Best Lenses For Canon T3i Camera
Canon's entry-level DSLRs are every beginner photographer's favorite, and this Canon T3i DSLR is no exception. Its 18MP CMOS (APS-C) sensor, DIGIC 4 image processor, built-in flash, and ability to use interchangeable lenses make it a good choice of camera for beginners to explore photography. But, to get the best out of this camera, you have to pair it with one of the best lenses for Canon T3i.
With that said, this Canon EOS Rebel T3i comes with an 18-135mm lens kit which makes this a complete package for outdoor shooting. But, if you are a photography enthusiast trying to get your hands on some additional photography tricks, then pre-equipped lenses would not be enough for you.
Picture quality is all about the lenses you use while capturing any shot. If you have an adequate budget, then I would suggest you buy additional lenses for a much better shooting experience and learning.
Now that you have made up your mind to buy a new lens or a set of lenses, the very next question arises: what are the best canon rebel t3i compatible lenses? Don't worry, I have got a list of the ten best camera lenses for Canon T3i that you can consider investing in.
To help you choose the right lens, I have also included a buying guide and answered a few of the FAQs you have at the end of the article. So, without adieu, let's get started.
REVIEWS OF THE BEST LENSES FOR CANON REBEL T3I
BEST FAST PRIME LENSES FOR CANON T3I
1. CANON EF 50MM F/1.8 STM - BEST CANON T3I PORTRAIT LENS
PRODUCT DETAILS:
FEATURES:
Upgraded version of the old Canon 50mm f/1.8 II with improved optical performance and design. This full-frame lens will give you an equivalent focal length of 80mm with your Canon T3i camera. So, you get a medium-telephoto focal length which is great for portraits, landscapes, and capturing subjects that are a little far from you. People consider this CANON EF 50MM F/1.8 STM as one of the best Canon lenses for taking family pictures!
DESIGN:
Canon has completely revamped the design of its 50mm lenses. The old model had a flimsy focus ring at the back, a less-resistant AF/MF switch, and a plastic mount.
However, this STM version has everything upgraded to give the best user experience. The lens is small and compact; the focus ring is present on the front of the lens and is very smooth to rotate.
The best part I liked is that this model comes with a metal lens mount which feels sturdy and nice. And as the name suggests, it has a Stepper motor technology for achieving very fast, accurate and less-noisy AF.
One thing that could have been added to the lens features is image stabilization. Note that the Canon T3i also doesn't offer in-body stabilization, so make sure you're using a tripod while using this lens.
PERFORMANCE:
This is the first on my list of best lenses for Canon T3i as I find this lens very intruding in terms of resolution, performance, and compatibility. I use this lens for taking low-light portrait photographs, and I should say that performance of the lens is massive.
This is because the f/1.8 wide aperture allows 8x the maximum light that the standard kit lenses give you. So, you can comfortably use it in dark conditions as the wide aperture will make your dim shots brighter.
For your information, the longer the focal length is shallower, the depth-of-field will be. If you want your subject to be in sharp focus with a complete background blur, then this is the lens for you.
This lens provides a quite similar perspective as the human eye due to its small 50mm size that is best to carry with your EOS T3i for everyday day and night shoots.
Overall, both amateur and professionals can use this lens for t3i cameras to capture amazing portrait shots. Give it a try if you liked its features!
What I liked about this lens:
2. SIGMA 35MM F1.4 ART DG HSM LENS - BEST CANON T3I FOR VIDEOGRAPHY
PRODUCT DETAILS:
FEATURES:
All street photography enthusiasts out there ready to upgrade your photography style? If so, this 35mm f1.4 DG HSM could be a good t3i wide angle lens for you. Though there are many 35mm lenses in the market, this lens from Sigma is the best Canon t3i 35mm lens you could ever buy.
I say this because you get almost all the features of the Canon 35mm f/1.4 in this lens. That too for half the price. Sounds great, right!
DESIGN:
Firstly, the lens looks very classy. I love the lens for its autofocus system. It's quiet as well as fast because it includes a Hyper Sonic motor in its design.
The inclusion of the 9 rounded blades makes the lens achieve a superior bokeh quality while also enhancing the overall lens sharpness.
Note that the lens doesn't have an IS feature, so make sure you're using a tripod while shooting videos with this lens.
PERFORMANCE:
Great for indoor photography because the lens has a wide aperture of f1/4. This also provides for faster shutter speeds, making the lens famous for action photography as well!
