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Canon 5D Mark II is still in use by a great number of DSLR fans. It excels against other competitors in terms of price and image quality, which is why it stays firm at its position on the market even today.
An interest in 5D Mark II might lead you to wonder which kind of lens would make the best choice. Worry not, we have every point you need to know about the best lenses for Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
Contents
Review of the Best Lenses for 5D Mark II
If you’re on the lookout for 5D Mark II lenses that are friendly in terms of price and provide mind-blowing results in photography, then you’re at the right place.
Best Overall: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
PROS
- Images shot with this lens f/1.8 wide aperture are more appealing than those of Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8 II USM
- Since the angle of view of this lens is similar to the natural view of a human eye, it’s an excellent for shooting portraits
CONS
- Without the weather resistance sealing, it is unsuitable for use in desert and snowy weather.
- It lacks the image stabilization system, increasing the chances of image blur
What Recent Buyers Report
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens comes with a stepping Motor (STM) that helps you achieve a fast, near-silent and precise autofocus performance, making it ideal for shooting stationary and shooting subjects. Considering that it is a prime lens with a wider aperture of f/1.8, it is ideal for capturing in low-light conditions. Additionally, it is cheap and suitable for beginners working on a tight budget.
Why It Stands Out to Us
It features six elements in five groups, significantly reducing spherical distortions and aberrations for enhanced image sharpness and clarity. This Canon EOS 5D Mark II lens features a super spectra coating on its optical elements which helps to reduce the surface reflections and flare when you are capturing shiny subjects.
Who Will Use This Most
The manual focus override makes it suitable for shooting in low-light as you will have a better control over the focusing performance making it a great lens for Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR.
With a weight of 0.35 pounds, it’s the best lens for extended periods of shooting as your wrists won’t hurt. With a minimum focusing distance of 13.78 inches and a maximum magnification of 0.21x, it’s among the macro lenses on our list that can shoot close-ups of tiny subjects such as insects.
Bottom Line
Although this lens is friendly in terms of price, it lacks the weather resistance sealing, making it unsuitable for use in harsh weather conditions
- 50 millimeter focal length and maximum aperture of f/1.8
- Great for portraits, action, and nighttime photography; Angle of view (horizontal, vertical,...
- Minimum focusing distance of 1.15 feet (0.35 meter) and a maximum magnification of 0.21x
Runner-up: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L III USM Lens
PROS
- The lens hood helps protect the front elements from stray light which may cause unwanted flairs and low-contrast appearance
- The short 16mm focal length allows this lens to capture a wide field of view, making it ideal for shooting exterior and landscape photos
CONS
- Although it has the highest DXomark score for capturing detailed images, the images produced by its f/2.8 aperture are less appealing than the f/1.8 of Canon EF 50mm
- With a weight of 1.76 pounds, it is the heaviest on our list, limiting its portability
What Recent Buyers Report
The Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8 USM is a premium ultra-wide angle lens for Canon EOS 5D Mark II that provides an appealing performance throughout the focal range, making it ideal for landscape and street photography. It has the highest DXOmark score for capturing detailed images, which is reflected in its high price.
Why It Stands Out to Us
With the super spectra coating, this 5D Mark II lens helps suppress surface reflections and ghosting, enhancing contrast and color precision even when working in strongly-lit conditions.
The constant f/2.8 aperture ensures a consistent performance throughout the range even when working in low-light conditions.
Who Will Use This Most
This Canon EOS 5D Mark II lens features a weather resistant sealing, making it the best lens for photographers who love hiking on mountains in harsh weather conditions. The wide zoom capability makes it one of the best zoom lenses for shooting far away subjects.
Bottom Line
Apart from the USM autofocus, the manual focus ring makes it a great lens for fine-tuning the focus manually. However, like telephoto zoom lenses, it is the heaviest on our list, making it unsuitable for use when shooting handheld for an extended period
- High performance L-series ultra-wide-angle zoom lens with constant f/2.8 maximum aperture.
- All-new optical design for significant improvements in outer and corner sharpness.
- Sub wave length Coating (SWC) and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) help to significantly reduce flare and...
Best for the Money: Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
PROS
- The super spectra coating ensures enhanced contrast and color accuracy even when working in brightly-lit environments.
- Although it’s primarily designed as an EF-mount lens for full-frame cameras, it’s still compatible with crop-factor Canon digital cameras such as APS-C camera sensors, making it more versatile
CONS
- Unlike telephoto zoom lenses, without the zooming capability, it is unsuitable for shooting distant subjects.
- It lacks weather resistance sealing, making it unsuitable for use in harsh weather conditions.
What Recent Buyers Report
The Canon EF-S 24mm is a prime wide-angle lens that provides you with a wider field of view, allowing you to capture exterior photos. With a maximum magnification of 0.27x and a minimum focusing distance of 6 inches, it is one of the cheap macro lenses on our list for shooting close-ups.
Why It Stands Out to Us
This Canon 5D Mark II lens features a fixed focal length of 24mm when used on an APS-C EOS and provides an equivalent 38mm on a full-frame DSLR, giving your photos a natural appearance.
Who Will Use This Most
With physical dimensions of 0.91 x 2.68 x 2.68 inches and a weight of 0.28 pounds, this prime wide-angle lens is lightweight enough, making it suitable for travel and street photography. However, unlike telephoto zoom lenses, this lens is unsuitable for use when shooting far away subjects.
