It can be difficult to choose the best camera lenses for you because there are so many available. You’ll need a lens that works with your camera. And you need one that can fulfill your requirements for photography.
But do not worry. The top lenses from each of the big brands are listed below.
In this article, you will find a list of the best camera lenses from the Sony, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Fujifilm, Panasonic brands.
Presently, our top recommendation for the best camera lens is the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM. This lens offers a delightful wide-angle perspective with exceptional optical quality. It’s impressively compact and is also budget-friendly, making it an excellent choice for Canon’s mirrorless cameras.
The Best Camera Lenses
Best Sony Lenses
1. Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G
The Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G Lens offers a versatile zoom range from an ultra-wide 20mm to a short-telephoto 70mm, making it an excellent choice for both movie and still photography. This lens maintains a wide angle of view even when shooting in cinematic aspect ratios like 16:9 or 2.35:1, providing a broad perspective.
One of the standout features of this lens is its two XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors, which enable fast, quiet, and smooth focus performance. With up to 60% higher autofocus speed and improved tracking capabilities, it excels in capturing moving subjects, making it suitable for continuous stills at up to 30 fps or 4K 120p recording with compatible Sony Alpha cameras.
This lens incorporates advanced technology to minimize focus, breathing, and image shifts when zooming, ensuring a consistent and distraction-free shooting experience. Additionally, it supports the breathing compensation function available in compatible α-series cameras.
Despite its high-performance capabilities, this lens remains compact and lightweight, combining cutting-edge optical design with Sony’s high-thrust XD Linear Motor technology. The lens also delivers beautiful, soft bokeh, thanks to a 9-blade circular aperture and optimized spherical aberration, which enhances the overall image quality.
Furthermore, the inclusion of AA (advanced aspherical) elements enables a minimum focus distance of 11.8″ (30 cm) at the wide end and 9.8″ (25 cm) at the telephoto end when using autofocus. The maximum magnification of 0.39x allows for detailed close-up shots, making it easy to capture subjects up close and explore creative angles.
2. Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM
The Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM Lens is a remarkable lens designed to deliver stunning G Master image quality across the entire frame. With innovative optics and a large F1.4 aperture, it excels at creating magnificent bokeh and producing high-quality, detailed images.
Despite its exceptional performance, this lens is highly mobile, lightweight, and compact, making it a versatile option for various photographic scenarios. It’s an ideal choice for photographers who need both mobility and exceptional image quality.
The lens features fast, precise, and quiet autofocus, making it suitable for capturing both stills and movies. It provides reliable tracking, ensuring that your subjects remain in sharp focus, even when capturing moving scenes.
The circular aperture with an 11-blade iris produces naturally rendered bokeh, enhancing the aesthetic quality of your photos. This lens is perfect for photographers and videographers looking to achieve professional-grade results with creative and artistic control over their shots.
3. Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G OSS II
The Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G Lens is a versatile and high-quality lens suitable for a wide range of photographic and video subjects. Its remarkable features and capabilities make it an excellent choice for photographers and videographers alike.
With a remarkable ultra-wide 20mm to short-telephoto 70mm zoom range, this lens provides flexibility for capturing various subjects, both in still photography and filmmaking. The ultra-wide 20mm end of the zoom range is particularly useful when shooting movies with a 16:9 or 2.35:1 aspect ratio, maintaining a wide angle of view.
Two XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors drive fast, quiet, and smooth autofocus, resulting in up to 60% higher AF speed and up to two times better tracking performance. This allows for reliable and precise subject tracking when capturing continuous stills at up to 30 fps or recording at up to 4K 120p with compatible Alpha cameras.
The lens incorporates advanced technology to reduce focus breathing, focus shift, and axial shift when zooming. This minimizes distracting image shifts, ensuring consistent and smooth performance. The XD Linear Motors, along with a newly developed aperture unit, significantly reduce noise and vibration when shooting movies. The lens also supports the breathing compensation function available in compatible Alpha series cameras.
