Buyer's Guides

Few things are as exciting as using a brand new lens for the first time. To photographers, a new lens is like an empty canvas to an artist, or a fresh storyline to a novelist. Fortunately, despite the unsettled tenor of the world situation, 2020 has witnessed an outstanding and diverse collection of exceptional lenses.

Shutterbug once again worked with EISA, the world’s largest independent collection of magazines and websites focusing on consumer electronics, to select the ten best lenses of 2020. Here are our choices. As a voting member of EISA, Shutterbug helped choose these outstanding lenses, which we feel are the best you can buy right now.

Our choices for the ten best lenses you can buy in 2020 run the gamut from super wideangle to super telephoto, and one thing is certain: not one of them will disappoint you. So, take a look at our choices for the ten best lenses of 2020 below (with links to where you can purchase them) and find something amazing to start shooting with today.

Last time we counted down the 10 Best Cameras of 2020, similarly derived from our participation as a voting member of EISA. So if you’re in the market for a new camera—maybe a self-directed holiday gift or a reward for surviving a seemingly endless parade of Zoom teleconferences—read our review of the 10 Best Cameras of 2020 here.

Here are the lenses, in no particular order. Each ranks #1 in its own way.

 

Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Perfectly matched to Canon’s RF mirrorless system, the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM features an all-new optical design which includes one Super UD element, one UD element and two aspherical elements, and delivers exceptional image quality in a very compact lens. Well protected by environmental seals that resist dust and splashes, this exciting lens can be used in challenging weather situations. More importantly, the lens offers very effective 5-stop image stabilization. The Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM sets a new standard for professional telezoom lenses, and is Canon’s best to date.

The Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM can be ordered from Amazon today. Price is $2699.

 

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
Available in full-frame mirrorless Sony E-mount and L-mount (for Leica, Panasonic and Sigma cameras) this large-aperture wideangle zoom provides excellent quality at a very competitive price. Optimized for mirrorless use, Sigma has made a lens that’s considerably smaller and lighter than its DSLR counterpart, yet provides fantastic optical quality. Autofocus is fast and nearly silent, and the unit is weather resistant for more protection out-of-doors. Superb design with great weight and feel, the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art zoom is well suited for a wide range of subjects including, landscapes, architecture and street photography.

The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art zoom is available on Amazon. Price is $1398.

 

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM
Another superlative optic for the Canon RF system, the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM combines a fast aperture with built-in 5-stop image stabilization and delivers exceptional image quality across the full zoom range. Canon’s proprietary Nano USM motor provides rapid and accurate autofocus, and is perfect for video as well as stills because it’s nearly silent. Because working pros often must battle the elements, the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM features weather-sealed build quality and oliophobic fluorine coating on the front and rear elements to help shed dust and fingerprints.

Canon’s new RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM can be purchased from Amazon. Price is $2299.

 

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD
Amazingly affordable and compact, the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD zoom features a large aperture of f/2.8 and leverages the focusing and image stabilization features of Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. It delivers excellent sharpness and contrast across the frame at all focal lengths, even wide open. The optical design includes several special elements and coatings, and the special floating focus system ensures crisp and sharp images, even at very close 33.5 inch (0.85m) subject distances. This lens is a bargain in its class, ideal both for photography and video, and boasts weather-resistant construction. Includes 6-year USA Limited Warranty.

Order the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD from Amazon today. Price is $1199.

 

Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD
One of a family of eight lenses Tamron offers for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, and featuring a remarkable close-focus distance of just 7.5 inches (19cm), the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD is an all-in-one zoom lens and is the first in its class to offer a fast aperture of f/2.8 at the wideangle end. Compact and light weight (20.3 ounces) and covering wideangle to telephoto, the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD achieves impressive optical performance, giving clean, sharp images. It’s the perfect choice as the first accessory lens for new Sony mirrorless owners.

Tamron’s new 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD is available on Amazon. Price is $729.

 

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
Weighing less than 5 pounds (remarkable for a zoom with this enormous range) this ultra-telephoto zoom is ideal for nature, sports and BOP (Birds of Prey) photography. It’s affordable for its class and delivers great sharpness even at maximum aperture, which is very important for a lens that will often be used between 400mm and 600mm. Autofocus is very fast, and the large zoom ring moves smoothly from 200mm to 600mm without changing the length or balance of the lens, making it comfortable to use. The range can be extended even further with Sony’s 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters, maintaining full autofocus capability.

Order the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS from Amazon today. Price is $1998.

 

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR
The powerful Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm F2.8E FL ED SR VR telephoto zoom is professional lens that features a constant fast maximum aperture across the full focal-length range. It’s at home shooting indoor and outdoor sports and wildlife photography. Even at its maximum aperture of f/2.8, the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm F2.8E FL ED SR VR delivers exceptional resolution on full-frame DSLR cameras with minimal chromatic aberration, thanks to the use of Nikon’s new Short Wavelength Spectrum (SR) glass. It handles brilliantly too, with effective image stabilization. It also offers comprehensive weather protection. Compatibility with Nikon’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters brings additional flexibility.

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR is available from Amazon. Price is $9496.

 

Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G
Virtually distortion-free and suitable for everyday use, the Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G is a fast, compact, lightweight, ultra-wideangle. This exceptional G-series lens provides brilliant, sharp images in all areas of the frame, even at f/1.8. Its optical design features advanced aspherical elements and extra-low dispersion glass to deliver high corner-to-corner image quality with minimal distortion, while suppressing chromatic aberration. Two XD Linear Motors provide very fast, precise and silent focusing, and the 7.5-inch (18cm) minimum focus distance (in AF mode) can be exploited to create unique close-ups.

Order from the remarkable Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G-lens from Amazon today. Price is $848.

 

Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S
Nikon has long held a stranglehold on portrait-length telephotos (their remarkable 105mm f/2.5 and 85mm f/2 from days of old come to mind) and the new Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S for Nikon’s mirrorless Z system continues that tradition. This is a superb portrait lens with the classic 85mm focal length that provides fast autofocus speed and includes weather-resistance for use under adverse conditions.

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S is in stock now. Available from Amazon. Price is $696.

 

Canon RF 600mm and 800mm f/11 IS STM
A pair of super telephotos, the Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM lenses owe their unparalleled low weight to a novel design that combines diffractive optics with a small, fixed aperture. They both employ a retractable sliding barrel that enables a remarkably short pack length for easier transport. If 600mm or 800mm isn’t far-reaching enough, both lenses are compatible with Canon’s RF Extender 1.4x and RF Extender 2x. And of course, both feature Canon’s effective Image Stabilization. Perfect for the usual suspects (wildlife, sports and birding) these lenses are surprisingly affordable considering their niche.

Order the Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM from Amazon now. Price is $699.

—Jon Sienkiewicz

(As an Amazon Associate, Shutterbug earns from qualifying purchases linked in this story.)