§ 01 Other use cases

Best Macro Lenses for Canon EF-S

Macro lenses for Canon EF-S covers 6 lenses in the Lens Arena database, spanning 17–60 mm. Launch prices start around $350. Releases span 2005 to 2017. Coverage is APS-C.

Our picks

From manufacturer specs

Pick	Lens	Key figure	Why
Brightest	Tamron SP AF 60 mm f/2.0 Di II LD (IF) Macro 1:1	f/2	Brightest maximum aperture here at f/2, 1 stop brighter than the next (Canon EF-S 35 mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM at f/2.8).
Lightest	Canon EF-S 35 mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM	190 g	Lightest here at 190 g, 145 g less than the next lightest (Canon EF-S 60 mm f/2.8 Macro USM).
Best third-party	Sigma C 17-70 mm f/2.8-4.0 DC Macro OS HSM	f/2.8-4	Next brightest third-party lens (Sigma) at f/2.8-4, after Tamron SP AF 60 mm f/2.0 Di II LD (IF) Macro 1:1 (picked above).
Newest	Sigma C 18-200 mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM	Jan 2014	Released Jan 2014, the most recent after Canon EF-S 35 mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM (picked above).

Sample frames from the top lenses

One frame per lens

Photo taken with the Tamron SP AF 60 mm f/2.0 Di II LD (IF) Macro 1:1 by Nick Biswell – Spiky Parlour — Tamron SP AF 60 mm f/2.0 Di II LD (IF) Macro 1:1 by Nick Biswell

Photo taken with the Canon EF-S 35 mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM by LSydney – Moth from below — Canon EF-S 35 mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM by LSydney

Photo taken with the Sigma C 17-70 mm f/2.8-4.0 DC Macro OS HSM by redskin83 – 500_5784 — Sigma C 17-70 mm f/2.8-4.0 DC Macro OS HSM by redskin83

Photo taken with the Sigma C 18-200 mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM by ritomo – IMGP0012 — Sigma C 18-200 mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM by ritomo

Photo taken with the Canon EF-S 60 mm f/2.8 Macro USM by Armin Fuchs – Tennis — Canon EF-S 60 mm f/2.8 Macro USM by Armin Fuchs

How we chose

Lenses the manufacturer designates as macro. Picks come from manufacturer specifications: the brightest maximum aperture, the lowest weight, APS-C and third-party options, and the most recent release. We do not rank on sharpness, bokeh or autofocus, because we have no test data for them. Use the sample frames and video reviews on each lens page to judge those.