Despite its impressive capabilities, this lens remains compact and lightweight. It combines state-of-the-art optical design with Sony’s high-thrust XD Linear Motor technology, delivering deep, soft bokeh and optimal spherical aberration for full-frame image sensors. The 9-blade circular aperture enhances the quality of the bokeh, allowing for the creation of impressive and memorable imagery.
Advanced aspherical (AA) elements are included in the lens’s design, enabling a minimum focus distance of 11.8″ (30 cm) at the wide end and 9.8″ (25 cm) at the telephoto end when using autofocus. Manual focusing maintains a minimum focus distance of 9.8″ (25 cm) throughout the entire zoom range. Additionally, the lens offers a maximum magnification of 0.39x, allowing for detailed close-ups, and its close focusing capability makes it easy to maneuver around small subjects to find the ideal shooting angle.
The Best Canon Lenses
In this section, we delve into the top camera lenses produced by Canon. Canon has directed its full focus toward its mirrorless camera range, resulting in the development of lenses within the RF lens line, which are designed to be compatible with Canon R-series cameras.
- Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
- Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM
- Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
- Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM
1. Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
The Canon RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 is STM is a versatile zoom lens designed for Canon full-frame mirrorless RF mount cameras. This lens offers a zoom range of 24-50mm, making it suitable for a wide range of photography and videography applications. On full-frame EOS R series cameras, it provides a standard zoom coverage, and on cameras with APS-C sensors, it offers an equivalent coverage of approximately 38-80mm.
In terms of image quality, the lens is designed to deliver excellent results. It features two aspheric elements and Canon Super Spectra Coating (SSC) to minimize ghosting and flare. This design ensures that your photos and videos are sharp, clear, and free from unwanted optical artifacts.
One notable feature of the Canon RF24-50mm lens is its optical image stabilization. It provides up to 4.5 stops of shake correction, which is particularly beneficial for reducing the effects of camera shake during handheld shooting. When used with EOS R series cameras featuring In-Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS), this correction can be extended to an impressive 7.0 stops, making it a great choice for low-light and challenging shooting conditions.
The lens’s compact and lightweight design is another significant advantage, especially for vloggers and photographers on the move. Its portability makes it easy to carry and use in various situations, whether you’re capturing vlogs, still images, or video content.
With a minimum focus distance of approximately 28.7 inches (0.73 meters) and a maximum magnification of 0.28x at the 50mm focal length, this lens offers flexibility in close-up photography and creative composition.
The Canon RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 is STM is designed for Canon’s RF mount, which is compatible with full-frame mirrorless cameras in the EOS R series. Its affordability makes it a practical option for photographers and videographers looking for a cost-effective lens that doesn’t compromise on image quality or versatility. Whether you’re capturing stills or shooting video, this lens is a valuable addition to your gear, offering a wide-to-normal zoom range and the advantages of optical image stabilization.
2. Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM
The Canon RF28mm F2.8 STM Lens is a wide-angle lens designed for Canon’s RF mount, making it compatible with full-frame cameras. Here are the key features and specifications of this lens:
This lens offers a focal length of 28mm, making it an excellent choice for wide-angle photography. It is designed for full-frame cameras and is known for its lightweight and compact “pancake” design. This makes it easy to carry and is an affordable option for those looking for a versatile wide-angle lens that doesn’t add bulk or weight to your camera setup.
When used with full-frame EOS R series cameras, this lens provides a practical 28mm coverage for both still photography and video. On cameras with APS-C size image sensors, it offers an equivalent coverage of approximately 45mm, which can be useful for capturing a variety of scenes.
Image quality is a key focus of this lens. It incorporates three aspheric elements and Canon Super Spectra Coating (SSC) to minimize unwanted optical effects such as ghosting and flare. This ensures that your images are sharp, clear, and free from distracting artifacts.
The lens features a minimum focus distance of approximately 9 inches (0.23 meters) and offers a maximum magnification of 0.17x. This allows you to get close to your subjects, making it suitable for capturing detailed shots or creative close-up photography.
The Canon RF28mm F2.8 STM Lens utilizes a leadscrew type STM (stepping motor) focus drive. This design is especially well-suited for smooth and quiet autofocus operation, making it an excellent choice for video recording where silent and precise focusing is essential.
3. Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
The Canon RF15-30mm F4.5-6.3 is STM Lens is an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens designed for Canon’s RF mount, specifically for EOS R series cameras. Here are the key features and specifications of this lens:
This lens offers an ultra-wide zoom range of 15-30mm, making it a great choice for capturing expansive landscapes, architectural shots, and creative perspectives. It’s designed for full-frame EOS R series cameras, providing exceptional ultra-wide zoom coverage for both still photography and video.
The Canon RF15-30mm lens is compatible with Canon RF mount cameras. When used on cameras with APS-C size image sensors, it provides an equivalent coverage of approximately 24-48mm, giving you versatile framing options.
This lens is designed to deliver outstanding image quality. It features two UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass elements and one aspheric element to reduce optical aberrations and ensure sharp, high-contrast images. Canon’s Super Spectra Coating (SSC) is also used to minimize ghosting and flare, improving the overall image quality.
The lens is equipped with optical image stabilization, providing up to 5.0 stops of shake correction. This feature is particularly useful for reducing the impact of camera shake, resulting in sharper images and smoother video footage. When used with EOS R series cameras featuring In-Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS), the shake correction can be extended to an impressive 7.0 stops.
The lens has a minimum focus distance of approximately 11 inches (0.28 meters). In manual focus mode at the 15mm zoom position, the minimum focus distance is reduced to 5.1 inches (0.13 meters). This flexibility allows for close-up photography and creative compositions, even at ultra-wide focal lengths.
4. Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM
The Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM is a remarkable piece of optical engineering that excels in portrait and product photography. With a 135mm focal length, it provides excellent telephoto magnification for close-composition portraits and product shots. The lens boasts remarkable sharpness and clarity, achieved through its 17 high-quality glass elements, including three Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) lenses to minimize chromatic aberration.
An Air Sphere Coating (ASC) on the outer glass reduces glare and flare. The fast f/1.8 maximum aperture offers superb exposure control and enables a pleasing shallow depth of field for portraits with a smooth background bokeh effect. Image stabilization further enhances low-light performance, allowing for successful shooting in dim conditions.
The Ultrasonic Motor (USM) autofocus system ensures rapid and near-silent focusing. Availability of the Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM may be limited due to high demand, but Canon is actively producing more units to meet customer needs.
The Best Nikon Lenses
1. Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7
The Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 24mm f/1.7 is an extra-large aperture wide-angle prime lens designed for APS-C size/DX format Z series mirrorless cameras by Nikon. Here are the key features and specifications of this lens:
The lens offers a focal length of 24mm, making it an ultra-wide-angle option for capturing scenes with a wider field of view. This is particularly useful for landscape, architecture, and creative photography.
The NIKKOR Z DX 24mm lens is designed for Nikon Z mount cameras with APS-C sensors, providing an excellent fit for Nikon’s Z series mirrorless cameras with DX format sensors.
With a short working distance, this lens allows you to capture subjects as close as 4.7 inches from the front of the lens. This feature is valuable for close-up photography and creative compositions.
The lens features autofocus optimized for video recording. When tracking your subject with full-time AF, you won’t notice mechanical noises or focus breathing. This ensures smooth and silent autofocus, making it suitable for videography.
The NIKKOR Z DX 24mm lens captures a versatile wide field of view, providing a similar perspective to a 35mm full-frame lens. This allows you to capture expansive scenes with ease.
The lens is designed with careful consideration for dust and drip-resistant performance. It includes sealing that prevents dust and water droplets from entering the lens. However, it’s important to note that dust and drip resistance is not guaranteed in all situations or under all conditions, so it’s advisable to use the lens with care in adverse weather conditions.
2. Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8T
The Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 is a pancake lens tailored for Nikon users, compatible with both full-frame and APS-C Z cameras. This ultra-compact and lightweight lens is designed for outdoor photography and provides a 26mm focal length with full-frame cameras or an effective 39mm focal length with APS-C models due to the crop factor.
Its fast f/2.8 aperture ensures flexibility in exposure settings, allowing for excellent low-light performance. The autofocus system is fast, smooth, and reliable, maintaining the lens’s compact size. Additionally, the lens features an all-element focusing mechanism that minimizes changes in size when focusing.
It also includes a custom control ring that can be configured for manual focus or other settings such as aperture, ISO, or exposure compensation. The Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 is dust- and splash-resistant, making it a sturdy choice for outdoor shooting.
3. Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8
The Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-180mm f/2.8 is a large-aperture telephoto zoom lens designed for Nikon’s Z series mirrorless cameras. Here are the key features and specifications of this lens:
This lens offers a versatile zoom range from 70mm to 180mm, making it a standard telephoto zoom lens. This range is ideal for various photographic applications, including portrait photography, wildlife photography, and sports.
One of the standout features of this lens is its large aperture of f/2.8. This wide aperture allows more light to enter the lens, giving you greater control over your exposure, more depth of field, and the ability to shoot in low-light conditions.
When used on a full-frame/FX-format Z series mirrorless camera with in-body image stabilization, you can take advantage of the f/2.8 aperture to slow down your shutter speed, allowing you to gather more light without introducing camera blur or increasing the ISO setting. This is particularly beneficial for low-light photography.
The lens allows you to get very close to your subjects. At the 70mm zoom position, you can focus as close as 0.68 inches, while at the 180mm zoom position, the minimum focus distance is 2.79 feet. This is advantageous for capturing fine details in photos and videos.
The lens is compatible with Nikon Z teleconverters. By using the Nikon Z Teleconverter 2.0x or the Z Teleconverter 1.4x (sold separately), you can extend your reach and increase the focal length up to 360mm or 252mm, respectively. This makes it suitable for achieving greater magnification in your shots.
The lens is designed with suppressed focus breathing, making it an excellent choice for videographers. This feature allows for smooth and seamless focus transitions from foreground to background, without a noticeable change in the angle of view.
Despite its impressive performance and large aperture, the lens is relatively lightweight, with an approximate weight of 795 grams (about 1.75 pounds) and compact, measuring less than 6 inches in size. This portability makes it a practical option for photographers on the go.
4. Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S
The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is an exceptional lens designed for professional portrait photography. While it may not be a budget-friendly choice, it ranks among Nikon’s finest lenses in their Z and F ranges.
With an 85mm focal length, it is ideal for creating intimate compositions without invading subjects’ personal space, making it suitable for wedding photography and capturing couples and groups. The lens boasts impeccable optical quality, delivering sharp images with minimal distortion, even at the edges.
It features precision-crafted elements, including Extra-low Dispersion (ED) and aspherical elements to eliminate chromatic aberration. The Nano Crystal Coating (NCC) on the lens glass enhances image quality by controlling light dispersion and reducing ghosting and lens flare. This lens features a superfast f/1.2 aperture, offering excellent low-light performance and the ability to achieve a shallow depth of field for portraits with a smooth bokeh effect.
The 11-blade round aperture ensures the smoothest bokeh. Additionally, it includes an L-Fn function button on the barrel for custom controls like subject tracking or AF lock. The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is a top-tier portrait lens, making it a valuable investment for professional portrait photographers.
The Best Olympus Lenses
Olympus ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO II
The Olympus ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II is a versatile zoom lens designed for Micro Four Thirds system cameras.
This lens offers a focal length range from 12mm to 40mm, making it a wide-angle to mid-range telephoto standard lens. In terms of the 35mm equivalent, it provides a range of 24-80mm, which is suitable for various photographic styles, from wide-angle landscapes to mid-range portraits.
One of the standout features of this lens is its weather-sealed design. This means that the lens is protected against dust and moisture, making it suitable for outdoor and challenging shooting conditions. It’s a valuable feature for photographers who need to work in varying environments.
The lens features a fluorine coating on the front element. This coating helps repel water, oil, and dirt, making it easier to keep the lens clean and maintain image quality. It’s particularly useful for outdoor and adventure photographers.
