A good camera is all one needs to put their photography dreams into action. The T3i model by Canon is one of those outstanding cameras that prove to be the ideal pick for all sorts of users. From portraits to scenic photography, it will help you take the best shots. What further enhances these outstanding results are appropriate lenses.
In order to optimize your photography experience, this article will help you pick the best lenses for your T3i.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Lenses For Canon T3I
- OUR TOP PICK: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
- Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
- Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L
Comparison of the Best Lenses For Canon T3i
| PRODUCT | DETAILS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Our Top Pick | Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM |
| View Latest Price |
 | Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens |
| View Latest Price |
 Best Budget Option | Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens |
| View Latest Price |
 | Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD |
| View Latest Price |
 | Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L |
| View Latest Price |
 | Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM |
| View Latest Price |
 | Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II |
| View Latest Price |
 | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens |
| View Latest Price |
 | Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Zoom Lens |
| View Latest Price |
 | Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro is STM Lens |
| View Latest Price |
Perks of Getting a New Lens For Your Canon T3i
Lenses are great, but why should one invest in them? The answer to this question includes a long list of all the perks that you can get out of these units. We can’t list them all here, but here are a few of them.
Getting a Professional Feel
With a great camera like Canon T3i, equipped with a new lens, anyone that has recently picked up the camera could get the professional feel. It may take awhile to get the hang of it, but in no time, users would feel like true professionals taking flawless shots with this outstanding combination of camera and lens.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
Better Results
The T3i model may be a masterpiece in itself, but with new lenses, it will enable you to create even better masterpieces. The lenses function to enhance the results of your camera and make it better suited for a number of functions. This will allow you to experience the best of photography.
More Effects
A lens is designed to do a lot more than enhance your standard shot. Depending on the lens that you are using, you will be able to apply a greater number of effects on your images without having to use any editing applications that may ruin the picture quality.
What to Look For When Buying a Lens
Now that you know all the perks of investing in these lenses, let’s talk about what sort you should invest in. There are a great number of lenses out there, and picking one that’s right for your use may be tricky. In order to help you out, here are a few aspects to consider before you buy a lens for your Canon T3i.
Lens Type
There are a lot of different types of lenses available on the market. Out of all those types, you need to pick one that suits your purpose of use. You could pick a really high-end lens, but if it's not the type that you needed, you will never get the expected results out of it. Thus, it is extremely important that you pick the lens type that you need and no other.
Lens Element
When considering a lens, one of the most important features to notice is the lens element itself. The whole lens unit may provide users with a number of features and conveniences, but what really brings it all together is the quality and build of the lens element. It is what ensures a high-quality picture in every shot.
Compatibility
And the last but one of the most important considerations is the compatibility of the lens with the camera. This is usually measured in terms of mounting capability. A highly compatible lens is one that fits right away without any hassle. And that is the sort of lens that you want to invest in.
Quick Take - Best Lenses For Canon T3i
Before we dive into our review, here are the best lenses for Canon T3i:
Review of the Best Lenses For Your Canon T3i
With a good understanding of all the aspects to consider, you can now choose the best lens for your Canon T3i. Confused about where to start looking? We’ve got your back. Here are a few lenses for your camera model that are considered to be some of the best. All you need to do is pick the one that suits all your needs.
Best Overall:
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
When it comes to this lens, the only thing Canon has failed at is disappointing its users as it does with all of its other products. This unit is one that is ideally designed for the Canon T3i users. Those that have invested in it, and used it in combination with their T3i models, will tell you the magic that the lens is capable of creating in all sorts of situations.
Why it Stands Out to Us
There is nothing that we do not love about this unit. But one particular feature absolutely steals the show, and that is the ultrasonic motor that it is equipped with. This highly efficient motor allows not only a great functioning of the unit, but also high degree auto-focus and silent functioning, which is all one can ask for.
Who Will Use This Most
Here is a unit that excels not only in terms of quality and performance but is also perfectly affordable and ranks higher on the scale of durability. If you want a lens for your Canon T3i model or any other Canon DSLR that can be termed as an all-rounder, then this is the unit that you are asking for.
