The Best Lenses for Canon EOS 7D Mark II in 2024

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II is for those who are only at the early stages of their photography journey but want advanced features without breaking the bank. The camera is described as an entry-level DSLR, and it is the newer DSLR version of the Canon EOS 7D.

If you own a Canon 7D Mark II, you may want to consider investing in some lenses to further expand your knowledge and skills in your newfound hobby. Here’s a rundown of the best Canon 7D Mark II lenses.

Best for General Photography

EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Best All-around Lens for Canon 7D Mark II

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 18-135mm
Dimensions – 4.80 x 4.80 x 7.10 inches
Weight – 725.7 g (1.6 pounds)
Lens – Wide Angle, Normal, Telephoto
Compatible Mountings – EF-S
Aperture – f/3.5-5.6

• Fast and incredibly quiet
• Electrical zooming for video shooting
• Camera shake reduction with Dynamic IS
• Premium exterior design

The EF-S 18-135mm lens is a great choice for the amateur or an enthusiast photographer that has an EF-S mount and is looking for a good all-around flexible lens. It has great versatility for landscapes, portraits, sports videos, and everything in between. This lens is fast and incredibly quiet, while equipped with NANO USM technology for smooth and near-silent video and high-speed AF for still capture, it’s compatible with Canon’s new Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1 for electronically controlled zooming. Although, it’s important to take into consideration that the Chromatic Aberration on this lens can be significantly decent, as it’s not a high-tier lens from the Canon lineup.

EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

Best All-in-one Lens for Canon 7D Mark II

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 18-200mm
Dimensions – 4.02 x 3.11 x 3.11 inches
Weight – 1.31 lbs (594.2 g)
Lens – standard zoom
Compatible Mountings – EF-S
Aperture – f/3.5-5.6

• Easy to use, lightweight and compact wide Zoom
• Camera shake reduction with Optical IS
• Excellent high-speed performance at an affordable price
• Excellent ‘all-in-one’ lens to use when traveling and walking-around

The EF-S 18-200mm lens is an excellent all-around lens, it’s easy to use, and a great choice for the amateur or an enthusiast photographer that has an EF-S mount and is looking for a good “walkaround” lens. It will be equivalent to 28.8-320mm equivalent focal length on Canon APS-C cameras. Yet, it’s compact and slight weight and has a wide magnification range, from normal to telephoto.

Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Best Standard Zoom Lens for the Canon 7D Mark II

Four Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 24–105mm
Dimensions – 4.60 x 3.30 x 3.30 inches
Weight – 795 g (1.75 lb)
Lens – Standard
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/4

• Versatile focal range from 24mm to 105mm
• Excellent build quality
• Valid price tag as it is capable of delivering on its promises

The EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens is the best standard zoom lens any photographer can get. This lens comes with features capable of delivering excellent sharpness across the range, fast and quiet focusing, and manual focus override at any time. Also, its build quality can be compared to that of the L-lens standard made by Canon. However, photographers picking up this lens should be aware of its optical issues including a bit of barrel distortion at 24mm and vignetting at a wide-open aperture.

Best lenses for Portraits, Weddings & Events

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens

Best Budget Prime Lens

Five Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 50mm
Dimensions – 1.54 x 2.72 x 2.72 inches
Weight – 159 g (0.35 lb)
Lens – Standard
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/1.8

• A simple, compact, and capable prime lens for those on a budget.
• Great build quality with metal mount
• Good image quality

The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens is a blessing for photographers looking for a budget option yet is still a capable lens for portrait photography. This offering from Canon comes with a standard coverage on a full-frame body that is similar to that of a human eye. This prime lens’ biggest selling point is its typically brighter aperture at f/1.8. This feature allows for easy shooting in a low-light environment and allows photographers to achieve shallower depth-of-field effects to blur backgrounds. With these features, the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens is a great replacement for the brand’s best-selling and great performing lens – the EF 50mm f1.8 II.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard and Medium Telephoto Lens

Best 7D Mark II Lens for Any Occasion

Four Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 50mm
Dimensions – 2.01 x 2.91 x 2.91 inches
Weight – 290g (10.2 oz)
Lens – Standard/Telephoto
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/1.4

• No chromatic aberration
• Excellent image quality
• Fast and accurate autofocus

