Experienced photographers know that a great lens is every bit as important as a great camera. Don’t make the mistake of focusing solely on your DSLR or mirrorless camera purchase and buying a cheap lens as an afterthought—it’s a better idea to consider the best lens options up front. And this doesn’t mean you need to buy the most expensive glass; it’s easy to put together a kit that is reasonably priced and captures great images.

Below are our detailed lens recommendations organized by lens type and camera model. For each, we’ve researched and listed the best lenses in categories like wide-angle, portrait, macro, telephoto, and kit. You can also see our lens reviews by manufacturer, including leading lenses for Nikon, Canon, and Sony (with more to come). Feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section, and we hope you enjoy your photography!

 

10 Great Canon EF-S (APS-C) Lenses

The EF-S lens options for your Canon DSLR are immense, from standard kit zooms to specialty primes and third-party lenses. To help you wade through the fray, we’ve picked the...

10 Great Canon EF (Full Frame) Lenses

Buying a Canon full-frame DSLR is a very exciting prospect, but deciding on the right lenses can be challenging. To help you wade through the masses of Canon EF (full-frame) lens models...

10 Great Sony FE (Full Frame) Lenses

Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras have created a lot of buzz in the photography world, and they keep improving with each rendition. It’s true that the FE lens options for Sony still...

10 Great Nikon DX Lenses

There is an impressive collection of Nikon DX-format cameras on the market—the latest generation includes the entry-level D3300, mid-range D5500, and prosumer D7200. Regardless of your photography experience or style...

10 Great Nikon FX (Full Frame) Lenses

Nikon’s full-frame camera lineup is impressive, but perhaps even more so is the extensive collection of FX-format (full frame) lenses. Below are 10 of the best FX...

10 Great Micro Four Thirds Lenses

Micro Four Thirds cameras have exploded in popularity of late, and there is a wide variety of lens options on the market from budget to professional. Our picks for the best Micro Four Thirds lenses below...

10 Great Fujifilm X-Mount Lenses

Fujifilm’s mirrorless camera systems have come on strong, with models like the X-T2 and X-Pro2 garnering serious followings among photography enthusiasts...

Best Lenses for Nikon D500

The D500 is Nikon’s fastest DX camera ever, shooting a whopping 10 fps. It’s the company’s top crop sensor camera for sports and wildlife, and even has the same advanced autofocus as the high-end, full-frame Nikon D5. Below we break down...

Best Lenses for Nikon D7200

New for 2015, the D7200 ($1,197) is Nikon’s leading crop-frame DSLR and a fantastic camera overall. Many of the technical specs are similar or the same as the D7100, but notable improvements include increased buffering speed...

Best Lenses for Nikon D7100

For serious amateurs and photography enthusiasts, the Nikon D7100 is the company's top DX-format camera, featuring a large 24.1-megapixel sensor and Full HD 1080p video capability. Below are the best...

Best Lenses for Nikon D5500

he Nikon D5500 ($897) is one the top crop-frame DSLRs of 2015, featuring new touchscreen functionality on the rear LCD, improved ergonomics that make the camera easier to grip...

Best Lenses for Nikon D5300

The Nikon D5300 is one of the leading mid-range DSLRs on the market, featuring a 24.2-megapixel sensor and a host of popular features like Full HD 1080p Video and built-in Wi-Fi...

Best Lenses for Nikon D5200

The Nikon D5200 is a powerhouse DSLR featuring a 24.1-megapixel sensor and Full HD 1080p video capability. The camera currently is a great value—the release of the...

Best Lenses for Nikon D3300

The D3300 ($497) is Nikon's leading entry-level DSLR and a great value at under $500 with an 18-55mm kit lens. For the price you get a 24.2-megapixel image sensor, Nikon’s EXPEED...

Best Lenses for Nikon D3200

The Nikon D3200 is one of the leading entry-level DSLRs on the market and features an impressive 24.1-megapixel image sensor and 1080p Full HD video capability. Below is our list of the best lenses for...

