If you are looking for the Best Canon RF Lenses for Wedding Photography; here is a detailed guide for you. Our full list of top recommended RF Lenses for Wedding Photography for Canon mirrorless cameras.
Wedding photography is a beautiful art form that captures one of the most important days of a couple’s life. It’s an honor to be chosen to photograph someone’s wedding, but it can also be an intimidating task. Capturing all the special moments and emotions of the day requires not just talent and skill, but also the right equipment.
When it comes to wedding photography, the lens you choose is just as important as the camera you use. The lens you use will affect the sharpness, color, and overall quality of your images. Therefore, choosing the best Canon RF lenses for wedding photography is crucial.
With the abundance of options available, selecting the right lens can be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best Canon RF lenses for wedding photography to help you capture every moment of the big day.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the best Canon RF lenses for wedding photography. We will explore the features and benefits of each lens, including their focal length, aperture, image stabilization, autofocus performance, and build quality. Whether you’re a professional photographer or a friend who has been asked to photograph a wedding, we’ll help you understand the unique features and benefits of each lens.
So, whether you’re photographing an intimate elopement, a quirky alternative wedding, or a grand traditional wedding reception, we’ll help you find the right Canon RF lens to capture every moment and deliver results time and time again. Let’s dive into the best Canon RF lenses for wedding photography.
Best Canon RF Lenses for Wedding Photography
This article highlights the best Canon RF lenses for wedding photography, including top-rated prime and zoom lenses to meet varying preferences and requirements. Our selection includes:
- Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens: Best wide-angle lens for immersive portraits
- Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM Lens: Best lens for capturing details
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens: Best lens for isolating the subject
- Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM Lens: Best zoom lens for wedding photography
- Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens: Best versatile lens for wedding photography
- Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens: Best long lens for outdoor portraits
For a detailed analysis of each lens, we offer comprehensive reviews below. These reviews will aid in comprehending the distinct features and advantages of each lens, enabling you to make an informed decision based on your particular needs and preferences.
Key Features to Consider when Buying the Best Canon Lenses for Weddings
When searching for the best lens for wedding photography, it’s crucial to consider the following key features:
Focal length
Depending on the scene being captured, you will need different focal lengths. For portraits, a 50 or 55mm lens is ideal, while a telephoto lens is perfect for capturing the reception. For scene-setting shots, opt for a wider-angle lens. To achieve the best results, invest in multiple lenses with varying focal lengths.
Aperture
Aperture is another essential aspect to consider. A wider aperture, indicated by a lower f-stop number, provides more potential for bokeh and blurred backgrounds. An aperture of f/2.8-f/1.2 is recommended, as it allows for directing the viewer’s eye and eliminates distracting backgrounds.
Recommended f-stop for weddings
For weddings, it’s best to use wide apertures ranging from f/2 to f/4 to ensure the most important subjects stand out, such as the couple or family VIPs. This range also enables you to blur out the background, creating a stunning bokeh effect. Sticking around f/4 for most of the day will maintain the bokeh while keeping the subjects in focus. Use f/2 in low-light scenarios or for achieving the ultimate blur or bokeh.
Prime vs Zoom
Prime lenses, such as the Canon RF 50mm, are perfect for capturing portraits, couple shots, and late-night dancing, as they often have wider apertures and provide outstanding results. Zoom lenses are ideal for capturing candid moments and important elements like speeches or vows, as they allow you to blend in with the crowd and let the day unfold naturally.
Image stabilization
If you plan to shoot handheld at any point during the wedding, it’s essential to consider the image-stabilization features of the lens you choose. Built-in stabilization will help ensure sharp and clear photos, even if your hands shake naturally. When looking for the best lens for wedding photography, image stabilization is a must-have feature.
1. Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM ($2,299)
Best wide-angle lens for immersive portraits
This Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM lens features a bright f/2.8 maximum aperture, 15-35mm focal length, smooth image stabilization and more, helping you capture landscapes, architecture and other wide-angle shots in full view and clear detail. As Canon’s first F2.8 wide zoom lens equipped with IS for full-frame with a CIPA standard of five stops, the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM lens is furnished with edge-to-edge sharpness throughout the zoom range to capture clear images with high image clarity from the center of the image throughout the entire focal range. With 16 elements in 12 groups and a 9-blade aperture system, the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM lens is capable of gorgeous, out-of-focus areas and soft backgrounds throughout its zoom range. Its constant f/2.8 maximum aperture allows shallow depth of field and provides control over background blur. Equipped with Canon’s Nano USM technology for quiet and smooth focusing, and up to 5 stops of shake correction, the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM is perfect for shooting outdoors at dusk or in inclement weather, or indoors in dimly lit rooms. An Image Stabilizer also compensates for up to five stops of camera shake to help produce sharper handheld shots in difficult lighting conditions. Whether you’re shooting videos, still images of nature, close ups, architecture or sports, the RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM lens can easily provide stunning images with minimal distortion.
| Lens | Price | Buy Now |
| Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM | $2,299 | Amazon | B&H |
2. Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM Lens ($2,699)
Best lens for capturing details
An ideal lens for portraits, weddings, fashion, still life, close ups and more.