Bottom Line
Although the bokeh quality might not match that of the nine-blade aperture diaphragm of Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L USM, its seven-blade circular aperture diaphragm ensures excellent color balance, providing you with a superb out-of-focus detail.
- Wide angle lens for Canon APS C cameras (equivalent to 38 millimeter on a full frame camera)
- Focal length & maximum aperture: 24 millimeter 1:2.8, maximum magnification of x0.27
- Slimmest and lightest lens of the EF S series
What Size of Lens Do I Need?
EF-mount lenses are a standard and optimal choice for Canon EOS 5D Mark II. However, EF-S lenses built for APS-C sensors will not prove to be compatible with a DSLR such as Canon EOS 5D Mark II USM. This is why you will need to be specific which lenses you want, whether macro or super telephoto.
The sensor on Canon EOS 5D Mark II USM indicates the focal range to be the same as the 35mm film.
Generally, wide angle lenses ensure sharper visuals. A 50mm lens is the standard size for a DSLR. So, although they differ in price, anything with 50mm, 35mm, or 40mm EF lenses would make a great choice for an EOS mount.
Characteristics of Canon EOS 5D Mark II Lenses
What makes macro or other sigma or Zeiss lenses stand out in the Canon EOS 5D Mark II USM is their price and ability to capture photos that will satisfy your taste throughout the focal range. Read along to find out what lens features the best price and qualities.
Image Quality
From macro to super telephoto, good lenses are determined by the type of image it produces. Sharp and clear images are mostly delivered by lenses with bright apertures from f/1.8 to f/2.8 such as EF 24-70mm f/2.8 USM, Sigma 85mm f/1.4 USM, Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 II, Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/1.8 USM EF 35mm f/2 IS USM.
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 II STM, Zeiss Distagon T 35mm f/1.4 USM, Sigma 105mm f/1.8 II or Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 usm. Although they differ in price, the Canon lenses on our list feature an aperture that ranges from f/2.8 guaranteeing you with beautiful visuals.
Auto-focus
Whether you choose macro or super telephoto zoom, the autofocus is an important feature to consider. Most Sigma, Zeiss and other lenses for Canon EOS 5D Mark II come with USM motors for a silent and faster auto-focus to maximize the contrast of the picture. The STM (stepping motor) and USM (ultrasonic motor) features allow quicker and smoother focusing.
Although they differ in price, the some of the Canon lenses that feature auto-focus capability include: EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, EF 135mm f/2.0 USM, EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM, EF 40mm f/2 ii STM, EF 100mm f/2 USM,
Third party lenses include: Samyang 85mm f/1.4 II STM, EF 24-70mm f/4.0 IS USM, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM, EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, EF 35mm f/2 IS USM
Aperture
The aperture of the lens is the opening through which light enters. The greater the amount of light entering the lenses, the brighter the image will be. In most cases, the aperture determines the price of the lens. Third party Sigma and Zeiss lenses that point out wider apertures such as the f/1.8 and f/2.8 increase light allowance when shooting in dim light.
These lenses include: Sigma 35mm f/1.4, Sigma 105mm f/1.8, Zeiss Distagon T 35mm f/1.4, Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 II STM , Sigma 50mm f/1.4 USM, Zeiss Planar T 50mm f/1.4, Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 II STM, Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 and Sigma 85mm f/1.4 USM.
What Do I Need to Know Before Buying?
Even though all the prime and zoom lenses mentioned above are compatible with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II USM, you still need to make sure that the kind of macro, telephoto or wide-angle lenses you purchase suits your photography style, price and environment. Here are some important aspects to know before you buy any prime or zoom lenses.
Photography Style
Whether they are expensive or cheap lenses, third party versions like Sigma and Zeiss or any other cheap lens you buy will not match your photography style and surroundings. From macro, telephoto or wide-angle you will need to look more closely on price and other features to decide what kind of lens best suits your needs.
For landscape photography, wider angle or telephoto lenses such as Tokina AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 Pro Fx, Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 ZE, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II USM are the right choice. On the other hand, for very tiny subjects, good macro lenses include: Sigma 105mm F2.8, USM Macro, Zeiss Milvus 100mm f/2M ZE Macro, Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2M ZE macro, EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro USM, Sigma 70mm f/2.8 USM macro and Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 USM macro
Meanwhile, for wildlife photography, you should look for tested EOS 5D mark II USM telephoto zoom lenses with a wider aperture such as the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 USM and Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM. Travel photography demands light, compact, and smaller lenses.
Price
Typically, lenses vary widely when it comes to price. However, if you want a certain lens only to find that its price is a bit high, don’t exceed your budget because there are many cheap lenses that deliver the same specs although from a different brand. You should look for cheap Canon EOS 5D Mark ii USM lenses such as the Sigma 50mm F1.4 Art DG HSM or EF 40mm f/2.8 USM.
Construction
Although expensive when it comes to price, well-built prime or zoom lenses are not only constructed in a sturdy framework but also tested to enhance the longevity of the product. Weatherproof Canon EOS 5D Mark II usm lenses are tested and verified to suit all harsh weather conditions. Dust and water-resistant lenses are top sellers nowadays.
Conclusion
For a DSLR like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II USM, which emphasizes greatly on the appearance of the image, you will need lenses that balance its sharpness, auto-focus, and clearness. Once you get your hands on a great lens that stands up to your price and other requirements, photography will feel like a whole new delightful adventure.