Canon’s going for continuing the legacy of its best selling lenses with the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens. The lens performs at its best when shooting at its native 35mm full-frame format. Aside from this, the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is still a very capable shooter even when paired with a more resolution-demanding APS-C sensor. If sharpness is a top priority, then it is best to look for another option. Unfortunately, sharpness is the biggest weakness of this lens. It lacks sharpness at wider apertures. Also, the lens is also susceptible to flare with strong light sources in or near the frame. At the end of the day, this lens is for those who are looking for a small, lightweight prime lens.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens

Best Lens for Those New In Portrait Photography

Five Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 85mm
Dimensions – 2.83 x 2.95 x 2.95 inches
Weight – 425 g (0.94 lb)
Lens – Telephoto
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/1.8

• Small & lightweight
• Good optical quality
• Affordable

For photographers looking to start in portrait, wedding, and events photography, the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens might be a good option where to start. The lens’ best quality is found with its optics. It is capable of producing incredibly sharp and renders good colors and contrast. While its image quality cannot match those produced with a Zeiss lens, it is still a capable workhorse that is consistent with the images it produces.

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM UD Standard Zoom Lens

Best Lens with Wide Zoom Range

Five Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 15-85mm
Dimensions – 3.46 x 3.23 x 3.23 inches
Weight – 575 g (1.27 lb)
Lens – Standard Zoom lens
Compatible Mountings – EF-S
Aperture – f/3.5–5.6

• Lightweight
• Wide zoom range
• Four stop stabilizer

This zoom lens is recommended for photographers looking for a lens with a generous range in a lightweight body. Its four-stop stabilizer and focus distance scale are other advantages for this lens. These are especially true for photographers who like to use APS-C format cameras. But the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM UD is not without weakness. It struggles with sharpness, as well as having a narrow maximum aperture.

Best lenses for Travel & Landscape

Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM Wide-Angle Fixed Lens

Best Affordable Lens for Landscape Photography

Four Stars

Focal Length – 20mm
Dimensions – 2.80 x 3.07 x 3.07 inches
Weight – 405 g (0.89 lb)
Lens – Wide Angle Prime lens
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/2.8

Technical Specs

• Compact and lightweight
• Good optical features
• Comes with Intelligent Field Curvature (IFC)

The Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM Wide-Angle Fixed Lens is one of the two fixed autofocus ultrawide lenses from the Japanese brand. While its introduction dates back to 1992, this lens is still very capable of landscape photography and can still compete with some modern offerings. The EF 20mm f/2.8 USM comes with Canon’s 20 USM that is equipped with Intelligent Field Curvature (IFC). This feature brings objects far from the center closer so that they can have better focus. It also comes with nearly instantaneous and fast autofocus, easy-to-operate manual focus, and optical elements that reduce flaring and ghosting. This lens is best for outdoor photography as it is lightweight yet still capable of those heavy, expensive zoom lenses.

Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens

Best Affordable Wide-Angle Starter Lens for Landscape Photography

Five Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 24mm
Dimensions – 0.91 x 2.68 x 2.68 inches
Weight – 125 g (0.28 lb)
Lens – Wide Angle Prime lens
Compatible Mountings – EF-S
Aperture – f/2.8

• Compact size with moderate wide-angle range
• Affordable price range
• Good image quality

Canon is offering the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens to photographers who need a small, lightweight, and a very capable wide-angle lens for use in landscape photography. The lens does not only produce great-looking images, it also performs best at handling bokeh and blurring at wide apertures. This Canon lens is also capable of coming up with great colors. However, it performs poorly in terms of sharpness, contrast, and noise reduction. It is a recommended pick for photographers looking for a backup with great focal length and/or an affordable wide-angle lens.

Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 is STM Lens

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Best Landscape Photography Lens

Five Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 10-18mm
Dimensions – Length 72 mm (2.83″)
Weight – 240 g (0.53 lb)
Lens – Wide Angle Zoom lens
Compatible Mountings – EF-S
Aperture – f/4.5–5.6

• Ultra-wide angle range
• Comes with image stabilization
• Great for street photography

The EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 is STM Lens is a great piece of equipment for those looking to do landscape photography. This lens comes with an f/4.5-5.6, a perfect feature for landscape photography, while its f/5.6 aperture is most useful for portrait photography. This lens also comes with Canon’s Stepper Motor Technology that allows for quieter and smooth autofocus function. The lack of a moisture seal and its average bokeh performance is the biggest downside of using this lens. Given that it will be used for landscape photography, the lack of a moisture seal can, in the long term, damage the optics of the lens.

