As a professional photographer, I started my photography and blogging journey with my trusted Canon 6D Mark II. It was the first DSLR camera that I bought for myself and up until this day I still love using it!
I’ve been using mine now for nearly 4 years and am absolutely dreading the day that I will stop working on me. This is the camera that started it all and that has been all over the world with me.
I also know, how confusing it can be to not just buy a new camera but to also figure out which lenses to buy. You can already find a detailed overview of my personal camera bag here but in this guide I’ve selected the best Canon 6D Mark II lenses. There’s an incredible amount of top-notch lenses compatible with the Canon 6D Mark II, but this article will help you identify the best lens for you.
You’ll find lenses in this guide suited for all types of photography, including portrait, street, lifestyle and wildlife photography. So without further ado, here are the top lenses for the Canon 6D Mark II for 2023.
Best Canon 6D Mark II Lenses in 2023: The Ultimate Guide
The best Canon 6D Mark II Lenses – My Top Picks
The best lenses for Canon 6D Mark II – A quick overview
Best overall lens for Canon 6D Mark II: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Best telephoto lens for Canon 6D Mark II: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM
Best prime lens for Canon 6D Mark II: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Best portrait lens for Canon 6D Mark II: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
Best wide angle lens for Canon 6D Mark II: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Best wildlife lens for Canon 6D Mark II: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Best budget lens for Canon 6D Mark II: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN
A guide to choosing the best lens for your Canon 6D Mark II
Now that you know what the best compatible lenses for the Canon 6D Mark II are, let’s talk about some important factors to consider when deciding which lens(es) are the best for you.
What kind of photos do you want to take?
Maybe a pretty obvious questions but nonetheless a very important one! And one that you really have to take into account before deciding on purchasing a certain lens.
Landscape & architecture: When you’re mostly photographing landscapes and architecture you want to be able to include as much of your surroundings as possible. You can capture details more closer to you and therefore create more epic looking photos. To do so you’ll need a proper wide angle lens. My personal favorite is the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM. This is a zoom lens which will give you more range but it does add some extra weight to your camera. If you’re looking for a very lightweight wide angle lens for the Canon 6D Mark II then you should go for the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM.
The photos below were all taken with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM.
Portraits: Generally, the best portraits have a shallow depth of field. This means that the subject is in sharp focus while the background remains blurry. The best lenses to achieve this goal are prime lenses. A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length and typically, an aperture of f/2.8 or wider. A very wide aperture like f/1.8 will help you get a shallower depth of field (even more blur). The best lens to achieve this effect is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM or the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM.
Wildlife: To shoot birds and other animals in the wild, you’ll need a telephoto lens, which has a minimum focal length of 70mm. This will allow you to capture object that are far away from you, especially if you use a super telephoto lens, which is longer than 300mm. If it’s your first time photographing wildlife and you just want a lens that will take beautiful photos of animals then I suggest going for the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM. But if you want to take beautiful close ups of wild animals that are further away I suggest investing in a super telephoto lens such as the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM.
All round travel photography: My all time favorite lens for travel photography will always be the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM. This is the most used lens in my camera bag and if I had choose just one lens this would be it. It has a great range of zoom, it’s super sharp, and goes down to 2.8 for those times when you want to create some separation between your subject and the background.
Do you like bokeh?
Bokeh is the blurred quality or effect seen in the out-of-focus portion of a photograph taken with a narrow depth of field. The quality of bokeh is largely dependent on the construction of the lens.
There are several ways to create this effect. The easiest way is by using a prime lens such as the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM or the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM.
Another option is to use a proper zoom lens such as the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM or the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM. When you zoom in with these lenses you can create the same effect. I really love this style of photography cause it adds and interesting depth of field to your photograph. By using a proper zoom lens you can bring the background closer to the main subject.
Will you often shoot in low light conditions?
If you plan to shoot in a lot of low-light situations, then you should strongly consider getting a lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or below — the wider, the better. This will allow for the maximum amount of light to still get inside of the lens so your photos won’t end up being too dark or blurry.
If this is the case then your best bet is to go for a prime lens such as the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM or the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM.
If you really have your eyes set on a more versatile zoom lens then I highly recommend getting the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM.
Do you mind if your camera is on the heavier side?
If the answer is straight up yes than you shouldn’t buy a zoom lens. These lenses are always a lot heavier than any regular prime lenses.
If you you’ goal is to mostly photograph landscapes and architecture then I suggest you invest in two lenses:
- Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM: To photograph those tall buildings and wide landscapes.
- Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM: to add more depth to your photos and make landscapes look more interesting.
Final thoughts on these compatible lenses for the Canon 6D Mark II
I hope this guide on the best lenses for the Canon 6D Mark II has been helpful for you! And if you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below ! I’m more than happy to help you in your search for the best lens for your needs.
Charlotte Lint is the founder of Charlies Wanderings.
Charlotte has traveled all over the world and is based in Belgium where she also owns her very own dental practice.
She is an expert on writing efficient travel guides and finding unique places to stay.
Every month she helps over 134.000 people discover the most beautiful places in the world through her detailed travel guides.
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