What lens to get for your Canon 80D?
Released in April 2016, the Canon 80D is a semi-professional 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor SLR that succeeds the 70D. Technically, it has a highly efficient Digic 6 processor, an improved dynamic range, a 100% comfortable viewfinder, wifi and NFC, as well as a highly efficient autofocus system thanks to Dual Pixel AF technology.
In terms of design, it is quite big for an APS-C reflex but the handling remains pleasant. We have a 7.7 cm wide articulated and touch screen, a single SD memory card slot and it is not tropicalized.
On the video side, there’s no 4K but Full HD at 1080p at 60fps, and we have a very useful microphone and headset jack. It is also a device used by many youtubers to make vlogs. The battery holds up well, as long as you don’t overuse the Liveview mode too much.
Overall, it is a good camera, both in pictures and videos. Of course it doesn’t provide a ton of features, but what it can do, it does it rather well and it remains easy to use.
Here is a selection of the best lenses compatible with the Canon 80D to help you choose the one that will be most useful for your type of photo, whether for landscape, portrait or long distance photography.
If you have a larger or smaller budget to spend on a lens for your Canon 80D, I invite you to read this even more complete article.
Any ideas to improve this list? Do you notice mistakes or do you disagree on the choice of lenses? Please leave a comment!
Note: Product links in this article lead to Amazon.com
Abbreviations to know:
EF (Electronic Focus): indicates that the lens is equipped with an EF mount compatible with all Canon SLR cameras, both those with an APS-C sensor (such as the Canon EOS 80D) and those with a full-format 24x36mm sensor (such as the Canon 6D). Be careful, when you use an EF lens on an APS-C camera the focal length will be different: you will have to multiply by 1.6 to obtain the equivalent focal length (a 50mm EF lens will be equivalent to 80mm on APS-C).
EF-S (Short Back Focus): Designed exclusively for Canon EOS SLR cameras equipped with an APS-C sensor such as the 80D, EF-S-mount lenses cannot be used on a full-frame SLR camera. The advantage is that they are optimized for APS-C sensors, and are therefore generally lighter, less bulky and less expensive than those in the EF range.
STM (Stepping Motor): a special motor integrated into the lens, optimized for video and allowing a smooth and silent autofocus.
IS (Image Stabilizer): means that the lens has an integrated optical image stabilizer that corrects unwanted camera shake, allowing you to take clear pictures even by hand, without the need for a tripod.
Summary
- Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STMG
- Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STMG
- Canon EF STM 50 mm f/1.8
- Sigma 17-50 mm F2,8 DC OS HSM EXM
- Canon EF-S 10-18 mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
- Canon EF-S 55-250 mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
- Comparative Table
- Useful accessories
- Links
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
Weight: 125 g
Filter size: 52 mm
If your first selection criterion for choosing your lens is weight and size, this is the lens you should get for your Canon 80D! This 24mm is ultra light and flat with only 2cm thick, hence the name ‘pancake‘. Very versatile, its focal length is ideal for landscape, portrait or street photography.
The f/2.8 aperture gives a nice bokeh effect, and despite its small size optical quality level it is really good, with a lot of sharpness, little chromatic aberration and a low visible vignetting. Its minimum focusing distance of 16cm also allows close-up shots to be taken on small objects. Its STM engine makes it almost silent, a big plus if you want to make videos. In short, it is the ideal lens for travellers equipped with a Canon EOS 80D.
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Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STMG
Weight: 130 g
Filter size: 52 mm
Another lens in the pancake category, this 40mm f/2.8 is less than 3cm long and weighs 130g, so you can take it everywhere with you. The aperture of f/2.8 allows to take shots in low light. Equipped with an EF mount, it’s compatible with all Canon SLRs, APS-C and full format: on a Canon 80D, we have a focal length of about 60mm, perfect for portraits.
Its discreet autofocus, it has good optical quality with a very sharp and homogeneous sharp focus over the entire image, and low distortion. In short, it is an ideal lens for a first experience with a fixed focal length. Note, however, that it does not have optical stabilization.
