Doesn’t matter who you hear it from, DSLRs aren’t dead.

Mirror-slapping camera body releases may have slowed down in the last few years, but the introduction of pro-grade DSLRs from Canon (among other manufacturers) such as the 1DX Mark III and 90D last 2020 still signal a commitment to support what’s supposed to be a dying breed of cameras.

Recent data suggests that Canon still holds 45.4% of the market, which may indicate that you’re likely shooting with a trusty DSLR from the undisputed, biggest brand in the game. So if you’re looking to expand your current lens line up for your Canon body, here are some of the best EF lenses you can get, according to pros.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM

Most professionals seem to be quick to point to an iteration of the venerable 24-70mm f/2.8 as their desert island lens pick. And it’s hardly a mystery why — this zoom range can practically do everything from landscapes to portraiture. Those playing for the red team are in luck because Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is easily one of the best standard zooms ever created.

The previous version of this L-series glass got the job done, but a lot of professionals didn’t really agree with the sharpness and distortion control it offered. The Mark II however addressed all this — DXOMARK even gave it a 32-point sharpness rating, bordering prime lens quality — and added most of the features you’d want to see on one of Canon’s “luxury” lens.

It snags focus quickly and with pinpoint accuracy, it’s built like a tank and has awesome weather sealing, it’s crazy sharp even at f/2.8… the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM could have been the definitive standard zoom lens if it had image stabilization. Oh well, maybe in the Mark III?

Lack of IS aside, professional wedding photographer and SLR Lounge founder Pye Jirsa still gave it a solid 5/5:

“The new 24-70mm Mark II is such big improvement over the Mark I that I now shoot over 25% of my portrait and engagement session images with this lens. I have come to prefer it to the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L whenever I do not need the extra wide angle. There are even times, and it is crazy that I am saying this, I preferred it to the Canon 50mm f/1.2L because the bokeh was good enough and gave me the extra flexibility in zoom.”

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM IS USM

We’ve first talked about the EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM in our round up of the sharpest lenses from Canon, Sony and Nikon. On there, we’ve touched on how it made headlines as the first 85mm lens with IS, and how it sits as DXOMARK’s third overall sharpest lens in their database.

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM is often pitted against the bokeh machine that is its f/1.2L older brother. However, the newer 85mm takes the recommendation today as it’s just the better lens in almost every aspect, except maybe with bokeh. And even then, you’ll just be splitting hairs. Just check out this bokeh comparison test versus the 1.2L to see just how well the 1.4L obliterates the background.

With outrageous center and edge-to-edge sharpness, snappy AF, and stabilization that can help you take sharp photos even at ¼ of a second, the 85mm f/1.4L is clearly the superior portrait lens.

New York-based portrait and wedding photographer compares the 85mm f/1.4L versus the 1.2L and Sigma’s 85mm Art in terms of sharpness:

“With this quick test, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS lens wipes out the older Canon 85mm f/1.2 II – it is clearly more sharp from edge to edge. The Sigma and the new Canon are close, but I would still give it to the new Canon 85mm f/1.4 IS”

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM

This Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is quite possibly Canon’s most polarizing lens ever. Some people love to hate it, and some can’t live without it. You see, the 50mm f/1.2L won’t be the sharpest lens in your stable. It’s also quite heavy at 590 grams. And because the poor motor will have to move all that chunk of glass around, the AF won’t feel as responsive as your typical USM lens.

Where it makes up though is in the look you can get out of this beast of a lens. The 50mm L is wildly famous for its dreamy bokeh rendition and that sort of ethereal feel it injects into any scene it shoots. At f/1.2 and at a 50mm standard focal length, this prime lens does something magical to the background that no telephoto can quite replicate.

It’s for this very reason that the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM has been a mainstay in a lot of wedding photographers camera bags for well over a decade now. Side note: if you want to get the same effect with whatever camera you’re shooting, check out our neat article on Zhongyi Speedmaster lenses here.

Dustin Abbot seems to be quite impressed with this behemoth of a 50mm lens and brands it as a “specialist tool” instead of your everyday utilitarian glass:

“Who is the 50L for? I think that it will best serve portrait photographers that want to deliver uniquely beautiful/dreamy results to their clients or wedding photographers that want something a little more special than what a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens can offer. The 50L delivers images that just seem to process really well and lend themselves to creating very artful portrait and fine art shots.”

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM

Canon had the EF 16-35mm f2.8 to awkwardly fill up the spot for their line of f/2.8 zoom trinity. For the longest time, the only real competition was Nikon’s 14-24mm f/2.8 in the UWA segment, neatly tying up the yellow team’s own zoom lens trinity. The 16-35mm f2.8 was in no way a slouch, and is a very good lens, but it isn’t as wide as the competition.

So Canon took “ultra wide” to a whole new level with the introduction of the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM, which was once the widest rectilinear zoom lens for the 35mm format in existence. With wide-angles, every millimeter is a world of difference so zooming all the way out to 11 can be a trip.

At its widest, the 11-24mm f/4L produced a serviceable level of barrel distortion, as you’d expect. Human subjects will no doubt look weird at this focal length, but for landscape, real estate and architectural work, the Canon EF 11-24mm was the dream lens. It’s also plenty sharp from the center to the edges of the frame.

One knock on the EF 11-24mm f/4L is the bulbous front element making it impossible to work with standard filters. But if you can shell out the extra budget for a specialized filter system for such a phenomenal lens, then Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM is no doubt the best UWA for Canon DSLRs.

Cleveland-based portrait and landscape photographer Alex Cooke took the 11-24mm to do some landscape and astrophotography work, and seemed to have been very happy with his purchase:

“Overall, I love the Canon 11-24mm f/4 L. While it can be difficult to work such extreme focal lengths, the lens itself is a top notch performer. I have no doubt that the extra wide angles will become easier to work with as I acclimate to envisioning such shots. Landscape photographers, architecture photographers, and even wedding photographers will find this lens both useful and able to set them apart from the competition.”

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM

The 35mm, like the nifty fifty, is an old classic focal length. Pros who find themselves shooting more “documentary” style images, such as photojournalism, weddings, and portrait photographers looking to get a nice environmental shot of their subject often reach for a 35mm prime. The 35mm is almost like the 24-70mm of primes, if that makes sense.

Anyway, if you agree with the previous statement and have found a 35mm to be your most used lens, then the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM is easily one of the best 35mm lens you can get for your Canon DSLR. It focuses extremely quick (and accurate, too), has a fast aperture, renders very little distortion, bokeh rendition is superb — so far, the 35mm ticks everything you’d expect from an L-lens.

It comes into its own when we start talking about sharpness. In a nutshell, it’s on par with a 55mm Zeiss Otus, according to DXOMARK’s lab testing. The 35mm shines outside of the lab and into real-world use, too! Dustin Abbot noted how the files he got from the lens felt “Otus-like”, further supporting what DXOMARK found in their testing.

So if you fancy a cheaper, weather-sealed, and autofocusing Otus lens in your bag, you probably want to get the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM.

Dustin ends his initial review of this amazing 35mm prime:

“The 35L II is expensive, yes, but in an age where the Zeiss Otus lenses are commanding prices north of $4000, the 35L II represents a more attainable kind of excellence.”

Here he is again with his final, long-term review of the EF 35mm f/1.4L II after owning it for five years: