Looking for the best lens for your brand-new Canon 90D?
It can be tricky, considering that this mid-sized DSLR is among the best out there.
Combining a mirrorless camera’s video capabilities with the meaty feel of a DSLR, the Canon 90D is a true powerhouse for amateur and experienced photographers alike.
It’s also super versatile and a brilliant camera for blogging.
This post is all you need if you’re wanting to level up your photography, as the right lens can make all the difference.
Looking for a quick answer? Our top pick is the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6.
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Here are some of the most common types of lenses that you can find for your Canon EOS 90D.
When it comes to prime lenses, you are using only a fixed focal length that can’t zoom at all. While this may seem restrictive and limiting, a prime lens is actually the best choice for producing professional photos.
Because it excels only at a single focal length, the quality is much more impeccable and lifelike. A 30mm prime lens is great to shoot landscapes, whereas an 85 mm lens would be better suited for portraits.
Meanwhile, we’d recommend a zoom lens if you want something more versatile and can be zoomed in or out. This lens type is great for a huge range of things, from street photography to wildlife!
The typical zoom lens is between 70 to 200 mm, so you can change the focal length depending on what you need. It’s also the perfect go-to lens for beginners.
Ever wanted to shoot the thrilling action of a sports competition, or capture the beauty of wildlife without disturbing nature? If so, then what you’re looking for is a telephoto lens. It is typically in the 100-600 mm focal length range, which means you can zoom super far with it,
One thing to note is its hefty size, weight, and prize. In other words, telephoto lenses are not for the faint-hearted and not recommended for beginners. You will probably need a tripod to shoot with this lens.
A macro lens lets you zoom in on your subjects extremely closely. It’s made to capture the tiny details of objects, and is often used to photograph textures on different materials. You can expect super sharp images even when you’re shooting from a close distance.
Many people also adore macro photography as it allows them to observe the visual appearance of insects, leaves, and other small natural things. Plus, macro lenses usually have a smaller minimum focusing distance than other lens types.
The next type of lens you should know about is the wide-angle lens. It’s a great choice for astrophotography as it can capture more of a scene and therefore showcase the entire sprawling night sky. Most wide-angle lenses range in the 16 to 35 mm focal length.
Moreover, this is also the lens to go for if you are planning to capture wide landscapes and views, as well as low-light shots.
Finally, there’s the portrait lens, which is essentially a lens with the ideal focal length and aperture to help you produce the best portraits. While you can technically use any lens to shoot portraits, shorter focal lengths can be great if you also want to capture the background.
On the other hand, we would recommend a longer focal length if you want to focus on general portraits with blurred backgrounds. Plus, looking for wide apertures can also help you create those beautiful focused shots.
When looking for the best lens for your Canon 90D camera, it’s important to know the determining factors.
We’ve summarized the essential lens types above, with prime and zoom being the two fundamental types of lenses. Now, it’s just a matter of identifying what you’ll be using your camera for. This will help you choose the right lens type to get.
Are you going to document your travels? Pursue vlogging? Or perhaps focus on shooting portraits? Whatever your photography needs, there is the perfect type of lens for you!
The focal length of a lens simply refers to its ability to converge and diverge light. This determines how large or small subjects look in your photos in relation to its actual distance from the lens. You’ll need different focal lengths for different types of photography.
While a longer lens may be more suitable for wildlife and sports photography, you may want to go for a short lens to do portraits, and even shorter ones for macro shots. In addition, the focal length also affects a lens’ minimum focus distance.
Aperture is a lens’ ability to let in light, which causes your photos to be dark or bright. The lower the aperture number, the more light can enter the lens, which means you can capture non-blurry images even in low light conditions.
While a higher maximum aperture means better performance in the dark, it doesn’t mean you should always go for it. These lenses can be much more expensive and large, which may not suit your budget or travelling needs.
Unfortunately, the Canon EOS 90D doesn’t come with image stabilization in its sensor, so getting a lens with stabilization can be important. This will allow you to take photos that aren’t blurry even when you are not shooting with a tripod. Plus, stabilized lenses can make taking steady videos much easier too.
