Getting down to business, the best Canon superzoom lenses offer you the ultimate in flexibility, a companion for every shooting situation. Versatility is the name of the game here, with lenses that cover a focal range from a wide perspective to a long telephoto. Generally, superzooms are also relatively lightweight and cost-effective, making them a good choice for travel and budget-conscious photographers.
While they typically don't offer the same kind of sharpness as high-end primes and zooms that comprise the best Canon lenses, superzooms are much better than they used to be. Here, I've picked out the finest superzooms you can get for all Canon systems, including EOS R mirrorless, EOS M mirrorless and EOS DSLRs, and I've picked options for both APS-C and full-frame cameras.
Do note: Some of the superzoom lenses on this list have been discontinued. Long story short, Canon, Sigma, Tamron and other lens manufacturers have been focusing all of their lens production efforts on the mirrorless market. There’s healthy competition in the RF-S arena of APS-C format superzooms for EOS R series mirrorless cameras, but superzoom lenses for DSLRs have largely been discontinued now. Canon’s EF-M lenses for its original EOS mirrorless cameras have also bitten the dust. Even so, I’ve kept the best of the breed on my list, as they still make great second-hand buys and might even still find a new one if you look hard enough.
For the running order, I'm kicking off with Canon RF for EOS R series full-frame mirrorless cameras, followed by competing RF-S superzooms for APS-C format EOS R series cameras. I’ll then move on to full-frame and APS-C format lenses for DSLRs, with EF-M mirrorless bringing up the rear.
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Best Canon superzoom lenses
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Canon RF
Users of Canon EOS R cameras demand the best when it comes to quality, which makes sense given the full-frame, high-resolution sensors they're using. With that in mind, you might think that a superzoom simply wouldn't be a suitable lens for these cameras, however the Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM delivers truly outstanding results for a lens of its type, with impressive sharpness right through its 10x zoom range. We discovered this for ourselves when we put the lens through its paces in a full review, and ended up giving it our highest rating.
You might want to be aware that some of the correction at the tele end is digital, not optical, a fact that's noticeable when you boot up Adobe Camera Raw. It's very good though, and ultimately it's the results that count. And the Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM produces very good results indeed.
See our full Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM review
Canon RF-S
The Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM is typically sold as the kit lens for the Canon EOS R7. Its 18-150mm focal range equates to about 29-240mm in full frame camera terms, so although this lens is pretty compact and light, it actually qualifies as a do-it-all 'superzoom'. It's the ideal travel companion for APS-C cameras like the Canon EOS R7, R10, R50 and R100.
It offers much greater range and a slightly faster aperture than the RF-S 18-45mm lens, and also boasts light macro capability. It performs above expectations for a kit lens and is an excellent choice for APS-C Canon EOS R cameras.
See our full Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM review
Sigma RF-S
I love that this Sigma superzoom shrinks down to a minimum focal length of 16mm, rather than the more usual 18mm. The difference of 2mm might sound like there’s not a lot in it but the net result is that you get a much greater maximum viewing width, and the change really is noticeable. There’s no shortage in telephoto reach either, the Sigma going extra large in overall zoom range, equivalent to 25.5-480mm on a full-frame camera.
Given that the EOS R7 is so far the only APS-C format EOS R system camera to feature in-body image stabilization, the Sigma’s addition of optical stabilization is all but essential. A further attraction that adds yet another dimension to shooting is that the Sigma can deliver up to 0.5x macro magnification for extreme close-ups. It really is an ‘all-in-one’ zoom lens and, more than most in its genre, could be the only lens you ever need.
See our full Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | C review
Tamron RF-S
Tamron has a history of pushing the envelope with its superzoom lenses, delivering ‘world first’ designs redefine the genre. Prime (or rather zoom) examples from the company’s back catalog include 16-300mm and 18-400mm superzooms for APS-C format Canon DSLRs, delivering the widest available viewing angle and the longest telephoto reach, respectively.
This 18-300mm doesn’t rewrite the rulebook to the same extent, but nevertheless delivers twice as much maximum telephoto reach as Canon’s own APS-C format RF-S superzoom, with an ‘effective’ 28.8-480mm overall zoom range in full-frame equivalence. More remarkably, the Tamron accomplishes this in a relatively compact, lightweight and eminently travel-friendly build. It also matches the competing Sigma 16-300mm for a 0.5x macro capability. Add in Tamron’s highly renowned, proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) system for beating the shakes and you’re onto a winning formula for travel photography.
See our full Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD review
Sigma EF
Sadly, nearly all of the full-frame EF-mount superzooms have now been discontinued, but this monster 60-600mm technically counts as a superzoom due its impressive 10x zoom. However, it is not quite the all-in-one do-it-all lens - unless of course your main subject matter is wildlife or sport.
The 60-600mm Sport is noticeably larger and nearly 40 percent weightier, at 2,700g, than Sigma’s original 50-500mm. However, all that lens gets you a massive 10x zoom range. Allowing you to swap from a standard focal length to a close-up without having to waste time swapping between lenses.
