Best Canon Lenses for Real Estate Photography
The best Canon lenses for real estate photography are going to be their wide angle lenses, plus another lens for detail shots. Although I’m a Nikon shooter, if I were to switch to Canon today, I would choose the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 IS USM and pair it with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM.
Although it’s a bit pricy of a combination, these two lenses are incredible pieces of glass that will cover every situation in real estate photography. Purchase once and never worry about your lenses again.
Table of Contents
The Best Canon Lenses for Real Estate Photography
Best Budget Canon Lens
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
If you’re looking for the cheapest lens possible to get started in Real Estate Photography, look no further. It’s a great focal length for interiors and will produce some decent images to get you started.
This is very much an intro lens though, so you’ll need to upgrade eventually. It’s not going to show up on other lists of the best canon lenses for real estate photography, but it will be serviceable for beginners.
Pros:
- Extremely affordable
- Good focal length for interiors
Cons:
- Will need to upgrade eventually
- Low quality build
Best Overall Canon Lenses
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
The Canon EF 16-35mm f4 is an extremely sharp lens at a price that’s a great value. If I shot Canon, I would purchase this lens and pair it with the 24-70mm f2.8 (see below).
This lens offers everything you need for interiors and most exteriors as well. At just over $1000, it’s a steal when compared to others.
Pros:
- Extremely sharp
- Affordable
- Good focal lengths
- Great build quality
Cons:
- Will need to pair it with another lens if you want tighter shots
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Here is a lens that every Canon photographer should have in their bag. I use Nikon’s version of this lens for exteriors and detail shots on most of my shoots.
It’s also great for most other types of photography, so if you shoot more than just real estate, this lens can really be a great purchase.
Pros:
- One of Canon’s best lenses
- Extremely sharp
- Great for multiple types of photography
Cons:
- Somewhat expensive to use for only exteriors and details
Best Mirrorless Canon Lenses
Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM
If you’re shooting mirrorless, then you’ll need this Canon RF 14-35mm f4 lens for real estate. Much like the Canon 16-35mm above, this lens offers great focal lengths for most real estate photos.
The best Canon lenses for real estate photography might change with mirrorless cameras, but you can always just buy an adaptor and use an EF lens.
Pros:
- Very sharp
- Lightweight
- Great build quality
- Good focal lengths
Cons:
- Will only work on mirrorless cameras
- Will need to pair it with another lens if you want tighter shots
Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM
Much like the Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8, this mirrorless version is an incredible piece of glass. If you shoot mirrorless and budget isn’t an issue, go ahead any buy this beauty.
Once you own it, you’ll want to use it all the time. It’ll be great for various types of photography and will be perfect for those exteriors and details shots.
Pros:
- Amazing build quality
- Very sharp
- Great for all types of photography
- One of the best mirrorless lenses available
- Expensive
- Will only work with mirrorless cameras
Recommendations
The best Canon lenses for real estate will depend on your budget. If your budget is extremely tight and you can’t spend over $1000, then Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM will service you for now. Personally, I would do my best to find a way to stretch the budget though since you definitely will need to upgrade eventually.
The value offered with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM is simply too good to pass up. You can buy an adaptor and use this lens on a mirrorless camera, or just use it on your current Canon. It’s super sharp, the ideal focal lengths, and much less expensive than the others that you’ll find on this list.
If budget is no concern to you, then pair it with either of the 24-70mm lenses above depending if you want the mirrorless version or not. You’ll be so happy you did once you start shooting with it.
Finally, if you’re just getting started in real estate photography, check out our Beginners Guide which is full of helpful tips and tricks. If you’re interested in reading more about today’s best gear for real estate photography, check out our Gear page as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What focal length is best for real estate photography?
The best focal length for real estate photography is going to be in the range of 14mm – 24mm. You want a wide focal length to show large spaces and a slightly tighter focal length to highlight details in the space.
What Canon lens should every photographer have?
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM (listed above) is arguably Canon’s best lens. It’s extremely adaptable and can be used across almost every genre of photography.
How wide of a lens do you need for real estate photography?
At a minimum, you’ll want a focal length of at least 18mm, but it would be best to have 16mm or even as wide as 14mm.