The Best Lenses for the Canon EOS R7

Truly, we don’t believe that the Canon RF-S lineup of lenses will do the Canon EOS R7 any justice. They’re still newer and at this point are more kit lenses than anything else. Instead, the best lenses for the Canon EOS R7 lie with the company’s higher-end products. Want to get wildlife photos you’ll adore? These lenses can do it. Need to shoot sports? Well, the Canon EOS R7 can do things we haven’t seen APS-C cameras do before. So we dove into our Reviews Index to find the best lenses for the Canon EOS R7. Take a look!

How We Selected the Best Lenses for the Canon EOS R7

Here’s some insight into how we selected the best lenses for the Canon EOS R7:

• All of these products, including the Canon EOS R7 were tested by us. In fact, we don’t recommend any products that we haven’t tried at all. All the images in this roundup were shot by our staff, including the product photos. Each section also has links to our fuller reviews.
• In most cases, the image quality section of our recommended lenses was shot using the Canon EOS R7 using these lenses. That’s right, we’ve actually tested most of our recommendations on the camera itself.
• The only lens we haven’t used on the Canon EOS R7 is the 70-200mm f4, listed in this roundup. We chose it for the size and autofocus speed. However, the f2.8 variant is exceptional.
• Why are these the best lenses for the Canon EOS R7? Well, it’s a weather-resistant camera body that needs build quality just as tough as the lenses. Further, these lenses focus incredibly quick for the type of shooting this camera is designed for. We like them, we think you will too.
• The best lenses for the Canon EOS R7 aren’t the more affordable ones at all. We considered adding in the RF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM. But in our tests, it just didn’t perform all that well. We’re going to give it another shot later on though.
• The Canon EOS R7 has up to seven stops of image stabilization. That means that you can slow the shutter speed down for a bit more drama in your scenes.
• We’re trying to stick to relatively smaller lenses in this roundup. The Canon EOS R7 isn’t monstrously large, but these lenses will balance it out well.

Canon RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM

Pros

• Pretty light
• Fast-focusing
• Image stabilization is awesome
• Nice colors
• Gorgeous bokeh
• Super sharp

Cons

• Expensive
• F7.1 max aperture at the long end

How’s the Image Quality?

In our review, we state:

“It’s almost impossible to say something bad about the Canon RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM in regards to image quality. It’s sharp, has gorgeous color, beautiful bokeh, etc. All you have to worry about is getting the shot. Personally speaking, I haven’t shot with a lens this beautiful since reviewing the Fujifilm 200mm f2 lens.”

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Canon RF 70-200mm f4 L

Pros

• Compact and lightweight
• Weather-sealed
• Stabilized
• Solid sharpness and color
• Little aberration
• About 2-foot minimum focus distance throughout the zoom range
• More affordable than the f2.8 version at around $1,599

Cons

• Some corner softness at 70mm
• Vignetting at 200mm

How’s the Image Quality?

In our review, we state:

“While Canon’s f4 variant of the Mirrorless 70-200mm doesn’t deliver the same bokeh as a 2.8, the lens boasts a similar level of sharpness and lack of aberration. It delivers that pro-level quality, without quite so much bokeh, in a smaller, more affordable package.”

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Pro Tips

Here are a few pro tips on using the Canon EOS R7 for sports, wildlife, and action photography!

• The Canon EOS R7 has almost all the autofocus gusto that the Canon EOS R3 does. But it doesn’t have a BSI sensor, so the readout isn’t as fast.
• Shooting sports? Use human detection with face detection. And also ensure that you set it to not automatically try to switch the subjects that it’s tracking.
• We saw a bit of rolling shutter with the Canon EOS R7, so try to stick to the mechanical shutter when you can.
• Photographing birds and animals? Canon makes this especially simple with it animal AF detection. It combines birds and animals into one setting for you. You can switch between subjects by using the prompts you see on the screen. Alternatively, just tap the touchscreen and watch the camera track a subject.
• For the fastest and more reliable autofocus, turn off the exposure simulation. The Canon EOS R7 has an OVF simulation mode. Sure, you won’t see what your exposure looks like. But if you’re shooting in aperture priority or reading the light meter, that won’t matter.

Canon RF 85mm f1.2 L

Pros

• Ultra-fast aperture
• Snappy autofocus
• Razor-sharp
• Excellent image quality
• Robust weather sealing

Cons

• Lacks image stabilization
• Heavy (hope you’ve been doing those bicep curls!)
• Slight vignetting when wide open

How’s the Image Quality?

In our review, we state:

“The Canon RF 85mm f1.2 L USM is one of the best 85mm lenses I’ve ever used, and between reviewing cameras and lenses for The Phoblographer and photographing headshot clients, I’ve used a hell of a lot of lenses. Sure, it’s bulky and weighs a ton, but boy are the resulting images worth lugging the lens around. Portrait photographers will appreciate the f1.2 aperture–especially if you miss that from the old Canon EF lenses.”

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Canon 8-15mm f4 L Fisheye

Pros

• It’s a zoom fisheye lens!
• Great image quality!

Cons

• It’s Canon EF mount, which means that you need an adapter for it!

How’s the Image Quality?

In our review, we state:

“Keep in mind that this is a fisheye lens, and that there are loads of APS-C photographers out there that want a super-wide field of field. This may be the lens for them, but for the full frame crowd, note that at 15mm everything in the fame will just be distorted to a point.”

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The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.