Features

What’s the Best Lens for the Canon R6 Mark II Under $1,000

Chris Gampat
No Comments
07/31/2023
6 Mins read
Brittany-Smith-The-Phoblographer-Canon-R6-II-Product-Image-2278

Last Updated on 08/01/2023 by Chris Gampat

The Canon RF camera system is better known for its incredible lenses instead of its cameras. And that’s not to say that the cameras are at all bad. But the lenses are things that truly stand out. If you’re buying a camera like the Canon R6 Mark II, you truly care about the quality of your lenses. We’re not talking about buying used like every YouTuber will recommend. Instead, we’re discussing brand-new lenses! Here’s what we think is the best lens for the Canon R6 Mark II under $1,000. And more specifically, we’ve reviewed each of them.

The Phoblographer may recieve compensation from links clicked in this article.

How We Chose the best lens for the Canon R6 Mark II under $1,000 for Great Photos

Here’s some insight into how to use this guide to the best lens for the Canon R6 Mark II under $1,000 for great photos:

  • 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 in these roundups.
  • 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.
  • For this roundup, we’re focusing on full-frame lenses. If you’re shooting with an APS-C camera, then other lenses might be a great choice. Those lenes are also far more affordable. But specifically, this guide is the best lens for the Canon R6 Mark II under $1,000 for great photos using a full-frame camera.
  • Canon reserves weather resistance for their L-series lenses. And those aren’t going to be priced at under $1,000 any time soon. So if you’re looking for durability, you’re not going to find it here.
  • Take a look at our entire guide to Canon RF lenses. And check out our Canon EOS R6 Mk II review.
  • 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.
  • There aren’t any official 3rd party lenses with autofocus for the Canon R6 Mark II. That’s because Canon is very protective of their focusing algorithms.
  • All these photos were shot with various Canon RF lenses under $1,000 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 $1,000 we’re recommending do not have a weather resistant design. So don’t take these into the rain.

The best lens for the Canon R6 Mark II under $1,000: CANON RF 35MM F1.8 STM MACRO

I think we’d be making a huge mistake to not give the Canon Rf 35mm f1.8 Macro IS lens the award here. It’s versatile, has a macro mode, and has image stabilization built in. I mean, how do you beat that? Well, it could have weather resistance. However, Canon didn’t do that despite so many other competing lenses doing it. With that said, none of those other lenses have image stabilization built into the lens like this one does. But we’re curious to see if manufacturers make more competition worthy of being called the best lens for the Canon R6 Mark II under $1,000.

PROS

  • Small
  • Lightweight
  • Fairly fast to focus
  • It’s 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 I’ve seen and used. Still, it’s a shocker.
  • Pretty affordable at $449 regularly

CONS

  • We would have gladly paid more money weather sealing.

Tech Specs

These specs are taken from the LensRentals listing

Angle of View63°
AutofocusAutofocus
BrandCanon
CompatibilityFull Frame
Diameter2.9″
DimensionsLength: 2.5″
Filter Size52.0mm
Focal Length35.0-35.0
Groups/Elements9/11
Hood IncludedNo
Image StabilizationYes
Item TypeLens
Lens TypeWide Angle and Macro
Magnification0.5x
Max Aperture1.8
Maximum Reproduction Ratio1:2
Minimum Aperture22.0
Minimum Focusing Distance0.6feet
MountCanon RF
Weight0.7 lb.

In our review, we said:

Arguably one of my favorite things about the Canon RF 35mm f1.8 USM IS is the bokeh. It’s smooth and creamy–this 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, I’m sure others won’t want to stop down either.

Buy Now
Captured with the Canon RF 35mm f1.8 USM IS

Other Great Options Worthy of Being CAlled the best lens for the Canon R6 Mark II under $1,000

Here are three other great options that photographers will enjoy. For some photographers, these might be the best lens for the Canon R6 Mark II under $1,000 for great photos because of image quality, balance, or affordability.

Canon RF 24mm f1.8 Macro IS STM

PROS

  • Affordable prime lens
  • Beautiful colors
  • Sharp
  • Lightweight and compact
  • Versatile focal length

CONS

  • Not fully weather-resistant
  • Slower to focus in heavily backlit environments

In our review, we state

Canon’s RF 24mm f1.8 Macro STM lens produces vibrant hues and accurate skin tones. I appreciate the depth of the blues. Montana is known as the Big Sky state, and this lens is excellent for showing it off.

Buy Now

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.
  • There’s a lot of distortion at 24mm (but easily fixed during post).
  • No weather sealing

Our review said:

Usually, when you think of kit lenses, you think of cheap plastic and loose-fitting switches and controls: that’s 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.

Buy Now

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

In our review, we state:

Looking at the bokeh, it’s hard to tell the shots came from a cheap lens. While an f1.8 doesn’t 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.

Buy Now
canon canon 24mm Canon 35mm canon 50mm canon r6 mark ii lenses under $1 lenses under $1000 macro review
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.