But what makes it one of the best Sigma lenses for Canon t3i? Let me emphasize that. You know already that the 18MP T3I camera gives a fairly decent image quality. You can enhance the image quality further by adding this lens to your rebel t3i. I'm telling you, you will enjoy the perfect blur effects this lens gives you.
Overall, I consider this Sigma 35mm 1.4 DG HSM the best lens for Canon t3i if shooting street photographs is your area of interest.
What I liked about this lens:
3. MEKE 85MM F/ 1.8 LENS
PRODUCT DETAILS:
Meke has now released their new and budget-friendly 85mm, F1.8 autofocus lens for Canon EF and Nikon F mount cameras. This lens is designed with nine elements in 6 groups, underlines an aperture range from F/1.8 to F/22.
With this camera lens, you can capture any subject within a significant latitude. Because, it has a minimum focusing distance of 85cm or 33.5” that lets you focus and zoom the subject without losing the image quality. The lens uses a nine-blade aperture diaphragm that improves the quality of the bokeh.
If you have a Canon T3i camera, this is a great lens you can buy to enhance your professional photography. The Meke lens offers 136mm on APS-C-based cameras which will give you a good telephoto focal length.
What I liked about this lens:
BEST CANON T3I ZOOM LENSES
4. CANON EF 17-40MM F/4L USM - BEST STANDARD ZOOM LENS FOR CANON REBEL T3I
PRODUCT DETAILS:
FEATURES: This Canon EF 17-40mm full-frame lens will give an equivalent focal length between 28 to 64mm when mounted on an APS-C camera like Canon Rebel T3i. This standard zoom range makes it the best walk-around lens for your Canon camera.
Those looking for an ultra-wide Canon rebel t3i lens can check out the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens.
DESIGN: The lens is slightly big but is not heavy. It weighs only 475 grams, so this lens is definitely travel-friendly.
Moving on to the build quality of the lens: Like the 24mm Pancake lens, this also has a metal lens mount and has a weather-sealed gasket around it. However, you get an additional feature in this lens which is the internal focusing mechanism. Yes, the focusing is completely internal with this lens, so you can go ahead and fit your polarizers and filters easily with this lens.
The lens's internal optics consists of a 7-bladed aperture, an ultra-low-dispersion element, and a ring-type ultrasonic motor for AF.
PERFORMANCE: I loved taking steady shots with this lens on my T3i. Yeah, I did miss the full-frame coverage; however, the sharpness throughout the standard zoom range made me glad.
Even the autofocus of this lens works great. As you know, ring-type USM motors are known for their noiseless AF, and I'm glad this lens ensures the same. Also, autofocusing is very fast and accurate.
You can get sharp images when setting the aperture between f/5.6 to f/8. The reason why f/4 is not the best is that while taking landscape shots, you will notice the corners getting blurred.
Overall, a lens with a good optical quality throughout the zoom range!
What I liked about this lens:
5. CANON EF 24-70MM F/2.8L II USM LENS
PRODUCT DETAILS:
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens is the highest performing zooming lens. In my opinion, this is the best broad use general purpose lens available on the market.
The focal length of 24-70mm helps you get a sharper picture with f/2.8L at every focal length for any subject placed either on the center or placed at the corners. Vignetting is a major problem with most lenses, however with this camera lens, unwarranted vignetting can be prevented easily. When you increase the focal length and narrow the aperture, light fall-off certainly decreases.
Color saturation, chromatic aberration, contrast is very well controlled and managed with this 24-70mm Ultrasonic USM lens. Also, the lens is extremely lighter in weight, faster in performance and inexpensive.
Besides, the most important thing is that it gives maximum zooming quality. So why not buy this reasonable and lens for your Canon T3i and get praises for your Instagram posts!
What I liked about this lens:
BEST WIDE ANGLE LENSES FOR CANON T3I
6. CANON EF-S 24MM F/2.8 STM - BEST CANON T3I WIDE ANGLE LENS FOR LANDSCAPES
PRODUCT DETAILS:
FEATURES: Those looking to take good landscape shots with their Canon T3i camera should try using this lens. I consider this lens to be another best camera lens for Canon T3i because it is sharp even at wide-open f/2.8. Also, it is very travel-friendly because of its pocket size.
DESIGN: This 24mm f/2.8 STM Canon lens is one of the cutest tiny lenses I've worked with. Please don't underestimate the lens's performance because of its small size. The lens really gives a stunning performance for both still photography and videos.
In terms of construction, both the 50mm STM and this 24mm STM feel the same. You get the same metal mount here as well. The focus ring is also smooth, so you will not have any issues while focusing manually with this lens.
