As an R5 owner since launch day, I've spent the past four years figuring out the best lenses for the Canon EOS R5 – and now the Canon EOS R5 Mark II.
Canon has released some great glass during that time, but some of the best lenses for the Canon EOS R5 have also come from third parties – and now that Canon has opened the RF mount to Sigma and Tamron, that trend is sure to continue.
Choosing lenses for the R5 and R5 Mark II is a bit tricky. On the one hand, these 45MP / 8K powerhouses demand the very highest performance. But as much as I love the results from something like the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 trinity lens, I'm far more likely to pick up the smaller, lighter, cheaper Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 for much of my wide-angle shooting.
So here are my picks for the best Canon EOS R5 lenses based on my own personal use, doing my best to balance price, performance and portability!
A day one R5 owner!
A day one R5 owner!
James Artaius
Having reviewed the camera before it launched, I immediately preordered an R5 and have been using it since release day. I was also one of the few UK journalists invited to Canon's gala announcement of the R5 Mark II in Munich, where I tested the camera extensively shooting sports, portraiture and breakdancing.
This zoom is made to handle video as skilfully as it does stills, with gorgeous image quality and a constant aperture. Read more below…
Best lenses for the Canon R5 in 2024
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Min focus distance: 0.21m (at 24mm) / 0.38mm (at 70mm)
Max magnification: 0.3x (at 32mm)
Filter thread: 82mm
Dimensions (WxL): 88.5x125.7mm
Weight: 900g
Reasons to buy
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Superb stabilization
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No focus breathing
Reasons to avoid
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Expensive
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Average edge sharpness
This is the standout choice as the everyday standard zoom for the Canon R5. It’s responsive and delivers plenty of detail; it’s even able to control the technical issue of focus breathing.
In our review, we noted a few technical issues, such as edge sharpness, that mean it doesn’t quite reach the heights of some Canon lenses – although the extent to which this matters depends on the types of photo you shoot. But for the price, this is unquestionably a strong performer.
This lens’ incredibly useful focal length zoom range of 15-35mm makes it suited to a wide range of applications from landscapes, travel photography, street, and even astrophotography thanks to its maximum f/2.8 aperture, which is constant throughout the zoom range.
Fast autofocus is powered by the Ultrasonic Motor in this lens, a step above the standard STM equipped in many other, slightly cheaper models. A real treat to use in low light conditions, this lens combines with the R5’s in-body image stabilization to provide a maximum of 8 stops of IS (5 in the lens).
The design of the RF lens mount on the R5 places a lens’s rear optical element closer to the image sensor than was the case with Canon DLSRs – and you can really see the difference it makes when you attach this ultra wide-angle lens. The advanced optical design means that the distortion you expect to see at extreme wide angles is vastly reduced, so the straight lines in buildings look straight in your photos.
It’s also light and compact for a lens in its class, with plenty of useful controls, and the smooth, quiet stepping motor autofocus makes it ideal for recording video.
This 35mm prime performs well on the Canon EOS R5 and it won’t break the bank, either. Lightweight at just over 300g, it’s compact in design and inconspicuously mounts to the front of the camera with its slim build.
A fast aperture combines with the wide-angle focal length for images that are contextual but also evocative. The STM autofocus, while not the flagship for RF lenses, performs well under most situations and the lens can use the R5’s in-body image stabilization for steadying shots. It also utilizes a 0.5x magnification ratio for the close-up shooting of details or smaller subjects.
When we tested the 50mm, we were struck by how sharp its detail was, and how responsive the autofocus system was. The very wide f/1.2 aperture means you can achieve a dramatic level of background blur. This is an amazing lens if you shoot fashion, or portraits that include some of the environment. It’s a substantial lens, but the R5 is big enough to cope with the weight and not feel unbalanced.
An 85mm prime lens has always been touted as one of the best prime focal lengths for portraiture due to the perspective compression it gives for flattering facial features, but the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L is probably the best portrait lens you can get for the Canon EOS R5 – and possibly of any camera system.
Detail is razor-sharp and autofocus is incredibly quick, while the ultra-fast f/1.2 aperture produces effortlessly smooth bokeh and shallow depth of field. The aperture also makes it ideal for low-light conditions, such as indoor wedding photography.
