By Tati Taylor 2 days ago, Cameras & Lenses
The best lenses for Canon T3i to buy this year.
Canon T3i is a DSLR camera suitable for entry-level photographers. Compared to its predecessor, T2i/550D, it is considerably improved with new features.
Although it preserves the same resolution sensor and processor, it is capable of shooting in HD, has a swivel screen, different shooting modes, filters, and upgraded software. Canon T3i comes with a standard 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS kit lens, making it a decent option on the modern photography market.
A good camera allows you to explore all the facets of your creativity, and with the T3i, you can achieve fantastic results regardless of the photography genre you are engaged in. However, if you want to bring your photography to the whole next level, you can pair your camera with the best lenses for Canon T3i.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.13m | Max magnification: 1x | Filter thread: 49mm | Dimensions (WxL): 69.2 x 55.8mm | Weight: 190g
⊕ Small and portable
⊕ 1:1 magnification
⊕ Optical stabilization
⊕ Crisp images
⊖ Produces slight barrel distortion
⊖ Darkening toward the corners can happen
This lens is designed for APS-C cameras. It has awesome close-focusing capabilities to produce life-size images. Due to the integrated light, the shadows your camera casts when you move the lens closer to your subject become brighter. However, unlike premium macro lenses, the EF-S 35mm f/2.8 produces slight barrel distortion.
This Canon T3i 35mm lens has a 56mm-equivalent focal length, powerful Macro mode, and exclusive design. Aside from a 1:1 life-size max magnification, 5.1"" closest focusing distance, it uses front-facing Macro Lite LED to fix lighting issues when working at close distances.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 1.5m | Max magnification: 0.25x | Filter thread: 58mm | Dimensions (WxL): 71 x 122mm | Weight: 480g
⊕ Integrated AF system
⊕ Compatible with full-frame sensors
⊕ Excellent coverage
⊖ Isn’t weather-sealed
⊖ Extends during focusing
⊖ Slow aperture at the wide end
The Canon EF 75-300mm is a compact and lightweight 4x telephoto zoom. The combination of broad focal length coverage and silent autofocus motor makes it a perfect option for taking portraits or documenting sports events.
This is an all around lens for Canon T3i that covers the portrait and mid-range telephoto distances and uses micro USM motor to deliver fast, accurate, and noiseless focusing. Some elements have Super Spectra coating to minimize lens flare and ghosting. Thus, you can get high-quality pictures with improved contrast and precise colors.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: none | Min focus distance: 0.35m | Max magnification: 0.1x | Filter thread: none| Dimensions (WxL): 77 x 84 mm | Weight: 519g
⊕ Crisp results
⊕ Minimized lens flare
⊕ Low chromatic aberrations
⊕ Reasonably-priced
⊖ Lens hood fits badly
⊖ Manual focus is difficult to use
The Meike 8mm f3.5 has a unique fisheye design and produces a circular, vignette image and extremely wide FOV. With this lens for Canon Rebel T3i, you can achieve a strong perspective effect, unique massive distortion and curvature at the horizon.
Multi-layer Nano coating is applied to some lens elements to prevent surface reflection and reduce lens flare and ghosting. This allows you to take spectacular images with enhanced contrast, even if you shoot in a bright and backlit environment.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.28m | Max magnification: 0.2x | Filter thread: 95mm | Dimensions (WxL): 105 x 260.1mm | Weight: 1830g
⊕ Incredible telephoto reach
⊕ Produces sharp images
⊕ Tripod collar and lens hood
⊕ Fast focusing
⊖ Some chromatic aberration
⊖ Average pincushion distortion
With a rather bulky design, the Sigma 150-600mm has impressive telephoto reach, robust constriction, and full-frame sensor coverage. With a powerful optical stabilization, you can take sharp images even if you shoot moving subjects handheld at slow shutter speeds.
Although this Canon T3i telephoto lens delivers crisp results, it produces slight chromatic aberration and pincushion distortion. However, it isn’t a serious drawback for those, who are engaged in wildlife and sports photography. Considering its features and reasonable cost, the Sigma 150-600mm will be a decent addition to your camera gear kit.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: no | Min focus distance: 0.85m | Max magnification: 0.4x | Filter thread: no| Dimensions (WxL): 77x110 mm | Weight: 430g
⊕ Slight chromatic aberration
⊕ Affordable
⊕ Excellent sharpness
⊖ Extends during focusing
⊖ Slow aperture at the wide end
This is an excellent camera lens for Canon Rebel T3i that has Ultra Multi-Coating to ensure excellent light transmission and eliminate lens flare and ghosting. You can use this prime lens with manual focusing to achieve fantastic results at wide apertures.
