Features

The Best Lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II (Primes Edition)

Chris Gampat
No Comments
04/02/2023
4 Mins read
Brittany-Smith-The-Phoblographer-Canon-R6-II-Product-Image-0878

The Canon EOS R6 Mk II is an incredibly attractive camera for so many photographers. It has a modest megapixel count, great high ISO output, fast autofocus, and weather resistance that’s some of the best around. But that’s just the camera. There are all these great lenses that Canon has too. With so many, which do you pick? And so we dove into our Reviews Index to find the best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II. Take a look!

The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t 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 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 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 prime lenses that Canon has in their lineup, these are the top of the line for that stuff. Of course, these are all Canon L lenses, which is the company’s best stuff.
  • The best lenses for the Canon EOS R6 Mk II are all weather resistant. So you’ll be able to take the lenses and camera into some of the toughest conditions and know that it will work.
  • Canon RF prime lenses have two, sometimes three main control rings. One is for programmable functions, another is for focusing, and yet another could be for some special function that’s inherent to the lens.
  • We’ve tested all these 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.
  • These lenses tend to be heavy, at least that’s the case with the “L” lenses.
  • Take a look at our entire guide to Canon RF lenses. And check out our Canon EOS R6 Mk II review.

Canon RF 50mm f1.2 L USM

Pros

  • Gorgeous bokeh
  • Weather sealing
  • Pretty fast autofocus, much faster than the DSLR versions
  • Build quality is solid.
  • The textured, matte feel is nice.
  • The control ring around the lens feels like an organic aperture ring.
  • People simply look good with this lens attached.

Cons

  • Expensive, but when you consider what this lens is, then it makes sense for what you do
  • Though it sort of isn’t needed, image stabilization would have been nice due to the size.

What We Think

In our review, we state:

In terms of the autofocus speed, it is more than fast enough for most candid and portrait photography. In fact, extended testing makes me believe this lens is on par with Sony’s fastest lenses.

You can buy this lens at Amazon.

Canon RF 85mm f1.2 L USM

Pros

  • Ultra-fast aperture
  • Snappy autofocus
  • Razor-sharp
  • Excellent image quality
  • Robust weather sealing

Cons

  • Lacks image stabilization
  • Heavy (hope you’ve been doing those bicep curls!)
  • Slight vignetting when wide open

What We Think

In our review, we state:

If you’re a card-carrying member of the Canon color science fan club, then you’ll be glad to know that the Canon RF 85mm f1.2 L USM doesn’t disappoint one bit in terms of color rendition. This lens produces images with vibrant and accurate colors, and ooze micro contrast. 

You can buy this lens at Amazon.

Canon RF 100mm f2.8 L IS USM Macro

PROS

  • Great stabilization
  • Lots of character
  • Fun flare
  • SA dial is like a built-in mist filter
  • Can be super sharp or nice and soft

CONS

  • Oversized
  • Autofocus is solid, but the hit rate drops when photographing moving macro.

What We Think

In our review, we state:

The Canon RF 100mm Macro not only expertly mixes technical greatness with character but allows photographers to choose when they want that super sharp image or a bit more character. With what feels almost like a built-in variable mist filter, this lens can add a little or a lot of softness. Of course, that softness to the bokeh as well. That’s not the only way the 100mm macro impresses. This lens adds the type of flare that software will try to imitate. This flare is also easy to control by adjusting the position of the lens so, once again, photographers can intentionally add flare or adjust to keep contrast intact. You’d think this is an obvious thing, but you’d be shocked as Sony, Sigma, Nikon and others work hard to eliminate all lens flare.

You can buy this lens at Amazon.

autofocus best lenses canon Canon EOS R6 Mk II canon rf 100mm canon rf 50mm canon rf 85mm image quality lenses for the canon eos r6 mk ii prime lenses review weather sealing
Shares
Written by

Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.