The relatively recent introduction of sleek, powerful, and modern mirrorless cameras has changed the game forever. These new and improved bodies introduced more flexibility, features, and creative control allowing photographers to capture scenes in ways never before possible.

And with these powerful new cameras came a whole new set of. Many of these new mirrorless lenses have higher-quality optics, are lighter and more compact, feature faster and more accurate focusing, and have many other improved benefits. Considering that mirrorless cameras have been around for a while there are significantly more lens offerings today compared to just a year or two ago, making it more and more difficult to decide which lens is right for you.

In today’s article, we’re going to take a look at Canon and more specifically their RF mount lenses for mirrorless cameras. Be sure to check out our articles on the best mirrorless lenses from Nikon and Sony as well!

The Canon R series has become incredibly popular with some of the best bodies and lenses currently available on the market. That being said, which lenses are the cream of the crop? Which ones truly stand out as their best high-end offerings with superior optics and overall performance? Keep reading to find out!

We’ll take a look at both zoom and prime lenses in each classification from wide angles to super-telephotos and everything in between. It’s worth mentioning that in many cases Canon is shifting towards more high-end zoom lenses and straying away from high-end prime lenses within their RF system. This is due to the fact that they are able to achieve virtually the same quality of optics and zoom lenses offer much more flexibility giving consumers the best of both worlds. It’s also worth mentioning that this is a completely subjective list containing our personal selections here at Backcountry Journeys. Canon produces many other exceptional lenses, but these are simply the ones we’re the most excited about.

With that being said, let’s get right into it and take a look at the best mirrorless lenses currently available from Canon!

Best Wide-Angle Lenses

Let’s start out with wide-angle lenses, which in my book is anything between roughly 14-35mm. Canon offers many great wide-angle zoom lenses but as I mentioned earlier, they are largely moving away from prime lenses when it comes to their highest quality L series wide-angle offerings. In fact, Canon currently only offers 1 prime wide angles lens for mirrorless, which is very affordable and doesn’t quite stack up to their L-series glass. This is the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM. Because of this, we’re primarily going to focus on Zoom lenses when it comes to Canon’s wide-angle offerings in today’s article. Here’s our top pick:

Wide-Angle Zoom: Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM

Specs:

• Price: $2,100 USD

• Full-Frame | f/2.8 to f/22

• Nano USM AF System

• Optical Image Stabilizer

• Customizable Control Ring

This is one of the best wide-angle zoom lenses on the market today with a versatile focal length range, incredibly sharp and premium-quality optics, wicked fast autofocus, and a super bright and fast constant maximum aperture of f/2.8. I personally shoot with this lens all the time and it’s maybe the best lens I’ve ever owned. This lens is all about performing great in a wide variety of conditions and settings. The fast f/2.8 aperture allows photographers to greatly control their depth of field and get great results in all sorts of light conditions. Photographers also have a ton of creative control with a nice range of focal lengths to create the perfect composition. This lens is also $300 cheaper than when it was originally released so right now is a great time to pick one up!

Two other great wide-angle zoom lenses from Canon are their RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM lensand their brand-new RF10-20mm f/4 L IS STM Lens. These lenses are also incredibly sharp with great optics and if you’re looking for a slightly different focal range they culd be great options for you. However, due to their slightly slower f/4 aperture, they don’t quite take the cake when compared to the 15-35mm f/2.8.

Best Standard Lenses 

Next, let’s dive into the best standard or normal Lenses in Canon’s mirrorless lineup. In my book, this classification is roughly anything that falls between 24mm and 85mm sometimes approaching the 105mm mark. When it comes to lenses of these focal lengths, Canon has some really great zoom and prime offerings. Let’s take a look at our favorites:

Standard Zoom: Canon 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z

Specs:

• Price: $3,000 USD

• Full Frame | f/2.8 to f/22

• Two Nano USM Motors

• Optical Image Stabilizer

• 11-Blade Diaphragm

Up until recently I would have selected the 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USMlens as the winner of this category but with Canon’s release of the world’s first 24-105 f/2.8 zoom lens, the tides have changed. The 24-70 is still a phenomenal lens and those focal lengths might be better for some shooters but bottom line this exciting new 25-105 f/2.8 lensis a game changer and definitely takes the cake in this category. As a powerful multiuse zoom lens this thing will excel in both capturing stunning stills and videos and with the inclusion of an optional power zoom adapter users will be able to finely control and change their focal lengths to produce silky smooth footage. Perhaps this lens is a bit on the larger and heavier side of the spectrum but if you want top tier performance and optics, it’s hard to beat the Canon 25-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z.