Professionals and serious amateurs with a good chunk of change behind them should take note of this member of Canon’s holy trinity of lenses. Designed to be taken anywhere, it’s considerably smaller than any 70-200mm EF counterpart and is comparatively lightweight, too, all the while retaining excellent weather sealing to protect it from the elements.
This fast L series telephoto zoom appeals to many types of photographers, whether favoring landscapes, portraits, or even concert/gig photography where light is minimal and often inside. This lens shoots it all easily thanks to five stops of hybrid IS and a fast f/2.8 aperture.
Dimensions: 79.5 x 164.7mm (247mm when extended to 400mm)
Weight: 635g
Filter size: 67mm
Reasons to buy
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Powerful supertelephoto range
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5.5 stops of image stabilization
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Small and lightweight
Reasons to avoid
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Fairly slow f/5.6-8 aperture rating
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‘Optional’ lens hood is a pricey extra
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No weather-seals
If you need a long telephoto lens to shoot sports or wildlife, the RF 100-400mm is a great affordable option. Its maximum 400mm focal length gives you plenty of reach, with the sacrifice that the maximum aperture drops to f/8 - so not a fast lens by any stretch of the imagination, which inevitably means using up the ISO to use it effectively. However, this lens, despite its budget price, gives you an impressive five-and-a-half stops of image stabilization. Unlike some tempting lens options for the EOS R5, this one is a bargain.
The Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM reaches further than the average superzoom, but is still relatively light and compact for this class of lens. However, it has a small maximum aperture compared with other superzoom lenses, which affects low-light performance. When light conditions are good, though, sharpness is good throughout most of the zoom range, falling off a bit at 800mm. On the plus side, the autofocus system is both responsive and accurate.
This lens is inspired by Canon’s EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, a superior design that became a staple for macro photographers. And it’s even better.
The magnification is an astounding 1.4:1, which means the image projected onto the R5’s full-frame sensor is 1.4 times lifesize. The detail is ridiculously sharp. A dedicated spherical aberration control ring even enables you to adjust the bokeh effect.
Aperture ring only works for video (for now at least)
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Expensive
The development of lenses with this kind of focal length (24-105mm or 24-70mm) tends to be in small steps rather than leaps and bounds, because most standard zoom lenses are already very good. But this standard zoom really stands out.
It offers a constant f/2.8 aperture, which has been on a lot of photographers’ wishlists for years – but it’s also a hybrid lens, straddling the bridge between a lens designed for stills and one designed for video. That’s one reason why it’s longer than stills photographers might expect from a 24-105mm. Add a tripod foot, though, and it balances beautifully with the R5.
The image quality is exceptional, with sharp results and great contrast throughout the zoom range, and autofocus adjustments take milliseconds. On the R5, you get up 8 stops of image stabilization (or 5 on some other R cameras.) This all goes a long way to explain the sky-high price at launch.
The R5 uses the Canon RF mount, which means it works with all RF and RF-S lenses. RF lenses are designed for use with full-frame Canon camera such as the R5, and there are lots to choose from. RF-S lenses are made with APS-C Canon cameras such as the R10 in mind: on the R5, they produce a cropped image compared with an RF lens at the same focal length.
The R6 can also use Canon's older EF and EF-S lenses for DLSRs, but you have to buy a Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapter to fit the lenses.
The R6 can’t use EF-M lenses, which are made for the Canon EOS M series of cameras. No adaptor has been released for EF-M lenses.
How do I know which lens to get for my R5?
The reason there are so many types of lens in the first place is that different scenes demand different lens designs, particularly when it comes to focal length and aperture rating.
Usually, you will decide what you want to photograph, then get a lens with the focal length that suits the situation. For example, to shoot landscapes you will need a wide-angle lens, while for sports and wildlife you will need a telephoto.
The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.
We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the centre of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths.
There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments – and sometimes on professional shoots! We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as is possible (or appropriate – there's no point testing a landscape lens' ability to shoot a portrait!).
We take into account everything from handling and ease of use to speed of autofocus and the overall quality of the images produced.
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
