Yeah Bro. It's true. You have put a lot of effort helping us all. If ever you feel discouraged by someone here in a negative post, please ignore them if they wont accept help. The major work you have posted here speaks for themselves! Basically all my lens and even Camera body that I have any questions on I come here to seek your advice. I am found now with Canon 70D, Canon Lens from 40mm, 10-18mm STM, 18-135mm STM. I travel to Yosemite National Park in California from time to time and I have to say, at times I am not enjoying the scenery because of the videos and pictures I work on to show family and friends. So I again I understand the countless hours you spent here to help us all with the right equipment to buy and save on things we could have wasted Time/Money/Effort. Thanks again Chris!
I'm not going to lie either. You're channel is going to be my #1 Go-To Resource when I am looking into lenses for my Canon T3 Rebel. I'm still a beginner, but after watching your reviews I get a better idea of what lenses I might want to eye for the future. You also helped me immensely with your reviews of the Canon kit lenses which came with my camera. I understand them and f/stop correlation with sharpness a lot better now. Needless to say, I have a lot to learn, but you definitely have my subscription and I look forward to learning more from your future videos.
I echo this sentiment too and let me say in a lighter way that Chris here has been the number one guy for spoiling me and spending the $$$$ I've invested so far in this fantastic hobby. :)
Chris, I just want to give you props for your channel. I'll be honest here, I only subscribed to your channel for less than a month after researching photography and lenses. But, it's a very good feeling for me when I discover a quality channel like yours. Detailed and interesting videos which aren't too long, articulate, calm, and soothing commentary; finding your channel just feels like I'm getting invited into someone's cozy home, haha! Keep up the good work, I look forward to more of your videos.
thank you for the review Mr. Frost. I always look forward to your videos. by far the best reviewer when it comes to camera lenses. thanks again my friend.
Any other semi popular photography channel on youtube would be flooded with insults and "YOURE STUPID AND WRONG" Here though, at least so far, not one offensive insulting comment and 100% like ratio and lots of reasonable discussion. Love it. I guess thats the benefits of having a decent size, but not too big audience.
Can You try out please new Tamron 35mm f1.8 VC lens and maybe compare it to Sigma 35mm art? :) It would be very nice test and comparison, I'm waiting more info about that lens before buying. P.S - it's shame that Samyang 135mm has no AF :(
9 лет назад+4
wow the video I was waiting for! I thought samyang 135 would have been the first XD
Mr Frost I just want to say that I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into putting together these very informative video. Your channel has been extremely helpful to me and getting my photography game into more serious territory. Thank you very much.
+Brian Berneker i have a pentax 50 mm 1,7 smc (automatic) 35 years old and beleive me, its my best lens, most sharper and brigther than any other lens I have, even the digital ones. Shooting in evening or inside , the best results is with this marvelous lens,,,,, sorry they dont make like these today.
+Brian Berneker I love the lens - have the smc version as well and the 55/1.8. The yashinon 50/1.4 is also sharp - another legacy lens is R hexanon 55/1.4 and slightly closing the iris the sharpness can be stellar
Hi Chris hope you have a lovely Easter, Can you tell me if the older lenses like Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS or Sigma 24-70mm IF EX DG are still ok to use and have the resolving power the Canon 90D needs. Or is it best I purchase the newer models like Tamron 24-70mm G2 / Sigma 24-70mm ART. Many Thanks
canon 24-105 f4 is a better choice because of the added focal length, But it is not great with landscape. Because it is not that wide. 24mm is not wide enough for landscape.
+Alaa Younis +1 to that - shooting at f/3.2 for classic headshots I've had numerous subject complain about its ability to resolve their fine lines and blemishes.
+JKOK Gaming No kidding! Shooting tethered, reviewing shots, etc. there's clearly a first phase when people need reassuring. It's easy to fix, and a very nice problem to have.
+tyvek05 May as well say developing kills photography. Same thing if you're dodging and burning. Even the concentration of the chemicals will change the final exposure etc.
Tobias Dahlberg especially for its price. I bought for 280$, a little bit used but in mint condition and it gorgeous. I’m using it with canon 650D and photos are Bokehlious 😄
Excellent review as always. I agree Canons L series lenses can be prohibitive in their astronomical price - especially when newly released. I shall now look at the other brands you suggested. Thanks mate
Given the amount of kit you've had / tested, this is a huge omission. You owe it to yourself to own this lens. It's the sharpest, fastest, most versatile sub-£2000 lens available.
You mean the Canon 85 1.2, not 1.4. The difference between 1.2 and 1.4 is 2/3 of a stop itself. You pay for the amazing bokeh on that lens though, more than you pay for the extra light. It has a magical quality to it. That being said it is so expensive and has so much heavy glass a lot of times I use my Rokinon 85 1.4 instead for fear of breaking the canon 😂
Brett Mann I wish Sigma would hurry up with their 85mm Art. If it's as good as their 35 and 50 Art lenses it'll be an instant buy for many, including myself.
Hello Chris! Enjoying your videos a lot! Just wondering how accurate the Sigma 50mm 1.4's autofocus is on the 70D (through the viewfinder). My Sigma 18-35 is pretty much unusable except in Live View. Thanks :)
Chris you have Really good content and Reviews 👍❤️ i was happy when i saw that the lens i ordered Canon 70-200 f4L is usm was on the list 😀❤️ have a great day god bless you!
I think I've seen this video more than a couple of times now and I've **JUST** got the WatchMojo reference. This video is a gift that just keeps on giving :)
now this is a video i urgently needed. perfect for people who are not totally familiar yet with the lenses on the market to show that not always the most expensive lens is the best. thanks a lot.
