The 8 Best Canon Rebel SL1 Lenses

Here is a list of the 8 best lenses for the Canon EOS Rebel SL1. A wide variety of focal lengths for different types of photography are mentioned. Additionally, each choice will have more alternatives for higher or lower prices.

Every photographer will be able to discover something they’d want in their camera bag.

Affiliate Advertising Disclosure

Outside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. I also participate in affiliate advertising programs with KEH and Adorama. More can be found on the Affiliate Discolsure page.

  1. Best All-Around Zoom: Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
  2. Best Telephoto Zoom: Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS
  3. Best Prime Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
  4. Best Lens for Video: Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
  5. Best Lens for Portraits: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
  6. Best Lens for Sports & Wildlife: Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
  7. Best Lens for Landscapes: Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM
  8. Best Lens for Macro: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
best all-in-one lens for the Canon Rebel SL1 DSLR
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM: The build quality of this lens is what you would expect from Canon’s full-frame L-series, but it is built for APS-C sensor cameras that have the EF-S mount. It is a major step up from the zoom kit lens for the Canon Rebel SL1.

A shallow depth of field with a spectacular background blur is obtainable through the zoom range because of the constant large maximum aperture. The built-in image stabilization helps to combat camera shake and improves photo sharpness.

If you had to reduce all the Canon lenses available to just one to use, this would be the best option.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD: Image stabilization makes it possible to capture tack sharp images up to 4 stops slower than if there was no optical stabilization. With the fast aperture and good zoom range, the lens is perfect for everything from portraits to landscapes.

Based on outstanding customer reviews, owners fall in love with this lens. It could be your go to choice.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM: With an equivalent zoom of 24-136mm in 35mm film format, it is a fantastic selection for general everyday photography. It is also among the ideal options for a single lens to take with you when traveling.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Best Telephoto Zoom Lens Rebel SL1
Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS

Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS: This is just like having a bunch of zooms put together together. Having a 16.6x zoom ratio means that everything from telephoto to wide angle are available. Built with 13 groups containing 17 elements, with four FLD and 1 SLD element, results in a lens that is able to take sharp crisp, high-quality photographs, without the need to worry about aberrations.

The large focal length range will have the price of it being somewhat large and heavy. There are other options that can be more comfortable to spend all day lugging around in combination with the Canon EOS Rebel SL1.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS: Here’s a very compact and lightweight lens that still has a very usuable zoom range. This is an excellent solution that supplies superb functionality, 4 stops of stabilization, and has a reasonable price. This would be the one to get to avoid unwanted size and weight.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III: Smaller sized and lighter weight than the other recommendations previously mentioned, which is an advantage if you don’t want to bring a heavy camera. The focal length is equal to 120-to-480mm on a Canon APS-C sensor, which all EOS Rebel cameras contain.

Created without image stabilization, it’s quite cost effective. This is one of the best lenses to use outdoors with plenty of light.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Best prime lens for canon eos rebel SL1
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM: Great image quality in a lightweight and small package which is one of the top lenses manufactured by Canon. The large f/1.8 aperture makes this standard focal length a good option for shooting in low light. The lens has a role in every kit and is essential for practically all photographers.

Stay away from the old version seeing as the motor that controls the focusing system is laggy and loud. If you attempt to save a little bit of cash, you will likely not care for the result. This is doubly relevant if you are wanting to record video.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM: Of all the options created for the EF-S mount, this is the smallest and thinnest. A true “pancake” wide angle lens that helps it be the best pick for travel photography as the overall size can’t be beat. It has the ability to take pictures at a minimum of 6 inches (16 cm).

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art DG HSM: A good example of what current optical engineering is able to produce. Shot wide open, images are razor sharp, from corner to corner. The hyper-sonic motor (HSM) enables quiet, accurate, and fast autofocus.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


best lens for video and blogging
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM

Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM: Among all the Canon lenses, this is the most appropriate option for capturing video. The ultra-wide-angle zoom range is excellent for vlogging and creating videos. A stepping motor (STM) supplies smooth and accurate autofocus that isn’t going to produce any noise which can negatively impact recording audio. Also, it is light weight and small enough to not become tiresome to handle while mounted on the Canon EOS Rebel SL1.

