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Canon 5D Mark II, being an amazing visual camera, is still in use by a great number of DSLR fans.
It excels against other competitors in terms of image quality, sharpness, and affordability, which is why it stays firm at its position on the market even today.
An interest in Mark II might lead you to wonder which kind of lens would make the best choice. Worry not, we have everything you need to know about the best lenses for Canon 5D Mark II.
Contents
Review of the Best Lenses for Canon 5D Mark II
If you’re on the look-out for lenses that will provide mind-blowing results in photography, then you’re at the right place. After all, the camera doesn’t make much of a difference, but a well-suited lens can uplift the image quality to a great extent.
Best Overall: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
PROS
- Focal length of 50mm and aperture of f/1.8
- Extremely lightweight to carry and low-priced
- Focus distance of 1.15 feet and 0.21x magnification power
- Beautiful optics for portraits and sharp night-time photography in low light
- Stepper Motor technology allows quieter and smoother focusing in photos and videography
CONS
- Need to move a ring for manual focusing
- Loses clarity around the corners of the image
- Plastic mount can be damaged if used without care
What Recent Buyers Report
This Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens is definitely a must-buy because it offers so much more than its price. It receives massive praise and is a top-seller product by Canon. The image quality is highly improved with sharp colors and contrast features. The silent focus feature is something that delighted many buyers, allowing a silent operation in video making. Having a classic focal length and a fast aperture improves light entering the camera.
Why it Stands Out to Us
According to us, this is an absolute winner for the Mark II. It provides the user with everything that one searches for in a good-quality lens. The auto-focus is fast and snappy, featuring STM technology that brings out the best in this product. Moreover, the image quality and sharpness are aesthetically pleasing for a full-frame camera. This lens stands out in every aspect owing to its remarkable features.
Who Will Use This Most
With its improved and crisp images, this lens will be the perfect match for Canon 5D Mark II DSLR. It is lightweight to carry around with protective covers, so it can effortlessly be used for street photography and landscape capturing. However, the best results are delivered for portrait shooters. It is also amazing for videography due to a silent focusing feature.
Bottom Line
Overall, this lens has everything to make it number one on every photographer’s list. The accuracy of the auto-focus even in low light, excellent visual graphics, STM feature, and sturdy mount contribute to making this lens your favorite purchase.
- 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
PROS
- Perfect and consistent focusing for 5D Mark II
- Ultra-sonic motor lens enabling faster auto-focus
- Reduces flare, sharper corners, and image stabilization
- Durable and resistant to dust and water for hostile conditions
- Wide-angle zoom lens of 16-35mm focal length having f/2.8 aperture
CONS
- Heavy vignette in night-time photography
- Big, pricey and heavy, might be a complaint from some users
- Might face image distortion at 16mm which goes away on increasing focal length
What Recent Buyers Report
Many purchasers have been impressed by the sharpness of pixels and improved image quality of the Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L lens. This lens is sharp even at the corners and prevents all flares in the image as well. It is worth every dollar spent on a wide-angle lens. With greater saturation and contrast, it really makes the colors of the picture pop. This product has become a preferred choice for many photographers with a Mark II.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This makes it as a runner up on our list due to a great many reasons. It produces highly sharpened images, and the picture quality doesn’t deteriorate even at the corners, which makes it a massive win. It might actually prove to be one of the sharpest lenses out there. Moreover, it has a silent and quicker auto-focus to stabilize images.
Who Will Use This Most
Being weather sealed and dust-resistant, this lens can be used in harsh environments without any hassle. Landscape photographers will benefit most by using such a lens, which gives absolute accuracy to the images and reduced flares in sunlight.
However, for night-time and astrophotography, this product might not be a great choice due to unnecessarily sharp vignette in low light. Also, being large in size might be a drawback for carrying it around.
Bottom Line
Although being heavy and too pricey might be the flaws in this lens, the high image quality is enough to suffice for it. Choosing this lens would be a splendid decision to complement the Canon 5D Mark II for a wild experience in photography.