Thanks for putting this video together. I'm an amateur and didn't know there was so many differences between lenses. So now I am more aware when I buy a lens next time. Thanks again.
actually i found out Canon 18-55 lense to be pretty good and sharp, i mean newest versions with IS. Its kit lense but i think there is nothing wrong with it,
I have plan to buy a wide angle zoom lens for my canon 80d. There is tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 and sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 on my list for now, but I still confused which lens is sharper and has faster autofocus. Since my budget is limited around $500-$600, do you have any suggestion or other lens reccomendation, Chris? Btw, always love watching your videos! Keep up the good works!
By some Canon L lenses and then talk to me. They don't compare on a canon body. I have several Sigma lenses and several top line Canon L series lenses.....you must not, otherwise you wouldn't say what you said.
Well, I have several L lenses, so let's talk. I have both the Sigma 35 and 50 1.4 art, and they definitely are sharper than their Canon counterparts. They do have flaws, for instance, the matt finish looks good but isn't a wise choice because scratches will be more visible. And since they are third-party lenses, the AF needs to be callibrated with the USB Dock. I am a straight-up Canon user, but you sound like an ignorant fanboy. Another personal experience, the Tamron 24-70 is sharper than the Canon 24-70L (mark1). Tamron 70-200 2.8 is pretty even with the Canon m2, and has even less chromatic abberation. The focal length isnt "real" like the Canon though, it's shorter than 200mm at 200, making the Canon's bokeh smoother. Nobody's saying that you are wrong about the Canon's lineup. But it's obvious that you absolutely have no interest in other options. If you blindly think that Canon lenses are the best for Canon, then you are the one who shouldn't be talking here.
One of the best comprehensive videos I saw and I have seen many. Not Litigious, very professional and thinking about the common photographer with his budget limited while looking for the best sharp images. Thank you very much for your review, a real candy
Hi Christopher, have you ever tested or compared the Zeiss Milvus lineup for Canon? I've got the 25mm 1.4, 35 f2, 50 1.4 and 85 1.4 and really like them (primarily for video). Would love to know your input on how they perform in your tests.
What would you choose for a full frame, the canon aps-c 55-250 is or the Tamron 70-300 vc 4-5.6? Would the 55-250 work at some focal length or would it be covering only part of the frame all the time?
Its very good, that you considered both quality and price of the lens. Also, I can imagine how hard it must be to choose the sharpest 10 out of so many lenses. Great work !
I'm proud to say I own three in the list, including number 1, and 1 honourable mention. I'm a little surprised you didn't mention the Tamron 24-70 as it's easily my sharpest zoom lens and I bought it because of your review. I also bought the Sigma 20mm and the Samyang 14mm following your reviews, not that I've gone out and bought all lenses you have liked, but when buying a lens I look at your reviews before I make the purchase. Another lens I'm surprised wasn't mentioned is the Canon f2.8 macro which is a great lens both as a macro and as a portrait lens.
Mark Harris I'm looking to get the 24-70 f2.8 from Tamron next week I was just wondering how you liked it? I shoot a lot of weddings and I love how versatile and sharp people say it is. but there were some reviews that had me thinking. some say it's very soft.. and some say it had problems with connecting to the Canon camera
paul pontillo I love it, it's as sharp as any other lens I've ever used and I honestly have no idea why anyone would say it's soft. The only drawback, and I'm not sure if this will affect you much, is the massive diameter and getting filters to fit. I wouldn't recommend a lens unless I was absolutely confident in it as they cost too much for that. I love this lens for both digital and film and it's my first choice for grainier film because of its sharpness.
hi Chris, great video!, thanks for upload it, very helpful, i wanna ask you something why there is no macro lenses in your list? do you think the macros are not sharper than the non-macro lenses??
Hello, I am looking to buy my first dslr soon along with a lens however I'm not sure what lens to buy. I do a lot of landscape and nature photography, so what can you suggest would be the best lens I can buy? I want to buy the canon 70d (if that helps) thank you
just subscribed you are one of the best reviewers on RUclips you really go into a full depth review with test shots absolutely outstanding mate well done big things up 👍👍
I shoot with L lenses and have used a really quite large range and the sharpest (excluding crazy priced prime lenses from Canon) that wasn't on your list would probably the the Canon 100mm L macro! Very very sharp. You just have to nail the focus.
hi Christopher, how you think about the canon 100/2.8 macro usm lens? I have own very limited lens in my collection, but to me the 100/2.8 macro is the sharpest among all that i own
LOL - Cris, I only have 5 lenses - the kit lens that came with my half frame, two Zeiss lenses that you say you're excluding from your list for sensible reasons (the target audience for your list isn't the target market for those two lenses), and the other two are both on your list of 10 lenses. Which is quite surprising, taking into account that I use Nikon, and you're really addressing the "top 10" as a Canon user. But perhaps not so surprising, looking at them. The two we both regard as worthy entrants in the list of 10 are Sigma's two Art prime lenses - the 35 and the 50. VERY good lenses, and very affordable when compared with other lenses of the same quality.
Chris; how do you measure/define sharpness across these lenses? Is there a kind of software that would give you some plots/numbers to do some quantitative comparison; or do you just investigate the images by naked eye?
Excellent list and Christopher your # 1 is already on my Amazon Wish List. I am saving to buy it for my next birthday in June :). God bless you brother and may His grace fill you this weekend.
Thanks Chris for this detailed review! I just un-boxed my shiny Canon 80D two days ago and have a random collection of lenses from my 400D (US name - Rebel xTi). Your synopsis will make me much poorer in days to come, but helps me matrix my next purchase (probably a mid-focal-length, high aperture all-around lens) against cost and features. Excellent review! Thank you.
I'm not surprised that Sigma featured heavily on this list. Well done! A lens to check out (that I've mentioned before): Sigma 180mm APO Macro f2.8 OS. Soft at 2.8, but crystal clear at f4 and beyond.
hi and thank you very much! what about the canon 100 mm f2.8 macro? Is it considered a very sharp? And whether the new version is much more sharply from?