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Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Weight: 160 g
Filter size: 49 mm
This 50mm f/1.8 lens is among the most popular lenses on Amazon. It’s sold at a very affordable price and works well on both full-format cameras and APS-C sensor cameras: the focal length changes to 80mm on a Canon EOS 80D, which is ideal for portrait photography.
In terms of image quality, even if it’ss sold at a low price it produces fantastic pictures: you have a beautiful background blur thanks to the f/1.8 aperture, the sharpness is great and brings a lot of details, and the color rendering is excellent. If you are a beginner in photography, you will be amazed by the results.
It’s simply a must-have for the Canon EOS 80D, compact, inexpensive and makes great pictures.
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 DC OC HSM EX
Weight: 570 g
Filter size: 77 mm
This 17-50 f/2.8 sigma is perfect if you are looking for a versatile lens for your Canon 80D. It offers much better performance than the 18-55mm or 18-135mm sold in kit with the 80D, and its very practical 17-50mm focal length allows you to do both landscape and portrait work. The f/2.8 aperture is fixed over the entire focal range, allowing good shots to be taken even in low-light conditions. Sigma’s HSM autofocus system is very fast and quiet (no autofocus noise).
Canon also sells a 17-55mm f/2.8 but the difference is mainly in terms of price, not performance… The focal length may be slightly longer and the autofocus a little better, but that’s not enough to justify the huge price difference (the Sigma is also less cumbersome). Be careful, when you buy the Sigma 17-50mm on Amazon remember to select the Canon frame (Sigma offers the choice between Sony, Pentax, Nikon and Canon).
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Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
Weight: 240 g
Filter size: 67 mm
This 10-18mm is simply the best wide-angle lens for Canon 80D considering its price. Well, there is a little distortion and vignetting, you can see parasitic images if you take a picture of a very bright light source, and its aperture is quite small. But on the other hand we have a wide angle that is light and not very bulky, cheap, with a silent autofocus (useful in video) and which offers sharp images from one corner of the frame to the other.
About its quality of construction: even if it’s made entirely of plastic, it is quite solid in hand. If you are a landscape photographer or if you want to take real estate photos, this is the lens to get for your your 80D. There is also a 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, which has some arguments in its favour: it is stronger (all metal), brighter and with a faster autofocus, but it costs twice as much and is also much bigger. In terms of image quality, it’s 50-50.
Just get the 10-18mm!
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Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Weight: 375 g
Filter size: 58 mm
Here is an excellent telephoto lens considering its price, which allows quite a few uses: both in landscape as well as to photograph birds, to make portraits… The aperture is quite small and requires to use it in good light condition. An undeniable advantage of this zoom is its weight and compactness, which makes it easy to take on a trip. The reason is that it is entirely made of plastic, so you will have to be careful not to drop it. Concerning its image quality, as long as there is enough light (outdoors and in broad daylight) it does a good job. Do not expect results worthy of a professional however, but given the price at which it is sold it’s rather good, especially since it has IS stabilization. In short, if you want to try long distance photography and have a small budget, this is THE zoom to get for your Canon 80D.
Note: you will find on Amazon other cheap zooms compatible with the Canon EOS 80D , but they do not have integrated optical stabilization, which is essential for taking pictures from a distance! This 55-250mm may be a little more expensive (it remains at less than 200$) but at least it is stabilized.
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COMPARATIVE TABLE
All of the Canon EOS 80D compatible lenses mentioned above are included in this comparison chart to help you choose the right equipment. You will be able to compare them according to their price, the weight and the utility of each one to choose which will suit your budget and your style of photo.
Lens | Price | Weight | Aperture | Utility |
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Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM | $$$$$ | 160 g | f/1.8 | portrait |
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM | $$$$$ | 125 g | f/2.8 | landscape / street photography |
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STMG | $$$$$ | 130 g | f/2.8 | landscape / street photography |
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM | $$$$$ | 375 g | f/4-5.6 | zoom |
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM | $$$$$ | 240 g | f/4.5-5.6 | wide angle (architecture, landscape) |
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 | $$$$$ | 570 g | f/2.8 | travel / versatile |
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USEFUL ACCESSORIES
A small selection of useful accessories to have in addition to your lenses and your Canon EOS 80D:
LINKS
- Buy the Canon EOS 80D
- All the objectives of the EF-S series on Canon.com
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