Best Lenses for Nikon D810

The 36.3-megapixel D810 is Nikon's top full-frame digital SLR and can produce professional images and videos in almost all conditions. When choosing lenses for the Nikon 810, keep in mind that the camera's high resolution...

Best Lenses for Nikon D750

The Nikon D750 leads the pack of affordable full-frame DSLRs in 2015, offering professional-grade image quality at a sub-$2,000 price point. You get the same EXPEED 4 image processor and 1080p video speeds...

Best Lenses for Nikon D610

The Nikon D610 is one of the best values of any full-frame camera, currently selling for under $1,500 for the body. The D610 replaced the D600, a promising release that was plagued by an unusual accumulation...

Best Lenses for Canon 80D

Released in 2016, the new Canon EOS 80D is one of the top enthusiast DSLRs on the market. With a range of manual controls, a fast and accurate 45-point cross-type autofocus, and weather resistant body, this...

Best Lenses for Canon 70D

For photography enthusiasts, the Canon EOS 70D ($999) is one of the company's leading crop-frame DSLRs and a significant step up from the Rebel series. The 70D features a 20.2-megapixel image sensor, Full HD 1080p...

Best Lenses for Canon T6i

For 2015, Canon continues its popular line of Rebel DSLR cameras with the new T6i and T6s. The most notable improvement on both versions is the 24.2-megapixel image sensor...

Best Lenses for Canon Rebel T5i

Canon’s Rebel series of DSLR cameras has been extremely popular for years, and the Rebel T5i ($749) is the latest version to hit the market. This camera is great for beginners with easy-to-use functionality and produces impressive...

Best Lenses for Canon Rebel T4i

The Canon Rebel T4i is one of the top entry-level DSLRs on the market—the camera is lightweight, easy to use, and captures great video. And with the release of the Canon EOS Rebel...

Best Lenses for Canon Rebel SL1

The Canon Rebel SL1 is one of the smallest and lightest DSLRs ever made. At just 14.4 ounces you get much of the performance of the popular Rebel series of DSLRs without weighty features...

Best Lenses for Canon 5D Mark III

Canon’s leading full-frame digital SLR is the 5D Mark III, which features a 22.3-megapixel full-frame sensor and steller image and video quality overall. Given the powerful resolution...

Best Lenses for Canon 6D

The Canon EOS 6D is an extremely popular “budget” full-frame DSLR, a category that Nikon pioneered back in 2012 with the D600 (the D750 is their latest offering). The Canon 6D is a great camera on a number...

Best Lenses for Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Continuing its popular line of mirrorless cameras, in 2015 Olympus released the OM-D E-M5 Mark II. The Mark II is compact, weather resistant, and plays off many of the strong points of the OM-D...

Best Lenses for Olympus OM-D E-M1

The 16.3-megapixel Olympus OM-D E-M1 is one of the leading mirrorless cameras on the market in 2014, with stellar image quality and a number of popular features like...

Best Lenses for Olympus OM-D E-M5

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 had a long reign near the top Olympus’ mirrorless camera lineup. In 2015 it was replaced by the new OM-D E-M5 Mark II, but the E-M5 is a still a great option and...

Best Lenses for Sony Alpha a6300

The new Sony Alpha a6300 represents a major jump from the previous generation, featuring 4K video and improved autofocus that is among the best in the business. For these reasons, it’s one of the top cameras...

Best Lenses for Sony Alpha a6000

The Alpha a6000 is part of Sony’s latest generation of mirrorless cameras that are extraordinarily well-liked for their small size and impressive image quality. When choosing lenses for the a6000, the two kit options...

Best Lenses for Fujifilm X-Pro2

Don’t let the retro design fool you: the Fujifilm X-Pro2 is one the top mirrorless cameras on the market in 2016. New to the camera are a higher resolution sensor, more advanced autofocus...

Best Lenses for Fujifilm X-T2

We love the X-T1, but the new Fujifilm X-T2 has received major improvements that make it a serious contender to just about any mirrorless camera on the market. Most notable are the increased...