You may also buy it with the Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM in the portrait and travel kit. The combination is a good choice if you want to get 2 of Canon’s best lenses, while also saving a little bit of money.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8: It is very convenient to quickly switch from AF to MF without taking your hand off the focus ring due to the one-touch focus clutch mechanism. With a large constant f/2.8 aperture this lens can be a good way to do astrophotography.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD: Another wide-angle zoom lens that is loaded with optical innovation. An internal focusing system makes it possible to use a petal-type lens hood which generally will do a better job of preventing flare than a round lens hood. A HSM (hyper sonic motor) can provide quiet functionality.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


best lenses for portrait photography
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM: It could be the most widely used lens for portraits produced by Canon. The fast f/1.8 aperture is a great option for working in low light and has the ability to produce a shallow depth of field, with great bokeh, to separate the photo subject. This is a must have for wedding photographers.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Sigma 50mm F1.4 Art DG HSM: An excellent lens that is suitable for portrait photography as well as studio work, street, and landscape, with a pro level construction quality. Incredibly sharp from corner to corner wide open with virtually no vignetting or distortion.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM: Close to the Canon 85mm f/1.8, but is built with a marginally narrower field of view. Compared to the other two lenses mentioned, it’s ideal for low-light photography in a compact package that is comfortable to use.

Production of this lens has ended, so obtaining a new copy could be challenging. Many pre-owned copies are still readily available. Check a variety of sites to find the best price.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


best lenses for sports and wildlife
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2

Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2: The G2 is the second generation of the lens and shows a large improvement from Tamron. Photo quality level has become better across the whole zoom range while having a very good build quality. Astonishingly fast and precise autofocus is driven by an ultrasonic silent drive motor. With this mounted on your camera, you will experience no trouble taking terrific wildlife or action photos.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM: The Sigma offers a streamlined and lightweight build for a telephoto zoom lens. In addition to the hyper sonic motor and optical stabilization, there’s an accelerometer which can improve photos when panning. As an additional benefit, there’s often a promo deal that features additional products along with free shipping with the lens when you get one. That’s fantastic because free camera gear is tough to refuse.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM: Unquestionably, this lens has superior image quality than the others. With that in mind, performance comes with a substantial cost that is significantly bigger than that of the camera. Among the excellent features this lens has is a rotation-type zoom ring with adjustable torque settings allowing the lens to be customized to personal liking.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


best lens for landscape photography
Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM

Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM: Tipping the scales at only 405g (14.3 oz), this lens is a wide angle that is still compact and lightweight. Even when set to autofocus there is a manual focus override, which makes it less difficult to obtain focus. This is one of the best Canon Rebel SL1 lenses to go hiking with as it will fit in almost any camera bag.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC: Having a built-in petal-type lens hood, this ultra-wide lens is a budget choice. An outstanding solution for not just purely landscape photography but as well as for real estate and astrophotography. It can focus as close as 10.8 inches (14 cm), but that will produce noticeable distortion.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art: With a truly professional build quality, the f/1.4 20mm is the widest angle lens Sigma offers in the Art series. Featuring 15 elements in 11 groups with a 5 Special Low Disperson and a Low Dispersion glass element, axial chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, and field curvature are basically gone.

It is a somewhat big and heavy piece of glass. Do not anticipate it being nicely balanced when on the camera.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


best canon rebel SL1 macro lens
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM: A actual macro lens, capable of reaching 1:1 magnification, and the first to be produced for the EF-S mount. The front element does not move during focusing, as the lens was designed with internal focusing. You are going to love the tack sharp images taken by this lens. It’s an excellent Canon Rebel SL1 lens because of the reasonable price and compact size.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM: A top of the line professional L-series lens featuring internal focusing and optical stabilization. It is weather sealed, which makes it an outstanding option to bring out into the field in harsh conditions. Buy this lens and you’ll not need to go looking for another solution.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro: With a recessed front element and a very good working distance, you will probably never want to attach the lens hood. However, it does not have an internal focusing system, therefore the lens will extend when focusing on close subjects.

Another potential drawback if you desire to use it as a portrait lens is that there’s no integrated image stabilization. However, if you use flash that will not be a concern.

See current price and more information on:

Amazon eBay KEH


Here is a list of articles related to the Canon Rebel SL1 camera: