Canon 800D: SLR FOR STARTERS WHO WANT TO GROW

We selected the best lenses for a Canon 800D from 75 lens reviews with a Canon APS-C SLR

The Canon EOS 800D, or Canon T7i as it is called in North America, is a camera that is very suitable for starters and for photographers who want to grow. The camera offers an interface that guides starting photographers and helps them step by step through taking pictures. But you can turn that interface off and just use all the advanced features that the 800D offers.

GOOD AND AFFORDABLE LENSES FOR Canon 800D:

The Canon 800D has a 24-megapixel sensor with high dynamic range with which you can take fantastic pictures. It has a good autofocus system and Dual Pixel AF for outstanding autofocus in Liveview (when you do not want the viewfinder) and video.

Of course, all lenses with an EF or EF-S mount fit on the 800D. With all the non-maker brands, the choice is enormous. We have now reviewed more than 70. Because of the excellent sensor and the good video capabilities, the 800D asks for lenses that are particularly suitable for this. We assume that photographers who opt for an 800D want to get a little more out of their camera than photographers who opt for an entry camera like the 1300D. That’s why these are our favorites for the 800D.

HOW DO WE CHOOSE?

The Canon EOS 800D is more advanced than starter cameras like the 1200D and 1300D, and is larger than the EOS 200D. We looked for lenses that offer a lot of options and quality, which also make an excellent combination with the slightly larger body of the 800D. The 800D is also a camera for photographers who are a bit more serious about photography and who like to make beautiful pictures with their equipment. That’s why we also looked at lenses that offer just a bit more in brightness, quality and capabilities. And where possible, we have also taken into account a possible future transition to full frame.

HOW ARE THE BEST LENSES FOR THE CANON EOS 800D SELECTED?

For the recommendation, we only look at lenses we have tested thoroughly. Canon makes SLR cameras with two different sensors: full-frame and APS-C. For the smaller APS-C sensors, Canon makes a separate set of lenses with an EF-S mount. These are generally smaller, lighter and cheaper than lenses with an EF mount. Lenses with an EF mount are namely also suitable for the larger full-frame cameras such as the EOS 5D series and the EOS 1DX. The EF-S lenses do not fit on those. For lenses for the EOS 800D, we have looked at both EF and EF-S lenses. If you choose an EF lens, you can use it later if you later transition to a full-frame camera like the EOS 6D (Mark II).

For choosing the best lenses for the 800D, we looked at the results you get with the lenses in both jpg and 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 a fair comparison, but the results in jpeg can therefore differ from the results in RAW. 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 800D KIT LENS? STANDARD ZOOM: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

We choose the Canon EF-S 18-135 for the 800D over the usual 18-55mm kit lens. The image quality is comparable with the latest generation of kit lenses, but the 18-135 has a larger zoom range than the small kit lens. Because it is a bit bigger, it actually fits better physically with the 800D than the kit lens does.

STANDARD FIXED FOCAL LENGTH: Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM

This lens is actually designed as a pancake for the full-frame cameras. The image quality is extraordinarily good for such a compact lens, and on the 800D you only use the best part of the image, namely the middle. All you need to keep in mind is the slightly field of view you get on an 800D compared to a full-frame camera and the slightly lower brightness due to its compact design. If you want a lens that is just as small but with a little wider angle, then there is also an EF-S 24mm f/2.8 pancake for the 800D. Its image quality is slightly less than that of the 40mm.

MACROPHOTOGRAPHY WITH A CANON 800D: Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro

The Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro is a lens suitable for full frame. On full frame, a 90 or 100mm is pretty much the shortest you would want if you want to photograph insects, for instance. Otherwise, you will soon get too close, and exposing with flashes also becomes difficult. On an APS-C camera, the working distance with the same magnification is a bit bigger, which is really nice. Add to this the high sharpness of this Tokina, the reasonable price for a macro and the fact that you can also use this Tokina as a beautiful bright telephoto, and it becomes clear why we recommend this lens.

ULTRA-WIDE ANGLE: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 PRO DX II SD

This super-wide angle offers a beautiful combination of high sharpness, high brightness and an attractive price. That’s pretty unique. It is solidly built and offers high sharpness at full aperture in the center and corners that do not lag far behind. The new version II has a better coating and there has been a lot of progress in that in recent years. Thanks to the high brightness, this lens focuses quickly, and you can keep shooting in low light.

Fisheye: Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 AT-X AF DX Fisheye

With fisheye lenses, you can achieve very unique effects. And there are also people who use them as an alternative to a wide-angle lens, by ‘de-fishing’ the shots in special software. They then remove the convex distortion and make a neat straight-angle shot from it. So a versatile lens. The Tokina 10-17mm is not only good, but also one of the least expensive.

PORTRAIT AND/OR BOKEH: Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8

Like the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM, the Yongnuo is a lens that you can use on Canon full-frame cameras. It looks like a twin of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8, which has been dubbed on the internet as the ‘plastic fantastic’. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 was beloved as the only Canon lens with exceptional image quality and a price tag of less than one hundred euros. The Yongnuo performs just as well and is even cheaper. On the 800D, the 50mm works as a light telephoto that you can use outstandingly for portraits and night shots. Don’t think about it, just buy.

 TelePHOTO zoom: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG HSM OS Contemporary

Granted, there are more compact telephoto lenses for the 800D. The Canon 55-200mm or even the EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM are also candidates. But let’s recommend something special here, namely the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG HSM OS Contemporary. This telephoto lens has an enormous range and is even well-suited on the 800D for safari, thanks to its enormous range. But he is also sharp and affordable. And thanks to the good image stabilization and the quite reasonable weight for these kinds of long focal lengths, it is still suitable for shooting by hand.

VACATION ZOOM: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

Here, too, we choose the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. Canon also makes an 18-200mm that offers a bit more range, but that scores slightly lower in our tests. The higher image quality you get with the 18-135mm in combination with the 24-megapixel sensor makes it worthwhile to sacrifice a little range. What also matters is that this objective is not only better but also more compact than the 18-200mm. Because of the STM autofocus, it is also suitable for video. Those who want more range than 135mm could look at the new Tamron 18-400mm. Then you can really zoom in, for unique nature shots, for example.