11 Best canon lens for portraits and wedding photography: (2023 Guide & Reviews)

So, these past couple of weeks, like back-to-back weddings, have been shooting left and right.

You can pretty much say a wedding galore.

So, today I want to discuss the lenses I use for weddings.

What lenses work for me at the weddings that I shoot at?

And recommend my favorite 11 best Canon lenses for portraits and wedding photography.

So let’s go ahead and get started.

Which is the best Canon lens for portraits and wedding photography?

Here are my recommended top 11 best Canon lens for portraits and wedding photography:-

Canon 50mm 1.2: (What lens do professional photographers use)

I am a wedding photographer and shoot portraits, fashion, and many other things.

The 50-millimeter lens is by far my most used lens.

If you are looking to buy a prime lens and don’t know what to buy first, this is the one you should buy now.

A 50-millimeter lens can be used for almost everything.

Here’s what you can shoot with a 50-millimeter lens; number one is to shoot portraits.

The 50-millimeter lens is excellent for portraits of individual people and couples, mostly when I’m shooting on a wedding day.

You can get in close, you can back up, you can get the full length, you can get three-quarters, and you can even get just beautiful face shots with a 50-millimeter lens.

You don’t have to stick with individual and couple portraits with the 50.

You can also shoot groups when I’m shooting family photos, at the church, or in a park; I like to use a 50-millimeter lens to add a bit of compression.

I can get many people in the photo in a somewhat tight space, but it makes them look more together when using a 50-millimeter lens versus a 35 or 24.

A 50 is also great for shooting details, shooting details of a tablescape, shooting invitation details, shoes, even jewelry, and some life.

The 50 is my go-to for all my morning prep pictures, detail pictures in the morning, and reception pictures at night.

I shoot nighttime photos and the roofscapes with a 50-millimeter.

When you’re using a prime lens which means that it’s a fixed focal length, in other words, you can’t zoom in or out.

It seems tedious, but you can always do your feet right and go closer and further away.

It seems more work but trusts me, and you’re going to get a much more crisp image out of a prime lens, typically versus a zoom lens.

Another great thing about a prime lens is that it has a shallow aperture in most cases; this gives you a more shallow field that gives you that excellent soft dreamy background and beautiful bokeh.

And it also lets you draw the viewer’s attention to a certain focus point.

This can make focusing more challenging, but prime lenses can usually focus faster.

If you purchase your brand’s top-end prime lens, it’s usually a very fast-focusing lens.

The 50-millimeter, at least in the Canon line, is probably one of the fastest-focusing lenses.

Another reason I like to use it is because I can focus very quickly during a family photo session, and it’s not difficult to photograph at night.

Overall, the 50-millimeter lens is super versatile.

You can use it pretty much for anything.

If I had one lens to take with me on a wedding day and I couldn’t have anything else, I would use a 50-millimeter.

Canon 24-70 F2.8: (Best Professional lens for wedding photography Canon)

What is the best lens for wedding photography?

I started a few years ago as a wedding photographer, and it took me a lot of time and research to choose the best lens.

After a while, I came up with a conclusion, and I have never regretted it.

24 to 70 millimeters is the best range for wedding photography.

I usually use the 24 to 70 Canon 2.8 L series USM ultrasonic Moto.

The range will be wide enough for covering group shorts or narrow enough to do a portrait from the 24 focal distance, which is wider, to the 70, which could also be classified as a telephoto.

So the 70 will give you an excellent blurry background, depending on where you’re shooting from or where the subject is.

So I think 24 to 70 is the way to go.

In my first 10 weddings, I had only this lens.

I didn’t have a second camera; I didn’t have a telephoto; I didn’t have a macro; I didn’t have anything else.

This is good enough to help you start your wedding photography business and is good enough to shoot all day long.

I shoot 80 to 90% of the time with this one, and for the other 10%, I use the telephoto lens on the second camera.

I want to tell you; it is wide, good, and sharp enough to cover the wedding.

It can focus very accurately; it has manual and automatic focus and a hood.

It’s built to impress people, and I can assure you, sometimes size and appearance do matter; people are always looking at me said, you have a big camera, and I will say yes because I’m supposed to be a professional when using this 24, it does extend a little bit.

