I'm convinced that choosing the best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 or the more recent Canon EOS R6 Mark II means weighing up the abilities of these two mirrorless cameras, and the kind of photographers and videographers they appeal to. Resolution nuts will bypass it completely in favor of the EOS R5, but the R6 cameras do have advantages of their own.
For a start, the resolutions are modest by today’s standards, especially amongst full-frame mirrorless cameras, but still perfectly adequate for sports and wildlife, wedding, social and event photography. The Canon EOS R6 has a resolution of 20MP, while the R6 Mark II has a 24MP sensor. You can see all the differences between the two in our R6 vs R6 Mark II guide.
The lower pixel count means improve burst speeds and buffer capacity for sports and wildlife, improved image quality at higher ISOs in indoor venues, night-time events, and other challenging situations – and let’s not forget that it’s a lot cheaper than the R5!
So here I’ve picked a selection of lenses that suit this camera and the things it’s good at doing. There's also a bigger list of the best Canon RF lenses, but my guide is more selective, and aimed at this particular model.
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has over 20 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). He has a wealth of knowledge about cameras of all makes, but Canon is one of his preferred systems for everyday shooting, which means he’s always keen to try out new Canon lenses.
Best lenses for the Canon R6 and R6 Mark II
Best everyday lens for the R6
There are certainly many RF-mount standard zoom lenses to choose from but this one ticks all the right boxes, as far as I’m concerned. Sure, it’s a little lacking in wide-angle coverage and telephoto reach isn’t the most generous. However, I can easily forgive that, taking into account its relatively fast, constant f/2.8 aperture. It’s a major bonus in my books, enabling a tighter depth of field and faster shutter speeds under low lighting conditions. And whereas most ‘trinity’ f/2.8 standard zooms are big and hefty, this one is refreshingly compact and lightweight.
Other ticks on my wish list include highly effective 5.5-stop optical image stabilization, fast and virtually silent autofocus which is ideal for both stills and video, and good handling characteristics. Unlike most regular rather than L-series Canon lenses, this one also includes weather-seals. And the overall build quality feels strong and robust, ideal for everyday shooting.
As with any lens, image quality is the bottom line. For a standard zoom, this one delivers impressive sharpness, combined with attractively smooth bokeh. It’s a very easy lens to live with and good value at the price.
Read more: Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM review
Features ★★★★★ | Appealing features include linear stepping motor autofocus, optical stabilization and a fast and constant f/2.8 aperture. |
Design ★★★★★ | What’s not to love about a retractable design? I do like being able to stow lenses away in small spaces and I also like the weather-sealed build. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | It’s mostly excellent but as is often the case, this ‘mirrorless’ lens relies quite heavily on in-camera corrections. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s good value but similar lenses in other mount options are often less expensive to buy. |
Best telephoto zoom for the R6
A 70-200mm f/2.8 is the third 'trinity' lens at the heart of most pro camera systems, especially a camera like the EOS R6, which is perfect for sports, wildlife, and event photography. And while Canon’s RF lenses are often criticized for feeling big and heavy on mirrorless bodies, this one remains reasonably slim and svelte. Compared with the latest EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS lens for Canon's D-SLRs, it’s significantly smaller and only about two-thirds of the weight – mostly because this RF edition has an extending inner barrel rather than a fixed physical length.
Autofocus is amazingly rapid, based on dual Nano USM actuators, and three switchable modes are on offer for static and panning shots, plus a third option that applies stabilization only during exposures. This makes it easier to track erratically moving objects in the viewfinder, or via the camera’s rear screen.