While shooting at F1.8, you can take crisp shots even when the lighting situation leaves much to be desired. Both professionals and hobbyists looking for a budget-friendly can make good use of this fast and powerful prime lens.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8
Our Choice |
CHECK PRICE→ | |
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Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6
Professional |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Meike 8mm f3.5
Budget |
CHECK PRICE → |
Canon Rebel T3i compatible lenses differ depending on the motors used. USM and STM are the most typical types of motors. The models created based on the USM technology boast the ideal combination of speed and durability. That is why many photographers choose them for shooting fast-paced sports, action, and outdoor photos. Even though STM lenses work slower than USM ones, they ensure smoother and more silent operation. Such lenses are suitable for common photography ventures and shooting crisp footage.
The aperture of a lens defines the amount of light that can be transmitted to the image sensor. The larger the aperture opening is, the lower f-number the lens has. If you want to get right in action photography and capture fast-paced scenes without blur, it is better to use the lens with a wide aperture since it allows you to use a higher shutter speed.
The focal length is another important aspect to consider when choosing the best lenses for Canon T3i. Since the lens may cover different focal length ranges, there is a general rule every photographer can follow. If you want to photograph ultra-wide-angle scenes such as cityscapes and landscapes, you need to pick the lens with 8-24mm focal length. 24-35mm lenses produce a wide angle of view and are suitable for architecture, interior, and landscape photography. If you need to zoom in the subjects in motion and capture them at a medium distance, it is recommended to select a 135-300mm telephoto lens. Those who photograph distant objects should pay attention to the super-telephoto lenses with the focal length of more than 300mm.
Image stabilization is no less vital spec to pay attention to before making a purchase. When you take pictures at slower shutter speeds handheld, the accidental motion of your camera may result in blurry images. That is why many lenses come with built-in image stabilization (IS) systems. Apart from making your images crisper, the IS-powered lens allows you to take high-quality pictures at slower shutter speeds without attaching the camera to a tripod.
The majority of lenses with image stabilization can give you 2-4 stops (exposures 4–16 times longer), which allows avoiding blurry photos. Lens-based optical stabilization will come especially in handy if you zoom in subjects when shooting in poorly-lit conditions.
Those who want to add a Canon Rebel T3i wide angle lens to their photography gear kit can consider the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM. This model attracted lots of photographers since it is the first wide-angle lens that combines exceptional image quality, first-class optical performance, and affordability. The EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 has an ultra-wide angle of view, which isn't inferior to more expensive models. It features large-diameter aspherical lens elements in 4 groups and UD lens elements to produce high-resolution images with boosted contrast and reduced glare and aberration. Also, the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 has a circular aperture with seven blades to create beautifully blurred backgrounds and highlight the subject.
While shopping for lenses, you may be confused with such abbreviations as USM or STM. These abbreviations define the type of motor used in a lens. USM refers to Ultra Sonic Motor, while STM refers to Stepper Motor. Each motor technology has its strengths and weaknesses. STM lenses use Canon's Stepper Motor technology. DSLR cameras weren’t commonly used for video recording until the STM lenses were released.
If you are on the lookout for the best lenses for Canon T3i, you may choose between three options. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is a perfect variant both for outdoor and studio photography. The quiet STM focusing system and Super Spectra coating make this model stand ahead from the rivals. You may also consider a more expensive option – the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. This lens amazes with its flexibility and durability. No less decent model is the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4. Although this lens is somewhat high-priced, it is a classic. Being suitable for professional photographers, the EF 70-200mm f/4 produces sharp images with accurate colors.
T3i is a part of popular Canon’s Ti-series, which was released in February 2011. Rebel is Canon's lineup of entry-level DSLR cameras. These cameras offer advanced functionality to manually adjust the controls and automatic modes for simple operation.
The T3i can record 1080 HD videos and produces decent image quality. Since the camera uses a CMOS sensor, you should control the rolling shutter effect.
The Canon EOS 600D is a single-lens camera with an 18-megapixel CMOS sensor introduced by the manufacturer in February 2011. It is released as the EOS Kiss X5 in Japan and the EOS Rebel T3i in the USA.
A lot of professional photographers sometimes use auto mode on their cameras. Besides, many photographers shoot in semi-auto modes such as Shutter Priority mode or Aperture Priority modes. Choosing the right mode depends on various aspects such as photography genre, shooting conditions, etc.