This is the sharpest lens I have got; I was amazed by purchasing the other lens because I can see the images taken with this lens every time.

Everything is sharper, like my eyesight is coming back; you would expect all the excellent quality L series lenses from Canon to be 100 percent sharp.

This is the sharpest every time I look at it; I’m so happy I’ve got it and recommend this lens without hesitation.

This is a must-have for every serious photographer, including wedding photography.

Canon 24-105mm F4: (Best Selling lens for wedding photography Canon)

My thoughts on it, I’ll tell you some of the specs and some of the downsides of this, but let me tell you why this is probably one of the most popular wedding lens event lenses on the market.

This is pretty much one of the top-selling because it’s a very versatile range for what it is, and it’s just an F4 is a pretty decent range for whatever you need to do in most situations.

Now in low light or if you need a bit more bokeh or compression, of course, 2.8 would be a little bit better, but for f4, It’s not that bad, especially for 999 bucks.

Some cool things are that it has a range of F4 to F22, so you get that great depth.

It has 3 aspherical elements, which are fantastic as well that are also weather sealed.

This does have optical image stabilization built onto the lens with an ultrasonic motor.

The bokeh on this thing is phenomenal.

And that’s because it has 8 blades in and 13 groups that you get decent bokeh, and you can see blurs out the background very well.

It is even lighter than the 24 to 70 2.8, a Canon, and Nikon by almost maybe two or three pounds.

It was 1.47 pounds, without anything on.

There are 2 or 3 major drawbacks that I will say about this lens since we got through mainly all the essential stuff.

One of my main gripes about the 24 to 105 is that it has a little bit of lens creep, so just be careful of that and maybe have a bit of lens hood around it to protect it.

But besides that, the autofocusing is a little bit slow and clunky.

The stabilization will be a bit loud.

That’s just how the lens is built, and I didn’t notice that the autofocusing does hunt a lot more, and maybe we’ll find it a little bit difficult of a time grabbing something.

But let me tell you when this works phenomenally, and I’d say because of what it offers the lens range.

The constant F4 you can use in the light of flash will be one of the most popular wedding lenses.

I think it’s a phenomenal lens; you can easily get a fantastic quality that you can use with your full-frame camera. We use it with your crop camera as well.

But I think that for that price range as well, you’re getting a hell of a lot out of it.

The image quality is fantastic; you can get out a little bit of the clunkiness of the lens.

I think it’s a fantastic lens. Despite some of its downsides, it does exactly what you need.

And the quality is just phenomenal, and it looks fantastic, so don’t be afraid of buying it for a thousand bucks.

It’s a decent buy, especially if you’re a Canon shooter.

Canon 70-200mm F2.8: (Best Telephoto lens for wedding photography Canon)

I’ve been using this lens since 2011 to photograph over 250 weddings.

This is the Canon 70 to 200 f 2.8 l version two.

My second favorite lens is the Canon 70 to 200; I mean the L version when I say that.

Those times that you’re photographing in low light, like inside a church, near sunset, or around that late afternoon or early evening, basically when it’s getting dark, your lens, your photos will thank you.

Your couples very much appreciated having the 2.8 aperture.

Let me share with you exactly why I love this lens.

There are quite a few reasons I’m talking about this.

So yes, after 12 years of using this line of lenses, specifically the Mark two version I’ve been using since 2011.

So Reason number one, the quality of the image is just excellent.

The specially for a zoom slash telephoto lens is as sharp and, for that matter, light as the telephoto primes versus the zooms.

The 70-200, it’s still a fantastic quality lens, the contrast of the colors, not to mention how well it focuses.

All of those things make this; feel a must-have when photographing a wedding, so Reason number one, quite simply, is the image quality.

I’ve been using this forever because the 70 to 200 is a fixed aperture throughout all focal lengths.

The third reason I recommend the 70 to 200 touched upon this already is having an effective popular range of focal length, going from 70 to 200 millimeters.

You won’t get wide-angle shots with this lens; it’s a telephoto lens.

With the 70-200 telephotos, you will get that shallow depth of feel in the blurry background.

The subject will be more flattering because there’s more compression between the subject and the background, less distortion around the frames, and so forth.