I have the 14mm f2.8 except branded as Rokinon. Great lens for the value - I used to use in on my crop sensor, but now on a full frame, I notice more the vignetting and distortion. Thankfully, lightroom has a profile now for the Samyang 14 f/2.8 that corrects this very well. I will just say that I haven't been too pleased with the build quality. One of the outer rings on the lens came loose which makes it more difficult to see what f-stop I'm at. Also worth mentioning that it has a fixed lens hood so that to get an ND filter on there, you need to buy a really expensive (almost as much as the lens) ND filter mount custom made for it.
Hey Chris what an amazing video. Thank you so much for painstakingly putting together this great vid. I have a question, I use my Canon 80D for a lot of video/film making. So a silent focus is important. Which wide or ultra wide angle low f stop lens would you recommend for film making? Thank you!
Having used several of the art lenses and owning one of them i was glad to seem to test why by someone shooting at a pro level. I was also pleased to see you address the Samyang lens having just look at one today at my local shop. At the price it seems a solid value and for your #1 lens solidifies for me my intention to purchase one. Well done. I would like to see you do something similar with a lens list for video shooting on dslr's.
Thanks for your reply, Christopher. Since I wrote that I saw just how many up to date lenses you have reviewed. I enjoyed the above video and can also point people to your review of the characterful small 'Industar' lens. There are other photographers who review legacy lenses online. My advice to people is to always inspect rear and front lens photos closely, whilst cosmetic condition is great if the seller fails to mention optical condition, avoid. Pay the going rate too. Minolta and MD mount lenses are good value as are Praktica Bayonet because they aren't trading any more. Condition is everything though, seek a loyalty lens that states it has no fungal, scratch or aperture issues. There are as many good ones out there as duds.
Great review. Would be interesting to see where you place the popular zooms like the 17-40 (or newer 16-35) and the workhorse 24-105? Unsurprisingly, the sharpest are mostly primes, so how does the cheapo nifty fifty compare?
As per usual, you leave us wanting more...more reviews of lenses... I was dieing to get to number one on your list as it was such a good video, if you get my meaning. However, the pictures you have taken, are they pre-lightroom or post lightroom development? I ask, as the clarity of some of your photos are incredible! Many thanks for yet another fine video.
Thanks for posting this video, you are very good at teaching and showing how to use these lenses. Question, what do you think of the Rokinon 85mm lens? I have a T6i.
Great video and I mostly agree with the choice of lenses. I don't have any experience with Samyang so I can't comment on them, but it was interesting to see them so high in the list. The most critical con of them is the lack of autofocus and IMO for a portrait lens, this is a must. I'd personally list the Canon 16-35 f4IS which is the sharpest and most affordable wide zoom available. I'd also swap the 85 1.2L II with the 70-200 2.8 IS II. They are relatively the same price and if one has to choose, I'd say 9 out of 10 will go with the zoom, which is rightfully called 'a bag of primes'. It's biggest con is the size and weight. The 85 is also quite heavy, but a lot smaller and can go in almost any bag. Sigma's Art line absolutely RULEZ, so when they release an 85 and 135, I believe the list with top 10 affordable sharpest lenses will change quite radically.
I really appreciate all your videos. God Bless you for taking the time to share with your audience your experience and knowledge. I have a question I hope you can help me with. I just bought the Canon 6D (finally jumped from a 7D to a full frame). I'm planning a trip this summer to Iceland and then Russia. In Iceland my plan is to focus on landscape (I'll be also buying Lee filters), and for Russia, there will be several interior photography i.e. churches, museums, etc. What lense do you recommend in my case? should i buy two separate lenses? thanks!
compliment for the video. really. I value sharpness over anything else and this video is absolute marvel as in simple, fast, clear, exhaustive... excellent. subscribed
Christopher, What lens would you recommend for movie making? I have a Canon 70D crop sensor camera. I was looking at the 24 -70 Tamron 2.8 lens. would you recommend a zoom lens or fixed for filming?
Sigma EX 17-50 F2.8 DC OS HSM being sold off around £189.00 is just amazing as per one of your reviews Chris :) I love mine and even on an old Canon 350D 8MP Body I get super images with it. Thanks for all your videos, I'm really enjoying them.
Wow, just wow. I thought I had it worked out. The Canon 100mm 2.8 L Macro didn't even get a mention! Have you tested this? Great video, very interesting. Great work, keep it up :-)
+amancalledcraig A few people have asked me about that. I found it needed a little stopping down before it gets super sharp. But yeah, it should probably have an honorable mention
Christopher, thanks for your awesome reviews. I have a question though, for the lenses designed for full frame sensors, you did not mention that by actually applying the crop factor to the focal length let them make them become more zoom and applied to the aperture make us loose one stop of light. I have been testing myself the canon 70-200mm f4 without IS (which is awesome during daylight) that has poor performance during low light photography.
+azazazrzrzr I didn't feel the need to mention it, as it's actually quite well-known. Also, with APS-C cameras, you don't lose a stop of light through the lens (although it is true that, typically, APS-C cameras have much lower image quality at high ISO levels). But you do end up with a wider depth of field. All the best
I have the Sigma 50mm 1.4 USM Lens that I bought used for $275. U.S. from a school teacher. By experience it has become my favorite lens. Thank you for your review. It is now springtime in Tennessee & great, fresh colors for all photographers, even an amateur like me.
Hello when you use this lenses do you still edit them to fix the picture I'm new in photography and I'm really curious how photographer take their photo some are unbelievable I don't know if they look good because they edit it or it's because they had a good camera lens.
I don´t know if you´ve tested the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8, but the copy I own is fantastically sharp for a standart zoom lens for an APSC sized sensor camera, and I love it to bits.
Has someone done a review on the Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art vs the Tamron 35mm f1.8 VC? The VC on the Tamron intrigues me, as I do a lot of handheld shooting, but the CA is not as controlled as I wish, which is making me think Sigma...what are your thoughts?
hey chris i love your reviews.. i am about to buy dslr and lens. i decided to go with canon 70d with 18-55mm, 50mm f1.8 stm and 85mm f1.8. do you think its good for a beginner? do you have any other recommendations? i want to shoot portraits mostly. please reply it will be a huge favor 😊
+maham rafi . i know you didnt ask me. ...you could get a sony SLT or a Fuji/sony mirrorless instead and pay less for a samyang 85 1.4 or a 135 samyang. which you can best use with peaking. also, you get inbody-stabilization if you use a sony a77 which makes all lenses stabilized, which are typically not stabilized. like all portrait lenses. Christopher frost now shoots canon+fuji...fuji has focus peaking :D speaking against mirrorless is the expensive long zooms and lack of very long zooms, also no internal stabilization. but for portrait , you dont need wideangle and if a zoom does that, then a 50mm , a f2 or maybe a vintage 1.2 or even e mitakon 50 0,95!!!! which you get for mirrorless only. looking at the price on amazon, for portraiture id prefer an a7 allday, for that money. with manual focus only. my sony a65 was used and much cheaper.
+maham rafi peaking is so useful and as you see on Chris channel there are many great cheap MF lenses (just compare 85 1.4 samyang and 135 samyang to AF counterparts) that are good for portraits. thats why id say get a sony slt or a mirrorless by fuji or sony. I would even consider getting the original A7 fullframe right away, but have to mention its AF seems to be not so good (a6000 is better there)
Not surprised with the number 1, the Sigma 50 mm art. I own it myself. It is nice that you keep in mind that most photographers are just ordinary people where the price is important. And show that there are good alternatives for the expensive Canon (L) lenses.
Shows how much I value your reviews. I own more than half of the list. Partly due to your reviews. Thank you. You have reviewed Canon 15-85 APS-C and that is sharp lens. However it is particularly nice to have a fast lens that is sharp.
I just purchased the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens. I am using it on my Canon 6D, and am absolutely in love!!!! This lens replaced my Canon 50mm 1.8. I TOTALLY agree with you on the Sigma lens being the best :)
Yeah Bro. It's true. You have put a lot of effort helping us all. If ever you feel discouraged by someone here in a negative post, please ignore them if they wont accept help. The major work you have posted here speaks for themselves! Basically all my lens and even Camera body that I have any questions on I come here to seek your advice. I am found now with Canon 70D, Canon Lens from 40mm, 10-18mm STM, 18-135mm STM. I travel to Yosemite National Park in California from time to time and I have to say, at times I am not enjoying the scenery because of the videos and pictures I work on to show family and friends. So I again I understand the countless hours you spent here to help us all with the right equipment to buy and save on things we could have wasted Time/Money/Effort. Thanks again Chris!
+Thiago De Almeida Thanks :-)
I'm not going to lie either. You're channel is going to be my #1 Go-To Resource when I am looking into lenses for my Canon T3 Rebel. I'm still a beginner, but after watching your reviews I get a better idea of what lenses I might want to eye for the future. You also helped me immensely with your reviews of the Canon kit lenses which came with my camera. I understand them and f/stop correlation with sharpness a lot better now. Needless to say, I have a lot to learn, but you definitely have my subscription and I look forward to learning more from your future videos.
I echo this sentiment too and let me say in a lighter way that Chris here has been the number one guy for spoiling me and spending the $$$$ I've invested so far in this fantastic hobby. :)
A big liar.
"mortal human beings can afford" lol good one!
My favorite lens of all time, for its combination of value, sharpness, usefulness, weight, build, etc, etc, etc: . .. . Canon 35mm F2 IS
Chris, I just want to give you props for your channel. I'll be honest here, I only subscribed to your channel for less than a month after researching photography and lenses. But, it's a very good feeling for me when I discover a quality channel like yours. Detailed and interesting videos which aren't too long, articulate, calm, and soothing commentary; finding your channel just feels like I'm getting invited into someone's cozy home, haha!
Keep up the good work, I look forward to more of your videos.
thank you for the review Mr. Frost. I always look forward to your videos. by far the best reviewer when it comes to camera lenses. thanks again my friend.
Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS is a great sharp Lens
Any other semi popular photography channel on youtube would be flooded with insults and "YOURE STUPID AND WRONG" Here though, at least so far, not one offensive insulting comment and 100% like ratio and lots of reasonable discussion. Love it. I guess thats the benefits of having a decent size, but not too big audience.
Fuck off mate
@@biolinkstudios ha ha!!
40 mm STM, for me, it is like magic, without IS, but razor sharp wide open, and very cheap ideed.
Chris, you provide an invaluable service, especially to those of us who are fairly new to photography. Thanks.
Ed Waggoner Sr. I agree with you I am a beginner myself there's so many lenses that it's nice to get some information like this video
Great video Chris . Thanks for doing it. God bless.
Can You try out please new Tamron 35mm f1.8 VC lens and maybe compare it to Sigma 35mm art? :) It would be very nice test and comparison, I'm waiting more info about that lens before buying.
P.S - it's shame that Samyang 135mm has no AF :(
wow the video I was waiting for! I thought samyang 135 would have been the first XD
i like it when you say mortal humanbeing
Mr Frost I just want to say that I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into putting together these very informative video. Your channel has been extremely helpful to me and getting my photography game into more serious territory. Thank you very much.
Not sure if vintage glass qualifies here, but I've found stellar results with the Pentax Super Takumar f1.4 50mm You should check one out some time!
