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6 Best Lenses for Canon T6i and T6s

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Take a look at our 6 best lenses for the Canon T6i and T6s, from prime to zoom lenses.

We selected the lenses based on their image quality and overall performance, price and usability (ease of use). They are affordable, deliver high quality images that can be compared to even more expensive options out there, and are perfect for a whole lot of types of photography.

For starting out, we recommend the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. It’s ideal for all types of photography, especially for blurring the background. Check out the Canon EF-S 10-18mm for wideangle stuff, and the Canon EF-S 55-250mm as a budget telephoto lens. All of these 3 lenses are an excellent combo if you’re trying to spend as little as possible and cover all wide, standard and telephoto ranges.

Best lenses for T6i we recommend:
Canon EF-S 50mm f/1.8 STM
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

You automatically support us if you order anything through our Amazon links, and we highly recommend them because of their low prices, fast delivery and top support, especially when it comes to camera equipment.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM

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The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is the best-selling lens from Canon, which already says a lot. It’s affordable, compact and delivers high quality images.

What makes it so special?

First, the f/1.8 aperture is extremely big and lets in a ton of light, which means you will be able to shoot at night and not get blurry shots. This is great for indoor photography, as well as shooting without a flash which can often make your shots look bad.

Another reason why f/1.8 is so good is because it allows you to completely blur the background, making your subject stand out (called shallow depth of field). It’s the easiest and quickest way to make your shots look professional.

It focuses quickly and silently (it’s not as quiet as many more expensive lenses though), and is great for video focusing thanks to the STM, which stands for a Stepping Motor. Since the Canon T6i has Dual Pixel AF technology, this combination is great for recording serious videos.

The Canon 50mm f/1.8 is simply the best you can get for the money. Bokeh, colors and image quality are great for the price.

Who is this lens good for? Everyone. The 50mm focal length is truly good for almost all types of photography, from food, portrait, street, product, low light, animal, to sports and travel photography.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.

Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM

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The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM might look weird compared to other lenses, but there’s a name for this style; we call them “pancake” lenses due to their short and compact design.

While it looks like a lot of it is missing, that’s not the case with its performance. Great colors, sharpness and quality, and fast auto focus. It’s a lot of wider than the 50mm above and comes with a slightly smaller aperture (f/2.8), but that’s still considered big.

It’s a perfect match for all APS-C cameras (which the T6i is) since it allows you to travel light. It features both STM and FTM (Full Time Manual focus) so you can focus manually despite having the lens set to AF, which can save a few seconds.

If you’re into landscape photography or just want something wide but can’t spend too much, or are looking for a great gift, this is it.

Who is this lens for? It’s great for landscape shooters, club/indoor photographers and street/travel photographers.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

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How to describe the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM? Beautiful colors, razor sharp images, superb quality, creamy bokeh and most importantly, affordable! For less than $400 (at Amazon) you get one of the sharpest prime lenses Canon has ever made.

Featuring an Ultra Sonic Motor, it’ll quickly focus on your subject even in darker conditions. With f/1.8 and 85mm focal length, you can’t even imagine what kind of amazing photographs you’ll be able to take!

Where this lens truly shines at is portrait, wedding and concert photography.

Often shoot in low light? At f/1.8 you’ll be able to get crisp shots without having to raise your ISO speed to extreme sensitivities, although the Canon EOS 7D Mark II is good at handling those speeds.

Who is this lens for? Portrait, concert, street, animal and even sport photographers. If you’ve never used anything but your kit lens, you’ll be blown away by what the 85mm f/1.8 can do. Hands down my favorite prime lens for price/performance, I’ve been using it for years and love it.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.

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

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If you’re looking for a good and affordable wide angle lens, get the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM. It’s an excellent choice for landscape, architecture or real estate photography.

It replaces the older and more expensive 10-22mm. The 10-18mm comes with Image Stabilization up to 4 stops, an STM motor for silent and accurate auto focus (this applies to videos as well) and the same high image quality. You do lose 4mm on the telephoto end, but these improvements are worth it (plus, you’re paying less).

The Image Stabilization is perfect for those who plan on shooting at night or generally without a tripod, as you can shoot with speeds you otherwise couldn’t. With wide angle lenses you can also expect to have most of your shots quite sharp because of the small depth of field (something that naturally comes with a wide field of view, despite the aperture size).