So basically, your couples are going to thank you.

Because they’re going to look not only realistic but with a telephoto lens, especially if you’re shooting closer to the 200 millimeters, they’re going to look a little bit more, if you know what I mean, a little more flattering versus using a wide-angle lens.

So that’s the great thing.

You can shoot anything from the ceremony reception from a distance.

This is a must-have, I feel, in certain settings, certain situations inside a Catholic Church, or if you’re photographing the toes.

During a reception, ballroom, or banquet, and you don’t want to be in the way of the toaster, a couple of videographers can step back and shoot with a 70 to 200.

It’s also a bit less intimidating, although it seems pretty intimidating, to couples, especially if you’re doing an engagement session and you’re just starting.

You don’t want to be in their face immediately; rather, with a 70 to 200.

You can cover all situations with the variety’s versatility from 70 to 200.

People object shots on the wedding day.

My fifth reason for recommending the Canon 7200 f 2.8 IS is those last two letters.

I asked for image stabilization, like inside that Catholic church or at nighttime at a dark dim-lit reception anywhere you’re going to need the extra stop of light, and even 2.8 aperture is not fast enough, so having image stabilization will be critical.

Even in low light conditions, they are still sharp and overall look good, so Reason number five is image stabilization.

The quality is still excellent.

And sure, it is a bit heavy; I don’t know what it is, maybe five-six pounds or so, maybe a little bit more, but I don’t mind that it gives me a good workout at a wedding.

Overall, I have no desire or interest in switching to other brands.

I’m sure they’re lovely, but Canon has been amazing to me all these years.

That’s why I continue to utilize them, so on that note, of course, without a doubt.

Do I recommend the Canon 70-200 F 2.8 IS L mark 2?

Absolutely, yes, without a doubt.

Canon 16-35mm F2.8: (Best wide-angle lens for wedding photography Canon)

I will discuss the most affordable lens for ultra-wide shots: the Canon 16 to 35 F 2.8.

This is the Mark two version, the older version, and that’s exactly why I will recommend it.

The price of this lens has dropped so much over the past few years, and the quality of the lens has not changed at all.

This is still an L series glass, meaning it’s Canon top-of-the-line, and when I pair it with my Canon EOSR, it grants me some beautiful images.

The F 2.8 aperture with the full-frame sensor gives me extremely blurry backgrounds, making it great in low light.

As well as the fact that it can go down to a 2.8 aperture, which means it lets in a lot of light, but it’s fantastic for darker situations and creating more cinematic images.

In terms of size and weight, it’s not that big.

So this lens is fantastic for what it is; it’s incredibly sharp.

You now have the autofocus speeds on this lightning-fast paired with the Canon EOS R; it’s just, overall, my favorite lens, and it’s pretty much the only lens I keep on my camera.

Now in terms of drawbacks, there are some things that I don’t like about this lens.

One is although the autofocus speed is rapid.

It does make quite a bit of noise, and on the vlog, sometimes you can hear a little bit of that mechanical movement of the elements moving inside the lens, and it can get a little bit loud sometimes.

But usually, if I’m doing a vlog or something like that, I have music in the background, and you can’t hear it that much.

I believe it is its versatility; it’s incredibly sharp, from 16 to 35 millimeters.

So I can be vlogging at 16 millimeters, and if I need to take some more portrait photography or any photography, I can bring it to 35 millimeters.

It’s incredibly sharp.

It’s a constant aperture all the way through, so it does not get any darker as you zoom in.

This lens at 35 millimeters, with the full-frame Canon EOSR, provides stunning results with beautiful bokeh in the background.

It’s a tremendous full-frame lens, and the prices are going down as the RF lineup comes out, but it’s still extremely sharp, and you will not be disappointed with this lens.

The Canon 16 to 35 F 2.8 use these lenses for most of our wedding day shoots, especially when using a stabilizer; we have both versions two and three, which are excellent.

We love this lens because they zoom internally, and I know it’s only 16 to 35, and you’re like, that’s not very much zoom, but it makes a big difference.

It was a game-changer for us; you always work around photographers, other people, or second shooters on wedding days.

So, it’s just a lifesaver to have flexibility whenever you want to shoot wide or zoom in slightly tighter.

The third reason we love using this lens is that it has pretty close focusing capabilities.

So, we can use this almost as a macro in many instances; we’ve done tons of weddings where I didn’t even use a macro for a ring shot; I use this.

Especially when I’m shooting in 4k, it has that trough factor that helps a little bit, but even not in 4k, you can get pretty close.

So it’s very flexible that we don’t have to change lenses if I’m using it as a stabilizer when shooting details, and I have this on there.

I can zoom in, get close, and still get a pretty tight ring shot or a detail shot on whatever I’m shooting without changing to a different lens.

The fourth reason is that it’s just sharp; we’ve had many wide lenses in the past that, especially when you’re shooting wider, never seem to be able to hit their focus points and will always be a little soft.

But this thing never disappoints in the area of sharpness.

So there you have it, the 16 to 35, we love it to great land and super flexible, and we recommend this to anyone.

Especially if you’re doing a lot of stabilizer-based shooting.

We recommend this to check out.

Canon 28mm F1.8: (Best cheap lens for wedding photography canon)

I am excited to talk about the Canon 28-millimeter 1.8 lenses.

I didn’t know this existed, and I wish I had before.

If you are starting your business, I will say you want a wider lens specifically for weddings, travel, and group shots.

You want a prime lens wide enough to capture the details and architecture when you’re traveling but also something you could use in some portrait shots; I think you must go for this.

This lens comes at a very affordable price.

If you buy it now, you’re getting a great deal.

You’re saving a significant amount of money.

The only major con about this lens is that it is slow to focus, and I was getting frustrated when testing it out.

So you can get a better feel though it’s slow to focus.

It is incredibly sharp.

Manual focus is excellent on this lens; the ring is pretty smooth; I could see this lens used for videography.

This is an excellent option price point; I wish I had discovered it so much earlier.

Canon 135mm F2L: (Best Canon lens for portraits)

I will discuss the Canon 135 F two L lens and why it’s the best portrait lens.

So I love this lens and recommend it for many reasons.

I’ve used it for portraits, weddings, events, commercial work, and video.

I’ve had it for about four to five years and don’t have many complaints with this lens.

It’s a workhorse, and I’m excited to dive into why this is the best lens for portraits.

The first point I want to make is that this is just an excellent focal 135.

It Looks so good for portraits for wedding events, as I mentioned before, and it’s a unique look.

If you shoot wide open at f 2.8 f 4, your background blurs nicely.

You can get some nice bokeh.

Another great thing is the distance you have from your subject.

If you’re shooting 135, you’d have plenty of space between yourself, and you’re able to give direction, and they’re usually a little more relaxed with their portraits.

If you want to rock this guy during wedding ceremonies, you’ll be very impressed by the results.

And again, the distance you have is excellent because you can stand behind the crowd and everyone.

And still get tight shots from the bride and groom. You can get good detail shots.

It’s one of my favorite lenses to use at weddings, especially once I get that individual worker shines with the bride and groom; it’s fantastic.

The second point I want to make is that this lens is tack sharp, even shooting wide open at f2.

And especially if you stop it down to 2.8 and f4; goodness is so sharp, even with older camera models with older autofocus systems.

This lens still nails focus almost every time unless you’re just wobbling your camera so much.

The third point I want to make is that this thing is delicious.

If you’re shooting wide open, the backgrounds look amazing.

I love this lens.

My next point is that this lens’s colors are phenomenal; everything looks lifelike, like the real world.

I don’t know how to say the colors just pop; everything looks so good coming from this lens.

Another point is that you have a very close, minimum focus distance, which’s essential.

You’ll be impressed with how fast this lens focuses, even with older cameras, and for shooting on the 60 or a 5d mark ii, maybe the mark iii.

It focuses so fast that it comes in handy a lot when you’re shooting weddings, events, and live moments that you can’t redo; having that to capture special moments is fantastic.

And having a lightweight lens still gives you excellent results is nice.

I can’t recommend this one enough for those looking to save and who are on a budget but still want fantastic quality; if you have the money, you should invest in this lens.