- 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
PROS
- Best for a low budget
- Extremely slim and light-weight for carrying
- Stepper Motor Technology for smooth and fluent focusing
- 24mm focal length with f/2.8 aperture for the APS-C cameras
- Super-sharp image quality with excellent performance in dim light
CONS
- Auto-focus speed is not as quick as other lenses
- Slight distortion that might increase at closer distances
- Not preferable for videography due to loud auto-focus humming sound
What Recent Buyers Report
The Canon EF-S 24mm is a great lens, even though it looks small when you first get your hands on it. Being lightweight and tiny in size with a sturdy and durable construction seems like a wonder that brings ease in portability when shooting pictures. Having a wider aperture, it lets in enough light to give your pictures the desired sharpness and clarity. Buyers have been appalled with the features that come at such an economical price.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This lens is undoubtedly the best at such a low-price range. It comes with a macro-capability feature and a smooth electronic manual focusing that guarantees pictures with clarity and precision. The auto-focus is reduced to a silent hum, which also assists the user. It’s compact and tiny, which makes it really manageable and easy to carry around while capturing wide-angle images at the same time.
Who Will Use This Most
For capturing scenic landscapes and portrait shots, you couldn’t ask for anything better. This lens is versatile and can be used in many types of photography, be it film or still images, including portraits, close-ups, astrophotography, and everyday shoots. Its size and price make it admirable as a travel lens.
Bottom Line
For an affordable price range, this Canon EF-S 24mm lens won’t disappoint you. It is amazing for indoor and outdoor photography and delivers great results in terms of image stability, sharpness, brightness, and focus. However, it’s not totally silent, so a slight hum can be heard in auto-focus.
- 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
Best Wide-Angle Lens for 5D Mark II: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra-Wide Angle Zoom
PROS
- Weather-resistant construction to dust and water
- Super Spectra coating reduces ghosting and flare
- Ultra-sonic motor ensures accurate and silent auto-focus
- 17-40mm ultra-wide-angle with constant f/4 aperture illumination
- Improved color and contrast renditions with reduced chromatic aberrations
CONS
- Not a fast lens at f/4
- Heavy in weight and large to carry
- Image stabilization could be improved
What Recent Buyers Report
The Canon EF 17-40mm is one of the best wide-angle lenses ever made with sharp images corner to corner. It takes up good pictures with high color and contrast quality. The manual focusing is user-friendly and combined with the accurate and speedy auto-focus, it is a solid plus point for this lens. Buyers reported that this is highly recommended as a product that delivers and won’t break the bank.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The ultra-wide-angle zoom feature is what puts this lens in the spotlight. The USM does a great job in quick focusing and gives sharp images with minimized distortions and chromatic aberrations. The glass elements are amazing for reducing flares and ghosting, which improves image quality in landscapes and everyday pictures. However, the aperture might not be as fast as other lenses.
Who Will Use This Most
It is an absolute joy for landscape photography owing to a 17-40mm focal length for a wide-range angle. Not only landscapes, but Canon has done an amazing job of producing a product that can be used to assist several kinds of photography. For both amateurs and professionals, this lens exceeds expectations when it comes to photoshoots, group photos, portraiture, landscapes, real estate, nature, editorial, and commercial photography.
Bottom Line
With such a lens, feel free to be exposed to new horizons of landscape photography. The wide-angle feature is a delight to use and for full-frame cameras. With richer colors and sharp focusing, it becomes a demanding item for everyday use.
- 17 40 millimeter ultra wide angle zoom lens with f/4 maximum aperture for Canon SLR Cameras....
- 3 aspherical lens elements and super UD glass element create superior optics in all conditions,...
- Powerful ring type ultrasonic monitor (USM) produces fast and silent autofocusing, Focuses as close...
Best Portrait Lens for 5D Mark II: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
PROS
- Perfect angle for portraiture
- Focal length of 85mm and f/1.8 maximum aperture
- Excellent, vivid color, and contrast with blurry backgrounds
- Quick, smooth and sharp focusing by the Ultra-sonic motor
- Compact, small in size and lightweight, making it feasible for carrying
CONS
- Quality of the lens can be improved
- Slight chromatic aberrations in several images
- Auto-focus is not appreciative causing blurry shots
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers have reported that the Canon EF 85mm is wonderfully sharp with exact and fast focusing to provide beautiful imagery. It is lightweight and easy to handle, which makes it a top favorite for shooting portraits. The color neutrality and contrast are well-balanced, enabling sharp photos in low-light locations as well. It is a bang for the price and has received a positive response from the majority of the buyers.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This model has surely outdone itself in portrait photography. With the excellent sharpness and image clarity, there’s nothing else to ask for. The 85mm focal length is optimal for capturing flattering shots. This lens has a professional feel to it due to the silent sharp focusing feature. Moreover, it is lightweight, which makes it perfect for shooting for long durations without tiring the photographer.
