The Best Lenses for Canon M50 Reviewed
The Canon EOS M50 recently gained a lot of traction in the mirrorless market thanks to how affordable the camera is. However, many of the consumers aren’t familiar with good lenses for the EOS M mount. We look to solve that for you as we embark on a journey to find you the best lenses for Canon M50.
Sure, the camera could adapt to other lenses but there was a severe lack of good native lenses. That is why we have decided to look at the best lenses for Canon M50. This is a ridiculously compact camera that is excellent for vlogging or even for street photography because of how small and compact it is.
Also, be sure to check out our blog dedicated to Canon M50 tips.
Best Lenses For Canon M50
The best lens that you can get for the Canon M50 is the Sigma 16mm f/1.4. This lens is specifically made for this mount and offers exceptional sharpness and shallow depth of field and at 16mm, can be used for vlogging and other purposes that require a wide focal length.
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 – Best Overall Lens
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 is available in multiple mounts. The f/1.4 aperture is excellent for all the shooting experience.
Sigma lenses have always been amazing and that is one thing that we all can agree upon. The Canon m50 sigma 16mm 1.4 is no different as it is one of the widest prime lenses that Sigma has to offer both in terms of the aperture as well as the focal length and for the Canon M50, this is an excellent lens.
For starters, this best Sigma lens for Canon M50 brings one of the widest apertures that you could want in a good lens. The wide field of view works well, and the lens itself looks good, too. You are looking at one of the sharpest lenses on the market.
Another thing that I love about this lens is that despite being as wide as 16mm, this lens offers a wide illumination across the board, which means that your images are all evenly lit, and that is good. The lens is also available in multiple mounts, too. So, you do not have to worry about adaptability or nativity.
My only issue with this lens is that there is some visible barrel distortion on this lens but during the testing process, I honestly did not feel like it would be that big of an issue for a lot of people.
Overall, if you are thinking about picking up a new lens, this easily makes it to this list as one of the best lenses for Canon M50 vlogging or some other photography or videography styles that require a similar lens. Sure, it might look slightly larger, but that is not going to stop anyone from getting the experience they want.
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Canon EF-M 11-22mm – Best Lens for Wide-Angle Photography
Canon EF-M 11-22mm is sharp from edge to edge. You get a sturdy build quality to go with it.
I have to be honest when Canon announced the EF-M mount, a lot of people including myself thought that this would become the new norm for Canon mirrorless cameras, but Canon had some other plans as this mount was only for the Canon M cameras including the M50.
With that said, the Canon EF-M 11-22mm did not surprise a lot of people. It felt like a wide-angle zoom lens with variable aperture and nothing much to offer, to begin with. However, once people started getting their hands on it and using it, then things changed because this lens is good.
How good? Well, this is one of the smallest zoom lenses that you are going to find in the market. But that is not all, you are also looking at one of the sturdiest builds in a lens, and the lens offers crisp images from edge-to-edge. Something that surprised many people because for the price, you are getting a lot of lenses.
However, one of the most impressive things about this lens was the fact that it offered image stabilization as well, which is always a good feature to have on any lens, to be honest. Even if you are not using it, the fact that the feature is there makes a better case for the lens itself.
There are a few downsides to this lens, however. For instance, there is some visible distortion, which is expected at such a wider angle, and the lens suffers from fall-off whenever you are shooting in RAW.
Overall, the Canon EF-M 11-22mm is one of the more promising lenses available in the market. I understand that this is not going to be for everyone. This is one of the best lenses for Canon M50 photography or wide-angle photography because it works well.
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Canon EF-M 28mm – Best Macro Lens for Canon M50
Canon EF-M 28mm barely has any distortion. The autofocus motor is smooth and quiet and it actually produces some amazing shots.
Despite being very niche, I have to admit that macro lenses are a lot of fun. My love for these lenses came back to life when I started using the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the ultra-wide-angle camera on the lens that doubles up as the best macro lens for canon m50 thanks to its really low minimum focusing distance.
Then got me thinking about the Canon EF-M 28mm lens as well, because this right here is a hidden gem and if you do like good macro photography on cheap, then this lens is the way to go. Hey, this even comes with an integrated LED ring that sheds enough light on the subject so you are not missing out on the close-ups.