With its fixed 85mm focal length and wide f/1.2 maximum aperture, the Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM lens is ideal for photographing portraits, weddings, fashion and more, and great for low-light situations and producing beautiful, soft backgrounds. It gives you fast autofocus speed, and works great with the Eye Detection AF feature found in the EOS R and EOS RP cameras to provide impressive focus on a subject’s eye. With 13 elements in 9 groups and a 9-blade aperture system, it can deliver sharp and detailed images with gorgeous background blur and remarkable consistency. All this and more, including Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics (BR) to help reduce chromatic aberration and Air Sphere Coating to help minimize flaring and ghosting, combine to give you a lens you’ll want among your favorites. This Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM lens is a “world-class” prime lens for the serious and professional portrait shooter, raising the bar for optical and low-light performance.
3. Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens ($2,299)
Best lens for isolating the subject
An incredibly bright fixed focal length lens, the Canon RF 50mm F1.2 L USM delivers sharp images with gorgeous background blur, maintaining high image quality even wide open at its f/1.2 maximum aperture. Designed specifically for the EOS R system, its f/1.2 aperture means amazing performance in low light and gorgeous, detailed images with evocative background blur. The optical layout incorporates one UD element and one aspherical element, which help to reduce both chromatic and spherical aberrations in order to produce greater clarity and sharpness. A rounded 10-blade diaphragm also benefits bokeh quality to suit isolating subjects with depth of field. In addition, this lens offers a minimum focusing distance of 1.31 ft./0.40m with a maximum magnification of approx. 0.19x, delivering sharp and detailed images from nearly any distance. Whether you’re shooting portraits, still life or close ups, the RF 50mm F1.2 L USM can provide sharp images with minimal distortion. Complementing the imaging capabilities is an apt ring-type Ultrasonic Motor, which delivers fast, near-silent autofocus and full-time manual focus override. Simply put, the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM gives you amazing image clarity and a wealth of detail even in the corners or the edges of the frame, plus it has a minimum focusing distance of roughly 15 inches – making it a great choice for a variety of applications, including portraiture, weddings, street shooting and fine art photography.
4. Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM ($2,999)
Best zoom lens for wedding photography
With a wide-angle to portrait-length focal range and an impressive constant maximum aperture of f/2, this Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM all-around zoom lens is capable of utilizing faster shutter speeds and delivering professional-quality images for different photography niches like portraiture, landscape, wedding photography, and photojournalism. It’s also capable of performing well in low-light conditions and delivering exceptional bokeh quality with its nine rounded aperture blades, both for isolating subjects and adding more dramatic results while taking photos and recording videos. Ultra-Low Dispersion glass is employed in the optical design, and greatly reduces color fringing and chromatic aberrations in order to realize high clarity and color accuracy. Complementing the advanced optical properties is Canon’s proven ring-type Ultrasonic Motor, which delivers fast and quiet autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus control. And it features a customizable control ring that allows photographers to adjust exposure compensation, shutter speed, aperture or ISO. Simply put, the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM lens, the world’s first standard zoom lens with an f/2 aperture, is excellent for capturing landscapes, weddings and portraits with its large aperture for stunning bokeh.
5. Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens
Best versatile lens for wedding photography
With a standard focal length zoom range, a bright f/2.8 maximum aperture, NANO USM technology for accurate and silent AF operation- combined with reduced focus breathing for more seamless focus transitions – the dynamic Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM lens helps you cover it all, from portraits and landscapes, to travel and everyday moments. Bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture ensures sharp and stunning images. With 21 elements in 15 groups and a 9-blade aperture system, it maintains consistent illumination throughout the zoom range to deliver stunning images with gorgeous background blur. The featured Nano USM technology enhances video performance, especially when tracking moving subjects, by achieving accurate and silent AF. Whether shooting handheld or in poorly-lit situations, this lens ensures that pictures stay sharp and steady with up to five stops of shake correction. In addition, an Image Stabilizer also compensates for up to five stops of camera shake to help produce sharper handheld shots in difficult lighting conditions. This Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM is a perfect all-purpose lens for all types of photography ventures.
6. Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM ($2,699)
An excellent lens for portrait, wedding, sports and wildlife.
Featuring an incredibly bright zoom with an f/2.8 maximum aperture, 17 elements in 13 groups and a 9-blade aperture system, the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is engineered to deliver sharp images with beautiful background blur. A first for Canon lenses, the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM features two Nano USM motors providing an even greater level of high-speed autofocus for still image shooting and quiet and smooth autofocus for video shooting. The lens also incorporates a floating focus control, another Canon first, that drives the two lens groups individually while using the two aforementioned Nano USM motors. An Image Stabilizer also compensates for up to five stops of camera shake to help produce sharper handheld shots in difficult lighting conditions. The floating focus lens element shortens focusing distance and help reduce breathing, providing users with fast, consistent and reliable performance. In addition, as Canon’s lightest and shortest 70-200mm f/2.8 lens ever, the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is engineered to make traveling more comfortable, offering a compact and portable design that’s easy to pack and carry wherever you go. Coupled with a large f/2.8 maximum aperture for sharp, bright images and videos, even in low-light settings, Canon’s Nano USM technology for fast and virtually silent AF and up to 5 stops of shake correction, the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM will quickly become a favorite among portrait, wedding and sports photographers.