In this article, we’re going to break down the top 6 best Canon wide angle lenses available on the market.
So, if you’re a videographer currently looking for the best wide angle lens for canon then look no further. Listed below are a variety of options for you to explore. Whether affordability or sharpness is your priority, we’ve got you covered.
What is a Wide Angle Lens?
A wide angle lens has a wider focal length than that of a standard lens, often between 10-35mm. They offer a larger field of view so are often used for location establishing shots or master shots.
This makes them popular for various uses like wildlife filmmaking, sports, and even weddings. Basically, anywhere you want a wider field of view.
You can go wider but the image will become distorted. These lenses are commonly known as fish-eye lenses which can be used to disorientate the viewer.
Also, it should also be noted that the difference in your camera’s sensor size will affect any given lens’s actual focal length.
How to Pick the Right Lens
Firstly, it’s important to consider a few things when choosing a Canon wide lens.
- Lens Mount – Which Canon camera are you shooting with? Is the lens compatible?
- Image characteristics – do you want a more natural image or are you looking for something with more character? Is it sharp or soft?
- Aperture – Usually measured in F-stops. A lower aperture means more light in the camera and a shallower depth of field.
- Size – How big and heavy is the lens?
- Focal Length – How wide is the angle of the lens? Is it a zoom lens?
- Budget – Do you want something at the lower end, or have you got a bit more to spend?
1. Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
- Lens Mount: Canon EF-S
- Focal length: 10-18mm
- Aperture: f/4.5
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.22m
- Weight: 240g
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Size: 74.6 x 72.0mm
- Focus Type: Auto/Manual
- Lens Type: Wide
- Filter Thread: 67mm
The Canon EF S 10-18mm lens is a vast improvement from the standard kit lens. Firstly, it’s great value for money as it covers 18mm all the way to 10mm at its widest focal length.
Secondly, the lens has STM focusing and built-in image stabilization which really sets it apart from the competition. Unfortunately, this Canon wide lens doesn’t perform the best under low-light conditions, but this may not be an issue for you.
So kicking us off the Canon 10-18mm is a great introduction to wide angle lenses.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great Value | Poor performance in Low Light |
| Focal Lengths between 10 -18mm | Not the Sharpest |
| Image stabilisation works well | STM focusing is a little slow |
| STM focusing is silent and smooth | |
| Focuses very closely |
2. Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
- Lens Mount: Canon EF-S
- Focal length: 24mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.16m
- Weight: 125g
- Image Stabilization: No
- Size: 68.2 x 22.8mm
- Focus Type: Auto/Manual
- Lens Type: Fixed Wide
- Filter Thread: 52mm
The Canon EF-S 24mm is a strong choice for a wide angle lens. This is down to its brilliant low light performance, lightweight, and super low aperture.
Also, it’s really easy to attach and due to its small size, you can easily fit it into your camera bag when you’re out on a shoot. We think this is a really good option for videographers who are after great picture quality without looking to break the bank.
This is not a zoom lens so it’s worth making sure you’re happy with the focal length of 24mm before purchasing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great Picture Quality | Not the sharpest |
| Good Low Light performance | Slight Lens flaring |
| Lower Aperture means shallow depth of field | Not a zoom lens |
| Very Lightweight | |
| STM focusing is silent and smooth |
3. Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
- Lens Mount: Canon EF
- Focal length: 16-35mm
- Aperture: f/4.0
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.28m
- Weight: 615g
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Size: 82.6 x 112.8mm
- Focus Type: Auto/Manual
- Lens Type: Wide
- Filter Thread: 77mm
The EF 16-35mm f/4.0 could be the best wide angle lens for canon. This is because the picture quality is so impressive.
Also, what stands out for us about this lens is that the range of different focal lengths covered makes the lens appealing to both drama and documentary shooters.
Although the low light performance isn’t as good as some of the other canon wide angle lenses it’s worth it for the incredible image quality. Also, did we forget to mention how sharp it is!?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Superb Picture Quality | Quite big and heavy |
| Very Sharp | Better options for low-light performance |
| Great angle coverage with zoom | Quite expensive |
| L-series build quality & optics | |
| Image Stabilisation is good |
4. Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM
- Lens Mount: Canon EF
- Focal length: 35mm
- Aperture: f/1.4
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.28m
- Weight: 760g
- Image Stabilization:
- Size: 80.4 x 105.5mm
- Focus Type: Auto/Manual
- Lens Type: Fixed Wide
- Filter Thread: 72mm
This is one of our personal favorite Canon wide lenses. While it may not offer the versatility of a zoom lens it more than makes up for it with its low aperture and incredible low-light performance.
So if you’re happy with the focal length of 35mm and willing to spend a little more on a Canon wide-angle lens this is an excellent choice.
Also, it’s tack sharp with almost no imperfections and the build quality is superb. For us, this lens is a no-brainer for most canon shooters, if you couldn’t tell already.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great Picture Quality | Expensive |
| Excellent Low Light performance | Not a zoom lens |
| Low Aperture means a very shallow depth of field | |
| Very Lightweight | |
| 35mm focal length | |
| L-series build quality & optics |
5. Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM
- Lens Mount: Canon RF
- Focal length: 15-35mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.28m
- Weight: 840g
- Image Stabilization: Yes
- Size: 88.5 x 126.8mm
- Focus Type: Auto/Manual
- Lens Type: Zoom Lens
- Filter Thread: 82mm
If you’re looking for a wide-angle lens for Canon EOS-R cameras then this 15-35mm zoom lens could be the right tool for you.
Decent Canon glass for EOS-R cameras is rare and it’s even harder to get a zoom lens with such a consistently low aperture. So, it’s definitely worth considering the price of this lens as it’s very expensive.
Also, you might not need another wide lens after investing in the 15-35mm due to the various focal lengths it covers and its awesome L-series build quality.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| L-series build quality & optics | Very Expensive |
| Great Low Light performance for a zoom lens | Quite Heavy |
| Great coverage of different focal lengths | |
| Great image quality | |
| Solid image stabilisation |
6. Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
- Lens Mount: Canon EF-S
- Focal length: 10-22mm
- Aperture: f/3.5
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.24m
- Weight: 385g
- Image Stabilization: No
- Size: 83.5 x 89.8mm
- Focus Type: Auto/Manual
- Lens Type: Wide
- Filter Thread: 77mm
The last entry on our list is the impressive Canon EF-S 10-22mm. This wide angle lens offers super silent autofocus and great build quality for a good price. It definitely shares some similarities with the 10-18mm canon wide angle lens but a few small differences.
Firstly, the key difference is the lower aperture of f/3.5, which means you get better low-light performance and a tighter focal length of 22mm.
Secondly, we think this zoom lens could be the best wide-angle lens for canon shooters interested in landscape videography. This is because it is surprisingly sharp across the zoom range and performs really well under low light.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best Ultra Wide Zoom Lens | Only For Crop Sensor Cameras |
| Great Low Light performance for a zoom lens | No Image Stabilisation |
| Great Image Quality | |
| Great coverage of different focal lengths | |
| Super Silent Autofocus |
Best Canon Wide Angle Lens – Wrapping Up
In short, there’s a huge number of options on the market for buying a new canon lens. As a result, it can be a bit overwhelming to pick the right one for your individual needs.
It’s important to think about the different factors that will affect you as a video shooter. These can include; whether you will be shooting landscapes or establishing shots, looking for a cheaper option or after a zoom lens that covers multiple angles.
You may be looking for the best canon wide lens money can buy, or potentially a more money-friendly alternative. Hopefully, our article has helped you get a better idea of the options available.
