the lens is stopped down. The 16-35mm is slightly sharper, but not significantly so, though it does manage chromatic aberration better than the 17-40mm.

Yet the 17-40mm does have some advantages over its slightly wider counterpart. First, the focal length includes a few extra millimeters on the long end, which can translate into critical reach for tighter landscape shots, or even portrait or street shooting.

The 17-40mm is also more compact and lighter than the 16-35mm f/4, while still retaining weather-sealing and good L lens build-quality.

However, the biggest reason to go for the 17-40mm over the 16-35mm is price. The 17-40mm is several hundred dollars cheaper than the 16-35mm, despite offering a lot of the same features. So for those on a budget, the 17-40mm may be the better option. You’ll still manage to get stellar landscape photos, especially if you bring a tripod and stop down, which is what most landscape photographers plan on doing, anyway.

4. Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM

The Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM is potentially Canon’s most technically impressive wide-angle lens, but there’s a reason it’s not as highly recommended as the Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS: It’s expensive.

Really, really expensive.

The Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 costs around double that of the 16-35mm f/4, and the 16-35mm f/4 came with a hefty price tag to begin with. However, for those who can afford the difference, the 16-35mm f/2.8L II is definitely a powerful piece of kit.

Optically, the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L is on part with the Canon 17-40mm f/4L. It’s very sharp in the center and nicely sharp at the corners wide open, though with some chromatic aberration on the short end and vignetting on the long end.

Build quality is outstanding, with Canon pulling out all the stops: a rugged body, weather-sealing, and smooth handling that’s perfect for all types of photography.

I wouldn’t hesitate to use this lens for landscape or architecture photography. But where this lens really shines is in event photography and low light shooting. The f/2.8 aperture takes in enough light to give workable shutter speeds for indoor shoots, and while the lack of IS is a bit frustrating, the wide-open performance of this lens will satisfy even professionals. Note that the wide maximum aperture will also be appreciated by astrophotographers, who shoot at wide-open apertures to pull in as much light as they can get.

For the budget-conscious photographers, I’d recommend sticking with the 17-40mm or the 10-18mm lenses discussed above. But for photographers who require an f/2.8 aperture and don’t mind paying for it, it’s tough to go wrong with this lens.

Canon’s Best Standard Zoom Lenses

Standard zoom lenses are key for many genres of photography: street photography, portrait photography, travel photography, and more.

There are three amazing standard zoom lenses for Canon, all of which are worth a look:

5. Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS is a popular choice among Canon shooters, and for good reason.

As this is an EF-S lens, you’ll only be able to use it on crop-sensor cameras, so you’ll always be working with a focal length of 27.2-88mm. This is a very useful focal length, perfect for a combination of wider, environmental-focused shots and tighter portraits, making this lens an excellent option for portrait photographers, event photographers, and even beginning landscape photographers.

Of course, none of that would matter if this lens weren’t sharp. Fortunately for all the pixel-peepers out there, this lens offers amazing image quality. It’s sharp wide open at every focal length, both in the center and in the corners. Chromatic aberration, too, is well-controlled. In fact, the 17-55mm f/2.8 rivals the sharpness of the professional-grade 16-35mm f/2.8L II.

While this lens isn’t an L lens, it offers a solid build and fast autofocus. And its biggest selling point is the fast, f/2.8 aperture that remains fixed across the focal length range, making this an excellent choice for indoor sports shooters, indoor event photographers, and portrait photographers of all kinds. Plenty of astrophotographers will also be interested in this lens. And if you’re looking for more reasons to take this lens to low-light photoshoots, check out the image stabilization, which will give you a few extra stops of handholding.

Here’s the bottom line:

The Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 is a great choice for any crop-sensor shooter who cares primarily about low-light shooting and optical quality. It’s one of the priciest EF-S lenses that Canon offers, but it’s also one of the sharpest.

To purchase the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, click here:

6. Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

The Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 is one of Canon’s longer-range zoom lenses, going from wide to telephoto and offering some nice standard focal lengths in between.

It’s also relatively small and light. The compactness combined with the great focal length range makes this lens perfect for all sorts of uses: portrait photography, street photography, travel photography, even a bit of landscape photography. It’s even a strong contender as one of Canon’s best walkaround lenses – keep it on your camera all day long, and you’ll rarely find that you needed anything else.