With that said, the good thing about this lens is that it offers edge-to-edge sharpness, and the 1.2x magnification might not sound more but it is more than enough to give you fantastic results whenever you are taking pictures. The lens also offers integrated LED light so you can illuminate your subject while photographing.
You are also getting smooth and quiet autofocus, which is a treat to use. What’s even better is that the lens comes with image stabilization, which is something that surprised me, but hey, I will take image stabilization any day over no image stabilization.
Another thing is that the lens offers minimal distortion, so your images always appear looking straight and that is always a treat. The lens itself is compact, and perhaps the biggest selling point here is that the lens barely costs anything, which is always good to have.
On the downside, I did notice a few things. For starters, the corners can get dim when you are shooting RAW, but nothing you can’t fix in post-processing. The maximum aperture is also on the narrower side, and the lens mount is made out of plastic, which is not the best choice of material.
Overall, the Canon EF-M 28mm is a hidden gem, to be honest. I realized that a lot of people would just look over this lens without thinking twice about it and that is never a good thing, to begin with. If you are genuinely looking for a good lens and you want to go experiment with macro photography, this little guy here is your friend.
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Canon EF-M 18-150mm – Best Zoom Lens for Canon M50
Canon EF-M 18-150mm offers an 8.3x zoom range. This lens is one of the more compact lenses on the market.
I will be honest with you here, I like zoom lenses. I like them. However, not when the zoom lenses have a variable aperture. That is a red flag for me and I tend to stay away. Then the Canon EF-M 18-150mm visited me and I had to give it a try, because hey, why not.
Right out of the box, the lens looks like it has been built with enough thought process, and while there are still some plastic bits, overall, the lens itself is solid, sturdy, and looks to be something that can get a job done.
With that said, one of the things that surprised me the most about this lens was how compact it was. I did not expect it to be this small, and to be honest, this was the most surprising thing here. The lens also has an 8.3x zoom range, so you are getting something good here.
Not just that, the optics on this lens are also crisp, and you are going to get excellent results. Not to forget, you are also getting image stabilization, a must-have feature for zoom lenses that can go as far as 300mm because you need some stability in such cases.
Moving to the downsides, I like the lens, I do. However, if you are shooting at 18mm, expect some soft-edged and barrel distortion. This lens also suffers from dim corners when shooting RAW, but that is something that you can easily fix.
Overall, the Canon EF-M 18-300mm is a surprisingly great lens that delivers on all fronts and punches above its price, which is not as common in these affordable zoom lenses. But hey, Canon has hit a home run here and it has worked.
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Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 – Best Lens for Landscape Photography
Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 performs well against flare. The lens is great for landscape photography as well as other wide-angle shots.
Prime lenses are my favorite, but you know what is better than a prime lens? A prime lens with a wide-open aperture and the Canon EF-M 32mm is just that as it offers a constant f/1.4 aperture, making this lens one of the best for a lot of photography and videography styles, including landscape photography.
Now, initially, this lens flew under my radar. It was only when I started looking for good lenses for Canon M50 did I realize that this lens is also a thing in the market, and has pretty good specs, too. So, here I am with the lens, and let’s see what this is all about.
For starters, the lens itself is both compact and lightweight, which has always been a plus point in my book. Even when it is wide open, the sharpness on this lens is excellent, and the focus ring has a large angle of rotation that is used for adjustment and allows for easier access.
The lens also has very little chromatic aberration, which is always a good thing, and even if you are not using the hood, the lens does not suffer from a lot of flares.
With so much to rave about, the lens does lack image stabilization, and you are not going to be getting any hood or the case with the lens, which I believe is a bummer for a lot of us.
Overall, the Canon EF-M 32mm is a surprise entry because I knew very little about this lens. This is one of the best lenses for Canon M50 Mark II or the base M50, as it works well in almost every situation and it is also one of the best low light lenses for Canon M50 thanks to the open f/1.4 aperture.
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Canon EF-M 55-200mm – Best Lens for Sports or Wildlife Photography
Canon EF-M 55-200mm comes with a compact and lightweight design. The lens does not cost a lot of money.
