Ready for anything: the best Canon lenses for street photography

French photojournalist, Canon Ambassador and Magnum Photos member Jérôme Sessini, who has covered some of the most significant news events of the past 20 years, documents the streets in an entirely different way, telling stories of migration and conflict, including his long-term study of Mexican culture and his Syrian streetscapes.

London-based photographer and creative director Ejiro Dafé studied advertising, but finding and photographing stories on the streets is where he really cut his photography teeth. His approach is different to most photographers: he only uses a 50mm lens.

All three street photographers know just how important choosing the right lens is. Here, they share their favourite lenses for street photography, explaining why each is particularly suited to the broad genre.

Best wide Canon street lens

"The Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens has been one of my favourites for years," says Markus. "The focal length means I can capture everything I need to in a scene. No matter if it's a streetscape, portrait or detail shot, this is an all-rounder that never disappoints. It's relatively wide angle, so you have to think about the image composition and consider what's in the frame.

“Thanks to the low starting aperture, the lens is also perfect for mastering low-light situations and is able to conjure wonderful bokeh. It's small, light, unobtrusive and has a fast focus – everything a street reportage lens should have. I never leave the house without it!"

This is also Jérôme's go-to workhorse lens. "The Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens is my standard lens for reportage and street photography," he says. "It's lightweight, it's compact and the focusing speed is second to none."

Mike Burnhill, Professional Imaging Product Specialist at Canon Europe and an expert on lens technology, adds: "This is a compact, fast, lightweight EF lens that perfectly balances size and performance, plus the in-built Image Stabilization enables shooting in different positions without worrying about shake ruining images."

Best all-round Canon street zoom lens

"If I had to travel with just one lens, it would be this one," says Jérôme. "It gives me very high quality and versatility in just one lens. It allows me to switch from spontaneous snapshots to landscape or cityscapes without changing lenses. In some respects, I find this lens produces a higher quality of image than some primes – its ability to capture strong definition and chromatic accuracy are unique, and I love the mellow colours and the general texture it achieves, which are especially beneficial when you need to print images."

Markus agrees: "The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens delivers an ingenious focal length range for reportage as you can capture complete scenes with 24mm and then get really close to your subject with 70mm," he says. "The sharpness is superb at f/2.8, and it's a good choice when travelling because you can cover a wide range of focal lengths with just one lens and still be sure of high-quality results."

Mike adds: "For versatility with image quality that can rival a prime lens, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is the one lens most professionals couldn't live without."

Best Canon street lens for dreamy bokeh

"This little gem was one of my first investments when I started out," says Markus. "It's simply a workhorse of a lens and is one of the reasons why I love using Canon. It has a lot of fans among professional street photographers, because it produces an indefinable magic, which you can fall in love with very quickly. I look for lenses with character, and this is one of those lenses for me.

"The AF is accurate and fast enough for the street scenarios I shoot, and I also love how it's small and durable," he adds. "Whether I'm using it on the Canon EOS R with a Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapters, or with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, the lens is very comfortable in the hand.

"The low f-stop means I can use this lens in low-light situations and keep the ISO relatively low, which increases the quality of the final result. But more than that, it gives me the ability to make objects stand out from the background or the surroundings and allows me to highlight things using a wonderful, fluid bokeh. In short, it gives you new possibilities to tell your stories."

Best Canon RF all-rounder zoom street lens

Using a Canon EOS R System camera? "This is a great lens to travel with," says Jérôme. "It's versatile, especially for switching from landscape to portrait with one lens. It's also very fast and light, and the f/4 aperture is more than enough for me. I always like to work at f/8, because I find it gives a good focus depth and because I often use big flashes, even in daylight, so I don't need a bigger aperture."

It's a versatile option for street shooting, agrees Markus. "If you are looking for more focal length and can do without an f/2.8 aperture, the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM is a great lens in the RF line-up, and the built-in Image Stabilizer will help if, and when, the light goes. This focal length is very popular for filming, so if you shoot both stills and movies, this lens is a very cost-effective option."

Mike sums up: "The Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM is the multi-purpose lens of the RF lens family. With a focal range that covers all the most common focal lengths but also with stunning fast focus and 5-stop Image Stabilization, this lens is ready for everything."

Best discreet Canon street lens

"Shortly after I integrated the Canon EOS R into my workflow, I got myself the Canon RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM lens, because 35mm is one of my preferred focal lengths for almost everything," says Markus. "No matter if it's weddings, travel or street reportage – with 35mm I can work the whole day without missing another focal length. Its size is a dream – it helps keeps the Canon EOS R lightweight, which for all-day shooting should not be underestimated. I love to work below f/2, and with this lens I can do that without any restrictions. Sharpness and a beautiful bokeh – what more could I want?

"The Image Stabilization allows me to take incredible photos handheld, a must for shooting in busy environments, and the AF is very fast and accurate, so I know I can rely on it 100%," Markus adds. "This lens gives me everything that is immensely important for street photography – it's so discreet and yet offers so much quality."

Mike notes: "The Canon RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM lens is the smallest of the current RF lenses. With a natural-looking focal length and fast aperture, this is an ideal street photography lens for those who don't want to stand out."

Best entry-level Canon street lens

"I've been using the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM for a long time, but going back to a maximum aperture of f/1.8 with the Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM reminded me just how easy it is to work with such a compact and inconspicuous lens," says Ejiro, who was one of the first photographers to get hands-on with the RF mount's 'nifty fifty'. "I remember when I was starting out in street photography, people wouldn't really react to the camera when I had a 50mm f/1.8 lens attached.

"The Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM is a great option for street photography. You can really take advantage of how small and light the lens is in order to get shots that would be more difficult with a bigger lens – especially with the added advantage of the control ring on the front of the barrel, which means you never have to take your eye from the viewfinder to adjust a key setting."

"The 50mm focal length produces images with a natural-looking perspective, and you can get a nice artistic look with the wide f/1.8 aperture," adds Tibor Szövetes, Product Marketing Specialist at Canon Europe. "The RF version of this classic lens is not based on the EF version, rather it's a completely new optical design which includes an aspherical lens element. It's also one the most affordable lenses in the whole RF lens lineup."