Best telephoto lenses for the Canon EOS R50
17 telephoto lenses that fit the Canon EOS R50 (Canon RF mount) — reach for sports, wildlife and compressed portraits. Sorted brightest-aperture first; every spec from the manufacturer's catalog.
Start with the Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM. At f/1.8 it is the brightest of the 17 telephoto Canon RF lenses that fit the Canon EOS R50 — the full comparison is below.
It is a full-frame lens — which for telephoto is often the point: the Canon EOS R50's crop turns its reach into 216mm of effective framing. The trade is size, weight and price. If you would rather stay small and matched to the sensor, the brightest APS-C option here is Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD at f/3.5-6.3.
Check the Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM price on Amazon →
One limit of this table: it lists only Canon RF lenses that mount natively on the Canon EOS R50 — lenses fitted through an adapter are not included here. See which mounts adapt to which.
What these focal lengths actually give you on the Canon EOS R50
The Canon EOS R50 has an APS-C sensor, so it sees a 1.6× crop of what each lens projects (Canon's APS-C is 1.6×, not the 1.5× used by Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm). Every focal length below therefore frames 1.6× tighter than its marked number. That works in your favour here: the Canon RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM reaches 1920mm of effective reach, which on a full-frame body would need a longer, heavier and far more expensive lens.
| Lens | Marked | Frames like, on the Canon EOS R50 |
|---|---|---|
| Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM | 135mm | 216mm |
| Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM | 70-200mm | 112–320mm |
| Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z | 70-200mm | 112–320mm |
| Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM | 100-300mm | 160–480mm |
| Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM | 400mm | 640mm |
| Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD | 18-300mm | 29–480mm |
| Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM | 70-200mm | 112–320mm |
| Canon RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 DC | 75-300mm | 120–480mm |
| Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM | 600mm | 960mm |
| Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM | 100-500mm | 160–800mm |
| Canon RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM | 55-210mm | 88–336mm |
| Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM | 100-400mm | 160–640mm |
| Canon RF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM | 800mm | 1280mm |
| Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM | 200-800mm | 320–1280mm |
| Canon RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM | 1200mm | 1920mm |
| Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM | 600mm | 960mm |
| Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM | 800mm | 1280mm |
Weight & weather sealing on the Canon EOS R50
On long approaches the decision is often made by weight, not aperture. Published weights for 17 of the 17 lenses above:
| Lens | Weight | Weather sealing |
|---|---|---|
| Canon RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM | 270g | None claimed |
| Canon RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 DC | 507g | Not verified (weight from the Canon RF lens-mount list table; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD | 625g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM | 635g | None claimed |
| Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM | 695g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM | 930g | None claimed |
| Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM | 935g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM | 1070g | Weather-sealed (weight excludes tripod mount) |
| Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z | 1115g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM | 1260g | None claimed |
| Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM | 1365g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM | 2050g | None claimed |
| Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM | 2650g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM | 2890g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM | 3090g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM | 3130g | Weather-sealed |
| Canon RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM | 3340g | Not verified (weight from the Canon RF lens-mount list table; sealing not stated on the source page) |
Packing light? The lightest here is the Canon RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM at 270g. The lightest weather-sealed option is the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD at 625g.
Complete the kit for the Canon EOS R50
- The Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM takes 82mm front filters. One 82mm set (polariser, ND) also fits every other 82mm lens you add later — see which ones. 82mm filters on Amazon →
- The Canon EOS R50 takes an LP-E17 battery ((One) SD card slot • Compatible with UHS-I) — a spare battery and the right card class are body-specific, not lens-specific. LP-E17 battery on Amazon →
FAQ
What is the best telephoto lens for the Canon EOS R50?
Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM (135mm f/1.8) is the standout telephoto option that fits the Canon EOS R50. 17 telephoto Canon RF lenses fit in total — compare them below.
Do these telephoto lenses fit the Canon EOS R50?
Yes — every lens here is a Canon RF mount lens, so it fits the Canon EOS R50 and covers its APS-C sensor.
What is the lightest telephoto lens for the Canon EOS R50?
The Canon RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM at 270g (manufacturer-published weight). The lightest weather-sealed option is the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD at 625g. Weights for 17 of the 17 lenses on this page are in the weight table above.
Already own the Canon EOS R50, shopping for a spare or an upgrade? Canon EOS R50 on Amazon →
All lenses for the Canon EOS R50 · the same use across mounts: Telephoto lenses for Canon RF · all cameras