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Looking for the best lens for Canon EOS 90D? This guide gives our pick of the six top choices available out of the hundreds you could buy. Although chosen for the 90D, these lenses will also likely be the best lenses for the Canon EOS 80D, and many other older Canon APS-C DSLRs.
A feature-packed enthusiast camera, the Canon EOS 90D is a DSLR in a mirrorless world. It’s small, nimble, and shoots 32MP stills with uncropped 4K UHD video. As a powerful piece of recently released kit, it’s worth investing in some decent lenses to accompany such a unique camera.
As an APS-C sensor camera almost all of our top picks are EF-S lenses because they’re specifically designed to work with crop-sensor Canons. That means the image circle and distance from the rear of the lens to the image sensor is aligned perfectly. However, EF lenses do work on crop-sensors too, and there’s one in this roundup you should be sure not to miss.
From versatile ultra-wides with impossible-sounding apertures, to stabilized telephoto zooms that help reach into a scene and pluck out far-away subjects there’s something for everyone here at a range of price points. So do yourself a favor and check out some of the best lenses for the Canon EOS 90D below to bag some glass that’ll last you a lifetime.
Best lenses for Canon EOS 90D
Although nearly a decade old, this versatile ultra-wide angle lens was the world’s first f/1.8 constant aperture zoom lens for DSLRs and absolutely smashes low light performance. Typically, those who wanted to shoot apertures as fast as this would typically need to swap out their wide-zoom for a prime lens, but this lens offers greater flexibility in many shooting scenarios, especially for interior and astro photography.
Minimum focusing distance of 28cm means close-up subjects aren’t out of reach.
It has improved durability through its tough brass bayonet mount. The HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures quiet, speedy autofocusing. A rounded 9-blade diaphragm in the lens prevents unwanted light source bursts and instead offers beautifully smooth bokeh.
The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM has a generous zoom range that favors far-away subjects like sports competitors, wildlife, and action. However, due to the small form factor and its extremely light construction it’s actually ideal for travel photography as well.
Four stops of image stabilization keeps the frame steady when shooting handheld, allowing for slightly longer exposures when faced with dim light conditions. A small 58mm filter thread on the front element means lower cost for filters (larger filters generally cost more) further adding to the affordability of this lens. Its Stepping motor (STM) technology gives decent autofocus which remains quiet during video recording, too.
As a pancake lens this 24mm prime is absolutely tiny. One way Canon have done this is to use a more mechanical Stepping Motor (STM) autofocusing system which, though a little slow and noisy, works well when shooting.
Oddly, this is the only EF-S prime lens that Canon still produces, which is a shame if prime is your thing. To gather a set of prime lenses you’ll have to either go for a discontinued lens, opt for a third party model, or take a step up from the 90D and go full-frame to increase your lens selection from Canon’s line-up. However, at 24mm (equivalent focal length of 38mm on this crop-sensor body) it’s exceedingly versatile lending itself well to travel photography due to its size, street photography thanks to its fast aperture, and environmental portraiture with its wide field of view.
Yes, this isn’t strictly an EF-S lens designed for the APS-C EOS 90D, however, it will still work just as well and it’s such a useful lens that we couldn’t omit it from this list. Super sharp, fast focusing is powered by a quiet Stepper Motor (STM) technology meaning it’s suitable for both stills and video recording.
A minimum focusing distance of approximately 35cm makes this fifty very nifty for close-up subjects and detail shots. The fixed 50mm is a general jack-of-all-trades focal length and can shoot most things well, but the 80mm equivalent on the 90D means it’s ideal for portraits. Consider that alongside a fast f/1.8 aperture that oozes charm when shot wide open and you have a recipe for magical-looking images.
Aimed at enthusiasts this telephoto zoom is a real upgrade from the cheaper options on the market. A slim profile and lightweight mirrorless-like design pairs perfectly with the 90D’s aesthetics. Clear, sharp optics provide good image quality but it isn’t quite as good at the long 210mm end.
Shooting in difficult lighting situations is made easier with the use of in-built image stabilization that counters up to four stops of camera shake blur. Minimum focusing distance comes in at just under a meter to provide a macro reproduction ratio of 1:3 meaning close-up subjects are a real possibility. The useful zoom range helps isolate portraits and other subjects with a flatteringly shortened depth of field.
Optically brilliant without breaking the bank this ultra-wide APS-C lens is a killer lens for landscapes, astrophotography, architecture, and environmental portraiture. Though ultra-wides like this tend to suffer less from camera shake blur when shooting at longer exposures so avoid image stabilization altogether, this lens bucks the trend by whacking on a whopping four stops of IS.
Light in construction and with an equivalent focal length range of 16-28.8mm it’ll tuck away nicely in a camera bag. The zoom allows for quick recomposition when travelling where you can’t physically reposition yourself to get the shot. STM focusing provides quiet autofocusing, great when video recording.
Read more:
Canon EOS 90D vs EOS 80D vs EOS 7D Mark II
Best Canon lenses
Best 150-600mm lenses
Best 100-400mm lenses
Best macro lenses
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