Canon 6D mk2: AFFORDABLE full-frame SLR

Selection of the best lenses for a Canon 6D mk 2 from nearly 50 reviewed lenses for a Canon full-frame camera

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II is Canon’s least expensive full-frame camera. The camera offers, certainly in the updated version, a lot of value for the money. The Mark II has a new 26-megapixel Dual Pixel AF sensor. Thanks to the Dual Pixel AF, the camera also focuses quickly and precisely in live view. Handy for video, but also useful if you simply do not want to use the viewfinder for taking pictures. The normal autofocus system is also greatly improved and now has 45 autofocus points.

The screen of the Canon 6D mk2 turns and tilts and is touch sensitive so you can use it to select the autofocus point. The 6D Mark II can also film in full HD at 60 frames per second with lens stabilization and digital stabilization in the body. And, of course, the camera also includes Wi-Fi with NFC and even Bluetooth for easy setup and maintenance of a wireless connection. Only the EF lenses for full-frame sensors and not Canon’s EF-S lenses fit on this camera. But with all the non-maker lenses that are available, the choice is still enormous. We have now reviewed more than 70. You buy a full-frame camera because you are looking for more image quality than you get with an APS-C model. At the same time, you buy a 6D Mark II because you do not want to need a second mortgage for your camera system. For our favorite 6D Mark II lenses, we looked for lenses that strike a good balance between high quality and a good price.

HOW DO WE CHOOSE THE BEST LENSES FOR CANON 6D?
AFFORDABLE LENSES FOR A FULL-FRAME SENSOr

The EOS 6D Mark II is Canon’s least expensive full-frame model. That means that the camera offers excellent image quality, which, when using the right lenses, is higher than with APS-C models. But we also assume that users of the 6D Mark II are not inclined to pay the highest price for good quality. We therefore searched for lenses that offer good quality combined with a reasonable price. Many of the Canon L lenses are optically excellent, but there are plenty of equally good alternatives with a friendlier price tag.

HOW ARE THE BEST LENSES FOR THE CANON EOS 6D SELECTED?

For the recommendation, we only look at lenses we have tested thoroughly ourselves. The EF-S lenses that Canon makes for the APS-C models do not fit on the full-frame 6D Mark II and thus aren’t considered. For choosing the best lenses for the 6D Mark II, we mainly looked at the results you get with the lenses in RAW. Many novice photographers primarily use jpg files, and in jpg, multiple lens corrections often take place in the camera. We measure the results in RAW without all those corrections. That gives, you could say, a fairer comparison. Lens corrections are not always applied for lenses from other brands in jpegs, but in RAW you can have those corrections done automatically. For more information, see the comprehensive reviews we’ve done with each lens and compare them as needed with one of the more than 300 other lenses we have reviewed.

THE BEST 6D MK2 STANDARD ZOOM: Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD

The Tamron SP 24-70 mm is a bright, professional standard zoom. It is very solidly built and offers a high image quality. But what really makes it special in this category is image stabilization. In addition, compared to the Canon 24-70 mm f/2.8, it is also very affordable. Even better and brighter, but more expensive and with less zoom is the Sigma 24-35mm 1.8 Art.

Macro & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A Canon 6D mk2: 

A macro for portrait photography? Absolutely. The Tokina 100mm macro offers very high image quality. Due to that high sharpness, the gradient to the background blur is also exceptionally beautiful at the full aperture of “just” f/2.8. And don’t forget that this focal length is slightly longer than the more common 85mm. The bokeh rings of the Tokina AF100mm Macro are nicely round and even. Another advantage of a macro lens is that you can get very close. The lens is also very solidly built. And the decisive factor is the fantastic price.
The Tokina 100mm is an excellent macro. It offers high image quality. You can see that in the high sharpness, the absence of distortion and chromatic aberration and the fact that this lens has no image field curvature. It is also very solidly built for years of use in the field. And it is also fantastically priced. And yes, you can also use it very nicely for portraits, for example.

WIDE-ANGLE ZOOM LENS: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM

The Canon EF 16-35 mm f/4L IS USM is an excellent wide-angle zoom. It was the first wide-angle zoom from Canon that is sharp from corner to corner at full aperture and across the entire zoom range. That is also the case with the new Canon 16-35 mm f/2.8L, but the f/4 version is lighter and much cheaper and still has image stabilization.

Fisheye lens: Canon 8-15mm

When you think of a Fisheye lens from Canon, you think of the Canon 8-15mm. The Canon EF 8-15mm is simply the best fisheye for Canon full-frame cameras. It is already very sharp at full aperture, and you can take circular pictures on full frame as well as frame-filling fisheye shots.

TELEPHOTO LENSES FOR Canon 6D mk2

The Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8 IS L II is a lens with perfect image quality, but also has a price tag far above the range (up to about a thousand euros) in which we select the best lenses for the Canon 6D. Instead, we chose a telephoto zoom from Tamron and an ultra-telephoto zoom from Sigma:

TELEPHOTO ZOOM: Tamron AF 70-200mm f/2.8 SP G2

The Tamron AF 70-200 mm f/2.8 SP G2 is a beautifully built bright telephoto zoom. The lens offers everything you are looking for from this kind of lens: good image quality, great image stabilization and solid construction. It is sealed against dust and moisture and fitted with a good tripod base. But above all, it is very affordable if you compare it with, for example, the Canon version.

ULTRA-TELEPHOTO ZOOM: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG HSM OS Contemporary

Sigma makes not one, but two ultra-telephoto zooms. The Sigma 150-600 mm is available in a Sports and a Contemporary version. They are different in every way. The Sports is more expensive, heavier and better. For the 6D Mark II, we still choose the Contemporary. It is almost as good as the Sports, but less expensive and much more compact. With the Contemporary, you can shoot for a long time by hand; with the Sports, you quickly need some support.

LENSES WITH A FIXED FOCAL LENGTH?

Experienced photographers like to work with a fixed focus for creative reasons. Because you cannot zoom in or out, a fixed focal length forces you to think more carefully about the composition of a photograph. We chose 3 affordable lenses with a fixed focal length and exceptionally high image quality:

Standard: Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS

The EF 35mm f/2 IS is a light wide angle for full frame and is used by many photographers as a standard lens instead of the usual 50mm. It offers just a bit more field of view without giving you that real wide-angle effect. The image quality of the 35mm is high. The brightness for a 35mm is quite reasonable at f/2 so you can get a nice gradient from the sharp foreground to the blurred background. The lens also has image stabilization so that you can shoot well in low light with slower shutter speeds. That makes it versatile.

ULTRA-WIDE ANGLE: Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art

The Sigma 14mm 1.8 Art is very good optically. That is extra special due to the exceptionally high brightness of f/1.8. Even at full aperture, the Sigma 14mm Art performs well, and that offers additional creative possibilities, both for photography in low light and for creating background blur. Background blur with a 14mm? Yes, with this Sigma.

Low Light & bokeh: CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY, NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

The Sigma 50 mm f/1.4 Art has exceptionally high brightness of f/1.4. It is part of the new generation of lenses that immediately achieve high image quality at full aperture. This allows you to really use that nice big aperture with this Sigma. You will then be rewarded with sharp shots with a beautiful bokeh. The gradient of the sharpness to the background is very nice. The lens is also very solidly built with a good seal against dust and moisture.