Read more: Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM review
Features ★★★★☆ | Top features include optical stabilization, super-fast autofocus, a constant f/2.8 aperture and all the handling extras you could wish for. |
Design ★★★★☆ | The telescoping design raises a few eyebrows but the lens is effectively weather-sealed. Unusually, it’s not compatible with Canon’s RF Extenders (teleconverters). |
Performance ★★★★★ | The design of the lens might be unconventional but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with its image quality and all-round performance. |
Value ★★★★☆ | Typical of Canon’s L-series RF lenses, this one is very expensive to buy but still pretty good value. |
Best 50mm lens for the R6
I've always thought that a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera gives an entirely natural perspective, similar to that of the human eye, and I'm certrainly not the only one. Camera manufacturers have long included an inexpensive 50mm f/1.8 lens in their line-ups, and this is Canon's latest and greatest.
There's nothing cheap about the build quality, handling or optical performance of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM. It has a metal mounting plate, smooth controls and a recessed front element that means a lens hood isn't a 'must have' item.
The lens has no image stabilization, but that's no problem here as the EOS R6 series has excellent in-body stabilization anyway. What it does have is a compact, lightweight design, strong optical quality and a price tag which makes it hard to resist.
Read more: Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM review
Features ★★★★☆ | The feature set is pretty basic but includes STM autofocus and a switchable focus/control ring. |
Design ★★★★☆ | I love the compact and lightweight yet robust build of this lens but it lacks any weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | It’s not up to the standard of Canon’s top L-series lenses but punches well above its weight for image quality. |
Value ★★★★★ | The bargain basement price of this lens makes it a no-brainer for both full-frame and APS-C format EOS R-system cameras. |
Best ultra-wide zoom for the R6
I find that this ultra-wide-angle zoom is brilliant for travel, interiors and landscapes, combining very wide angles of view with a lightweight build, at a very competitive price.
I love the way that the Canon EOS R system caters to my budget. It includes a growing number of relatively affordable non-professional lenses which are also very good. Indeed, Canon RF consumer lenses are often significantly less expensive than those from other brands. This ultra-wide Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM zoom is a perfect case in point.
Canon hasn't skimped on features either, which include highly effective optical stabilization. The maximum aperture is a little limited at f/4.5-6.3, but it's easy to forgive that given this lens's price and portability.
Read more: Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM review
Features ★★★★☆ | Desirable features include 5.5-stop optical stabilization and a customizable control ring. |
Design ★★★★☆ | It’s good overall but there are no weather-seals and the hood is sold separately. |
Performance ★★★★★ | There’s fast autofocus performance and excellent image quality, boosted by automatic in-camera corrections. |
Value ★★★★★ | It’s great value for an own-brand Canon RF lens with this kind of performance. |
Best super-telephoto lens for the R6
The fast maximum drive rate and highly advanced autofocus system of the EOS R6 series, with their subject recognition, make them great cameras for sports and wildlife photography. There are plenty of telephoto and super-telephoto lenses to choose from but they're often big, heavyweights and feel very cumbersome.
I love the relatively lightweight build of the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM, which literally takes a load off for long periods of sports and wildlife shooting. Even so, it has a powerful 4x zoom range, which really covers the distance when I can't get as close to subjects as I'd like. It's also very affordable for this type of lens.
The only potential downsides are that the lens doesn't have weather-seals, so you might need to invest in a cover, and the hood is sold separately. The widest aperture is rather narrow at the long end of the zoom range but the EOS R6 series has excellent high-ISO performance.
Read more: Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM review
Features ★★★★☆ | Powerful telephoto reach with 5.5-stop stabilization and fast Nano USM autofocus are key features. |
Design ★★★★☆ | This telephoto zoom is certainly lightweight and manageable but doesn’t feature weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Image quality, autofocus and stabilization are all highly impressive, making this lens a great performer. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s good value at the price but the ‘optional’ lens hood is a pricey extra. |
Best macro lens for the R6
This is truly a unique macro lens, no matter what camera system you’re considering. It takes its heritage from the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, but builds on it enormously for the RF range. Up to eight stops of hybrid image stabilization steady the frame, while a bright f/2.8 aperture lets light soak into the image sensor.
It has better magnification with a reproduction ratio of 1.4:1 (1:1 is required for genuine macro performance) which means more detail in macro subject capture. And there’s even a spherical aberration control ring on the lens to control a soft focus effect, adding flattering bokeh to images. It also doubles as a standard lens as it can focus to infinity.
Read more: Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro IS USM review
Features ★★★★★ | Not just a macro lens, this one boasts 1.4x maximum magnification backed up by as much as 8 stops of stabilization. |
Design ★★★★★ | The design is top-drawer, boasting ground-breaking magnification for an autofocus macro lens, plus a bokeh control ring. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Image quality and all-round performance are as good as it gets for a macro prime lens. |
Value ★★★★☆ | You wouldn’t expect a lens of this quality, performance and feature set to come cheap but it’s actually very god value at the price. |
Best portrait photography lens for the R6
For me, portraiture is a key element of photography, whether it's formal or casual shots, or weddings and events. An 85mm 'portrait' lens is one of my kit bag essentials, and I've often gone for fast f/1.2, f/1.4 or f/1.8 apertures for a really tight depth of field.
The Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM looks like it falls slightly short in the aperture stakes but in practice, I find that the f/2 aperture gives a perfectly shallow depth of field for isolating portrait subjects within a scene by blurring fussy backgrounds. The lens actually combines excellent brightness with beautifully dreamy bokeh.
The 0.5x macro magnification for extreme close-ups adds versatility and, although some of Canon's other RF primes have this facility, the longer focal length of the 85mm lens gives a more comfortable working distance. All in all, it's compact, lightweight, affordable and a great lens for the EOS R6 series.
Read more: Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM review
Features ★★★★★ | Smart features include STM autofocus, optical stabilization and 0.5x macro magnification. |
Design ★★★★★ | Small but beautifully built, the design and construction are excellent, complete with switchable focus/control ring. |
Performance ★★★★★ | This lens works wonderfully well for portraiture, still life, general shooting and extreme close-ups. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s very good value for money but as with other Canon non-L-series lenses, you need to buy the hood separately. |
Best street photography lens for the R6
The 35mm focal length has long been associated with street photography, but we reckon this great little prime lens would be equally useful for wedding, social or event photography, as a quick grab-and-go lens, maybe on a second body. The semi-wide 35mm focal length is versatile, the f/1.8 maximum aperture will give you decent shutter speeds in low light and good background blur, and while the macro facility only offers 0.5x magnification rather than true 1x macro, it still gets you close enough for frame-filling shots of the rings, wedding invites, cake decorations and all the other atmospheric details of social events.
It’s wonderfully compact and lightweight, as well as only costing about a fifth of the price of Canon’s bulky f/1.2 lenses. Indeed, the relatively small and inexpensive build enabled by the more modest aperture rating makes you wonder why Canon hasn’t made more f/1.8 RF primes yet.
Read more: Canon 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM review
Features ★★★★★ | Useful features include optical stabilization, a fast f/1.8 aperture rating and even a 0.5x macro facility. |
Design ★★★★☆ | Compact but sturdily built, the design is perfect for walkabout photography, although the lens lacks weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Image quality is lovely, while autofocus is fast and assured and stabilization works well. |
Value ★★★★☆ | This lens is reasonably priced but, as usual, you’ll have to buy the hood as an ‘optional extra’. |
Lab data and comparisons
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. Levels of sharpness are very good for all of these lenses, and there’s fairly little color fringing. As with many lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, some of Canon's RF primes and zooms rely heavily on in-camera correction for distortion, which helps keep the physical build to a manageable size and weight.
Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion.
Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel and pincushion distortion at its shortest and longest focal lengths respectively, which tends to average out when looking at the data overall. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, which give the full picture, check out the graphs in our full standalone lens reviews.
How to choose the best lens for the Canon EOS R6
Do all Canon lenses fit the EOS R6?
The R6 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 R6, 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 R6, 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 R6?
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.
You can watch this video that explains focal length: it helps you work out what kind of lenses you need for different genres of photography.
How we test lenses
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.
Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World
