Canon EF-S lenses: the full list

Continuing our series of camera lens listings, this page brings together all the lenses available for the Canon EF-S mount. Introduced by Canon in 2003 with the EOS 300D, this mount is used on Canon DSLR cameras equipped with an APS-C sensor. By contrast, the Canon EF mount, introduced in 1987, refers to lenses designed for full-frame DSLR cameras, also known as 24 × 36mm or FF cameras.

As a general rule, lenses designed for the EF-S mount cannot be mounted on a full-frame camera. Canon APS-C DSLR bodies with an EF-S mount can, however, use EF lenses originally designed for full-frame cameras. You will find the complete list of EF lenses by following the link. EF-S lenses are specifically optimised for APS-C sensors, which means they are generally lighter, more compact and less expensive than Canon EF lenses. To calculate the full-frame-equivalent field of view, multiply the focal length by Canon’s 1.6x crop factor. For example, a 200mm lens mounted on an APS-C body provides the same field of view as a 320mm lens on a full-frame camera.

If you already own a Canon APS-C DSLR and are considering switching to a mirrorless camera, here is the list of lenses available for the EF-M mount, designed for Canon APS-C mirrorless cameras. It is also worth noting that, in June 2022, Canon released its first APS-C mirrorless cameras using the RF mount: the Canon EOS R7 and R10.

The EF-S mount is used by the following Canon cameras, which are still relatively easy to find:

You can sort the tables below according to the characteristics you are interested in, including maximum aperture, image stabilization and focal length.

The number of native Canon EF-S lenses is relatively limited. Only around ten lenses were designed specifically for the brand’s APS-C DSLR cameras. As with the other mounts, I have divided them according to focal length category:

1. Wide-angle (WA) and ultra-wide-angle (UWA) lenses: focal lengths below 14mm (UWA) and from 14mm to 24mm (WA).
2. Standard focal lengths: focal lengths from 24mm to 50mm.
3. Telephoto lenses: focal lengths above 50mm
4. Macro lenses: designed for macro photography

Only two native wide-angle zooms are available for the Canon EF-S mount. The 10-22mm covers a slightly broader focal range than the 10-18mm and offers a somewhat wider maximum aperture. Overall, reviews suggest that the two lenses perform quite similarly, although the 10-22mm is slightly sharper at 10mm and its maximum aperture. However, landscape and architectural photographers generally shoot at narrower apertures, often between f/8 and f/11, where the difference becomes much less noticeable.

The 10-18mm also includes image stabilization, unlike the 10-22mm, uses smaller and therefore less expensive filters, and costs less than half as much. Its build quality is not as refined, but at around €250, I would recommend the 10-18mm to anyone looking for an affordable wide-angle lens.

To learn more, take a look at my complete guide to what I consider the best Canon wide-angle lenses. It includes detailed recommendations for both the Canon EF-S mount, designed for APS-C DSLRs, and the EF mount, designed for full-frame cameras.

One important point to bear in mind is that, if you want a genuinely wide field of view on a Canon APS-C camera, I strongly recommend choosing a lens designed specifically for the APS-C format. Wide-angle EF lenses often stop feeling particularly wide once Canon’s 1.6x crop factor is applied. For example, my Canon 16-35mm f/4 EF lens provides approximately the same field of view as a 25-56mm lens on an APS-C camera.

Here is the list of standard lenses available for the Canon EF-S mount. Most are zoom lenses, with two exceptions: the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM and the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM, which is also a macro lens. Several versions of lenses such as the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 and Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 were released over the years, but I have only included the most recent versions. If you are looking for versatile lenses suitable for landscapes, portraits and street photography, the options listed below are excellent places to start.

If you have a limited budget and want a lightweight, compact Canon telephoto lens with decent image quality, there is only one native option for the EF-S mount: the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM. At around €250, I strongly recommend it as an affordable way to experiment with longer focal lengths. You can already achieve attractive background blur when shooting close subjects at the widest available aperture.

Otherwise, you will need to consider lenses designed for the full-frame Canon EF mount. Although many offer better optical and build quality, they are generally heavier, larger and more expensive.

Only two native macro lenses are available for the Canon EF-S mount, and they are listed in the table below.

After researching the various third-party brands offering lenses for the Canon EF-S mount, I identified six main manufacturers. Three of them—Sigma, Tamron and Tokina—offer autofocus lenses. The others, including Samyang, Meike and Opteka, mainly produce manual focus models.

Sigma has produced a wide range of lenses compatible with the Canon EF-S mount. Some are now very old, so I decided not to include every model in the table below. Instead, I have focused on the more recent lenses that are still relatively easy to find new. As a reminder, Sigma uses the acronym “DC” for lenses designed for APS-C DSLR cameras, while “OS” indicates optical image stabilization.

Among the more recent options, you will find three Sigma Art lenses offering excellent optical quality, along with two versatile standard zooms: the 18-200mm and 18-300mm listed below. The remaining models are older and beginning to show their age, although some may still be worth considering as affordable alternatives.

As with Sigma, I have only included Tamron’s more recent EF-S-compatible lenses in the table below, although older models can still be found second-hand. Overall, Tamron offers an excellent wide-angle lens, several versatile standard zooms and a macro lens. As a reminder, the acronym “Di II” indicates that a Tamron lens is designed for APS-C DSLR cameras.

Samyang, also known as Rokinon in some markets, offers several EF-S-compatible lenses, most of which are prime lenses.

Tokina has produced several lenses for Canon APS-C DSLR cameras. In recent years, the brand has redesigned and updated some of its best-known models, so I have only included the latest versions in the table below.

I personally started with the older Tokina 11-16mm wide-angle lens, which has now been replaced by the Tokina ATX-I 11-16mm f/2.8 CF, an updated version of this popular ultra-wide-angle zoom. In my opinion, it remains one of the best choices available if you want a fast f/2.8 wide-angle lens for an APS-C DSLR. Competing models from Sigma, Canon and Tamron may offer broader focal ranges, but their maximum apertures are generally narrower. The constant f/2.8 aperture also makes the Tokina particularly useful for low-light photography.

For the other lenses, take a look at the table below. Feel free to leave a comment if you think additional models should be included.

Meike offers a relatively popular fisheye lens that is less expensive than the Opteka model mentioned below. The 6-11mm, however, has received much less positive feedback from users.

As far as I know, Opteka offers only one 6.5mm fisheye lens for this mount. It nevertheless has a good reputation for producing extremely wide images with pronounced fisheye distortion.

Feel free to share your feedback if you think other lenses deserve to be included on this page.

If you are still deciding between Canon and Nikon, I have also listed all the Nikon lenses designed for the DX format, meaning Nikon APS-C DSLR cameras.

Written by Sylvain PONS

I've been passionate about photography since 2010, learning as I went along. Today, I dedicate myself to guiding others in their choice of camera gear and sharing a variety of tips to improve their photography skills.

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