Finding the Best Fast Zoom Lens for Canon APSC is vital, as a fast zoom lens is one of the most useful piece of camera equipment you can have for your DSLR. It allows you to cover an incredible focal length range. A lens that has an aperture larger than f/2.8 is considered to be a ‘fast’ zoom lens enabling easy shooting in low light. Fast lenses are good for portraits above all else, landscapes usually require a small aperture so keep that in mind if you’re not interested in portrait work.
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned photographer, you should ideally have around three lenses and so it is advised to choose the best pairings. These are some of the best fast zooms lenses from a variety of manufacturers compatible with Canon APS-C cameras to help you make an informed choice.
These lenses fit nicely on the Canon APS-C so no need to worry about cropped sensors.
Best Fast Zoom Lens for Canon APSC
1. Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
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This is an old one, launched nearly a decade ago, but it remains one of the best as it has a fast and constant f/2.8 aperture and features ultrasonic auto-focus and displays focus distance scale beneath the viewing window. This lens provides a nice wide angle zoom to produce more natural “human eye” like photos.
The ultra-low dispersion glass provides improved clarity and sharpness, while the Super Spectra coating suppresses flare and ghosting for increased contrast when working in bright environment.
However, it is quite expensive for standard APS-C cameras and is not part of the L-series (Luxury) lenses and has no weather seals so you will have to buy the lens hood separately.
2. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Zoom Lens
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This zooms lens is part of the L-series and has become a standard for professional photographers earning a great reputation due to sharp optics and ability to use in almost any environment making it great for travel, portrait, landscape and photojournalism.
The fixed aperture gives optimum control over depth of field while the zoom range makes the most of the ambient light. The latest advances provide high quality sharp images with reduced distortions. The biggest disappointment is the image stabilization which has been compromised over sharper images.
3. Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM
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This features an advanced optical formula with a large-diameter telephoto lens making it ideal for creative portrait photography in superb detail. This fast portrait lens provides clear, sharp images in full detail ideal for high-resolution sensors.
Furthermore, the bright f/1.4 aperture allows focusing and faster shutter speeds even in low light delivering sharp and detailed images suitable for virtually any application.
A camera is only as good as the lens it is connected to, and this makes the EF 88mm perfect for a variety of assignments delivering spectacular images. However, it is large and bulky and doesn’t fully have weather resistant seals.
4. Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM
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If you have a Canon then it is advisable to use official lenses, but some third party lenses such as Sigma provide similar of even better performance and are immensely popular among many photographers.
The Canon EF-mount 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Lens from Sigma is one such versatile zoom lens suitable for shooting in a wide variety of environments provide sharp images.
This optical stabilization system helps compensate for camera shake and provides greater clarity and sharpness and high quality images. However, this is a lot bigger and heavier, and obviously more expensive as well.
5. Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM
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The passion for photographer drives Sigma to come up with the best for their clients with world-class innovation and quality leading them to introduce the Art lens series.
The 35mm f/1.4 was designed for full-frame cameras but can also be used with Canon APS-C sensors as well. It was also the first addition to the Art category by Sigma and includes new features based around a unique lens concept and design.
This optically advanced wide angle prime lens mixes a comfortable focal length with a fast design. The bright f/1.4 aperture provides shallow depth of field making it ideal in low light and must have for any camera, but not ideal if you want to shoot in damp or dusty conditions.
6. Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS
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Samyang (also labelled Rokinon in the US) has been building highly popular and excellent lenses for a while, particularly after the release of the successful AF prime lenses which have a great reputation among many photographers.
This prime extra wide-angle lens is ideally suited for interior, architectural and landscape photography. The f/2.8 aperture is very bright even under relatively dark environment and can capture clear images.
The manual focus allows selective control over focus placement. It also has a Nano Coating System (NCS) which creates lower reflection rate and high contrast, while light penetration is very high to minimize flare and ghost.
There is also a petal-shaped lens hood to shelter lens from unnecessary light, but unfortunately there is no autofocus or image stabilization which have been compromised over image quality.
7. Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE
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This news lens builds on the strengths of its predecessor known for its beautiful out-of-focus pictures, and brings more advanced optical design for mirrorless cameras.
This is a great leap forward with a quick and accurate autofocus and excellent resolution. The bright maximum f/1.4 aperture provides excellent performance even when shooting indoors or in dark conditions. Its detailed rendering results in exceptional image quality
The short telephoto focal length with wide maximum aperture achieves a dramatically shallow depth of field, setting your images apart than those taken with other lenses.
This was designed to lessen the user’s burden with a much shorter length and smaller size and can be carried with ease but is rather expensive than alternate and the autofocus is rather disappointing.
8. Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Canon EF
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This fast standard zooms lens is lightweight, compact and designed exclusively for DSLR cameras belonging to the super performance class distinguished by high optical and mechanical quality.
The high luminosity is ideal for low-light background resulting in smooth image composition, and even bokeh, or background blur, where the subject is released from the background making beautiful portraiture shots coupled with faster shutter speeds and maximum aperture.
However, the lens is only compatible with Canon EOS cameras and not full format or 35mm SLR cameras as the image sensors cannot cover the full area resulting in dark corners.
9. Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD
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This new series of SP lens by Tamron combines the latest advancements in digital photography to bring a technologically advanced camera system with the best performance.
The f/1.8 lens delivers crisp and sharp images at any setting, while the 45mm focal length allows you to move in closer to subjects, opening a new world of creative opportunities while maintaining image quality. The only major drawback is that it is expensive compared to similar alternatives.
10. Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF10. Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF
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Tokina launched a new series of next generation full-frame lenses called ‘Opera’ for high-end DSLR cameras. They are designed for high-resolution cameras as they demand high quality optical designs for premium performance.
The lens incorporates the latest advancements in optical engineering and electronic design, advanced features like fast and quieter ultrasonic motors, and advanced weather sealing technology to meet the demands of modern DSLRs.
The fast and accurate auto-focus provides a valuable tools to photographers and filmmakers when speed and quiet are critical requirements for their shots. This makes it an excellent choice for hobbyist as well as professional photographers.
Conclusion
It can be difficult to make a choice due to the wide variety of fast zoom lenses available for Canon APS-C cameras. Standard zoom or ‘kit’ lens are sold with most Canon DSLR, but they will only go so far having mediocre performance and standard image stabilization.
This list will help you with purchasing a fast zoom lens and we have placed the main contenders and outright winner, but it is necessary for you to consider your requirements and choose the lens that best suit you, your budget, and provides the best value for your Canon DSLR camera.
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