Bottom Line
Putting this lens by Canon on the top of this list is mostly due to its outstanding functionality and flawless performance. Another contributing factor is its long list of features and accessories available and its great user reviews. No matter what use you intend, this unit will prove to be perfect for all.
Runner-up:
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Photographers that have recently invested in this unit and tried it out for themselves will tell you that it is one of the lenses that simply won’t fail you. It not only performs well enough to be your all-time favorite but also comes with a quality of build that will last you a long time and provide users with consistent performance.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This unit comes with a considerably long list of features, what really impresses us is the wide range of filters that it is compatible with. Users often find such units to be hard in terms of filters, but this one with its great compatibility completely eliminates that issue by the standard 52mm size for the filters.
Who Will Use This Most
There are not a lot of lenses out there that provide a great deal of compatibility with Canon DSLRs. If you are looking for a lens that not only provides high-quality results but is also highly compatible with your Canon DSLR, then this unit is one that is designed just for you.
Bottom Line
This Canon lens is one of the highest-rated lenses out there, and that is justified by the features and the quality of images that it provides for its users, giving them a professional feel. It not only satisfies the users but also provides them with a lot more than it promises. Therefore, it is one of our top picks.
Best for the Money:
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
A number of users, before investing in this unit, weren’t too sure what to expect of this lens, given its compact size and cheaper price range. But once they did, they found that Canon did not fail them with this lower priced unit. They were pleasantly surprised by the high-quality images that it took and the ease with which it functioned.
Why it Stands Out to Us
What do we like about this unit enough to put it on this list? The answer is simple: its super circular aperture that covers the lens element. This aperture with 7 blades provides the lens with a higher degree of functionality and more subtle and soft backgrounds for perfect bokeh shots.
Who Will Use This Most
Users will find that a number of lenses are designed to function well, but not a lot of them are designed to be affordable simultaneously. But this unit is not like any of those. It is designed for all those users that want to experience the best of photography with their Canon T3i camera without having to spend a fortune on the lens.
Bottom Line
There’s no more need of overspending for the features that you need, along with an end to compromised functionality. This Canon lens will not only help you save money but also allow you to give up on the compromises in quality that you need to make in order to get a lens that fits your budget. Experience high-quality and satisfaction in one unit with this Canon fixed lens.
Best Lens for Canon T3i Video:
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users have found themselves to be highly impressed by this lens. According to them, not only does it provide the ideal functionality to shoot videos, but it also greatly enhances the quality of images they take. But that’s not where it ends. Users also enjoyed the FLD glass element of this unit and found its functionality to be ideal.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The video shooting feature of this lens is enough to make it stand apart from the rest, but another feature that really makes it shine among the rest is its hybrid aspherical lenses. This is one of the two lenses that it features and functions to reduce any form of aberrations that users may notice in the shots.
Who Will Use This Most
Finding a video lens and one that is compatible with the Canon T3i is quite a task. But Canon itself has solved that issue for its users, putting forth this lens for them. If you, too, are interested in using your cameras for shooting videos, then we doubt there is a unit better than this.
Bottom Line
The ideal lenses to shoot videos are not only unique but also rare to find. If you are looking for one to use for your Canon T3i, this lens will serve to be the perfect option for you. It will not only allow you a great satisfaction of use but also greatly enhance your pictures and videos, bringing out the best of them.
Best Lens for Canon T3i Portraits:
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users that have invested in this unit are those that had not been highly satisfied with their previous lenses, but they claim that the same wasn’t true for this lens. According to recent buyers, investing in this lens really changed things for them. Not only did it provide a greater convenience of use, but also a better quality that buyers really love.
Why it Stands Out to Us
One of the greatest features provided by this lens is that it functions to provide users with an ultrasonic motor. This efficient motor does not only allow great auto-focus for the users but also ensures that not a lot of noise disturbance is created while it efficiently performs.
