Best Canon Lenses For Video in 2023 – Our Honest Thoughts and the Dos and Don’ts

One of the most common uses of cameras is for video recording. And with demand for video content being at an all-time high, you want to make sure you have high-quality footage. In that case, you want to find some well-made Canon lenses especially if this is the brand of your camera.

There’s no doubt that Canon is by far the largest camera brand. But to get the most out of your device, you’ll need to work with the best set of lenses.

Remember, a good lens is defined by quite a number of factors. A few of them would be:

Type of lens (e.g. standard and wide-angle lens)

• Focal length
• Budget
• Image stabilization features
• And sensor size

Our goal in this canon lens review is to help you find a unit that meets your needs. So, in the next few lines, we shall talk about all those plus a buying guide.

Canon Lenses for Video – Comparison

Not a fan of in-depth reviews? The following is a quick guide meant to help you cut straight to the chase.

1. Canon-EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Standard Zoom Lens

Canon-EF 24-70mm is a high-end lens featuring a 24-70 focal length which is perfect for capturing portraits. That said, you can still use it as a multipurpose lens although it may not be so perfect for wide-angle, outdoor shots.

The lens comes with an aperture of f/2.8L which is quite moderate in our view. Therefore, this would be a great tool for daytime shots or moderately-lit situations. It, however, might not stun when it comes to night photography.

The optimized coated lenses are for color balancing. The USM is for fast autofocusing while silencing any noise in the background to produce good audios.

The lenses have dust sealing and water resistance for easy maintenance. In addition, fluorine coatings prevent soiling, fingerprints, and smears.

More so, the lens has image stabilization to reduce any unsteadiness.

On the flipside, the lens is quite expensive.

Pros   

• The standard features make it ideal for someone on the move
• The USM feature assures of noise minimization and quality audio production
• Quality images
• Image Stabilization to remove unsteadiness

Cons

• The lens is a bit pricey
• They have a medium aperture and not ideal for night videography
• They are not suitable for taking unique landscape videos or photos

2. Canon-EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens Macro for Canon DSLR Cameras

Canon-EF 100mm f/2.8L Lens features a prime lens with 100mm ideal portraiture because the focal length is reasonably high. The lenses have Image Stabilization to add to the quality of the videos by removing any unsteadiness when you are in motion.

Besides the USM feature ensures you get good audio sound by eliminating unnecessary noise.

Further, the lens has a shallow depth of field and recommended if you want one focal point of focus.

The f/2.8L aperture is average, and although it doesn’t work at night, it suits moderately lit conditions.

Although they are moderately priced, they are slightly expensive.

Pros

• It is a prime lens with a fixed focal length, making it a specialty camera
• It produces quality audios due to the USM attributes
• Steady videos due to Image Stabilization
• They are specialized lenses and suitable for professional work

Cons

• It is not a good night photography lens, limited by the aperture
• There is no zooming
• Not ideal for landscape videography or photography

Also read: 10 Best Lens for Canon T6i in Review

3. Canon-EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens

Canon-EF 11-24mm is a professional gear ideal for interior and landscape photography and videography. The ultra-wide focal point and low aperture provide a deep depth of focus with no blurry backgrounds.

However, the aperture is low at f/4L which limits the lenses for use in only well-lit situations.

The lenses’ 11-24mm focal length is wide. The zoomable focal length range is also quite extensive, 11mm and 24 mm. The lens feature Super UD and UD lenses for correcting chromatic aberrations.

The lenses have a USM ring for fast autofocus, noise reduction to provide quality photos and films and excellent audios.

More so, the lenses have Full-time manual focus for conveniently adjusting the lenses.

Unfortunately, the lenses are quite expensive.

Pros

• It is one of the widest zoom lenses
• Suitable for specialized photography
• The USM for fast autofocus and noise reduction
• Excellent audios

Cons

• It is a very pricey gear
• Not suitable for use in low light situations or night photography
• They are not recommended if you need lenses for portraiture

4. Sigma-F1.8 18-35mm Art DC HSM Lens for Canon

Sigma-F1.8 18-35mm lenses are designed for DSLRs with APC-sensors. They are good standard units with a wide zooming range between 18 and 35mm. Therefore, they are wide angle and standard lenses because of their focal point. They are ideal for landscapes and standard work.