Another important factor that you shouldn’t overlook when finding the perfect lens for whatever camera is its size and weight. The Canon 90D is a mid range DSLR that can give you full creative photography control and extremely high resolution. But it’s still quite lightweight considering its performance!
With that said, make sure that you consider how much the new lens will add to the camera’s weight. This can be especially relevant if you’re planning to travel a lot with your camera, as you’ll then have to be carrying the additional weight around.
Likewise, build quality is also another thing to consider. While the Canon 90D already comes with weather sealing and is resistant to light dust and water droplets, try to ensure that your lens also has this feature! Therefore, you won’t have to worry too much when shooting outdoors and if rain suddenly starts to fall.
Last but not least, don’t forget to budget your purchase and compare different lenses for their price and performance. How much can you spare on a camera lens? Remember that the 90D can be quite an investment in itself, so look only for a lens with features that you absolutely need!
For instance, you probably don’t need a f/1.4 lens if you won’t be shooting a lot in low light conditions. You can save tons of money by getting the f/2.8 version instead.
Minimum focus distance: 0.4 m
Focal length: 50 mm
Aperture range: f/16-f/1.4
Filter diameter: 77 mm
Weight: 880 g
Size (diameter x length): 85.4mm × 125.9mm
Claiming to be the best 50mm F1.4 lens in the world, the Sigma 50mm F1.4 Art DG HSM has surely delivered and proven itself to be what we think is the best overall lens for the Canon 90D.
With extensive features that support a variety of shots, this versatile lens is great for those looking for an all-round lens with astounding optical performance for all their photography needs.
What’s so great is that it offers an angle of view that mimics our eye, so that you can produce the most realistic photographs.
There’s also the stunning bokeh effect, large aperture for low-light conditions, and the sheer fact that it is part of the coveted Sigmar Art line.
Better yet, this lens ensures the most minimal axial chromatic aberration, thanks to the built-in SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass that will make post-processing a much faster and easier process.
The build can be quite bulky and heavy, which means it may not be the most compact and portable lens you can get. But if your priority is uncompromising performance, this Sigma lens is the best option there is!
Minimum focus distance: 0.39 m
Focal length: 18-135 mm
Max aperture: f/3.5
Filter diameter: 67 mm
Weight: 515 g
Size (diameter x length): 77.4 x 96 mm
The EF-S 18-135mm features excellent performance for your everyday needs, including capturing stills and videos.
It’s relatively lightweight and compact for a DSLR lens, which makes it quite easily portable and comfortable to carry around.
Plus, the flexible zoom range means that it can be great for taking portraits and wide-angle landscapes alike. This means it can be a pretty good option for when you’re exploring countries with lots of cultural sites and interesting people like Thailand.
As an all-round lens, the remarkable performance ensures that you can use it for a range of photography. Even sports videos too!
This Canon lens comes with the NANO USM, which combines Ring USM and STM to ensure smooth and near-silent video and high-speed autofocus.
It also supports full time manual focus when you’re using one-shot autofocus.
Read also: Best Camera Backpacks
Minimum focus distance: 1.2 m
Focal length: 70-300 mm
Maximum aperture: f/4
Filter diameter: 67 mm
Weight: 1050 g
Size (diameter x length): 89 x 143mm
If you’re looking for the best telephoto lens to complete your lens set, the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM may be an excellent choice.
Whether you’re wanting to capture landscape, sports, and wildlife, this lens can give your beautiful crisp images.
The Nano USM technology delivers fast and silent autofocus, while it’s also surprisingly lightweight and compact for a telephoto lens. This means it’s travel-photography-friendly, and great for capturing wildlife in remote places!
Not to mention that this lens features built-in stabilization that can help you produce steady and non-blurry shots, which can be quite helpful if you’re shooting from long distances. For handheld videography you may want to invest in a DSLR camera gimbal for ultimate stability.