The Stepper motor gives a very fast and less noisy AF. In terms of AF accuracy, this lens is splendid. I tested this lens on the Canon T3i to focus on fast-moving subjects, and it did focus really well.
PERFORMANCE: As said mentioned earlier, the lens does a good job of taking videos. In terms of still photography, it will perfectly fit those who want end-to-end sharpness in their pictures.
And landscape photography like street photography, building photography, environment photography will look natural only when the full-frame is in focus. And this is what this 24mm STM lens gives you.
You will not need the camera's in-built flash in your low-light shots because the lens's wide aperture itself will allow maximum light to enter the lens.
In my opinion, this lens can be suitable for product photography because the f/2.8 gives a nice and soft bokeh. However, you have to really get close to the subject to achieve perfect background blur.
Overall, this Canon EF-S lens is for your Canon T3i if you wish to pair it with the best prime wide-angle lens!.
What I liked about this lens:
7. ROKINON FE14 M-C 14MM F/2.8 LENS
PRODUCT DETAILS:
If you ask me to suggest one cheap Canon t3i wide angle lens, my top pick would be this 14mm Rokinon lens. Yes, this is the most compatible lens available in nearly every modern camera mount. The lens, as you know, allows only manual focusing because it does not have a built-in AF motor.
However, in my opinion, manual focusing could be difficult operating if the person is used to using autofocus. But, manual focusing could be helpful in sharp magnification. These lenses are somewhat heavy, 1.2 lbs, but that’s due to the high-quality elements and glasses present inside.
The FE14 M-c 14mm lens is ideal for landscape photography. If you already own a Canon T3i, you only need to buy this lens to make an entire system. You can also use the lens for mountain shoots, wedding shoots, beach photography, concerts, etc.
Lastly, the lens is weather-protected, so you can roam around easily with your Canon DSLR to get the best shot!
What I liked about this lens:
8. MEKE 6-11MM F/3.5 - BEST CANON REBEL T3I FISHEYE LENS
PRODUCT DETAILS:
When choosing the best fisheye lens for T3i, my top priority will be for this 6-11mm Meke lens. These MEKE fisheye lenses are designed for high-grade SLR cameras to deliver their best in every capture.
The lens has excellent adjustment settings like aperture, focus, the field of view, etc. The lens only has manual focus; thus, no EXIF transmission setting with 180° round field of view at a maximum of 6mm as Canon EF 8-15mm lens offers a bit higher view.
The construction is all metal, and it withstands the toughest conditions such as water-sport capturing, vlogging, mountain shoots, and many more. This lens is made specifically for APS-C format Canon cameras offering a minimum of 9mm and a maximum of 17.6mm focal length range.
So, if you love taking attention-seeking videos and panoramic pictures with your Canon EOS Rebel T3i camera, this can be a good lens for you.
What I liked about this lens:
BEST TELEPHOTO LENS FOR CANON REBEL T3I
9. CANON EF-S 55-250MM F4-5.6 IS STM - BEST REBEL T3I LENS
PRODUCT DETAILS:
FEATURES:
This EF-S 55-250mm Canon lens is my favorite telephoto lens for canon rebel t3i because it has a wide focal range, excellent image stabilization, and very fast autofocus. Those willing to take beautiful headshot portraits with a perfect background blur can head to this amazing lens.
DESIGN:
This Canon t3i telephoto lens is probably the lightest lens mentioned in this article. It only weighs 375 grams, so definitely best for travel. However, I didn't find the build quality very impressive because it has a plastic lens mount and is not weather sealed.
Moving on, the focus and zoom rings are smooth, again not very smooth as compared to the above lenses. But the positive factor is that the lens has an internal focusing mechanism so that you could use a polarizing filter with the lens.
As mentioned above, the autofocus of this lens is very fast; this is because the lens is equipped with a Stepper motor technology for AF. I loved it!
PERFORMANCE: The excellent background blur is what makes this lens one of the best lenses for Canon t3i. Even the sharpness at wide-open apertures is ultimate.
Because of the seven-bladed diaphragm, you get that soft creamy bokeh. And the focal range of 55-250mm allows you to use the lens for portrait, sports, and also wildlife photography.
I didn't try using the lens for sports and wildlife photography, but I've used it to take headshot family portraits, and I loved the lens's performance.
You could also use the lens for videos because the lens comes with an IS feature to tackle with camera shakes and motion blur while shooting handheld.
So, to conclude, this 55-250mm EF-S lens is definitely one of the best buying choices if you want to own a telephoto lens with your Canon camera.