Who is this lens for? At such wide angles, you see the whole world differently, which is why I think every photographer should own a wideangle lens! It’s great for landscape, traveling, architecture, real estate, clubs/indoor and group shots.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

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Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is your best choice for the T6i if you want to photograph wildlife, sports or things that are quite far away without breaking the bank.

If you own the 18-55mm kit lens or are also planning on buying the 50mm prime above, this telephoto lens continues right where they both stop, so you’re covered on all ends!

First of all, it’s not heavy (13.2oz/375g) like the majority of telephoto lenses, meaning you won’t be tired after shooting with it for hours. It obviously doesn’t come with the best build design but then again, it feels solid and well-built.

It’s also got Image Stabilization that helps up to 3.5 stops so you can shoot with 1/30 instead of 1/250 and still except solid results with no blur. Like the rest of Canon’s new lenses, it features STM for good video performance.

Who is this lens for?  Anyone who feels their current lens just doesn’t get them close enough. Length wise, it’s great for races, outdoor sports (indoors you’ll have to increase your ISO speed), pets and wild animals, but 250mm might still be a bit short for serious bird photography.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

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The Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM is a kit lens that gives more reach and better quality than the default 18-55mm. You get the same aperture sizes, just 80mm more zoom, faster auto focus and improved build quality.

This is a perfect lens if you just want something to use in all different types of situations, whether it’s traveling, indoor shooting, sports, weddings, landscape. Auto focus is fast and quite silent, so it’s a good choice for action or pets/kids running around too.

A lot of people own one do-it-all lens, even if they have plenty of other choices. Sometimes you just want to travel light and not worry about switching lenses.

Thanks to the STM technology, you can also record videos without having any noise from the actual focusing, but personally I recommend you to use the manual mode when shooting something more serious.

Who is this lens for? Anyone who likes using a single lens (like the 18-55mm) but wants much more zoom and improved image quality. From 18 to 135mm is where 99% of photography happens.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.

5 More Recommended Lenses for the Canon T6i

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Looking for some more lenses, or perhaps already own a few that we recommend? Here are our top picks if you’re willing to spend a bit more to get even better image quality.

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM – It’s like 3 wide angle lenses in one. Sharp, big f/1.8 aperture and less than $1,000, perfect for low light, street and general photography.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM – For weddings, sports, animals, portraits, it’s the perfect choice. It’s sharper than many prime lenses, features an f/2.8 aperture and is blazingly fast at auto focusing.

Sigma 150-600mm f/4.5-6.3 USM – If you’re into wildlife/action photography and want something that reaches 600mm without emptying your wallet, check out the Sigma monster zoom.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM – Sharper and cheaper than Canon’s more expensive 35mm version.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM – Best macro lens for product and animal photography (not limited to that of course).

Canon Lens Terms Explained

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EF – A lens with EF mount will fit on all Canon DSLR cameras.

EF-S – This mount is designed for cameras that use an APS-C sized sensor, just like the T6i and all entry-level models. They’re often lighter and have a wider focal length to make them useful for landscape photographers (because of the 1.6x crop). They can not be mounted on full frame Canon cameras.

USM – Ultra Sonic Motor, super fast and silent way of focusing, found in Canon’s more expensive lenses.

STM – Stepping Motor, first introduced in an EF lens in 2014. While it’s also quick at focusing, its main advantage is for video because it doesn’t make any sounds while auto focusing. If you’re into video recording and often use the sound recorded from you camera’s microphone, an STM lens won’t mess with your audio. For detailed information about EF technology, check out this article.

IS – Stands for Image Stabilization, a helpful feature when shooting static objects with slow shutter speeds. For example, taking a picture indoors at 1/30 is most likely going to be blurry, especially if you’re not totally still. Having IS enabled on your lens can help you up to 4 stops with most lenses, meaning the same picture taken indoors would look much sharper.

L – Canon’s L lenses are the best you can get (L stands for Luxury). Best optics, super fast focus, improved build design and better for difficult weather conditions (rain, dirt etc.).

Macro – Simply states that the lens has a 1:1 magnification (the size of an object in real life equals the size of it on a photograph). Ideal for taking pictures of smaller objects, but also good for portraits and casual photography.

Now you know that absolutely all Canon EF and EF-S lenses will fit and focus on your Canon T6i.

You can also take a look at the best selling lenses right now (updated every hour).

Best Canon T6i Accessories

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