+Brian Berneker i have a pentax 50 mm 1,7 smc (automatic) 35 years old and beleive me, its my best lens, most sharper and brigther than any other lens I have, even the digital ones. Shooting in evening or inside , the best results is with this marvelous lens,,,,, sorry they dont make like these today.
+Brian Berneker I love the lens - have the smc version as well and the 55/1.8. The yashinon 50/1.4 is also sharp - another legacy lens is R hexanon 55/1.4 and slightly closing the iris the sharpness can be stellar
Hi Chris hope you have a lovely Easter,
Can you tell me if the older lenses like Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS or Sigma 24-70mm IF EX DG are still ok to use and have the resolving power the Canon 90D needs. Or is it best I purchase the newer models like Tamron 24-70mm G2 / Sigma 24-70mm ART.
Many Thanks
Canon 24-70 f4 vs canon 24-105 f4 which one do you recommended for all in one? Landscape + portrait?
canon 24-105 f4 is a better choice because of the added focal length, But it is not great with landscape. Because it is not that wide. 24mm is not wide enough for landscape.
I have used both canon 24-70f4 is better and sharper
Great video Chris. I was lucky enough to get a 50D, 16-35 2.8, Speedlite 580EX II, and the 85mm 1.2 for $375! I’m still not believing it. Lol
i think the 100mm 2.8L IS should be on this list.. it's almost too sharp!
+Alaa Younis +1 to that - shooting at f/3.2 for classic headshots I've had numerous subject complain about its ability to resolve their fine lines and blemishes.
+H Matthew Howarth photoshop......
+JKOK Gaming No kidding! Shooting tethered, reviewing shots, etc. there's clearly a first phase when people need reassuring. It's easy to fix, and a very nice problem to have.
+tyvek05 hahaahahhaha, noob
+tyvek05 May as well say developing kills photography. Same thing if you're dodging and burning. Even the concentration of the chemicals will change the final exposure etc.
Thank you Chris for taking the time to put this video together; very useful
I have the Sigma 30mm F1.4 Art Lens and I think it is dope
Tobias Dahlberg especially for its price. I bought for 280$, a little bit used but in mint condition and it gorgeous. I’m using it with canon 650D and photos are Bokehlious 😄
Excellent review as always. I agree Canons L series lenses can be prohibitive in their astronomical price - especially when newly released.
I shall now look at the other brands you suggested.
Thanks mate
What about the Canon 70-200 mm f2.8 IS II ? I think it's a lot sharper than version 1 which I also owned
I haven't tested it. I'm sure it is, though
Given the amount of kit you've had / tested, this is a huge omission. You owe it to yourself to own this lens. It's the sharpest, fastest, most versatile sub-£2000 lens available.
I know it's amazing: I can't afford it!
Christopher Frost Photography
It's nearly Christmas... pester the family into organising a kitty. :D
I think he probably left that one out because the 200mm f/2.8 USM was slightly sharper!
I'm planning to get Sigma 30mm 1.4 is it big difference from Sigma 50mm 1.4?
+Gin Amber It's certainly a lot wider, and not as good optically. Watch my reviews for all the info you need :-)
Other reviewers have found the Canon 85 1.8 to be sharper than the 1.4. So you essentially pay about a $1000 for one more stop.
+calaverasgrande You're also paying for higher build quality.
You mean the Canon 85 1.2, not 1.4. The difference between 1.2 and 1.4 is 2/3 of a stop itself. You pay for the amazing bokeh on that lens though, more than you pay for the extra light. It has a magical quality to it. That being said it is so expensive and has so much heavy glass a lot of times I use my Rokinon 85 1.4 instead for fear of breaking the canon 😂
Brett Mann I wish Sigma would hurry up with their 85mm Art. If it's as good as their 35 and 50 Art lenses it'll be an instant buy for many, including myself.
+TalesOfWar I don't think I could justify buying a third 85mm but I'm sure I could talk myself into it somehow 😜
+TalesOfWar the current sigma 85mm is actually sharper than all the current canon versions
Hello Chris! Enjoying your videos a lot! Just wondering how accurate the Sigma 50mm 1.4's autofocus is on the 70D (through the viewfinder). My Sigma 18-35 is pretty much unusable except in Live View.
Thanks :)
Speaking of sharp 50,s. You should do the Samtang 50 1.2 for aps-c mirrorless! Didn't you have an M3? :)
I should be taking a look at that quite soon
Yaay! :)
Chris you have Really good content and Reviews 👍❤️ i was happy when i saw that the lens i ordered Canon 70-200 f4L is usm was on the list 😀❤️ have a great day god bless you!
The Sigma 17-50 ex OS hsm!?
For the money its a beauty
I think I've seen this video more than a couple of times now and I've **JUST** got the WatchMojo reference. This video is a gift that just keeps on giving :)
I would have added the 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro lens. It's terrifying
It is a great lens. worth every penny
now this is a video i urgently needed. perfect for people who are not totally familiar yet with the lenses on the market to show that not always the most expensive lens is the best. thanks a lot.
I just ordered your number one lens there.
Linus Wärn good for you
Thanks for putting this video together. I'm an amateur and didn't know there was so many differences between lenses. So now I am more aware when I buy a lens next time. Thanks again.
I wish I have a good lense....I have a 18-55 :(
Save up for 1 Sharp 50mm. Its very versatile, you just have to move some!
actually i found out Canon 18-55 lense to be pretty good and sharp, i mean newest versions with IS. Its kit lense but i think there is nothing wrong with it,
at least you have a camera. ive been saving up for a t3i for a while and still don't have the money for one.
I have a lot of money. I just don't know which lense to get.