On that note, we’d also recommend getting the Canon Tripod Mount C (W II) accessory to help it balance better when using a tripod.
But one of the things to note before choosing a telephoto lens like this Canon 70-300mm is its narrow aperture. At just f/4, this may not be the best choice even in a bright indoor environment.
Minimum focus distance: 0.31 m
Focal length: 100 mm
Max aperture: f/2.8
Filter diameter: 58 mm
Weight: 600 g
Size (diameter x length): 79.0 x 119.0mm
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is a great lens if you’re into macro photography, which includes taking detailed and close-up food shots, as well as fashion and other structural details.
What we love most about this lens is that it can give you extremely high-quality details that might be difficult to achieve with other lenses.
While it’s a prime lens that you can’t zoom in or out, the 100mm focal length is perfect for macro shots.
It supports up to life-size (1x) magnification, whereas the 3-group floating system ensures the best delineation at any focusing distance.
Not to mention the ring USM which delivers silent and quick AF, as well as full-time manual focusing for those who prefer manual control. The ultrasonic autofocus motor is also extremely accurate!
Minimum focus distance: 0.45 m
Focal length: 50 mm
Aperture range: f/1.4
Filter diameter: 58 mm
Weight: 290 g
Size (diameter x length): 73.8 x 50.5mm
One of the best prime lenses in the market that you can get for your Canon 90D is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. It’s super popular thanks to its excellent performance, versatility, and relatively affordable price tag.
This is also a go-to choice for many, beginners and professionals alike, for portraits and street photography. It has got everything you need!
From a quick and near-silent autofocus, to superb image quality, and f/1.4 max aperture for low light conditions.
Not to mention that this Canon lens is super light, weighing only 290g, making it very portable and easy to travel with.
Plus, it features two high-refraction lens elements, new Gaussian optics that can eliminate astigmatism and suppress astigmatic difference.
Say no more to flaring even when you are shooting wide open!
Minimum focus distance: 0.35 m
Focal length: 50 mm
Max aperture: f/1.8
Filter diameter: 49 mm
Weight: 160 g
Size (diameter x length): 69.2 x 39.3 mm
The Canon EF 50mm F1.8 STM is another excellent prime lens that we can recommend, especially for those wanting the perfect and most versatile portrait lens for their Canon 90D.
Say hello to stunning portraits that are sharp, crisp, and vivid, so you can capture the most realistic facial expressions.
Another thing we love about this Canon camera is its ability to blur backgrounds, so that you can focus on the subject’s face and achieve a beautiful non-focused backdrop.
You can also enjoy a near-silent but super fast AF, thanks to the Stepping Motor technology of this lens.
This compact and lightweight lens is ideal for everyday and travel photos alike, and flaunts a superb performance in low light environments. The newly improved exterior also makes this the most compact 50mm lens from Canon!
And despite having a plastic construction, it also comes with a metal mount for extra stability and ruggedness.
Minimum focus distance: 0.276 m
Focal length: 20 mm
Aperture range: f/1.4
Filter diameter: -
Weight: 1015 g
Size (diameter x length): 90.7mm × 155.8mm
This Sigma lens is not only the world’s first ever 20mm F1.4 lens, it achieves that status in the best possible way. The lens’ breakthrough technologies combine ultra-wide angle with large max apertures for an impeccable performance.
It’s a high-speed lens made specifically for ultra-high resolution digital cameras, which makes it perfect for the Canon 90D.
Don’t worry about chromatic aberrations, as it comes with two “F” Low Dispersion glass and five Special Low Dispersion glass elements.
Meanwhile, the lens has also been designed to produce minimal distortion and coma flare. Even when you’re shooting wide open, you can be sure that the photo quality will always be excellent.
Minimum focus distance: 0.25 m
Focal length: 18-55 mm
Max aperture: f/4
Filter diameter: 58 mm
Weight: 215 g
Size (diameter x length): 66.5 x 61.8 mm
Looking just for the cheapest lens may not be the wisest thing to do, as you’ll still have to consider its quality and performance.