Canon also offers some other very high-quality lenses in this classification including their RF 28-70 f/2 L USM with an even faster maximum aperture, as well as their RF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM. Both of these lenses are absolutely incredible and have great optics. The 28-70 f/2 is another very strong contender but even with it's faster maximum aperture it can't quite compare with the versatility and flexibility of the 24-105 f/2.8.

Standard Prime: Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM

Specs:

• Price: $2,100 USD

• Full Frame | f/1.2 to f/16

• Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System

• Rounded 10-Bade Diaphragm

• Customizable Control Ring

This lens is beautiful, both in its design and more importantly in the images it produces. With a lightning-fast aperture of f/1.2, the RF 50mm f/1.2 excels in all lighting conditions and works exceptionally well in difficult lighting conditions. If you want an extremely shallow depth of field or want to shoot with selective focusing techniques, then look no further. In addition, the 10-blade diaphragm allows for stunning bokeh quality well suited to isolating subjects and creating a more pleasing out-of-focus background. If you want a top-notch prime lens for shooting portraits or anything else then the RF 50mm f/1.2 is for you! It’s also $200 cheaper than when it was originally released so right now is a great time to pick up this lens.

A very, very competitive runner-up is the 85mm f/1.2 L USM lens from Canon with pretty much the exact same specs including an impressive f/1.2 maximum aperture. The only reason I selected the 50mm lens as our favorite is due to the fact that this focal length is arguably more desirable for most photographers.

Best Telephoto Lenses

It’s time to take it a step further and look at some really impressive lenses with longer focal lengths. When it comes to the mirrorless telephoto lenses currently being offered, Canon has again largely moved in the direction of high-quality zooms and strayed away from telephoto primes. In my opinion, a telephoto lens is anything that falls between 135mm and 300mm. Let’s take a look at our favorites:

Telephoto Zoom: Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM

Specs:

• Price: $9,500 USD

• Full Frame | f/2.8 to f/22

• Dual Nano USM AF System

• 5.5-Stop Image Stabilization

• Internal Zoom and Focusing Design

This is hands down one of the most exciting and impressive lenses released in the last couple of years from any manufacturer! Combining the versatility of a zoom lens with the crystal-clear optics of a prime telephoto this thing can do it all. With its incredibly high speed, superb 5-stop image stabilization, wicked fast autofocus, and internal zoom and focus design the RF 100-300 f/2.8 delivers exceptional performance in a nicely sized package. In addition, the wide-open maximum aperture of f/2.8 across all focal lengths allows it to be used with teleconverters while still maintaining a shallow depth of field and letting ample light into your sensor. This lens is extremely impressive and ever since it was announced we’ve been very excited!

Although this lens is incredibly impressive Canon does offer some other great lenses in this category including their RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM and RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM lenses. Both of these are top-notch and perform great but due to the larger focal length range and a few other features the 100-300mm f/2.8 takes the cake.

Telephoto Prime: Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM

Specs:

• Price: $2,100 USD

• Full Frame | f/1.8 to f/22

• Nano USM AF System

• Optical Image Stabilizer

• Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

Yet another great lens from Canon. Yes, it’s only 135mm which barely qualifies it as a telephoto, but this thing packs a punch nonetheless. Perhaps it’s designed more for shooting portraits than sports and wildlife but with crystal clear optics and an incredibly fast and wide maximum aperture of f/1.8, this lens perfectly combines sharpness with brightness. On top of that it features a fast AF system and a robust, weather-sealed construction.

Best Super-Telephoto Lenses

Now let’s dive into some of the best super-telephoto lenses for the Canon mirrorless system. This will cover anything over a focal length of 300mm. Of course, Canon offers an exceptional zoom lens, but there are also some great prime options on the table. Here are our top picks:

Super-Telephoto Zoom: Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM

Specs:

• Price: $2,900 USD

• Full Frame | f/4.5-7.1 to f/32-54

• Dual Nano USM AF System

• Optical Image Stabilizer

• Customizable Control Ring

This is a powerful lens with a long reach and great optics. Covering a wide variety of focal lengths this thing could potentially replace 2 or more prime telephotos while still maintaining a good maximum aperture. This lens is also relatively small and compact making it easier to transport and carry around on longer days. On top of that, the great image stabilization and compact design make it a great option for shooting handheld. Add some fast autofocus on top of all that and you end up with a great lens that is versatile and easy to take with you wherever you go!