Who Will Use This Most
While a number of lenses can provide a great number of features, not every unit is ideal for portraits. Only a few, with the right focal length range and aperture, are fit for the given use. This unit is one of the few that perform excellently while taking portraits. If that is the use that you require of your Canon T3i, then this is the one for you.
Bottom Line
You can now capture all of your dream portraits with this Canon lens paired with a T3i camera. Invest in this lens, attach it to your camera, and we assure you, you will notice the difference right from the first shot. This is a unit that you can not go wrong with, getting the perfect shot every time.
Best Wide Angle Lens for Canon T3i:
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Those who have invested in this unit will tell you that if you need to capture the perfect inclusive shot, then no other unit would be better than this one. Be it for a scenic view, or a group shot of a large number of people, this Nikon lens has absolutely sold itself to its users with its unique and impressive features that never fail to provide users with the best.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Of all other wide-angle lenses, what really stood out to us was the unique features and build that this lens came with. When it comes to its build, what we like the most was the extra-low dispersion glass that Canon uses. This glass completely eliminates the coma from images taken for better results.
Who Will Use This Most
While shooting for images, no one wants a shot that can’t include the whole scene in front of you. What you want is an inclusive shot that captures everything. For that purpose, a wide-angle camera serves to be your savior. If you need to capture the perfect wide-angle images, then this lens by Canon will not disappoint you.
Bottom Line
You can experience street photography and shooting scenic views on a whole other level with this wide-angle lens by Canon, along with its T3i model. This lens, paired with your Canon T3i, is simply going to be a combination that you will not regret, no matter what kind of photos that you take.
Best Canon T3i Telephoto Lens:
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This is yet another one of those units that left the users absolutely speechless with its high functionality and outstanding performance. Not only did it entirely eradicate the issue of switching between focus modes for them, but it allowed them to capture images with a depth that greatly stunned them.
Why it Stands Out to Us
What’s so special about this unit, you ask? There is a lot that it has to offer, but one feature that trumps all is the special EF-S mount of the unit. This type of mount, which is specifically designed for crop sensor cameras, allows it to conveniently fit on a T3i model, allowing great ease for users.
Who Will Use This Most
The images that the telephoto lenses are designed to provide users with, may be a little narrower than standard images in dimension, but at the same time, they allow users to capture a better image with objects in the distance, and a greater depth perspective. If that is the sort of photography you’re looking forward to, then this unit is the one you need.
Bottom Line
This telephoto lens designed by Canon is one that is simply designed to impress. Disappointing is just something it is not made to do. It comes with a degree of functionality and quality that one needs to experience for themselves. So if you’re looking for a telephoto lens, you just can’t go wrong with this one.
Best Canon T3i 50mm Lens:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users that have recently invested in this 50mm lens by Canon have a lot to say about it. They have been so impressed by it that they say nothing negative. Users will tell you not only about the high-quality build, but also its ideal compatibility with a T3i model and the outstanding results it provides for every and any shot taken, and every video captured.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The outstanding functionality of this 50mm lens in itself is a great incentive for users, but what really makes this unit stand out for us is the Move Servo AF. This auto-focus, while moving, allows users to use this camera for video as well as for taking photos, all the while maintaining high-quality results.
Who Will Use This Most
A 50mm lens is very well-known for the lifelike photos that it creates in the industry. The 50mm focal length is very close to that of a human eye. Therefore the shots that it allows the users to capture are almost like what a human eye sees. If you, too, are looking forward to taking such shots, then this unit might be the one for you.
Bottom Line
The possibilities with a 50mm lens and a Canon T3i camera put together are endless. They are two high-quality units, that when put together, provide great results that you simply won’t get enough of. This 50mm lens by Canon is all you need to complete this ideal duo. With this unit, you can rest assured that you are investing in the best.
Best Canon T3i Zoom Lens:
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Zoom Lens
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Most of the users that have invested in this unit and tried it out for themselves have found it to be an investment worth making. Buyers agree that it is a little troublesome to carry around given its size, but they all also agree that it provides a number of features and functionality that makes it absolutely worth it.