The MF (Manual Focus) Clutch allows for quick and easy switching between autofocus and manual focus. This feature gives photographers greater control over focusing, which can be especially beneficial for precision and creative photography.
The lens is designed for Micro Four Thirds system cameras and is compatible with Olympus, OM System, and Panasonic cameras that use the Micro Four Thirds mount. This ensures its versatility across different camera brands within the Micro Four Thirds system.
The lens is currently available at a a cost-effective option for photographers looking for a high-quality zoom lens.
The Best Fujifilm Lenses
Fujifilm XF 8mm F3.5 R WRT
The Fujifilm XF 8mm F3.5 R WR is a remarkable wide-angle lens designed for Fujifilm’s X-series mirrorless cameras. It combines compact and lightweight construction with professional-grade optical quality. The 8mm focal length, equivalent to 12mm on a full-frame camera, offers an incredibly wide field of view of 120 degrees.
This makes it ideal for capturing epic landscapes, urban cityscapes, and architectural structures. It’s also well-suited for video recording and vlogging due to its wide angle. Despite its small size, this lens boasts quality optics, featuring two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) and three aspherical elements that minimize distortion.
The rectilinear design of the elements ensures straight lines remain straight, even at the edges of the frame. While its maximum aperture of f/3.5 is not the fastest, it’s compensated by Fujifilm’s built-in image stabilization and a fast and reliable autofocus motor with minimal focus breathing. The lens is also weather-resistant, making it suitable for outdoor use, and it comes at an affordable price point, providing fantastic quality.
The Best Panasonic Lenses
1. Panasonic Lumix G 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS
The Panasonic LUMIX G Series Camera Lens, 12-35mm F2.8 Leica DG Vario-ELMARIT, is an interchangeable lens designed for mirrorless Micro Four Thirds digital cameras. Here are the key features and specifications of this lens:
This lens offers a focal length range of 12mm to 35mm, making it a versatile option for various types of photography, including landscapes, portraits, and close-up shots.
The lens is designed to work seamlessly with Panasonic G Series cameras, utilizing their high-speed, high-precision contrast autofocus (AF) system with a sensor drive operating at a maximum of 240 frames per second (fps). This ensures smooth, fast, and precise focusing, which is valuable for capturing sharp images and videos.
The lens features Dual I.S. 2 technology, which combines the in-body image stabilization (I.S.) of the camera with the lens’s optical image stabilization (O.I.S.). This combination effectively corrects hand-shake, resulting in clear and stable photos and videos, even when shooting at slower shutter speeds or in low light conditions.
The Leica DG Vario-ELMARIT 12-35mm lens is designed to be extraordinarily compact and lightweight, weighing approximately 10.7 ounces (306 grams). This makes it highly portable and easily interchangeable with any Micro Four Thirds camera body. It’s a practical choice for photographers on the go.
The lens is built with a rugged design that is both dust- and splash-resistant. It can withstand use under harsh conditions, including extreme cold, down to temperatures as low as 10 degrees below zero. However, it’s essential to note that while it is dust- and splash-resistant, it does not guarantee that damage won’t occur if the lens is directly exposed to dust and water.
The lens is offering a competitive option for photographers looking for a high-quality lens with a wide focal length range and advanced image stabilization.
2. Panasonic Lumix S 18mm f/1.8
The Panasonic Lumix S 18mm f/1.8 is a sleek, L-Mount lens designed for Panasonic Lumix S-series full-frame cameras, optimized for both photography and video production. With an 18mm focal length, it provides a sharp wide-angle perspective with minimal distortion and excellent edge-to-edge sharpness.
The lens achieves its remarkable sharpness through the use of 13 elements, including aspherical, Extra-low Dispersion (ED), and Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) elements to eliminate various distortions and aberrations. The fast f/1.8 aperture allows for superior low-light performance and the creation of a smooth bokeh effect when using a shallow depth of field.
This lens is a fantastic choice for Panasonic camera users who demand quality in both photography and video work. Additionally, it features dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof construction, ensuring durability in a variety of environmental conditions.
