Two reasons to buy a Canon lens with Zoom capabilities:
- Cover a multitude of focal lengths
- Save time and money
These two reasons can be broken down into a bunch of bullet points, but they are the basic reasons to get a zoom lens instead of a single focal length lens/lenses.
When you use a zoom lens to cover a multitude of focal lengths, you are giving yourself a chance to be successful at capturing every shot that you see. You do not have to stop and change lenses as often, and possibly miss the shot.
Also, keeping one lens on your Canon EOS camera saves times, not to mention money because you don’t need to purchase lots of different lenses to cover the range of focal lengths you will be shooting.
That does not mean that prime lenses are not desirable. They are. Prime lenses usually give the very best quality possible. They just lack flexibility.
Taken with a Canon Rebel T3i and Sigma 18-250mm zoom lens @ 31mm
Selecting the right Canon Lens Zoom range is really a matter of the same two factors. How much do you want to cover with one lens, and how much are you willing or able to spend.
Some zoom lenses can be had for very little money, but the excellent ones can be quite expensive. This is why you want to do your research. For instance, if you opt to buy an inexpensive lens like the Canon 75-300, you will only have to spend about $150, but the Canon 70-300 costs about $500.
The difference between these lenses is in the construction materials and technology. The result is that you get a huge difference in performance and, ultimately in image quality.
The lenses recommended here are “top of the line” for the price. Note that as the technology improves, the resulting price usually increases accordingly. However, feel free to trust that you will be getting the best possible lens for the money if you use these links.
All Purpose Canon Zoom Lenses
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM |
| This easy-to-use standard zoom lens can cover a large zoom area ranging from 24mm wide-angle to 105mm portrait-length telephoto, and its Image Stabilizer Technology steadies camera shake up to three stops. Constructed with one Super-UD glass element and three aspherical lenses, this lens minimizes chromatic aberration and distortion. The result is excellent picture quality, even at wide apertures. Cost – $1000 |
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Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) |
| One of the most compact and lightest in the history of fast zoom lenses. Thanks to the revolutionary downsizing “XR” technology employed by Tamron in the development of high-power zoom lenses. An across the board aperture of f/2.8 makes the price of this lens very attractive. Cost – $499
For more about the Tamron 28-75mm for Canon |
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| More all-in-one lenses for Canon |
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Wide Angle Zoom Lenses for Canon
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM |
Excellent for Landscapes or Real Estate photography.
- Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 10 – 22mm; 1:3.5-4.5
- Lens Construction: 13 elements in 10 groups
- Diagonal Angle of View: 107° 30′ – 63° 30′
- Closest Focusing Distance: 0.24m / 0.79 ft.
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Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM |
| Very similar to the Canon 10-22mm but your pocketbook will not suffer because you can get this lens for quite a bit less. Both these wide angle lenses can be used only on Canon APS-C cameras which include the Canon Rebel series and the 20D-50D digital SLR cameras. |
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens |
| A Canon ultra-wide-angle zoom lens. This lens has long been considered the ultimate wide angle lens for professionals. It’s an “L” lens. Ideal for both film and digital SLR cameras, the lens offers three aspherical lens elements in addition to a Super UD (ultra-low dispersion) glass element, creating superior optics in all conditions. In addition, the lens focuses as close as 11 inches (0.28mm), and offers both Canon’s full-time manual focus and a powerful ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM) that produces fast and silent autofocus. Cost – $750 |
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Mid-Range Zoom Lenses for Canon
Canon has 5 lenses at the 70-200mm focal length category. You can’t go wrong with any of them. The one you choose depends mostly on your budget. Go to http://www.canoneoslenses.org/70-200-canon-lens/ for an in-depth look.
There are also Tamron and Sigma lenses in this category that are very well regarded. If you don’t want the signature light gray Canon lens color, you can save money getting one of these… Take a look at the Canon 70-200mm line-up HERE.
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom  |
| This lens has become very popular among entry level Canon Digital SLR users, especially the Canon Rebel buyers.In fact, it is the #1 selling telephoto lens at Amazon.com.
Canon has done a great job improving the image quality of this inexpensive lens. It can be a fine compliment to your general all purpose lens.
This Canon 55-250mm telephoto zoom lens captures long distance, low-light shots far better than many comparable lenses, helping you photograph the far-off action of athletes or zoom in for an intimate portrait with a blurred background. The high-zoom-ratio lens is equivalent to a focal length of 88-400mm in the 35mm format (when used on Canon EOS cameras compatible with EF-S lenses such as the Rebel series). More significantly, the image stabilizer effect creates an equivalent shutter speed of roughly four stops faster than the same size lens without an image stabilizer. |
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Super Telephoto Zoom Lenses for Canon
Super Zoom Lenses
Super Zooms are fantastic for making sure you have the right lens for the shot “all the time”. Great as an all-in-one, or walk around lens, especially for traveling and vacation photography. They all have their little distortion problems, usually at both ends of the focal range, but that shortcoming is easy to overlook when you consider the benefit of not missing a shot or lightening the load while traveling.
Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS  |
| The 18-200mm Canon lens may just be the one lens that gives you the versatility you require to take care of almost any photo taking possibility. It can replace several lenses in your bag, especially the kit lenses you may be thinking about buying. The Canon 18-200mm lens is far better constructed than the kit lenses.
See more about the 18-200mm Canon Lens |
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Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM IF |
| A third party Super Zoom that many think is even better than its Canon c0uterpart. It offers an additional 50mm in focal length in comparison to the Canon model listed above without any sacrifice in image quality. And, of course, you will pay less.
See more about the Sigma 18-250mm Lens. |
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About the Canon Zoom Lens Recommendations
There are many more lenses in the Canon Lens Zoom category. The lenses here are all excellent for their price and construction. You will not be disappointed with any of them. Check the ratings at Amazon Lenses
or B & H Photo, the two most reliable online camera stores with best consumer prices. |
with OS (image stabilization) for about $1500.
