The Best Canon RF Mirrorless Lenses for 2024

Canon, one of the most trusted brands in SLRs, is focusing its development efforts on the next generation of digital camera, mirrorless cameras. Its EOS R camera system drops an optical viewfinder for an EVF and works with an all new lens system.

The upgrade is worth it. Canon's second-generation EOS R5 and R6 offer much smarter autofocus systems, and add sensor-based stabilization, a feature Canon never developed for its SLR system, as well as pro-grade video capture.

Canon RF Lenses

The EOS R cameras use RF lenses, different from the EF lenses for its SLR system. Adapters are there to make it a little easier to swap your trusty EOS 5D Mark IV for a new EOS R5.

But not everyone is coming in from a Canon SLR, and there are real reasons to pick a made-for-R lens over using one with an adapter. Telephotos especially benefit from hybrid optical and in-body stabilization, a feature exclusive to RF lenses.

Canon has a few years of development behind the system, but there are still lenses only available in EF mount. And while we've seen a spattering of lenses from third parties, including autofocus options from budget brand Rokinon-Samyang, the big players (Sigma and Tamron) haven't jumped on to make RF-mount lenses.

You can still use third-party SLR lenses with the same adapters as Canon EF glass. If you're open to manual focus, you can also use virtually any vintage lens, it's just a matter of finding the 

All Full-Frame

All of Canon's R cameras and RF lenses include full-frame sensors. It's a departure from its SLR line, which split between EF lenses for full-frame and EF-S for APS-C.

Canon sells another line of mirrorless cameras, EOS M, with APS-C sensors, but there's no cross-compatibility between EOS R and EOS M systems. You can't share lenses between them.

There are still affordable lenses for entry-level shoppers, a good fit for customers jumping in with the $1,000 EOS RP. On the high-end, the Canon L series continues on. These premium lenses are built to the standards Canon pros have to come to expect.

We're here to highlight the lenses available for Canon R cameras, splitting them up by type of lens.