Best lenses for Nature, Wildlife, Sports & Action

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM Lens

Best Lens in Terms of Sharpness

Four Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 400mm
Dimensions – 9.17 x 5.04 x 5.04 inches
Weight – 1202 g (2.65 lb)
Lens – Telephoto Prime lens
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/4

• Excellent sharpness
• Relatively compact
• Comes with an image stabilization technology
• High-quality build

Photographers should pick up the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM Lens if they want something more than the traditional size and weight of a 400mm prime lens. This lens comes with all the familiar features of Canon’s high-end telephoto lenses. In terms of build, the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM comes in a tough, weather-sealed construction and switches that are easy to operate. Sharpness is the biggest strength of this lens. Outstanding sharpness is seen across the frame at maximum aperture. But it is gradually reduced when it peaks at f/5.6 when the aperture is stopped down.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens

Best Sports Photography Lens

Five Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 100-400mm
Dimensions – 7.60 x 3.70 x 3.70 inches
Weight – 1570 g (3.46 lb)
Lens – Telephoto Zoom lens
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/4.5–5.6

• Best for sports photography due to its wide focal range
• Best in class in terms of sharpness
• Great autofocus performance
• Premium build quality

Canon updated its professional telephoto zoom lens offering with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM. This lens is the successor to the classic Canon 100-400mm L IS, which is a well-loved lens among wildlife and nature photographers. This new version comes with image stabilization, fast and silent autofocus performance, and a focal length that is great for wildlife, nature, sports, and landscape photography.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM UD Telephoto Zoom Lens

Best Weatherproof Lens

Four Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 70-300mm
Dimensions – 5.63 x 3.50 x 3.50 inches
Weight – 1050 g (2.31 lb)
Lens – Telephoto Zoom lens
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/4–5.6

• Affordable L-grade telephoto lens
• Weatherproof construction
• Four-stop image stabilization
• Full-time manual focus override

For photographers willing to shell out a large amount of money for a telephoto lens, the EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS USM UD is a capable lens with its great optics despite being heavyweight. The high asking price for this lens is justifiable with its mostly alloy material and metal filter threads. Despite being on the heavier side, ergonomics are great on this lens. It also comes with excellent focus and zoom function, as well as manual focus override.

Best lenses for Macro & Close-Up

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

Best Lens for Macro Photography with Image Stabilization

Five Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 100mm
Dimensions – 4.84 x 3.07 x 3.07 inches
Weight – 625g (22 oz)
Lens – Telephoto Prime lens
Compatible Mountings – EF
Aperture – f/2.8

• Hybrid image stabilization technology
• Macro focusing
• 100mm fixed focal length

The EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens is as great as most of all macro lenses available in the market. It comes in a high-quality build that comes with a weather resistance feature to make it an ideal accessory for outdoor photography. In terms of image quality, the lens is capable of producing great image quality especially in the center of the frame. It also performs well in terms of sharpness. This Canon lens’ Hybrid Image Stabilization System is its biggest asset. This feature works flawlessly and makes macro photography a breeze even when shooting in poor lighting conditions.

Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Fixed Lens

Best General Macro Lens

Four Stars

Technical Specs

Focal Length – 60mm
Dimensions – 2.76 x 2.87 x 2.87 inches
Weight – 335 g (0.74 lb)
Lens – Telephoto Prime lens
Compatible Mountings – EF-S
Aperture – f/2.8

• Great image quality
• Compact and lightweight
• Quick and silent autofocus
• Excellent sharpness

Macro and close-up photographers should have the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Fixed Lens in their bag. This Canon lens integrates comfortable short telephoto focal length and optimized close-up capabilities to come up with a true macro optic lens. The lens features a life-size 1:1 maximum magnification that is great for those macro shooting. It also comes with Super Spectra coating, an Ultrasonic Motor (USM), and a rounded seven-blade diaphragm. While its performance cannot be compared to the Canon 100mm macro lens, it is still great for general purposes and for cameras with smaller sensors.