The Sigma 60-600mm Sport has high-quality optics, better than would be expected for a lens of this range, only falling off in distortion and sharpness toward the 600mm end. However, for the very reasonable price Sigma ask for this lens, which is totally forgivable.
Read our full Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S review
Canon EF-S
This Canon lens has distinctive styling, with a metal mounting plate and pleasing ergonomics that make it satisfying to use. While the previous STM edition of this lens is no slouch when it comes to autofocus speed this newer Nano USM version is incredibly fast for stills, while still maintaining smooth transitions when shooting movies.
The image stabilizer is equally effective in very effective and image quality is of generally high quality. However, sharpness at the centre of the image frame proved slightly less than impressive from the new lens, at both ends of the zoom range.
See our full Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM review
Sigma EF-S
This Sigma goes all out for telephoto reach, equivalent to a mighty focal length of 480mm on a full-frame camera. The trade-off is that it’s noticeably bigger and heavier than some comparable lenses, at 79x102mm and 585g.
The motor-based rather than ring-type ultrasonic system helps with downsizing but is a little sluggish and audible in operation. As well as aspherical and SLD elements, the addition of FLD elements really does help to boost sharpness, which only drops at the longest extremity of the zoom range.
See our full Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM | C review
Tamron EF-S
This Tamron lens wins points for lightness at a slender weight of just 400g, though the autofocus speed is a little pedestrian. Sharpness is pleasingly solid considering the type of lens and price, at all equivalent zoom settings, although corner-sharpness suffers noticeably when using the widest aperture in the middle sector of the zoom range. On the plus side, colour fringing at mid-zoom settings is very negligible. This lightweight Tamron is now discontinued, but still eminently acquirable on the second-hand market – and it offers unbeatable value at the price.
See our full Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC review
Canon EF-M
Marketed as the ideal all-in-one lens by Canon, this 8.3x superzoom doesn't quite pack the same range as the Tamron above, but it is a touch cheaper (though only just). With a full-frame focal length equivalent to 29-240mm, it's not quite as wide as we'd like, but you'll still be able to get a decent amount in the frame. Extended to 240mm and it should be handy for those occasions when you want to tightly crop in on something, but it's not going to fill the frame for those action shots. Available in black or silver, it's a compact lens that's no bigger than Canon's 55-200mm, making it a neat little travel lens.
See our full Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM review
Lab data and comparisons
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. As we’re becoming used to seeing in our lab results, Canon’s RF lenses for EOS R system cameras edge ahead for sharpness, although the EF-mount Sigma zoom for DSLRs is very good for a lens with such long telephoto reach. The averages scores for distortion look good for the RF and RF-S lenses but they rely heavily on automatic in-camera correction, which can’t be disabled.
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 a superzoom lens
Something you have to be aware of when shopping for superzooms is that these lenses are not the sharpest lenses on the block. A big zoom in a small body comes with trade-offs; there are a lot of optical elements at work inside the lens in order to allow them to achieve their enormous focal range. The good ones are sharp enough – you'll get great-looking images – but if you need the ultimate in sharpness, you're best off looking at prime lenses, or at least shorter zooms.
Generally, it's worth thinking about exactly how much zoom you need. Canon's 18-135mm is a world away from Sigma's 60-600mm, and if you aren't going to need the latter then there's no sense making the kinds of compromises on weight, price
If you want a superzoom's versatility though, the good news is that you can get it no matter which Canon system you're using. There are great superzooms available for Canon's full-frame mirrorless RF mount and the APS-C mirrorless RF-S and EF-M mounts, as well as for the old EF DSLR range. Remember that EF DSALR lenses can be adapted to fit RF-mount cameras.
However, the gradual discontinuation of EF and EF-S lenses, as Canon switches its attention to developing the newer RF and RF-S mounts means that there is very little choice for each particular mount at the moment – and this will continue until the range of superzoom lenses expands for those mounts.
How we test lenses
We test lenses using a mix of both real world sample images and lab tests. Our lab tests are carried out scientifically in controlled conditions using the Imatest testing suite, which consists of custom charts and analysis software that measures resolution in line widths/picture height, a measurement widely used in lens and camera testing. We find the combination of lab and real-word testing works best, as each reveals different qualities and characteristics.
FAQs
What is a superzoom lens?
While there isn't a cast-iron definition of a focal range that counts as 'superzoom', in general the term applies to any lens with a reasonably broad focal range that runs from wide to telephoto. Generally if it's got a zoom range of at least 8x or so, a lens will count as a superzoom (and several offer much more than that).
Are superzoom lenses worth it?
Some users worry about false economy when it comes to superzoom lenses – surely this promise of so much zoom range in a lens that's both small and comparatively affordable is too good to be true? While there definitely have been cheap and nasty superzooms released over the years, there are also plenty that offer excellent sharpness and all-around performance – as demonstrated on this list.