There’s no image stabilization in this lens, so you do have to compensate for that with the higher shutter speed.

Next, there’s no weather sealing on this lens.

I pop the cap off; it’s just straight metal and the connection elements, so you don’t want to take this guy out in the rainforest and shoot the monkeys flying around the trees.

Suppose I get a little technical, chromatic aberration in this lens and high contrast areas. I noticed that a lot.

But honestly, truth be told, your client isn’t going to notice that it’s very technical.

You can fix some of that in Photoshop.

And for the price range of this lens, it’s not too much of a big deal to worry about.

It’s a focal length you would enjoy for portraits and things like that; it is probably worth getting.

This is the 135mm f2 Prime from Canon; I love this lens for portraits.

It has fantastic colors.

It focuses fast and incredibly sharp, even shooting wide open.

The bokeh is fantastic.

No image stabilization, or the weather is sealing on this one.

Final thoughts, if you’re a portrait shooter and you’ve never shot 135, specifically this lens, you need to try it out.

I almost guarantee you you’ll fall in love with this focal length.

I hope you try it, take it out, and create some excellent work because I know you can with this lens.

Canon 50mm f1.8: (Best affordable Canon lens for wedding photography)

Capture couples in forever love with this 50mm lens by Canon.

Crisp, dreamy weddings are sure to follow the fantastic wide angle of view that captures more than just the bride and groom!

This is the perfect budget-friendly lens for weddings, portraits, and nighttime photography.

Ultra-lightweight for comfortable and worry-free portability, this lens also features a superfast autofocus system for capturing moments as they happen without interruption.

It provides the blurring effect achieved by shooting with a fast shutter speed without breaking your bank account.

With a 40-degree angle of view, this affordable lens has a stepping motor that delivers near-silent, continuous moves, great for movies and smooth AF even while photographing in dimly lit settings.

Available on APS C-sized cameras (50mm) and full-frame cameras (80mm), this lens will serve your needs while still sitting within your budget.

Lightweight and portable for up-and-coming photographers, it also includes STM, which delivers near-silent operation so you won’t make as many noise distractions at weddings, among other events.

This lens offers excellent creative control because you can manually adjust focusing whenever necessary – without interrupting the camera.

Capture beautiful moments in a snap with this lens for wedding photography.

The focal length and a maximum aperture of 50mm take your subjects in crisp focus, while the angle is just right for getting excellent wedding photography.

This affordable Canon lens is perfect for the professional photographer who wants to get those intimate close-up shots.

The ISO in this lens will blow your mind!

Please bring your camera towards whoever you’re photographing instead of focusing on them manually as most DSLR cameras ask you to do.

This affordable yet powerful lens will balance all those basics while preserving background detail (thanks to that f1.8 aperture) and foreground clarity; worth every penny spent!

Especially when paired with a prime lens, this beauty has some of the lowest distortion numbers on a standard spread of Canon wide-aperture lenses to help get those portrait shots all mushed together.

Sigma 35mm f1.4: (Best lens for wedding photography Canon 5d mark iii)

Imagine your own creative, expressive shots.

Dimension without filters, give this unique lens a try!

This prime lens for Canon 5d mark iii, 35mm f1.4, is an industry standard for professional wedding photography and portrait shots from renowned photographers.

The lens has a fast aperture of F1.4 that can be physically closed down to an impressive F16 if needed in low-light situations or to create fantastic depth-of-field effects (significant for portraits).

The autofocus is quick and quiet using an inner focusing system that’s also quiet, so you won’t disturb your subject while shooting on the go or in someone’s personal space.

The quality of the image is excellent with this lens–as in it’s practically perfect.

This lens is just what you need to get that perfect shot of your couple’s first kiss on the altar!

A focal length of 35mm perfectly captures eye contact and close-ups with good detail—especially when working in cramped quarters such as long-distance worship spaces.

And at f/1.4, this lens can easily photograph low-light scenarios like receptions after dark.

This prime lens is your best companion for wedding photography, and you’ll love what it can do to capture moments creatively.

If you’re looking for a versatile yet affordable lens for your Canon 5d mark iii cameras, stop now because the Sigma 35mm f1.4 is just what you need.

