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- Merging power, precision and operability, the EOS 80D is a dynamic SLR camera for anyone's creative vision
- Providing a comprehensive view, the EOS 80D camera’s Intelligent Viewfinder helps bring the thrill of SLR photography with each use
- The Intelligent Viewfinder displays AF points and AF mode, have a grid display, a horizontal electronic level, plus numerous other points of information, all of which can be hidden
What is the best travel lens for Canon 80D?
So you’re planning on travelling and wondering which lens is best for travel photography with your Canon 80D?
These days, most travelers use their smartphones to take pictures and post them on Facebook or Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, you can make impressive pictures with recent smartphones and they are very useful to document little details of your trip, but they are limited to one perspective.
So you’ll probably need a lense with a focal range that will allow you to get shots that are impossible to get with your cell phone (zoom or wide angle).
What makes a good travel lens?
Well, this is extremely subjective and depends on the type of photo you will make when you will be on the road. It also depends on how often you’re going to use it. Any lens can be good for travel, but having to commute by train, bus, plane, and moving around all the time makes it hard to carry a huge bag dedicated to your favourite lenses. There are always the risks to pay extra fees for them, to break them during the trip or to get your bag stolen.
Hence, most photographers like to travel light, with the lightest and most versatile setup possible. Getting the most out of one or two lenses is probably the way to go, with a range .
You may not know for sure what kind of shot you are about to make during your trip. If you plan on taking portraits, wildlife, street scenes but also landscapes, a zoom lens will be perfect since they offers the advantage of allowing close-ups and scenery shots, to some extent. For a more versatile use, this kind of lens will be the perfect fit.
Travels are full of surprises, and you may want to grab your Canon 80D and shoot as quickly as possible. For this situation, the best lens will be a bright wide angle lens since they are usually a good choice for street photography. They allow for close-ups and large scenes, and are generally pretty small and convenient to carry. If you are planning a city trip, this kind of lens should be attached in permanence to the body of your Canon 80D.
Every photographer has its own favourite setup for snapping on the go. But if you are not sure on what travel lens to choose for your Canon 80D, this small selection is suitable for most photographic opportunities while traveling.
Note: the product links in this article lead to Amazon.com
Summary
- Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 DC OC HSM EX (All around travel lens)
- Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM (Wide angle)
- Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM (Zoom lens)
- Useful accessories
- Conclusion
Here’s the Top 3 travel lenses you should consider for your Canon 80D:
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.fr remember to select the Canon frame (Sigma offers the choice between Sony, Pentax, Nikon and Canon).
- FLD glass elements along with two glass mold elements and one hybrid aspherical lens provide excellent correction of aberrations and allow for incredibly sharp images with great contrast
- Aperture : F11
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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!
- EF S ultra wide zoom lens. Drive System Lead screw and rack system driven by stepping motor
- Focal Length and Maximum Aperture: 10 18 millimeter, 1:4.5; 5.6
- Closest Focusing Distance: 0.72 feet. ; 0.22 meter
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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.
- Canon EF-S Mount (not compatible with full sensor DSLRs)
- Super Spectra coatings also help ensure accurate colour balance and sharp, high-contrast results
- Ideal for emphasising subjects shot against distracting backgrounds
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☛ ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
- For more travel lenses options, check this out: The best lenses for Canon 80D
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Useful accessories for travel photography
Travels can be hectic, so you want to make sure that your lenses are safe and sound all along the trip. A good quality carry bag is mandatory to protect them from the weather and bumps. A UV filter will also help protect your lens by adding a layer of glass that can be scratched or dripping with water with no harm to the lens. Finally, a polarizing filter is always useful to get a glare-free result in any shooting scenario you might face.
Here is a small selection of useful accessories to complement your lenses and your Canon 80D:
Conclusion
If you want to go on a trip soon and are wondering what is the best travel lens for the Canon 80D, think in advance about the types of photos you plan to take mainly: landscapes, portraits, night shots… Think about the focal lengths you need for that.
You can also go on Google, type in the name of the country or the tourist sites you want to visit and you will see which focal lengths are mainly used. This will give you an idea of what equipment you will need to bring but remember that taking a single lens with you might be too limiting. The flexibility of an all-around lens is very useful but generally they offer a lower image quality than a fixed focal length.
Another thing, if you plan to do a lot of walking or hiking, take into account the total weight with the camera body and the lens. If the whole thing is too heavy or bulky and lacks discretion, you won’t want to bother with it and would rather just take your smartphone with you. You may also not want to risk damaging an extremely expensive lens.
And finally, perhaps the most decisive point about choosing the perfect travel lens for your Canon 80D will be if you need to get a portfolio of professional quality travel photos or videos (it may be your business or it may become your business who knows?).