What I liked about this lens:
BEST CANON REBEL T3I MACRO LENS
10. CANON EF 100MM F/2.8L IS USM
PRODUCT DETAILS:
FEATURES: This Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 IS USM is a professional grade macro lens suitable for both Canon's full-frame and APS-C cameras. While using your crop-sensor Canon T3i DSLR, this lens will give a full-frame equivalent of 160mm, which is perfect for taking beautiful macro shots and portraits. And also, because this is an 'L' grade lens, it has a hybrid IS a system that will provide stabilization both latitudinally and longitudinally when taking close-up shots.
DESIGN: The build quality of the lens is top-notch; it has a large focus ring that turns very smoothly to aid you while manually focusing on a subject.
Yes, the lens is made of plastic, but don't worry as only high-quality is used in the manufacture, so it is reliable and sturdy. The ring-type USM motor gives a noiseless AF; however, the speed is only decent.
The lens is completely weather sealed so that you can use the lens in harsh weather conditions as well.
PERFORMANCE: As the lens has a minimum focus distance of 30 cm, I can get really get close to the subject and take beautiful close-up shots of flowers, focus on a wedding ring, etc.
The beauty of this lens is its 1:1 magnification and background compression. Adding to it, the wide aperture of f/2.8 allows me to use it during the evening times to focus a raindrop on a leaf or take bright nature shots.
In terms of sharpness, while focusing on a plane, the overall sharpness is excellent between f/4 to f/11 on Canon T3i.
In close-up photography, you have to stoop down the aperture to get better focus and sharpness of the subject.
Overall, I liked using this lens with my 18MP Canon T3i; it is a little pricey but promises accurate results.
What I liked about this lens:
We've given our recommendations for lens for your Canon T3i camera here, but for more choices, see our full guide on the latest camera lenses.
BUYING GUIDE FOR PURCHASING THE BEST LENS FOR CANON T3I
Here are some of the factors you need to consider while purchasing a lens for your Canon T3i camera. I will not be elaborating on the budget because it is up to you whether you want a lens only for your T3i camera or will be upgrading to a full-frame camera in the future. If you belong to the latter category buying a full-frame lens would be a wiser decision. Now let us get to what else you should notice in the lens.
1. LENS FORMAT
As you know, the lens mount and compatibility of every camera differ, so it is critical to choose lenses that will fit your Canon T3i cameras. If you want to know what lenses are compatible with canon rebel t3i, I'll tell you.
Canon EOS Rebel T3i is a small sensor camera compatible with APS-C format (EF-S) lenses. You can also use any full-frame lenses on this camera but don't forget to take the crop factor of 1.6x into account to find the equivalent focal length.
2. TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY
You should purchase a lens according to your photography requirements, like taking family portraits, street photographs or wildlife photos, etc.
3. IMAGE STABILIZATION
Note that the Canon T3i does not offer any stabilization. So, be wise to choose a lens that has image stabilization in it. If this feature is present in the lens, you don't have to worry about getting shaky footage. Because the IS feature will help reduce the effects of vibration, camera shakes, and image blur, thus resulting in smooth pictures and videos.
Also, for taking pictures at slower shutter speeds and less ISO, an image stabilization feature is needed in the lens.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. When was the Canon T3i camera released?
The 18MP Canon 600d camera's official entry in the DSLR market was on 7th February 2011. It is still every beginner photographer's favorite because it is very easy to use, less expensive, and has a 1080p video capture resolution.
2. What are the lenses that come along with a Canon T3i camera?
You can purchase the Canon T3i camera with two lens options. The first option includes an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens. While The other lens option consists of a Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens.
3. Which is the best all around lens for Canon T3i?
In my opinion, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM should be an all-rounder lens for the Canon 600d camera. I say this because while using this 50mm lens with this APS-C camera, it will give an equivalent focal length of 80mm (short-telephoto) focal length. You can use this focal range for various purposes like taking a portrait, landscape, wedding, and street photography.
4. What is the lens mount of a Canon T3i camera?
Canon rebel t3i cameras use an EF lens mount. The best part about this mirrorless Canon camera is that you can use both EF and EF-S lenses with it.
CONCLUSION
So, you have reached the end of this article. I hope this list, along with the buying guide and FAQ section, gave you helpful information regarding the finest Canon t3i lenses.
As already said, please take time to analyze what kind of shots/videos you want to take and then pick the lens that best suits you. With that said, also feel free to drop your questions, if any, in the comments section below. Also, give us suggestions about what lens reviews you need so that I could post a dedicated article for the same. I hope to see you in my next article. Thank you for reading!
