This post was most recently updated on May 5th, 2022
Having a good telephoto lens is essential for taking pictures of birds. You can’t get close to many wild birds or birds in captivity, so a long lens will let you get the shot without disturbing them (the possible exception being fast-moving birds like hummingbirds). But not all telephoto lenses are equal when it comes to bird photography. There’s more to it than just “longer is better.”
Best Canon Telephoto Lens For Birds
A longer lens gives you more reach, which reduces the need to crop your images after the fact (which reduces image quality). There’s no such thing as too much reach.
Image stabilization lets you handhold your camera and still get sharp results at low shutter speeds, which means you don’t need a tripod and can shoot more quickly.
If a lens has slow autofocus, you’ll miss shots. Birds are fast movers, so look for lenses that focus quickly and accurately in low light (or even better, have both manual focus and autofocus).
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Weight. Long lenses are heavy because they need large glass elements to provide high-quality images at long focal lengths. But if you’re going to be walking.
1. Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 Image Stabilization STM Zoom Lens
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Lens Type: Telephoto
- Compatible Mountings: Canon EF-M
- Camera Lens Description: 7
- Maximum Focal Length: 200 Millimeters
Featuring a 5-group optical zoom system, the Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens has a focal length equivalent to 88-320mm in 35mm format. The lens comes with a lightweight and compact design for easy carrying, making it perfect for traveling. The lens also includes a stepping motor (STM) focusing technology that helps provide smooth and quiet operation when taking photos, and near-silence when shooting videos.
Equipped with an optical image stabilizer to reduce camera shake, this telephoto zoom lens lets you take sharp images even when using handheld photography. The lens achieves a level of sharpness equivalent to a shutter speed of 3.5 settings faster. In addition, the Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens features one aspheric lens element, one UD lens element, and an advanced coating to deliver outstanding results at all zoom settings by reducing chromatic aberration, flare, and ghosting.
2. Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L is USM Super-Telephoto Lens
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Focal Length Description: 100 to 500mm
- Lens Type: Telephoto
- Compatible Mountings: Canon RF
- Camera Lens Description: 500 millimeters
The RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM is a compact and versatile super-telephoto zoom lens for Canon’s new EOS R system. It has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 160-800mm, making it ideal for sports and wildlife photography.
The lens offers an impressive 5 stops of image stabilization, along with three IS modes to choose from depending on your shooting situation: Standard for general shooting, Panning for following moving subjects, and during exposure only, which is ideal for long exposures where you want to keep the IS silent until the shot is taken.
The lens also features Dual Nano USM technology that enables fast and smooth focusing in both stills and video, while also providing near-silent operation when recording movies.
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Lens Type: Telephoto
- Compatible Mountings: Canon RF
- Camera Lens Description: 11
- Maximum Focal Length: 600
The RF600mm f/11 IS STM is a compact and lightweight super-telephoto lens that’s ideal for sports and wildlife photography. Featuring an innovative extending lens barrel design, the RF600mm f/11 IS STM retracts to just 6.7″ in length, making it easily portable without compromising image quality.
Additionally, it has a fixed f/11 aperture for consistent performance throughout its zoom range and an Optical Image Stabilizer with up to 5 stops of shake correction for steady handheld shooting. Utilizing gapless double-layer diffractive optics (DO), chromatic aberrations are minimized and sharpness is maintained throughout the zoom range.
This “gapless” double-layer Diffractive Optics (DO) element reduces chromatic aberrations and achieves high image quality at the fixed f/11 aperture from infinity to the closest focusing distance of 8.3′.
The optical image stabilization system compensates for up to 5 stops of camera shake when shooting handheld or on monopods or tripods with select EOS R series cameras, allowing you to shoot at slower shutter speeds with confidence in most lighting conditions.
An internal focusing design maintains the overall length of the lens during operation and contributes to faster performance when focusing as well as reduced.
4. Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Lens Type: Telephoto
- Compatible Mountings: Canon EF
- Camera Lens Description: 300 millimeters
- Maximum Focal Length: 300 Millimeters
The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens is a compact and lightweight 4x telephoto zoom lens ideal for shooting sports, portraits, and wildlife. The optical system, construction, and exterior are the same as the EF 75-300 mm f/4-5.6 III USM’s.
The front part of the zoom ring now sports a silver ring for a luxury touch. The other difference is that this version does not have the focusing distance window. The new optical design provides excellent performance at all focal lengths with an image stabilizer effect equivalent to a shutter speed approx. 3 stops faster; the closest focusing distance is 1.5m/4.9 ft. throughout the entire zoom range, and the maximum magnification of 0.26x at 300mm has achieved one-third of the way from infinity to its closest focusing point.
5. Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Focal Length Description: EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III
- Lens Type: Telephoto
- Compatible Mounting: Canon EF
- Camera Lens Description: 300 millimeters
The Canon EF 75-300 mm f/4-5.6 III is a telephoto lens for Canon EOS SLR cameras. This 4x telephoto zoom lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 4.9 feet (1.5 m) throughout its entire focal length range, which makes it possible to fill the frame with subjects as small as 13 x 18 mm (approx. 5 x 7 in.).
The high-magnification zoom lens is the smallest and lightest in its class, making it perfect for photography while traveling or on vacation. The lightweight glass material was used for the first element group – the heaviest group in the optical system – to reduce operational load during autofocus operation. Combined with the micro USM, the autofocus is quick and quiet. The slim exterior and smooth zooming make this lens a delight to use.
6. Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens, Lens
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Lens Type: Telephoto
- Compatible Mountings: Canon EF
- Camera Lens Description: 9
- Maximum Focal Length: 400 Millimeters
The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens delivers a superb combination of cutting-edge performance, compact construction, and brilliant resolving power that’s great for sports and wildlife photography.
The lens features one fluorite and one super UD element to help provide impressive contrast and resolution with reduced chromatic aberration across the entire zoom range. It has a minimum focusing distance of 3.2 ft./0.98m across the entire zoom range, which is useful for photographers in smaller spaces trying to get closer to a subject. The lens also features a new Air Sphere Coating (ASC) to significantly reduce backlit flaring and ghosting.
A nine-blade circular aperture diaphragm helps ensure fine background blur and the new inner focusing AF system provides fast and quiet autofocus while helping maintain the length of the lens during operation. A rotation-type zoom ring allows for more precise composition and excellent balance when handholding, even at longer focal lengths, and a zoom lock lever locks the zoom position at the wide end for safe transporting while attached to an EOS DSLR camera over the shoulder.
7. Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 is USM
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Focal Length Description: Super telephoto ranging from 100mm to 400mm.
- Lens Type: Telephoto
- Compatible Mountings: Canon RF
- Camera Lens Description: 8
With an extensive zoom range and high-quality optical performance in a compact, lightweight body, the new RF100-400mm F5.6-8 is USM lens is a versatile telephoto zoom lens for photographers and moviemakers who require precision, control, and excellent mobility.
The first super-telephoto lens in the EOS R system, delivers outstanding image quality with minimal aberration and diffraction, particularly at both ends of the zoom range thanks to Canon’s unique Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics (BR Optics) technology. Five BR elements are used in the RF100-400mm F5.6-8 is USM lens, helping to suppress chromatic aberration and other optical anomalies, whilst delivering high-resolution images from edge to edge.
The RF100-400mm F5.6-8 is a USM lens is designed for shooting moving subjects with fast autofocus performance and responsive handling. It features Canon’s Nano USM technology which delivers fast and quiet AF performance when shooting stills or video footage, whilst the Dual Micro Motor Drive System helps to maintain accurate subject tracking during continuous shooting.
8. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Lens Type: Normal, Telephoto
- Compatible Mountings: Canon EF
- Camera Lens Description: 200 millimeters
- Maximum Focal Length: 200
Compact and lightweight, the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM is the L series telephoto zoom lens that can be taken anywhere. It features a four-stop Image Stabilizer for effective hand-held use in low light and 1.2-meter close focusing throughout its focal range with a maximum magnification of 0.21x at 200mm. The new optical system provides high image quality from edge to edge with two fluorite elements and one Super UD element, as well as Air Sphere Coating to reduce ghosting and flare.
The EF70-200 millimeter f:2.8L IS III USM has a robust build, with improved dust and water resistance, high sealing performance, and a fluorine coating on the front and rear lens elements to help clean off water drops or fingerprints easily without damaging the lens coatings.
Optimized for high image quality, this lens includes one fluorite element, which helps provide high contrast images with reduced chromatic aberration throughout the entire zoom range. Also included are five UD lenses that help minimize chromatic aberration in the periphery at wide-angle, while also helping to provide high resolution and contrast from center to peripheral areas even at large-aperture settings.
9. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Standard Zoom Lens
Features
- Brand: Canon
- Lens Type: Wide Angle
- Compatible Mountings: Canon EF
- Camera Lens Description: 70 millimeters
- Maximum Focal Length: 70 Millimeters
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens is the long-awaited update to the popular EF 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens. This professional-grade standard zoom lens features a large aperture throughout its focal length range, delivering outstanding image quality and performance. Aspherical elements, Super UD glass, and a new optical design provide superior image quality, while fluorine coatings on the front and rear lens surfaces help reduce fingerprints and make cleaning easier.
The improved zoom mechanism makes zooming smoother, and a zoom lock switch can be used to fix the zoom position at either end of the range. The EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM has been refined to deliver high image quality from the center of the frame to the edges, even at wide apertures. A circular 9 blade diaphragm delivers beautiful, soft backgrounds and Canon’s Super Spectra Coating suppresses flare and ghosting for excellent color balance throughout the entire zoom range.
The ring-type USM gives silent but quick autofocus that is perfect for shooting video with Canon EOS DSLRs, and full-time manual focus allows manual focus adjustment while in AF Mode.
10. Rokinon 100mm F2.8 ED UMC Full Frame Telephoto Macro Lens for Canon
Features
- Bran: Rokinon
- Lens Type: Macro
- Compatible Mountings: Canon EF
- Camera Lens Description: 100 millimeters
- Maximum Focal Length: 100
When you want a lens that can do it all, the Rokinon 100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Full Frame Telephoto Macro Lens for Canon delivers. It’s great for portraits, nature, close-ups, and more, thanks to a wide f/2.8 aperture and ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass that work together to make sure you get clear images even in low light or when using a shallow depth of field. It’s designed for full-frame cameras but works just as well on APS-C bodies.
This lens is fully-frame compatible with a 24.8-degree angle of view on full-frame cameras and a 15.4-degree angle of view on APS-C cameras. It’s constructed with 15 glass elements in 12 groups and boasts a minimum focusing distance of only 1 foot (.3 meter). The aperture range is f/2.8 – f/32 and the lens has 9 diaphragm blades.
This Rokinon 100mm is compatible with the Rokinon Cine DS lenses, which feature industry-standard gearing for the focus and aperture ring and are color-coded for T-stop calibration. While this lens works with the Cine DS lenses, it does not have the same gearing or calibration.
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