Another very impressive super-telephoto zoom lens that was recently released by Canon is their RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USMlens. This thing may not be L-series glass, and it may not be fastest lens on earth but it’s a first of its kind with a massive focal range and so far I’ve seen some really encouraging reviews. The 100-500 certainly takes the cake in this category but this new lens is something to keep your eyes on for sure.

Super-Telephoto Prime: Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM

Specs:

• Price: $12,000 USD

• Full Frame | f/2.8 to f/32

• Customizable Electronic Focusing Ring

• Optical Image Stabilizer

• Two Focus Presets

A very impressive super-telephoto prime lens from Canon that is optically identical to their EF III version of this lens. Whether you want to capture stunning images of wildlife, sports, or anything else far away this is a great option. With three different modes of optical stabilization adding up to 5.5-stops, a circular 9-blade diaphragm, exceptional optics that reduce chromatic aberrations, two focus presets, and a customizable focus ring this lens is a beast. If you want a superb super-telephoto lens for your mirrorless camera from Canon, then this might be just what you’re looking for.

I must say this was a rough choice, as there is an equally impressive 600mm offering from Canon. Their RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM lens is also incredibly impressive and features many of the same specs as the 400mm f/2.8 lens all at a greater focal length. The only reason I’m giving the 400mm a slight advantage is that it has a slighter faster maximum aperture, which makes sense for a lower focal length. And if you’re using a higher megapixel camera you can likely crop your image to compensate for the gap in focal length while still being able to better isolate your subject from the background with the increased depth of field. Once again, both of these lenses are incredible and it was extremely difficult to choose a winner.

Best Macro Lens 

Alright, we’ve made it to our last category, and that is the macro lens. Let’s take a look at our favorite macro offering for Canon RF mirrorless lenses:

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM 

Specs:

• Price: $1,300 USD

• Full Frame | f/2.8 to f/32

• Minimum Focusing Distance: 10.2”

• 1.4x magnification with Autofocus

• Control Ring for Direct Settings Changes

A superb macro lens designed specifically for Canon mirrorless cameras. This thing combines a medium telephoto field of view with a nice and compact design allowing you to focus on subjects quite close. And with the bright f/2.8 maximum aperture, you can capture tiny objects with ample light and a stunning shallow depth of field and that classic soft focus look. A great macro lens from Canon.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it. These are our favorite top-tier mirrorless lenses currently available from Canon. Once again this is a personal selection and many photographers will have varying perspectives and opinions, which is quite alright. I hope this article has been helpful and informative and we can’t wait to see what Canon comes out with next! Be sure to check out our articles discussing the best mirrorless lenses from Nikon and Sony if you haven’t already.

We’ll see you on the next one and until then, happy shooting!

Keenan Hursh is a Photographer, visual designer, and creative story teller based out of Bozeman, Montana. He draws inspiration from his frequent excursions into the natural world and always brings his camera along to capture whatever adventures he finds himself in. Keenan is passionate about documenting and sharing fleeting moments from the natural world and focuses primarily on wildlife, landscape, and adventure photography.

When it comes to gear, he primarily shoots digital with his Canon EOS R5 and EOS 6D mark ii but also has several 35mm film cameras that get out every now and then.

At a very young age, Keenan started bringing a camera along on his excursions and immediately fell in love with the art of photography. He started out with his parent’s cheap point and shoot and has continuously improved his craft and gear refining his shooting style and producing more compelling and intriguing images.

Growing up in the foothills of Boulder, Colorado, surrounded by mountains and wilderness, Keenan has developed a deep passion for many outdoor activities. When he’s not out on a shoot or using his camera, Keenan enjoys skiing, climbing, hiking, backpacking, cycling, whitewater rafting, and paragliding. If he’s outside, away from the distractions of society and civilization, he’s in his happy place.

Keenan studied Emergent Digital Practices at the University of Denver while minoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Since earning his degree in 2019 he was worked with a wide range of clients, companies, and organizations throughout his career. Apart from photography he specializes in content creation, writing, brand development, and graphic design.

You can view Keenan’s portfolio on his website at www.keenanhurshphoto.com