Here’s a list of most Canon EOS-compatible lenses - both current and discontinued - sorted according to the categories above. Lenses are EF lenses (all EOS cameras) except those marked EF-S, which fit only EF-S-compatible digital EOS cameras.

The numeric value marked with the Ø symbol is the filter mount diameter. In other words, round screwmount filters of the size indicated can be attached to this lens. A few lenses - the extreme wide-angle lenses and the really long telephotos - use drop-in or gelatine filters inserted into the lens barrel.

Many lenses have the word “Macro” marked on them but only those identified here as macro are true macro lenses. True macro lenses are defined as those lenses capable of 1:1 focussing or better. The only Canon macro lens which doesn’t quite fit this definition is the 50mm 2.5 Compact Macro, which requires the add-on Life-Size adapter to reach 1:1.

Check out Canon’s Camera Museum site for technical details on all the EF lenses that Canon has ever produced.

Category 1 - cheapies.
These inexpensive lenses feature all-plastic barrel construction with plastic lens mounts (the 75-300 series and the 28-200 lenses being exceptions - they have metal mounts) and no distance scales. Those lenses in this category which have ultrasonic motors (USM) use cheaper micromotor USM, not ring USM. USM lenses are marked with a striped gold line around the end. Some of these lenses also have silver (chrome) rings around the end for good looks. Most lenses in this category support optional manual focussing, but their manual focus rings are usually awkward and cumbersome to use.

EF-S 18-55 3.5-5.6, Ø58
Inexpensive EF-S kit lens; reasonable optical quality

EF-S 18-55 3.5-5.6 USM, Ø58
Apparently only sold in Japan

EF-S 18-55 3.5-5.6 II, Ø58
Cosmetic update to the above

22-55mm 4.0-5.6 USM, Ø58

28-105mm 4.0-5.6, Ø58

28-105mm 4.0-5.6 USM, Ø58

28-80mm 3.5-5.6, Ø58

28-200mm 3.5-5.6, Ø72

28-200mm 3.5-5.6 USM, Ø72

28-80mm 3.5-5.6, Ø58

28-80mm 3.5-5.6 II, Ø58

28-80mm 3.5-5.6 II USM, Ø58

28-80mm 3.5-5.6 III, Ø58

28-80mm 3.5-5.6 III USM, Ø58

28-80mm 3.5-5.6 IV USM, Ø58

28-80mm 3.5-5.6 V USM, Ø58

28-90mm 4-5.6, Ø58

28-90mm 4-5.6 USM, Ø58

28-90mm 4-5.6 II, Ø58

28-90mm 4-5.6 USM II, Ø58
Silver-coloured

35-70mm 3.5-4.5 A, Ø52
Autofocus only - no manual focus ring

35-80mm 4-5.6, Ø52

35-80mm 4-5.6 PZ, Ø52
Powered (motorized) zoom

35-80mm 4-5.6 II, Ø52

35-80mm 4-5.6 III, Ø52

35-80mm 4-5.6 USM, Ø52

35-105mm 4.5-5.6 USM, Ø58

38-76mm 4.5-5.6, Ø52

55-200mm 4.5-5.6 USM, Ø52

55-200mm 4.5-5.6 II USM, Ø52

75-300mm 4-5.6, Ø58

75-300mm 4-5.6, Ø58

75-300mm 4-5.6 II, Ø58

75-300mm 4-5.6 II USM, Ø58

75-300mm 4-5.6 III, Ø58

75-300mm 4-5.6 III USM, Ø58

75-300mm 4-5.6 USM, Ø58

80-200mm 4.5-5.6, Ø52

80-200mm 4.5-5.6 II, Ø52

80-200mm 4.5-5.6 USM, Ø52

90-300mm 4.5-5.6, Ø58

90-300mm 4.5-5.6 USM, Ø58

100-200mm 4.5 A, Ø58
Autofocus only - no manual focus ring

Category 2 - midrange zooms.