The lenses are recommended if you do not wish to own many lenses and provide images with a medium depth of focus. The Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) is for fast accurate and smooth autofocusing.

In addition, they have a reasonably wide aperture and will take excellent videos and photos in low light conditions and night photography.

The lenses are much cheaper in comparison with others in the market.

Pros

• They are competitively priced
• The lenses have a wide aperture of F1.8 and make excellent night videography and photography gear
• They are suitable for taking landscape and standard videography and photography
• They are zoomable lenses

Cons

• They are not ideal for portraiture

5. Rokinon-35mm Lens T1.5 Cine CV35-C Fixed-Non-Zoom

Rokinon-35mm T1.5 Cine CV35-C are prime lenses with a 35mm focal length ideal for standard work. However, because it lacks zooming features, the photos are uniform with a medium depth of focus.

They are reasonably priced in comparison to other lenses in the market at below $500 additionally the lens comes with a one year guarantee.

Further, the aperture is wide at T1.5 and ideal for night and dark places.

The lenses feature a de-clicked aperture which means the aperture can be manually set to one specific number, more so, it removes any hard clicks when switching apertures.

Pros

• They are backed with the manufacturer’s one year warranty
• They are a nice multipurpose lens
• They provide nice standard photos that are of high quality
• They are competitively priced
• Easy control of the aperture because of a manual setting feature and de-click attribute

Cons

• They are prime lenses with no zooming feature.

6. Canon EF-50mm f/1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras – Fixed

Canon EF-50mm f/1.4 is a prime lens with its 50mm focal point. The fixed focal point and aperture make them standard lenses for day to day and not specialized photography providing images with a medium depth of field.

They are budget-friendly and have a low risk because they are backed by the manufacturer’s one year warranty.

The f/1.4 aperture size makes them perfect for taking stills and videos at night or in low light conditions.

The HSM(Hypersonic Motor) feature removes any noise and provides fast auto-focusing.

Pros

• It is a low-risk purchasing backed with the manufacturer’s one year warranty
• They are very affordable
• They are standard lenses
• They have a wide aperture and suitable for night and low light situations

Cons

• They are prime lenses and therefore non-zoomable providing images and videos with only one focal point
• They are not suitable for taking specialized landscape and portraiture photos and films

7. Canon EF-85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras – Fixed

Canon EF-85mm f/1.8 lenses are your ideal units if you are looking for specialized portraiture lenses. Therefore, they are designed for professional photographers looking for specialized lenses. They are medium telephoto lens giving a shallow depth of field. They provide sharp images and videos that are on focus blurring everything else.

The fixed and high focal length of 85mm prevents the lenses from doing general work.

The good thing with the lenses is that they have a wide aperture and are ideal for night photography and other low light conditions.

The Ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM) feature provides fast and silent autofocusing. 

Pros

• They are very affordable
• They have a wide aperture for night photography and dimly lit situations
• They are perfect for taking portraits.
• They take ultra sharp images that are focused

Cons

• They are prime lenses and therefore non-zoomable
• They are limited to portraiture
• They produce images with a blurred background because of the shallow depth of field

8. Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

Canon EF-S 10-18mm will complement your camera lens kit as a landscaping lens. At 10-18mm, the lenses have an ultra-wide focal length and make the perfect gear for specialized landscape photos and videos.

The lens has a deep depth of focus producing clear images with no one focal point of focus. The images are clear with minimal distortions and chromatic aberrations.

More so, the lenses are quite light and easy to carry around. In addition, the STM feature does fast autofocus and silences any noise to produce good audio sounds.

Unfortunately, they have a narrow aperture and not ideal for dim places or night photography.

Pros

• They are very pocket-friendly
• They are good landscape lenses
• Consistent, high-quality landscape photos from edge to edge
• The STM for fast autofocus
• Clear audios

Cons

• They are not for portraiture work or standard work
• The lenses have are not for night photography or low light situations

You may love to check out: 10 Best DSLR Gimbal Options Reviewed and Compared For You

9. Canon EF-135mm f/2L USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras – Fixed

Canon EF-135mm f/2L features a focal length of 135mm and an aperture of f/2L to make highly specialized professional prime lenses suitable for shooting portrait videos and photography because of the narrow focal length. In addition, they have a medium aperture of f/2L to be able to produce good photos and videos in moderately lit conditions but not night photography.