Of course, such compactness comes at a price: While the lens is decently well-built, it’s not weather-sealed. And a lot of the weight was only shaved because of this lens’s EF-S designation, which prevents it from being mounted on full-frame cameras.

Take a look at the Canon 18-135mm price tag and you’ll be impressed, especially once you realize that this lens offers good optical quality in the center of images. It does drop off toward the corners and toward the longer end of the range, and chromatic aberration is something you’ll have to contend with. But at this price you’ll be hard-pressed to find kit that offers such a great focal length range on top of its relatively high-quality optics.

The main drawback to this lens is its variable maximum aperture. At f/3.5 on the wide end and f/5.6 on the long end, you’re not going to have much luck shooting indoors or at night. This will make plenty of sports photographers think twice about grabbing this lens, though the image stabilization may make this lens tempting enough to keep low-light portrait and landscape shooters around.

Even if you don’t shoot action, it’s always nice to know your lens can handle it if the need arises. And the Canon 18-135mm does well in this regard. Its autofocus isn’t lightning fast, but it’s not slow, either, providing sufficient speed for most situations.

Ultimately, APS-C Canon shooters will appreciate the bargain price and decent image quality offered by this lens. I recommend it as a great walkaround option, or even a primary lens in the kit of a hobbyist travel photographer.

7. Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Canon's 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens features a formidable combination of focal length range, optical quality, and a reasonably fast fixed aperture, making this one of the best zoom lenses Canon offers (and one of the best lenses out there, period).

Such quality does come with a price tag that’s higher than most of us would like to see, but for most shooters, it’s worth it.

To start, the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM offers a great focal length range. There’s something for pretty much everyone. At 24mm, you can shoot landscapes, interiors, or architecture; at 50mm you can shoot portraits; at 105mm you can shoot tighter landscapes, half-body portraits, headshots, and more. You’ll also notice that the 24mm to 105mm focal length is great for event photography or even walkaround shooting, because you can capture practically anything (with the exception of wildlife and distant sports, but if you want to shoot either of those genres, look at a telephoto zoom).

While this lens isn’t extremely heavy, it’s fairly well-made. Weather-sealing is included, and you’ll appreciate the solid feel of the 24-105mm in your hands. Autofocus is very fast, so you won’t have to worry about missing critical moments.

One of the great things about this lens is its optics: It’s very sharp wide open at every focal length, though slightly improved in the center over the corners. There is some distortion present on the short end and the long end, but this is to be expected. Overall, this lens offers professional-grade optics at every focal length.

One more thing that bears mentioning is the f/4 maximum aperture. While this isn’t perfect for low-light shooting, it’s far from bad. And you might be able to eke out some sharp shots in low-light scenarios, given that the 24-105mm offers some nice image stabilization.

The Best Canon Telephoto Zoom Lenses

Telephoto zoom lenses are bigger, heavier, and more powerful than their shorter zoom counterparts.

So I recommend you only get a telephoto zoom if you need one.

However, telephoto zooms help you capture details that you just can’t get with other lenses – so for those interested in taking their photography portfolio to another level, a telephoto zoom might be the way to go.

8. Canon 70-200mm f/4L

The Canon 70-200mm focal length is a favorite among portrait photographers and event photographers, for those tighter headshots and detail shots. But the focal length is also commonly found in the gear bags of landscape photographers because it’s both versatile and excellent for compressed landscape scenes.

Now, Canon offers a number of 70-200mm lenses, but the f/4L version is the best Canon telephoto zoom out there. Here’s why:

First, the 70-200mm f/4L offers a great balance of image quaity and price. No, it’s not a budget lens, per se, but the price is very reasonable. And the optics are outstanding: The 70-200mm f/4L is extremely sharp wide open across the entire focal length range, offering images that even professional landscape photographers will appreciate. Chromatic aberration is nicely managed, as is distortion.

While the f/4 aperture and lack of IS aren’t ideal for low-light handheld shooting, this won’t be a problem for landscape photographers who shoot with tripods. And while the f/4 aperture might not give you a background blur to rival an f/2.8 lens, the 70-200mm does produce some stunning bokeh, making it perfect for professional-looking portrait photography.

If you’re planning to shoot portraits or sports, you’ll probably want a lens with speedy autofocus. Fortunately, the Canon 70-200mm f/4L doesn’t disappoint, focusing quickly and quietly.

While the 70-200mm f/4L does lack weather-sealing, the build quality is still impressive. It is a well-built, rugged lens, even if it can’t withstand harsh weather conditions.