All lenses in this category have metal lens mounts, and come in two basic flavours - old-style lens barrel and new style. The old style feature hard textured plastic barrels with narrow focus rings and their AF/MF switches are low and sometimes difficult to adjust. The new style feature slightly more resilient shiny plastic with wider focus and zoom rings, often with lots of easy-grip ribbed rubber. The new style lenses also boast ring USM focus drives and easier to operate AF/MF switches.

EF-S 10-22mm 3.5-4.5 USM, Ø77
Unusually for a lens not marketed as L series, this lens contains a Super UD element and has very good image quality.

EF-S 17-85mm 4-5.6 IS USM, Ø67

EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS USM, Ø77
This is an interesting lens since it actually has L-series image quality thanks in part to the use of UD glass. However, build quality is on par with better consumer lenses and not L series lenses.

20-35mm 3.5-4.5 USM, Ø77

24-85mm 3.5-4.5 USM, Ø67
Available in silver or black

28-70mm 3.5-4.5, Ø52

28-70mm 3.5-4.5 II, Ø52

28-80mm 3.5-5.6 USM, Ø58
(unlike later all-plastic II and higher models, these lenses have a metal mount)

28-105mm 3.5-4.5 “Macro” USM, Ø58

28-105mm 3.5-4.5 II “Macro” USM, Ø58

28-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS “Macro” USM, Ø72

35-70mm 3.5-4.5, Ø52
Old-style barrel

35-105mm 3.5-4.5 “Macro”, Ø58
Old-style barrel, push-pull zoom

35-135mm 4-5.6 USM, Ø58

50-200mm 3.5-4.5, Ø58
Old-style barrel

70-210mm 3.5-4.5 USM, Ø58

70-210mm 4 “Macro”, Ø58
Old-style barrel, push-pull zoom

70-300mm 4-5.6 IS USM, Ø58
The replacement to the 75-300 4-5.6 IS USM

75-300mm 4-5.6 IS USM, Ø58
Optically a cheapie, but image stabilization moves it up a category

100-300mm 4.5-5.6 USM, Ø58

100-300mm 5.6 “Macro”, Ø58
Old-style barrel, push-pull zoom

Category 3 - inexpensive primes.

With the exception of the all-plastic (including plastic lens mount) 50mm 1.8 mark II, the inexpensive primes all have old-style lens barrels - hard textured plastic, a narrow focussing ring and distance scale.

28mm 2.8, Ø52

35mm 2, Ø52

50mm 1.8, Ø52

50mm 1.8 II, Ø52
Plastic lens mount, no distance scale but same good optics as the 50mm 1.8

Category 4 - good primes.

As with the midrange zoom lenses, the good primes are available in either old-style lens barrel designs or new-style.

15mm 2.8 fisheye
Old-style barrel

20mm 2.8 USM, Ø72
New-style barrel

24mm 2.8, Ø58
Old-style barrel

28mm 1.8 USM, Ø58
New-style barrel

50mm 1.4 USM, Ø58
New-style barrel

50mm 2.5 Compact macro, Ø52
True (1:2; 1:1 with adapter) macro, old-style barrel

EF-S 60mm 2.8 USM macro, Ø52
EF-S only true 1:1 macro lens

85mm 1.8 USM, Ø58
New-style barrel

100mm 2 USM, Ø58
New-style barrel - do not confuse with the 100mm 2.8, which is a macro lens

100mm 2.8 Macro, Ø52
True 1:1 macro, old-style barrel

100mm 2.8 Macro USM, Ø58
True 1:1 macro, new-style barrel

135mm 2.8 SF, Ø52
Old-style barrel, adjustable soft focus control

Category 5 - specialized lenses.

Unusual, expensive and specialized lenses.

MP-E 65mm 2.8 1-5x Macro
Powerful macro lens, for closeups only

TS-E 24mm 3.5 L, Ø72
Tilt-shift, manual focus only

TS-E 45mm 2.8, Ø72
Tilt-shift, manual focus only

TS-E 90mm 2.8, 58
Tilt-shift, manual focus only

EF 70-300 4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
Diffractive optics. Marked with a green ring

EF 400mm 4 DO IS USM
Diffractive optics. Marked with a green ring