Hammy Orange It's spelled lens
I have plan to buy a wide angle zoom lens for my canon 80d. There is tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 and sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 on my list for now, but I still confused which lens is sharper and has faster autofocus. Since my budget is limited around $500-$600, do you have any suggestion or other lens reccomendation, Chris? Btw, always love watching your videos! Keep up the good works!
I agree, sigma makes some good glass!
By some Canon L lenses and then talk to me. They don't compare on a canon body. I have several Sigma lenses and several top line Canon L series lenses.....you must not, otherwise you wouldn't say what you said.
+Go Joe shut the fuck up lmao
Well, I have several L lenses, so let's talk. I have both the Sigma 35 and 50 1.4 art, and they definitely are sharper than their Canon counterparts. They do have flaws, for instance, the matt finish looks good but isn't a wise choice because scratches will be more visible. And since they are third-party lenses, the AF needs to be callibrated with the USB Dock. I am a straight-up Canon user, but you sound like an ignorant fanboy. Another personal experience, the Tamron 24-70 is sharper than the Canon 24-70L (mark1). Tamron 70-200 2.8 is pretty even with the Canon m2, and has even less chromatic abberation. The focal length isnt "real" like the Canon though, it's shorter than 200mm at 200, making the Canon's bokeh smoother.
Nobody's saying that you are wrong about the Canon's lineup. But it's obvious that you absolutely have no interest in other options. If you blindly think that Canon lenses are the best for Canon, then you are the one who shouldn't be talking here.
One of the best comprehensive videos I saw and I have seen many. Not Litigious, very professional and thinking about the common photographer with his budget limited while looking for the best sharp images. Thank you very much for your review, a real candy
Hi Chris do you plan to review the Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS lens over the next few months?
+Horse Radish Not in the next few months
Have you tested rokinon/samyang 10mm for APS-C cameras? :)
Great videos!
Regards
I'm keeping an eye out for one to review
awesome! let´s hope that it is possible. cheers
Hi Christopher, have you ever tested or compared the Zeiss Milvus lineup for Canon? I've got the 25mm 1.4, 35 f2, 50 1.4 and 85 1.4 and really like them (primarily for video). Would love to know your input on how they perform in your tests.
What would you choose for a full frame, the canon aps-c 55-250 is or the Tamron 70-300 vc 4-5.6? Would the 55-250 work at some focal length or would it be covering only part of the frame all the time?
Its very good, that you considered both quality and price of the lens. Also, I can imagine how hard it must be to choose the sharpest 10 out of so many lenses. Great work !
I'm proud to say I own three in the list, including number 1, and 1 honourable mention. I'm a little surprised you didn't mention the Tamron 24-70 as it's easily my sharpest zoom lens and I bought it because of your review. I also bought the Sigma 20mm and the Samyang 14mm following your reviews, not that I've gone out and bought all lenses you have liked, but when buying a lens I look at your reviews before I make the purchase. Another lens I'm surprised wasn't mentioned is the Canon f2.8 macro which is a great lens both as a macro and as a portrait lens.
Mark Harris I'm looking to get the 24-70 f2.8 from Tamron next week I was just wondering how you liked it? I shoot a lot of weddings and I love how versatile and sharp people say it is. but there were some reviews that had me thinking. some say it's very soft.. and some say it had problems with connecting to the Canon camera
paul pontillo I love it, it's as sharp as any other lens I've ever used and I honestly have no idea why anyone would say it's soft. The only drawback, and I'm not sure if this will affect you much, is the massive diameter and getting filters to fit. I wouldn't recommend a lens unless I was absolutely confident in it as they cost too much for that. I love this lens for both digital and film and it's my first choice for grainier film because of its sharpness.
Mark Harris awesome thanks!
I love the Canon 100mm 2.8L lens too. It is great
Very good review Christopher!!! Thumb up for you!!!
Nice to hear that the 55-250 IS STM made it to honourable mentions. I love this Lens. For it's price its amazing.
Nice video, the music, your soothing voice and the info was great.
Wales is indeed a beautiful country. You make even more so, with your tests!
A happy new year 2017 of more testing.
hi Chris, great video!, thanks for upload it, very helpful, i wanna ask you something why there is no macro lenses in your list? do you think the macros are not sharper than the non-macro lenses??
They are very sharp, but with most macro lenses I've tested they need to be stopped down to f/4 for best results
Hello, I am looking to buy my first dslr soon along with a lens however I'm not sure what lens to buy. I do a lot of landscape and nature photography, so what can you suggest would be the best lens I can buy? I want to buy the canon 70d (if that helps) thank you
just subscribed you are one of the best reviewers on RUclips you really go into a full depth review with test shots absolutely outstanding mate well done big things up 👍👍
I shoot with L lenses and have used a really quite large range and the sharpest (excluding crazy priced prime lenses from Canon) that wasn't on your list would probably the the Canon 100mm L macro! Very very sharp. You just have to nail the focus.
hi Christopher,
how you think about the canon 100/2.8 macro usm lens?
I have own very limited lens in my collection, but to me the 100/2.8 macro is the sharpest among all that i own
LOL - Cris, I only have 5 lenses - the kit lens that came with my half frame, two Zeiss lenses that you say you're excluding from your list for sensible reasons (the target audience for your list isn't the target market for those two lenses), and the other two are both on your list of 10 lenses.
Which is quite surprising, taking into account that I use Nikon, and you're really addressing the "top 10" as a Canon user. But perhaps not so surprising, looking at them.
The two we both regard as worthy entrants in the list of 10 are Sigma's two Art prime lenses - the 35 and the 50. VERY good lenses, and very affordable when compared with other lenses of the same quality.
Chris; how do you measure/define sharpness across these lenses? Is there a kind of software that would give you some plots/numbers to do some quantitative comparison; or do you just investigate the images by naked eye?