Common Questions on the Best Lenses for the Canon 7D Mark II

Photographers are always on the hunt for a great accessory for their hobby. Lenses are a big deal in photography. It helps in making great images and immortalizing a person, a landscape, or an event. This section will focus on the most asked topics when picking among the best lenses for the Canon 7D Mark II.

What are all the different lens types that are available?

Canon has released several lenses throughout the years. Here are some of the different lens types manufactured by the company:

• EF – this is the lens type Canon introduced when it announced the EOS camera system back in the 1980s. The lens showed the world how lenses can be electronically attached to a camera. Most of the lenses under this type are compatible with every EOS camera produced by Canon including EOS M series.
• EF-S – For Canon cameras and other cameras with a more compact sensor, the EF-S delivers lightweightedness, versatility, and portability. This lens does not only deliver on the community’s demand for a small and lightweight lens, but it also offers a great wide-angle range.
• EF-M – This lens type took compact lenses to another level. This type was introduced together with the original EOS M line of cameras in 2012. It is offered in ultra-wide to telephoto to macro models. Also, it is portable enough for everyday photography.

What lenses are compatible with Canon 7D Mark II?

The EOS 7D Mark II camera has a 20.2 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor.

This means it supports Canon EF lenses including EF-S lenses
(35mm-equivalent focal length is approx. 1.6x the lens focal length)

Do Canon lenses fit all cameras?

No. Each camera released by different manufacturers feature a unique lens mount. This means that a certain lens might only work for some cameras from Canon or other big names in photography. But it is not the end of the road. There is a wide range of adapters available just in case a lens does not fit the camera a photographer owns.

How do I know which lenses fit my camera?

It all boils down to the lens mount system present in a camera. For Canon full-frame DSLRs, the brand’s EF mount lenses can fit on all full-frame cameras. It can even work on DSLRs with the Japanese brand’s EF-S mount cameras. However, given that the EF-S mount is relatively smaller than the EF mount systems, the former cannot fit cameras with the EF mount. In short, any photographer needs to know their camera’s lens mount before purchasing a new lens.

What is the sharpest Canon lens?

The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II is the sharpest lens for the 7D Mark II. This lens comes with a focal length of 24-70 and can still deliver great sharpness at 38-115 even on a cropped sensor camera. This lens is most recommended for photographers dabbling in wedding photography.

Are Canon L series lenses worth it?

Depends. The brand’s L-series is its professional line of SLR photography lenses. Most of the lenses under this line share some similarities that are not available in Canon’s lower-priced offerings. One standout is its more durable and premium construction. Some L-series lenses come with dust and water-resistant rubber seals for additional protection. These lenses also feature higher quality optics with many of them having aspherically ground, fluorite, or ultra-low dispersion glass elements. It is definitely a must-buy if money is not an issue.

How old is the EOS 7D Mark II?

The EOS 7D Mark II camera announced by Canon in September 2014. It has a 20.2 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, and it is the newer DSLR version of the EOS 7D.

Can the EOS 7D Mark II shoot 4k?

No, the EOS 7D Mark II can shoot video at:

• Full HD
  Standard: 1920 x 1080 at60 fps / 30 fps / 24fps
• HD
  Standard: 1280 x 720 at 60 fps
• SD
  Standard: 640 x 480 at 30 fps

The Best Zoom Lenses for Canon EOS 7D Mark II

• Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
• Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM UD Standard Zoom Lens
• Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 is STM Lens
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens
• Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM UD Telephoto Zoom Lens

The Best Prime Lenses for Canon EOS 7D Mark II

• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
• Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM Wide-Angle Fixed Lens
• Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens
• Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM Lens

The Best Telephoto Lenses for Canon EOS 7D Mark II

• Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM Lens
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens
• Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM UD Telephoto Zoom Lens

The Best of the Best Lenses for the Canon 7D Mark II

The list may be long but the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens is the winner among the best lenses for the Canon 7D Mark II. This lens is the best budget 50mm prime lens that every photographer needs to have in their bag the more advance you became, you can choose a higher tier of 50mm to put in your bag.

For other alternatives, the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens is best for landscape photography with its wide-angle range, affordability, and compact size. It also offers great bokeh and blurring capabilities for a more dramatic landscape image. For sports photography, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens performs the best. It offers a wide focal length, great sharpness, and image quality.