In this guide, we’ll show you the 6 best wideangle lenses for Canon DSLRs. They’re great for landscape, indoor, architecture and night/sky photography, but can obviously be used for anything else as well.
We selected the best lenses based on high image quality, affordability and usefulness. You will only find lenses that are truly worth your money.
Zoom lenses we covered:
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
Prime lenses we covered:
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM
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Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
Released in 2014, the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is an amazing choice for anyone looking to do landscape, architecture or real estate photography.
Replacing the older and much more expensive 10-22mm version, 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.
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. Also, if you record videos you’ll want this lens, as the STM makes auto focusing completely silent and smooth, allowing your videos to look more professional. For photography it’s obviously an excellent piece of glass.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II
The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX II has amazing image quality and sharpness, is faster than most competition (f/2.8 is great for low light situations, such as night photography or indoors), is built like a tank and is highly affordable.
Tokina may not be the most famous third-party lens maker, but they’re definitely up there with the rest when it comes to quality!
It’s designed for Canon’s APS-C cameras (every entry-level DSLR and models below the 7D Mark II) and takes 77mm filters. If you’ve never owned a non-Canon lens, and are afraid that you’re going to compromise something by going with a third-party lens, this is definitely not the case here, and hasn’t been for the past few years. A lot of lenses from other brands are just as good, and this Tokina wideangle is no exception.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
The Canon EF 16-35m f/4L IS USM is one of those zoom lenses that have the quality and sharpness of a prime lens, without being too expensive!
Personally I recommend it to FF owners because on an APS-C it’s not as wide as you’d want it to be (due to the 1.6x crop factor). Nonetheless, it’s sharper than it’s f/2.8 brother below, especially in corners, and also features Image Stabilization!
Its closes focusing distance is 0.92ft/0.28m, has 16 elements in 12 groups (2 UD and 3 aspheric elements to reduce chromatic aberration and improve quality) and offers IS up to 4 stops, which can be helpful when you don’t have a tripod and are shooting with slower shutter speeds.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Prior to 2014 (release of the f/4L version), the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM was #1 wideangle lens for FF owners. Now, I’d recommend it only if you know you need f/2.8, not for bokeh/background blur, because at such angles almost everything is in focus, but because of the faster shutter speed it allows you to shoot at. However, many new DSLR cameras have such good ISO performance that you’d be better off saving the money and just shooting at 1 stop higher ISO!
Again, the f/4L is sharper and cheaper, this lens is for those who know they need the extra stop of light.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
A couple of years ago, large apertures were only possible on prime lenses, but Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM changed that in 2013. You’re looking at an optically superb, wide-to-standard large aperture lens that could save you a lot of money and weight (1 zoom with f/1.8 instead of 3 primes with f/1.8).
Not familiar with Sigma’s terms? The lens features HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which means the lens is very quick and accurate at focusing. You can also expect beautiful background blur thanks to 9 diaphragm blades, especially when wide open.
Besides amazing quality in still photography, the lens is perfect for videos as well, thanks to its smooth focus and zoom rings.
It weighs 1.79 pounds (810 grams) and is quite long, meaning your neck will probably get tired after a couple of hours of shooting. If you want ‘pancake’ like lenses (24mm f/2.8 STM) and something super light, the Sigma 18-35mm is not for you. However, in a way, it’s like 3 x f/1.8 lenses in one so it’s just something you have to live with.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
Designed for APS-C cameras, the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM has a field of view equivalent to 38mm, making it 3mm longer than where a lens is still considered to be wideangle (35mm).
However, for such a low price, and still being almost as wide as the kit 18-55mm lens, this is great for those who want a prime, walk-around lens without breaking the budget.
It’s also extremely lightweight and small (we call these “pancake” lenses), has great image quality and f/2.8 making it usable in pretty much any situation.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM
The sharpest lens on our list is the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM.
It’s perfect for FF cameras and can also be used as a standard lens if you own an APS-C camera (because the field of view is similar to a 50mm lens). Superb image quality, fast and accurate auto focus, great build quality a price that’s lower than Canon’s 35mm version. Plus, the Sigma version is sharper!
In the beginning of this post I said that wideangle lenses are rarely use for portraits, but the 35mm is an exception, and is also amazing for street and low light photography.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
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