+sami yemeyahni There are software methods you can use - I just shoot flat surfaces and see how sharp they are though
Excellent list and Christopher your # 1 is already on my Amazon Wish List. I am saving to buy it for my next birthday in June :). God bless you brother and may His grace fill you this weekend.
Thanks Chris for this detailed review! I just un-boxed my shiny Canon 80D two days ago and have a random collection of lenses from my 400D (US name - Rebel xTi). Your synopsis will make me much poorer in days to come, but helps me matrix my next purchase (probably a mid-focal-length, high aperture all-around lens) against cost and features.
Excellent review! Thank you.
How about Canon 50 mm f 1.8 nifty fifty lens ?
It's nowhere near as sharp as these lenses
Hi Chris. I'm a great fan of yours and your camera testing for more ordinary people. Just wanted to say that. Keep ut the good work.
Hi Chris, why do you put er at the end of a number like when you say sixteener mm?
I'm not surprised that Sigma featured heavily on this list. Well done! A lens to check out (that I've mentioned before): Sigma 180mm APO Macro f2.8 OS. Soft at 2.8, but crystal clear at f4 and beyond.
I love your videos man, there so helpful and informative, i learn so much from them
Also you have a nice sounding voice (no homo)
hi and thank you very much! what about the canon 100 mm f2.8 macro? Is it considered a very sharp? And whether the new version is much more sharply from?
I have the 14mm f2.8 except branded as Rokinon. Great lens for the value - I used to use in on my crop sensor, but now on a full frame, I notice more the vignetting and distortion. Thankfully, lightroom has a profile now for the Samyang 14 f/2.8 that corrects this very well. I will just say that I haven't been too pleased with the build quality. One of the outer rings on the lens came loose which makes it more difficult to see what f-stop I'm at. Also worth mentioning that it has a fixed lens hood so that to get an ND filter on there, you need to buy a really expensive (almost as much as the lens) ND filter mount custom made for it.
Hey Chris what an amazing video. Thank you so much for painstakingly putting together this great vid. I have a question, I use my Canon 80D for a lot of video/film making. So a silent focus is important. Which wide or ultra wide angle low f stop lens would you recommend for film making? Thank you!
The Canon 10-18 has the most silent AF. If you need wider aperture then there aren't that many other options with silent AF
This is my goto video when I'm trying to decide what to buy next!
Thanks for having the best reviews, EVER!!
Having used several of the art lenses and owning one of them i was glad to seem to test why by someone shooting at a pro level. I was also pleased to see you address the Samyang lens having just look at one today at my local shop. At the price it seems a solid value and for your #1 lens solidifies for me my intention to purchase one. Well done. I would like to see you do something similar with a lens list for video shooting on dslr's.
hi cris... is there any chance that you can review sigma 50-100 f1.8? as usual your reviews are awesome.. :)
Thanks for your reply, Christopher. Since I wrote that I saw just how many up to date lenses you have reviewed. I enjoyed the above video and can also point people to your review of the characterful small 'Industar' lens. There are other photographers who review legacy lenses online. My advice to people is to always inspect rear and front lens photos closely, whilst cosmetic condition is great if the seller fails to mention optical condition, avoid. Pay the going rate too. Minolta and MD mount lenses are good value as are Praktica Bayonet because they aren't trading any more. Condition is everything though, seek a loyalty lens that states it has no fungal, scratch or aperture issues. There are as many good ones out there as duds.
Super helpful. Haven't found a better review on youtube! Exactly what I was looking for : D
hi Chris,
have you ever compared the Canon 50mm 1.8 STM vs Sigma 50mm 1.4? which one do you thing is much better for a Canon 70D?.
thanks
Take a look at my 50mm lens comparison video :-)
Great review. Would be interesting to see where you place the popular zooms like the 17-40 (or newer 16-35) and the workhorse 24-105? Unsurprisingly, the sharpest are mostly primes, so how does the cheapo nifty fifty compare?
As per usual, you leave us wanting more...more reviews of lenses...
I was dieing to get to number one on your list as it was such a good video, if you get my meaning. However, the pictures you have taken, are they pre-lightroom or post lightroom development?
I ask, as the clarity of some of your photos are incredible!
Many thanks for yet another fine video.
+rich Mck The pictures I've taken have been edited just to tweak their colours and contrast etc. :-)
Thanks for posting this video, you are very good at teaching and showing how to use these lenses. Question, what do you think of the Rokinon 85mm lens? I have a T6i.
Take a look at my review (under 'Samyang 85mm' - they're the same)
Great and a very informative clip. Precise and clear. Thanks Chris from New Zealand
Once again GREAT job Chris! I truly value your opinions. I'd like to see you do the same type of video with mirrorless mount (M4/3) lenses.
Hey Chris, I deeply enjoy your reviews. Take care and best wishes.
Great video and I mostly agree with the choice of lenses. I don't have any experience with Samyang so I can't comment on them, but it was interesting to see them so high in the list. The most critical con of them is the lack of autofocus and IMO for a portrait lens, this is a must.
I'd personally list the Canon 16-35 f4IS which is the sharpest and most affordable wide zoom available.
I'd also swap the 85 1.2L II with the 70-200 2.8 IS II. They are relatively the same price and if one has to choose, I'd say 9 out of 10 will go with the zoom, which is rightfully called 'a bag of primes'. It's biggest con is the size and weight. The 85 is also quite heavy, but a lot smaller and can go in almost any bag.
Sigma's Art line absolutely RULEZ, so when they release an 85 and 135, I believe the list with top 10 affordable sharpest lenses will change quite radically.
As always, great and professional review. Packed with helpful informations ! thank you !
one of the best reviews i've seen. well done, and great channel 👍
I really appreciate all your videos. God Bless you for taking the time to share with your audience your experience and knowledge.