Good news, because the EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is an excellent lens that’s very affordable, but still superb in quality. This versatile zoom lens is also super lightweight and ideal for everyday photography.
Take it anywhere you want, this lens ensures that your 90D can capture all kinds of shots without weighing you down.
It even boasts a great low light performance, thanks to the 4-stop image stabilization, and takes smooth videos too. The STM autofocus means you can enjoy smooth focusing.
This is also a great lens for both wide-angle and close-up perspectives, while the quiet and fast autofocus makes it ideal for street photography.
Another detail that we love about this lens is the innovative design which fuses convenience and visual aesthetic. Plus, there’s a small leather patch that provides a comfortable handle for the lens!
Minimum focus distance: 0.85 m
Focal length: 55-250 mm
Aperture range: f/4
Filter diameter: 58 mm
Weight: 375 g
Size (diameter x length): 70 x 111.2 mm
Yes, telephoto lenses can be quite expensive and bulky. But that’s where the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM excels!
This value lens is perfect for those wanting to complete their lens collection with range and versatility. It’s surprisingly compact and lightweight for a telephoto lens, making it travel-friendly too.
It is especially great for a picturesque country like Ireland, where you can shoot the wildlife and also take scenic videos of the surroundings.
This lens also comes with optical image stabilization for up to 3.5 equivalent stops, so you can enjoy sharp stills even when it’s handheld.
Not to mention that the generous zoom range means you can use it for capturing wildlife and sports, as well as stunning landscapes.
Moreover, Canon’s trademark STM stepping motor and fast CPU also improves its autofocus for a silent and fast performance.
Meanwhile, the UD lens element can ensure minimal chromatic aberration, flare, and ghosting, and the 7-blade circular aperture can create gorgeous, soft backgrounds.
Minimum focus distance: 0.26 m
Focal length: 24 mm
Aperture range: f/2.8
Filter diameter: 52 mm
Weight: 125 g
Size (diameter x length): 68.2 x 22.8 mm
The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM lens is one of the lightest lenses out there, and also the best vlogging lens for the Canon 90D. At only 125g, this lens weighs pretty much nothing and will make your camera very travel-friendly.
Its f/2.8 maximum aperture makes it pretty great for shooting in low light too, as well as controlling the depth of field.
It’s also popular amongst astrophotographers in addition to street and landscape photographers. In other words, this Canon lens is pretty versatile!
Wide-angle lens for Canon APS-C cameras (equivalent to 38mm on a full-frame camera) offers an ultra-slim and lightweight design.
The stepping motor ensures smooth and quiet autofocus, which can be especially useful for vlogging. Whereas the aspheric lens element can deliver the highest quality images.
Not to mention that the optimized lens arrangement will reduce ghosting and flare effects, and that the 7-blade circular aperture creates gorgeous, soft backgrounds. So it's great when shooting in highly hit locations, something that would have helped us in Bali, where many of our photos were taken in the full day glare.
The Canon 90D is a mid-sized SLR camera that is compatible with the Canon EF/EF-S lens mount. This means there’s a whole range of lenses that you can use on it, including the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6.
Yes, the Canon 90D is great for professional photography in addition to casual and everyday portraits. Its exposure latitude can perform well in different lighting conditions, and you can use any EF or EF-S lens for the camera too.
Good news! The Canon 90D is also good for street photography because it’s relatively compact and lightweight, as long as you choose the right lens. Its face detection focusing mode can be especially useful when you’re shooting moving subjects in the streets.
Yes, the Canon 90D is a full-frame camera. In fact, it is the world's highest linear resolution APS-C or full-frame camera, which lets you take the sharpest and most stunning photos even in low light environments.
That’s all for the best Canon 90D lenses we can recommend to you.
From an overall, versatile option to specific lenses for macro or portrait photography, we hope you could find the perfect one for you.
As in-depth as we’ve tried to be, it’s possible that we might have missed some great lenses.
Are there any lenses for the Canon 90D you think should’ve made it on our list?
And which of these will you go for?
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