Why it Stands Out to Us
If we had to name only one of the many features that this unit provides as our favorite, it would definitely be its high-quality lens element. Such a lens element that provides a great refractive index, not only assures users of the high-quality build, but also greatly enhances the results that they observe.
Who Will Use This Most
It might not always be possible for a photographer to get up close to the subject for an ideal shot, but a closer view is always appreciated. In such cases, a zoom lens comes in handy. If you are looking to take the perfect shot at a sports event, or at a wildlife visit, with your Canon T3i model, then this zoom lens will prove to be your perfect companion.
Bottom Line
Be it a shot from a distance, or one up close, this lens will be sure to give you the best of both worlds. It is designed not only to provide you with the absolute best of functionality and features but also ensure your complete satisfaction with its quality of build as well as the quality of images.
Best Canon T3i Macro Lens:
Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro is STM Lens
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Out of all the Macro lenses that users have used, this lens has proven to be their favorite. Users claim that it provided them with not only a great number of features, but also a functionality that simply topped all others. They would highly recommend it to all other users to use in combination with T3i models.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Users may find a number of incentives to invest in this unit, but what stands out the most to us is its 1:1 magnification capability. Such a ratio is unique and highly efficient. It enables users to capture lifelike images that really add a great touch of professionalism to the images.
Who Will Use This Most
This lens is one of the best macro lenses that users have invested in. With all its outstanding features and high functionality, it will prove to be the ideal unit for all those users that are looking to invest in a good quality macro lens, which wouldn’t cost them a lot.
Bottom Line
This may be the last product on this list, but it is one of the best that you will find on the market. When it comes to macro lenses, this unit is simply topped by no other. Investing in it will prove to be one of the best decisions you make if a macro lens is what you are looking for.
Advantages of Investing in a Quality Lens
There are chances you might still be considering whether or not you really need to invest in a high-quality lens for your T3i model. The eventual choice will be yours, depending upon your needs, but here are a few advantages that you will get from investing in a good quality lens.
Convenience
While investing in a quality lens, you can rest assured that you are signing up for nothing but the convenience of handling and using. These units will allow users an easy mounting as well as smooth functionality that would leave no room for hassles, ensuring that the photographer gets the best out of it.
Durability
One of the greatest advantages of investing in a high-quality product is that it is designed out of high-quality materials with a smartly engineered design. These features, when put together, allow the unit to be highly durable. Thus, you only have to invest in it once, and it will last you a longer time, with the same consistent functionality.
Image Quality
With a standard low-quality lens, the images obtained would not be of any better quality. If anything, a substandard lens would further ruin the image quality provided by the outstanding T3i camera. On the other hand, quality lens functions to greatly enhance the image quality obtained.
Conclusion
No matter how good a camera is on its own, users will find the need to use it with an appropriate camera lens in order to obtain the best results. Using the right lens with your T3i model can really bring out the best in your shots. All you need to do is pick the right one, with a good eye for all the features that you need.
People Also Ask
Since the camera and lens both go hand in hand, it is crucial to have sufficient basic knowledge regarding these units in order to experience the best of them. To help you ensure that you know all that you need to, here are a few questions that users frequently ask.
Does STM Lens Work With T3i?
STM lenses are outstanding, but they are designed to fit only with crop-frame cameras. Luckily, the T3i model by Canon is a crop frame camera. Therefore, STM lenses provide sufficient compatibility to be efficiently used with the T3i camera, so users may experience the best of this flawless lens.
Is Canon T3i Good For Video?
The T3i is designed to be an all-rounder unit. This means that it not only performs well enough for taking pictures but also provides users with sufficient features to record high-quality videos. So the answer to this question is yes, Canon T3i is a good camera for recording videos. But users must remember that the key element to good videos with this camera is good lighting.
Is Canon T3i a Professional Camera?
The T3i model by Canon is featured in the brand’s Rebel series. This entire series is one of the entry-level SLRs. This means this camera is somewhere between a beginner and a professional model. It allows all the basic features of a professional camera, which include manual as well as automatic features. Such a camera is ideal for all those who are newly stepping into the profession of photography.