The lenses are durably constructed with quality materials. They have USM for fast autofocus and minimizing noise.

They are good lenses for taking distant scenes and can make good units for animal and sports photography and videography. The fixed focal point make the lenses ideal for shooting one kind of photography or videography well.

Unfortunately, even though they have a medium-range price, it is still on the higher side. The good thing is that they come with a one year guarantee.

Pros

• They have a one year warranty
• They are excellent for professional work requiring a narrow focal length
• They are portraiture units
• Minimized noise
• They are durably constructed

Cons

• They are expensive
• They are specialized and not for day to day videography and still photo shooting
• They are non-zoomable
• They are not for landscaping work

10. Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras

Canon EF-S 17-55mm can be referred to as multipurpose lenses. They are zoomable with a versatile focal length ranging from 17mm to 555mm and therefore can capture both portraits and landscapes.

They are recommended as your first spare lenses to add to your kit. They will do well if you’re not after the bells and whistles that specialized photographers look for.

The lenses have a medium depth of field, neither shallow nor deep.

Besides, the lenses have image stabilization for steadiness.

Although they are not high-end lenses, however, they are still expensive. Also, they have a narrow aperture of f/2.8 and are limited to taking photos where it is well lit.

Pros

• They are standard lenses for day to day activities
• They are suitable for taking both portraits and landscapes
• They have image stabilization for steadiness
• They have USM for fast autofocusing
• The lenses have quality sound due to noise minimization through USM

Cons

• The price is on the higher side
• They are not ideal for night photography or dim conditions

Canon Lenses For Video – Buying Guide

So, what factors do you need to keep in mind when choosing a lens? Well, it all depends on the kind of results you want to achieve.

Types of Lens

A wide angle lens would be ideal for filming master shots from large scenes. Standard lenses, on the other hand, are ideal for a natural-looking appeal.

Then there is the medium telephoto lens which is preferred by many looking for undistorted close-ups. And of course, there’s also the ordinary telephoto lens which is ideal when you need to isolate a subject from its background.

Lastly, you’ll find the ultrawide lens which is a popular choice for fly-on-the-wall kind of documentaries. So, once again, you need to understand your unique needs so you can find the best lenses for the job.

Your Budget

Just how much are you willing to cough out for the lens? If you’re on a really tight budget, you can consider going for a non-zoom lens provided your camera has an APS-C sensor. Otherwise, normally, the more you fork out, the higher the chances of getting something good are.

Your Level of Creativity

If you want to get out of your comfort zone, you might need to consider getting a camera that provides you with a “cinematic” effect. But if you’re on a tight budget and still want to remain creative, consider getting a manual focus lens.

Your Career

Some careers are more “camera-intensive” than others. For that reason, you’re better off understanding what exactly you’re going to use your lens for.

In our view, documentary, events, and news items require at least two different kinds of lens. So, in that case, we’d recommend getting a medium telephoto lens alongside a constant aperture zoom.

But if you don’t want the hassle of having to change lenses midway, consider going for a lens with a constant aperture zoom. This kind of lens should cover a wide range of settings allowing you to use it either as a medium telephoto or a wide-angle lens.

Image Stabilization Features

This is an extremely important feature to consider especially if you work in a fast-paced environment. With an image stabilization feature, it is possible to still achieve great results even without using a tripod.

A lens that comes with image stabilization features would be a boon especially for Vloggers and YouTubers in general.

Electronic vs Mechanical Focusing

The mechanical focusing breed of camera lenses is one that comes with a physical focus ring. You need to turn this ring to achieve a better focus. On the other hand, you can opt for an electronic motor adjuster.

The electronic method of adjusting focus works best if you’re fond of using autofocus. However, if your goal is to achieve some custom results, a lens that offers mechanical tools for manual focus would be a perfect find.

Which One Is The Best?

The Canon EF 11-24mm USM Lens is what in our view qualifies as a winning bet for video recording. It boasts an ultra-wide zooming power and combines auto-focusing power with manual focus adjustment. The Canon EF 24-70mm is yet another good lens especially for anyone looking for a quality Canon lens under 2,000.

Final Thoughts

As you can see from this analysis, there’s nothing like a one-size-fits-all lens. You only need to find one that works best for your situation and budget range.