We’re pretty confident that a lot of photographers will pick up the Canon EOS R6 Mk II as their first camera. Alternatively, there are also lots of semi-professionals that will use it as their camera of choice when shooting. With all that said, they’re probably not going to go for the higher end lenses. Luckily, Canon has a slew of affordable lenses for them. And so we dove into our Reviews Index to find the best cheap lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II. Take a look!
The Phoblographerâs various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldnât get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldnât get photography advice from someone who doesnât touch the product. We only recommend gear weâve fully reviewed. If youâre wondering why your favorite product didnât make the cut, thereâs a chance itâs on another list. If we havenât reviewed it, we wonât recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Pro Tips on Using This Guide to the Best Cheap Lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II
Here’s some insight into using this guide to the best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II:
- We selected these as the best cheap lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II because of a few reasons. First off, we think that most photographers getting this camera will be doing portraiture and event-style work. And of the cheap lenses that Canon has in their lineup, these are the top of the line for that stuff.
- Cheap doesn’t mean bad in this case.
- The very best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II are all weather resistant. These lenses aren’t, however. Canon leaves weather resistance for higher-end lenses only.
- Canon RF zoom lenses have three or more. One is for programmable functions, another is for focusing, and yet another could be for some special function that’s inherent to the lens. The prime lenses often have one or two controls.
- We’ve tested all these cheap lenses ourselves. The images you see in this roundup were shot by our staff. There are also links to our full reviews to supplement the quotes here. We recommend you dive into our full reviews to determine whether these lenses are you for.
- The best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II here are sharp, but they’re not clinical. If you don’t want the clinical look some other brands offer, then reach for Canon lenses. That’s especially the case with the 100mm Macro lens that has a special rendering option.
- Canon, as of this publishing in March 2023, reserves weather resistance for their L-branded lenses. These lenses have a red ring around the front and are affectionately called their Luxury lenses. Weather resistance helps with durability over the long-run, even if you’re not going into inclement weather.
- Take a look at our entire guide to Canon RF L lenses in addition to our guide to all of Canon’s RF lenses. And check out our Canon EOS R6 Mk II review.
- We would never recommend something to you that we haven’t tested ourselves. With that said, all of these cheap Canon RF lenses are under $500 named have links to our reviews. All of the images were also shot by us.
- The image quality from Canon RF lenses under $500 really comes from a combination of the sensor and the lens design. Canon’s sensors are unique to only them. Try using them with the Fine Detail profile for some truly nice colors.
- All these photos were shot with various Canon RF lenses under $500 over the years. We’ve used them on the Canon EOS R3, Canon EOS R6, Canon EOS RP, and the Canon EOS R original.
- All of the Canon RF lenses under $500 we’re recommending do not have a weather resistant design. So don’t take these into the rain.
Canon RF 50mm f1.8 STM
Pros
- Affordable
- Compact and lightweight
- Solid bokeh and color
- Great autofocus performance
- Lots of room for character
Cons
- Softer than other mirrorless primes, especially at the corners
- No weather-sealing
- Some minor color fringing
What We Think
In our review, we state:
Looking at the bokeh, itâs hard to tell the shots came from a cheap lens. While an f1.8 doesnât get quite as smooth as an f1.2, the lens still produced some great bokeh. Soft points of light were round, with no hard edges. Colors and objects easily melted away in the background.
Canon RF 24-105mm f4-7.1 IS STM
Pros
- Very sharp
- Nice color rendition
- Lightweight and small
- Good build quality
- Very fast and quiet when focusing
- Finds focus quickly in both good and low light conditions
- The programmable control ring is a nice touch
- Excellent image stabilization
- A fun macro feature which works surprisingly well
- Very affordable at just $399
Cons
- A lens hood is not included.
- Thereâs a lot of distortion at 24mm (but easily fixed during post).
- No weather sealing
How’s the Image Quality?
In our review, we state:
Usually, when you think of kit lenses, you think of cheap plastic and loose-fitting switches and controls: thatâs not the case with the Canon RF 24-105mm f4-7.1 IS STM. The plastic body feels like it is made from the same materials as the more expensive Canon L glass, the rubber on the zoom ring is of the same high quality found on L lenses, and the control ring feels the same as the ones found on L designated lenses too. The switches on the side feel great and thunk into place when pushed, and the zoom and control/manual focus rings are smooth when turning.
Canon RF 35mm f1.8 STM Macro
Pros
- Small
- Lightweight
- Fairly fast to focus
- Itâs a lens designed to always be on your camera.
- Image stabilization (very much needed in the system)
- Gorgeous bokeh
- Sharp enough for most uses but not as sharp as most L glass Iâve seen and used. Still, itâs a shocker.
- Pretty affordable at $449 regularly
Cons
- We would have gladly paid more money weather sealing.
How’s the Image Quality?
In our review, we state:
Arguably one of my favorite things about the Canon RF 35mm f1.8 USM IS is the bokeh. Itâs smooth and creamyâthis is all assisted by the fact that it can focus so darned close. Want that little bit of Korean BBQ or your Dumpling to really shine? Get close and let the background be blown out into a Monet painting. Photographers of all types will appreciate the bokeh of the Canon RF 35mm f1.8 USM IS. In fact, I barely ever wanted to stop it down but knew that I had to for the review. If I feel that way, Iâm sure others wonât want to stop down either.
The Phoblographerâs various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldnât get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldnât get photography advice from someone who doesnât touch the product. We only recommend gear that weâve fully reviewed. If youâre wondering why your favorite product didnât make the cut, thereâs a chance itâs on another list. If we havenât reviewed it, we wonât recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