Note that 200mm is a bit too short for wildlife or bird photography. But couple this lens with a 1.4X teleconverter, and you’ll be able to shoot at nearly 300mm, which might be just enough to photograph wildlife on a crop-sensor camera.

So if you’re looking for an ultra-sharp, high-quality telephoto zoom (admittedly without IS or an f/2.8 aperture), go for the Canon 70-200mm f/4L.

9. Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM

The Canon 70-300mm f/-5.6 IS II USM is Canon’s best budget telephoto zoom, offering quality for an unmatched price.

The focal length range is nice and big, giving photographers a lot of flexibility when shooting. At the 70mm to 200mm end, you can shoot tighter portraits and headshots; at the 200mm to 300mm end, you can photograph wildlife and backyard birds, especially on a crop-sensor camera.

With such a low price tag, you shouldn’t expect stellar optical quality. But images are only a little soft at the maximum aperture, getting better when stopped down and remaining consistent even at the long end of the focal length range. Distortion and chromatic aberration are both noticeable, but overall this lens does a decent job of capturing technically strong images.

One of the biggest drawbacks of these longer telephoto zooms is the variable maximum aperture: while you can shoot at f/4 when at 70mm, you’re forced up to f/5.6 at 300mm. This makes low-light shooting, already difficult at f/4, basically impossible when using longer focal lengths. The image stabilization helps this problem somewhat, but doesn’t make it go away – you’re just not going to be using this lens for indoor shooting.

Fortunately, the lens does have some upsides (in addition to the price). While the build isn’t L lens quality, the body does feel strong. And Canon’s USM focusing is impressively fast and accurate, which is important for fast-paced shooting such as wildlife or backyard bird photography.

So if you’re looking for your first telephoto lens and can’t justify the larger price tag of other options, go with this one.

10. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

While the Canon 100-400mm has since been upgraded to the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II, the original lens is still very powerful – and far less pricey than its successor.

That makes it a great option for anyone looking to break into that 400mm focal length without paying an exorbitant price.

What can you do with 400mm?

First, 400mm is an excellent focal length for shooting wildlife and even medium-sized birds. While small songbirds are going to cause trouble even at 400mm, you should be able to get decently close to larger birds and even the less-wary small birds. And the focal length range on this lens makes it a great candidate for experienced sports photographers, especially those shooting outdoor games from a distance (e.g., baseball, football, soccer). At the wider end, you can shoot portraits or even tighter landscapes, but I’d recommend against grabbing this lens for just those purposes – you’d be better off with a shorter, smaller, lighter lens. Get the 100-400mm if you need the 400mm focal length.

Of course, if you’re planning to shoot at 400mm, you’re going to need a lens that’s sharp even at its longest focal lengths. Fortunately, the 100-400mm does quite well in this regard. It offers impressive sharpness on the long end, and while chromatic aberration is present at 400mm, it’s hardly a dealbreaker. 

Now, this is a well-built lens, and you can feel it: At 3 lbs (1.4 g), it’s not light, though it’s not the heaviest lens out there. It is partially weather-sealed, so while I wouldn’t take it into the rain, you don’t have to worry too much about adverse weather. 

Sports and wildlife photographers require the fastest and most accurate autofocus available, and the Canon 100-400mm delivers, featuring speedy autofocus that’s perfect for working in the thick of the action.

As is the case for the Canon 70-300mm lens discussed above, the variable f/4-5.6 aperture makes this lens a poor choice for low-light shooting. If you need a telephoto lens with a fast aperture, consider a long prime (e.g., the Canon 300mm), or a shorter, wide zoom (e.g., the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8). But the image stabilization does make shooting in shade or at dusk much more doable, enough to satisfy even more serious wildlife photographers.

Summing Up Canon’s Best Zoom Lenses

Choosing the best zoom lens for your needs may seem difficult, but you should now have an idea of the perfect option for your needs.

If you’re looking for a wide-angle lens, I recommend the 16-35mm f/4L or the 17-40mm f/4L, depending on your budget.

If you need a standard zoom lens, the 17-55mm f/2.8 is an excellent choice for APS-C shooters, while the 24-105mm f/4L is a higher-priced, more flexible alternative.

And if you need a longer lens, check out some of Canon’s best telephoto zoom lenses: the Canon 70-300mm for budget wildlife shooting, or the Canon 100-400mm for sports and serious wildlife photography.

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