The Best Mirrorless Lenses of 2023

The Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II has set a high bar for its optical performance, compact design, and on-barrel controls. While the lens isn’t cheap, it has set the gold standard for zoom lenses and is the perfect option for most scenarios. Whether you’re photographing landscapes or doing videography for a wedding, it should get the results you’re after.

The lens is lightweight, at 1.5 pounds, and measures 4.7 by 3.5 inches, so it’s easy to take hiking. It also offers a durable design that includes rubber gaskets at each seam, making it capable of surviving the elements. Meanwhile, the bright f/2.8 aperture makes it perfect for low-light situations, whether you’re shooting still images or video.

Compared to the previous model, the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II offers quicker autofocus and on-barrel controls, including two customizable focus hold buttons. The lens also features a zoom tension toggle so you can be much more precise with your zoom shots. It’s not quite a macro lens, but it does produce great close-up images.

For those who need a single lens, the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II combines the quality of a prime with the utility of a versatile zoom lens.

For many photographers, a 35mm lens offers the perfect focal length for everyday use. The focal length is wide but not too wide, making it an excellent choice for documentary photography. It allows you to include the details of a scene thanks to its ultra-wide-angle view and get up close and personal with a subject.

With the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM, you get outstanding optics, a durable design, and fast, accurate autofocus. The bright f/1.4 aperture is also excellent for portraits and low-light situations (or portraits in low-light). And it's relatively compact, making it an ideal option for events, landscapes, and everything in between.

The lens also features an AF/MF switch and a programmable function button. Plus, it’s sealed to withstand dust and moisture so that you can take it into the backcountry without worrying it’ll get ruined by dust or water.

The Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II is great for sports and wildlife photography because it can make distant subjects look closer. What we love about this lens is it features a bevy of on-barrel controls. It features an iris-lock switch, three function buttons, and four XD linear AF motors for fast autofocus.

While your average telephoto lens tends to be unwieldy, this one is relatively compact, and weighs just over two pounds (29% lighter than the previous version). The lens also performs well in low light and produces beautiful bokeh thanks to the f/2.8 aperture.

Similar to other GM lenses by Sony, this one features a durable design, advanced weather sealing, and excellent optical quality. This makes it a good fit for the company’s premium range of full-frame mirrorless cameras.

A 50mm lens is an excellent starting point if you're beginning your photography journey because the focal length is close to what the eye sees naturally. We love the Canon RF 50 f/1.8 STM because it's compact, affordable, and produces still images that rival more expensive alternatives.

The Canon RF 50mm 1.8 STM features a compact size and weighs 0.35 pounds, making it easy to maneuver and transport. The lens also offers a bright f/1.8 aperture, letting in a lot of light and producing a cinematic depth of field. Canon also includes helpful features like a control ring that you can configure to adjust everything from exposure settings to aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation.

Some reviewers have noted that the lens's autofocus can be noisy, but for the price, you can't beat the wide aperture, optical quality, and compact size.

The Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR is a 27mm equivalent focal length when paired with an APS-C camera like the excellent Fujifilm X-T4. The lens features a bright maximum aperture, a compact build, and fast autofocus thanks to its linear AF drive. It’s also lightweight, so it’s well suited for everything from street photography to capturing landscapes while traveling.

One major selling point of the Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR is its sturdy metal build. Indeed, the lens also features eight weather-resistant seals on the barrel to protect against dirt, moisture, and extreme temperatures. Fujifilm lenses generally offer excellent build quality, and this lens exemplifies the very best of the Japan-based company.

If you’re looking for a lens that performs well in poor lighting and produces good, sharp image quality even wide open, this is the lens to buy.