Best Equipment

Best Canon Telephoto Zoom Lenses

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Take a look at the best Canon telephoto lenses for photographing subjects far away (sports, animals, action, wildlife etc.).

Canon offers a ton of telephoto zoom lenses, and we selected only the ones we feel give you the best value for your money. All lenses below have great image quality, are fast and accurate and focusing and tracking, and aren’t overpriced.

Telephoto lenses we covered:
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM UD
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS II USM
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM

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 offers the best value for the money, as it’s sharp throughout the whole range and will allow you to get close to you subject without breaking the bank.

Combined with the kit 18-55mm kit lens (assuming you have one), you’re covered on both wide and telephoto ends, giving you a ton of reach.

It’s the lightest lens on this list (13.2oz/375g) which is a big plus if you want something light and don’t want to feel tired after hours of shooting with it. One of the reasons why the lens is so light is because it obviously doesn’t offer build quality of more expensive lenses, but it feels solid and far from cheap, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Then there’s the Image Stabilization system which helps you up to 3.5 stops, but this works only for subjects that are still. This feature is perfect when shooting indoors or when the day gets darker.

Thanks to the STM technology, its auto focus is fast, accurate and silent in both photography and video recording.

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 70-200mm f/4L USM

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Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM is one of Canon’s 4 different versions of the 70-200mm (f/4 with and without IS, same for f/2.8).

While they’re all optically amazing, most people choose their version based on whether they need the 1 stop larger aperture, and/or Image Stabilization. If you mostly shoot outdoors and/or have a newer DSLR that handles ISO pretty well, then you don’t necessarily need the IS version.

However, if you often shoot indoors or just want to be able on rely on your Image Stabilization to help you when you’ve been shooting for hours, or you’re in a low light situation, then I’d recommend you to spend a bit more and get the IS one.

Colors, sharpness and contrast are all the same, the price difference is mainly in the features I described above.

Who is this lens for? Sports, animal, traveling, casual telephoto photography where high quality and fast AF are a must.

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

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

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The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM is simply the best lens in this guide, and is appropriate for a whole lot more than just telephoto work (you can find it in almost all of our Canon lens guides).

For sports, weddings, animals, you won’t find anything better, whether you’re a professional or an amateur searching for a lens you’ll never need to upgrade.

Besides amazing image quality, it’s got a constant f/2.8 aperture, making it perfect for low light work. On an APS-C camera, it’s actually equivalent to a 112-320mm telephoto lens.

There’s also USM for super fast and accurate auto focusing, and Image Stabilization that helps you stabilize when you’re shooting with slow shutter speeds. If you don’t need the IS (rarely shoot indoors or have no trouble using higher ISO speeds if needed) then you can get the version without IS and save some money.

Who is this lens for? Sports, portraits, anything outdoor, animals (200mm is too short for serious wildlife), landscape, traveling (although not as light as many other lenses).

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

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM UD

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Compared to the non-L version, the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM UD is superior in everything, but costs twice as much.

It’s got far better image quality, especially at 300mm, faster auto focusing with better tracking, and it’s also dust and water resistant.

If you’re thinking about getting the non-L lens, I’d recommend you to get either get the 55-250mm instead, or get yourself this L version as you’ll never look back. Plus, if you’ve got an APS-C camera, at 300mm it’s actually equivalent to a 480mm telephoto monster!

Who is this lens for? If you find the 70-200mm too short and want something more affordable than the 100-400mm below, you’ll love the 70-300mm!

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

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS II USM

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The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS II USM replaces the old, highly popular 100-400mm that was the best zoom for wildlife photography for its time.

With improved optics, better build quality, faster auto focusing that’s better for today’s DSLR cameras, and a normal zoom twisting mechanism (the old lens required you to push/pull to zoom), the increase in price is logical, and worth it.

Like many L lenses it shines throughout the whole zoom range, and is blazingly fast when it comes to tracking and focusing on your subjects. Because of its f/5.6 at 400mm, you’ll have to bump the ISO when shooting in darker situations.

Who is this lens for? Outdoor photographers that want the best when shooting wildlife, birds and sports, without breaking the bank.

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

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM

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The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM is truly a wildlife photographer’s dream come true.

It comes with Optical Stabilization (like Canon’s IS) which is a must because after carrying the lens for hours, you won’t be able to be hold it without moving, especially at 600mm. The further you zoom, the more your movement can be seen. Sigma’s OS helps you up to 4 stops, and at 600mm that makes a big difference.

For fast and accurate focusing you got the Hyper Sonic Motor, similar to Canon’s USM.

Again, telephoto zoom lenses are heavy, the 150-600mm weighs 68.1oz (1930g) but is still the lightest lens that can reach 600mm.

Who is this lens for? Wildlife, bird, moon, outdoor sports photographers. Don’t expect to use it indoors without significantly raising your ISO speed. For $1,000 the image quality and zoom are simply perfect.

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

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