Zoom lenses are not an all-time favorite but they are good and that is one thing that one can never really deny. Canon’s offering is normally the one that ranks the highest on my list of great lenses, and well, I cannot do much about that, either. If the lens performs well, it means that it is good.
With that said, the Canon EF-M 55-200mm is one of the best lenses for sports or wildlife photography, and to be honest, for all the right reasons, too. You are looking at the best zoom lens for canon M50 that is going to deliver great results overall and is not going to cost you a lot of money, either.
Still, you are looking at a lens that offers excellent center sharpness, and the overall design of this lens is also pretty great, so you are not going to run into any issues as far as this lens is concerned in terms of performance. You are also getting access to image stabilization on this lens, which I believe is always fun when you are zoomed out as it prevents any shake from taking place as they can ruin the images.
Honestly, my issues with this lens are limited to some edge softness, and dim corners whenever you are trying to shoot RAW, a problem that is common with most EF-M lenses that I have reviewed so far, but has an easy fix in post-processing.
Overall, I believe the Canon EF-M 55-200mm is a great lens if you are looking ahead and take it to the next sports event that you are going to or the next wildlife adventure you are headed to. Sure, the narrow aperture can be a problem but with enough natural light, you can work magic with this lens and it will always pay off.
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Canon EF-M 22mm – Best Lens for Street Photography
Canon EF-M 22mm is compact and easy to carry. The lens is surprisingly very sharp and can easily open wide.
Honestly, the wide-angle prime lenses are a lot of fun to use. They are small, they are sharp, and they have a wide aperture in most of the cases, which is a lot of fun to use in different photography styles. I recently reviewed the 24mm variant of this lens and found it to be one of the best walk-around lenses for Canon.
With that said, the lens offers excellent sharpness, as you would expect from a prime lens at f/2. It is also one of the smaller lenses available in the market, so you know that you can carry it with ease, as it will allow for a good experience.
Now, the lens does not come at a lot of costs, to be honest. This is one of the more affordable lenses of its kind in the market. Almost a pancake lens if you ask me and it works well, to be honest. Not something that is going to let you down.
The aperture on this lens is also on the wider side, so you can easily use this lens in most lighting conditions, to be honest, because you are going to get a good experience out of it.
Honestly, my only concern here is that the lens offers an electronic manual focus, which is not something a lot of people are going to like.
Overall, I honestly am surprised by how good the Canon EF-M 22mm actually is. It works well and gets all the jobs done. It is excellent for street photography thanks to a 22mm field of view, so you are not getting issues whenever you are trying to photograph using this lens.
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Sigma 56mm f/1.4 – Best Lens for Portraits
Sigma 56mm f/1.4 is available in multiple camera mounts. The wide aperture results in a shallow depth of field and excellent bokeh.
The last lens that we are going to review is from Canon M50 sigma once again, and this time, we are looking at a Sigma 56mm lens that offers a wide aperture of f/1.4. I am fully aware of the fact that this focal range might look a bit odd to some people but hey, if you are looking for good portraiture, this is the sigma for canon m50 that you should be going for as it is going to produce some excellent results.
For starters, the wide aperture on this lens produces some of the shallowest and most beautiful depth of field you can look at in a lens. The lens itself is tack sharp so you know that your images are going to come out looking beautiful all the time.
Another really good thing about this lens that I like is the fact that this is a compact and lightweight lens, making it easier for you to carry it around and hey, the lens is also available for multiple camera systems, so you are getting a good experience regardless.
As far as the downsides are concerned, my only issue with this lens is that it does not have stabilization or splash protection but at this price, asking for that would be too much when you are already getting so many features.
Overall, if you are looking for a good lens that is excellent in portraiture or even architectural photography, the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 is an excellent lens as it would take some stunning pictures and that too, without a fault. It truly is one of the best lenses available in the market and will not let you down.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
The Canon M50 and the M50 Mark II have come a long way ever since they were released. Both cameras are now among the most popular mirrorless cameras for beginners or for those who want an introduction to Canon’s excellent ecosystem.
If you happen to be in the market looking for a good lens for either of the cameras, this roundup is just for you because we tried to cover some of the best lenses in the market that will give you a great overall experience and you will not be let down at all.