The Best Used Canon 5D Mark II Lenses
- Nathaniel Stephan
- Canon 5 d mark ii , Full frame DSL r , Canon ef lenses
- October 9, 2024
Table of Contents
There is an overwhelming number of lenses that can be used with the 5D mark II.
Used copies of the camera can be found for around $250. I’m not going to make any crazy recommendations. At some point it makes sense to upgrade.
It also isn’t difficult to find lens adapters that will let you use any of these lenses on a mirrorless body.
The 5D mark II is not compatible with EF-S lenses.
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50mm f1.8 STM
The second version of the lens has a metal mount.
The first version is all black, because it is all plastic.
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24-105mm f4L
The first version was the original kit lens. There is a second version.
It’s a great lens, that’s capable of handling almost anything.
The fixed f4 aperture keeps the size and weight reasonable.
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Primes
28mm f2.8
The small size makes it a great walking around lens.
It’s perfect for street, architecture, or landscapes.
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20mm f2.8
Cheap and wide, what’s not to love?
This is the next option, after the 28mm f2.8. It’s a film lens, so don’t set your expectations too high.
The wider zooms and faster primes all cost hundreds more.
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85mm f1.8
The entry level portrait lens.
If you want bokeh, this is the lens to get.
They’re currently being dumped on the used market as people upgrade to RF cameras. That makes them an incredible value.
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Wide Zooms
- 17-40mm f4
- 16-35mm f4
- 16-35mm f2.8L (Three versions)
- 24-70mm f2.8L (There are so many versions)
Sports, Action, and Wildlife Lenses
- 70-300mm f4.5-5.6
- 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L
- 70-200mm f2.8L (There are 4 versions)
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
The G2 is a big improvement over the first version of the lens.
Most likely the best price to performance. Everyone is switching to the RF mount, causing prices to plummet.
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Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM
There is also a sport option that has an improved build quality.
This should be in the same price range as the Tamron.
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Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM
This one is going to be more expensive.
Image quality will be a bit better and it is lighter.
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EF-S Lenses Are Not Compatible
There are 20 Canon EF-S lenses. They are not compatible with the Canon 5D mark II.
They will have EF-S on the name plate and a white square to indicate alignment for mounting.
I find it annoying Canon did this for market segmentation. It feels like such a hostile thing to do to customers. Nikon and Sony didn’t do this.