Who Will Use This Most
Using this lens is an absolute treat for amateurs and professionals alike. But the highlighting aspect is its amazing results in portraiture. The sharpness and image clarity are impressive for anyone who’s into portraits and even works well in dimly lit situations. Moreover, a blurred background with a focused subject makes it the go-to lens for portrait shooting at functions and events.
Bottom Line
Shooting with this model is an absolute delight. It’s lightweight and can be carried without any trouble. The image detailing makes an amateur feel like a professional. This is why it is a must-have if you want to enjoy everyday photography.
- 85 millimetre standard lens with f 1.8 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras, Lens Type:Telephoto...
- Ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM) brings subject quickly into focus, Focal length: 85 millimetre,...
- Natural angle of view and perspective is ideal for portraits and natural images
Comparison of the Best Lenses For Canon 5D Mark II
What Size of Lens Do I Need?
EF-mount lenses are a standard and optimal choice for Canon 5D Mark II. However, EF-S lenses built for cameras with APS-C size sensors will not prove to be compatible with a full-frame DSLR such as Mark II. This is why you will need to be specific when deciding on the lens size. The full-frame sensor on Canon 5D Mark II indicates the focal length to be the same as the 35mm film camera.
Lenses that offer sharper visual quality and a wide-angle always appeal to the taste of Canon users. 50mm is the standard size for a full-frame DSLR. So, anything with a 50mm, 35mm, or 40mm EF lens would make a great choice for Canon mount. Besides, 85mm, 100mm, and 200mm sizes are also popular.
Characteristics of Our Favorite Canon 5D Mark II Lenses
What makes a lens stand out in the Canon 5D Mark II to capture photos that will satisfy your taste? Read along to find out what lens features particularly appealed to our taste and made it into our top list.
Image Quality
A good lens is determined by the quality of the image it produces. Sharp and clear images with non-blurry corners are what fits the definition. The lenses on our list are guaranteed to give you beautiful visuals without distorting the pixels. High color and contrast boost the image quality greatly.
Auto-focus
This is an important feature based on image stabilization. Lenses nowadays feature a silent and faster auto-focus to maximize the sharpness and clarity of the picture. The STM (stepping motor) and USM (ultra-sonic motor) features allow quicker and smoother focusing on the camera. You certainly don’t want to end up with blurry pictures.
Aperture
The aperture of the lens is the opening through which light enters. The greater the amount of light entering, the brighter the image will be. Wider apertures increasing light allowance affect image exposure, particularly indoors and at night time when shooting in dim light.
What Do I Need To Know Before Buying?
Even though all the lenses mentioned above are compatible with the full-frame Canon 5D Mark II, you still need to make sure that the kind of lens you’re purchasing suits your photography style and environment. Moreover, the price and features should also be kept in mind before making a purchase. Here are some important aspects to know before you buy a lens.
Photography Style
Every lens will not match your photography style and surroundings. So, you will need to look more closely and decide what kind of lens will suit your needs. For landscape photography, a wider angle is the right choice.
Meanwhile, for astrophotography, you should look for a lens with a wider aperture and lesser vignette. Travel photography demands light, compact, and smaller lenses. Generally, all of the above-mentioned models are good for everyday photography, portrait shots, and photoshoots.
Price Range
Don’t exceed your budget because many cheap lenses deliver the same specs and performance as pricey ones. You should look for lenses that lie in your sufficient range based on the amount of money you have.
Build Quality
Well-built lenses are not only constructed in a sturdy framework but also enhance the longevity of the product. Weatherproof lenses are always a good choice because you never know what kind of conditions you might be facing outdoors. Dust and water-resistant lenses are top sellers nowadays.
Conclusion
For a full-frame DSLR like the Canon 5D Mark II, which emphasizes greatly on image quality, you will need a lens that balances its sharpness, auto-focus, and clearness. Once you get your hands on a reliable lens that stands up to your requirements, photography will feel like a whole new delightful adventure. It’s just about making the right choice.