I have a question I hope you can help me with. I just bought the Canon 6D (finally jumped from a 7D to a full frame). I'm planning a trip this summer to Iceland and then Russia. In Iceland my plan is to focus on landscape (I'll be also buying Lee filters), and for Russia, there will be several interior photography i.e. churches, museums, etc. What lense do you recommend in my case? should i buy two separate lenses? thanks!
+antananarivo201 The Canon 24-105mm f/4 IS USM is a nice option :-) all the best!
compliment for the video. really. I value sharpness over anything else and this video is absolute marvel as in simple, fast, clear, exhaustive... excellent. subscribed
Christopher,
What lens would you recommend for movie making?
I have a Canon 70D crop sensor camera.
I was looking at the 24 -70 Tamron 2.8 lens.
would you recommend a zoom lens or fixed for filming?
+williamjver Go for the Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM
+Christopher Frost Photography
Thank You Christopher.
Thanks for the Tutorials. They are much appreciated.
LOL "In true Watch Mojo style" I wasn't expecting that reference at all!
Sigma EX 17-50 F2.8 DC OS HSM being sold off around £189.00 is just amazing as per one of your reviews Chris :)
I love mine and even on an old Canon 350D 8MP Body I get super images with it. Thanks for all your videos, I'm really enjoying them.
Wow, just wow. I thought I had it worked out. The Canon 100mm 2.8 L Macro didn't even get a mention! Have you tested this? Great video, very interesting. Great work, keep it up :-)
+amancalledcraig A few people have asked me about that. I found it needed a little stopping down before it gets super sharp. But yeah, it should probably have an honorable mention
as always great review and great videos Chris.
What about the tokina 16-28 2.8?
+aitorec Haven't tested. TBH, if I were on the market for a full-frame ultra wide lens, then I'd just go straight for the Tamron 15-30 VC
Christopher, thanks for your awesome reviews. I have a question though, for the lenses designed for full frame sensors, you did not mention that by actually applying the crop factor to the focal length let them make them become more zoom and applied to the aperture make us loose one stop of light. I have been testing myself the canon 70-200mm f4 without IS (which is awesome during daylight) that has poor performance during low light photography.
+azazazrzrzr I didn't feel the need to mention it, as it's actually quite well-known. Also, with APS-C cameras, you don't lose a stop of light through the lens (although it is true that, typically, APS-C cameras have much lower image quality at high ISO levels). But you do end up with a wider depth of field. All the best
I have the Sigma 50mm 1.4 USM Lens that I bought used for $275. U.S. from a school teacher. By experience it has become my favorite lens. Thank you for your review. It is now springtime in Tennessee & great, fresh colors for all photographers, even an amateur like me.
Hello when you use this lenses do you still edit them to fix the picture I'm new in photography and I'm really curious how photographer take their photo some are unbelievable I don't know if they look good because they edit it or it's because they had a good camera lens.
Editing helps a lot, yes. You can edit even with very basic apps.
The sigma 17-50 f2.8 ex dc os hsm lens is a fantastic bit of kit and offers fantastic picture quality in my opinion, defo worth a try :)
I don´t know if you´ve tested the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8, but the copy I own is fantastically sharp for a standart zoom lens for an APSC sized sensor camera, and I love it to bits.
Very nice. Thank you for taking the time to do the test for us.
Has someone done a review on the Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art vs the Tamron 35mm f1.8 VC?
The VC on the Tamron intrigues me, as I do a lot of handheld shooting, but the CA is not as controlled as I wish, which is making me think Sigma...what are your thoughts?
hey chris i love your reviews.. i am about to buy dslr and lens. i decided to go with canon 70d with 18-55mm, 50mm f1.8 stm and 85mm f1.8. do you think its good for a beginner? do you have any other recommendations? i want to shoot portraits mostly. please reply it will be a huge favor 😊
+maham rafi . i know you didnt ask me. ...you could get a sony SLT or a Fuji/sony mirrorless instead and pay less for a samyang 85 1.4 or a 135 samyang. which you can best use with peaking. also, you get inbody-stabilization if you use a sony a77 which makes all lenses stabilized, which are typically not stabilized. like all portrait lenses. Christopher frost now shoots canon+fuji...fuji has focus peaking :D speaking against mirrorless is the expensive long zooms and lack of very long zooms, also no internal stabilization. but for portrait , you dont need wideangle and if a zoom does that, then a 50mm , a f2 or maybe a vintage 1.2 or even e mitakon 50 0,95!!!! which you get for mirrorless only. looking at the price on amazon, for portraiture id prefer an a7 allday, for that money. with manual focus only. my sony a65 was used and much cheaper.
+maham rafi peaking is so useful and as you see on Chris channel there are many great cheap MF lenses (just compare 85 1.4 samyang and 135 samyang to AF counterparts) that are good for portraits. thats why id say get a sony slt or a mirrorless by fuji or sony. I would even consider getting the original A7 fullframe right away, but have to mention its AF seems to be not so good (a6000 is better there)
Not surprised with the number 1, the Sigma 50 mm art. I own it myself. It is nice that you keep in mind that most photographers are just ordinary people where the price is important. And show that there are good alternatives for the expensive Canon (L) lenses.
Shows how much I value your reviews. I own more than half of the list. Partly due to your reviews. Thank you. You have reviewed Canon 15-85 APS-C and that is sharp lens. However it is particularly nice to have a fast lens that is sharp.
Hi Chris, have you tried the Samyang 10mm f/2.8? I'm curious about how it will do compare to the 16mm and 14mm. Cheers
+Stef R I'm keeping an eye out to get one for testing
I just purchased the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens. I am using it on my Canon 6D, and am absolutely in love!!!! This lens replaced my Canon 50mm 1.8. I TOTALLY agree with you on the Sigma lens being the best :)
Thanks a lot! have you try the tamron 70-200 2.8? I love its sharpness!