The superior optics ensure the utmost crispness even when you’re shooting at half-second exposure times, and being able to shoot at an ISO as low as ISO 3200 without any fear of noise is a definite plus on that end too.

If you want gorgeous photos without breaking the bank or taking up much room in your bag, this is the camera.

It’s a quintessential lens to have in your wedding photographer’s bag!

Canon 17-55mm f2.8: (Best lens for wedding photography Crop sensor)

If you are a wedding photographer or just starting, this lens can be your new best friend.

This crop sensor lens is the best lens for wedding photography and the bestseller lens in the industry!

It’s your cheapest and easiest option when shooting in tight, busy spaces like weddings due to its short focal length range, fast max aperture of f/2.8, and ultra-compact build.

Perfect for large groups or small photo booths!

This excellent zoom lens lets you shoot detailed shots from across the room without changing lenses so often.

Whether you got a fancy camera body or not, this lens is here for all your event photography needs.

This lens will capture the magic of your family and friends as they say I do while being sure to focus on something a little more critical; the bride and groom.

This lens is excellent for wedding photography because it has a wide-angle zoom to capture gorgeous scenery from far away.

It is perfect for capturing that picture-perfect moment in a way you’ve always dreamed about.

Its lightweight and compact design help keep you light on your feet, which will be helpful when taming the wildest party crowd.

The latest technology, including aspherical elements and image stabilization, ensures you’ll never have blurry photos of that special day again.

Great optical features include AD and aspherical elements to produce sharp images throughout the entire zoom range to 55mm.

The 1:3 focus ratio means this lens produces beautiful bokeh effects, even in dim lighting!

This sharpshooter has heat dispersion and image stabilization, meaning that every inch of the frame is captured with crystal clarity – even if it’s dimly lit or dark as midnight under a broken streetlight!

While close, focusing at 1.15 feet allows capturing shots that might otherwise only be possible using a macro-photo accessory without losing any resolution or detail!

This gem also has an ultra-sonic monitor for quick autofocusing, so even full moons look bright enough to shoot during the day.

Don’t hesitate any longer; this dog knows what pup likes sense needs!

A lens for the popular crop sensor Canon camera, 17-55mm f2.8, has all the features you need to capture your wedding photography with pinpoint precision and creativity at an affordable price.

This is worth adding to your camera bag for scenic shots straight down an aisle or across a field.

Canon 85mm f1.8: (Best lens for wedding photography Canon 5d mark iv)

Wedding photography is where it all starts.

When capturing the bride in her most natural and solitary state, you need a lens that has range.

The Canon 85mm f1.8 is a medium telephoto lens that produces a natural angle of view and beautiful background blur.

This lens is the best because it can be versatile with depth and field of view to make pictures compelling.

This lens is best for wedding photography, with the Canon 5D Mark IV as a perfect fit.

This masterfully crafted lens with superb image quality can turn any couple’s wedding photos into artistic visions of happiness.

It’s great for portraits as it focuses quickly and brings subjects into sharp focus with the ring-type USM system.

It is an ideal lens for wedding photography when you’re forced to work in confined spaces and lack the energy to dance around your subject.

It excels in any environment, from halls of all sizes to hotels with tight quarters and stairwells, where its ability to offer a gorgeous depth of field is unmatched.

The ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM) makes it easy to achieve sharp focus within milliseconds of zooming.

This is especially useful when photographing live performances that require instant shutter response without compromising image quality.

Delivers razor-sharp images with as much precision as your skill allows.

The wide aperture makes it perfect for low-light situations, like indoor weddings or Christmas Eve ceremonies and allows you to capture your subject beautifully.

With its impressive bokeh (the soft glow behind the subject), this lens is effective in portraits because it separates subjects from their surroundings.

The Canon 85mm f1.8 produces gorgeous cinematic shots and is the best lens for wedding photography with a Canon 5d mark iv. #stunning

CONCLUSION:

Alright, guys, that concludes all the lenses we will discuss today in this article.

Do you guys have any experience with these lenses? What are your thoughts on them?

Which is your best Canon lens for portraits and wedding photography?

Is there a lens I didn’t mention in this article that you love using for wedding photography?

Would you please leave your thoughts and comments below?

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