You’ve been waiting all year for this post: we countdown the most popular Canon items. We compiled statistics via our street price program as well as through our posted deals (new and refurbished), and we sorted by number of copies purchased. You can compare with 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016’s list.
This year looks like the previous, with a return of nine of the last year’s top ten. No surprise, it’s still all RF, with the top 21 places all going to RF mount cameras or lenses. The top EF item was the EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM at #22, thanks to an amazing refurbished sale.
- RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
The 100mm Macro clings onto spot #10 on our list for the second year running. It only did so on the back of a $400 instant rebate through the fall season — a $999 price-point is closer to what many expected when the lens was first released.
- RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM
The RF 15-35mm has fallen down on the list. After years of having eerily identical sales figures to the RF 24-70mm, this lens is now under-selling its “twin” counterpart. This is even with a huge Canon instant savings which opened up a large price gap between the two lenses. Surprising for a lens in the RF zoom line-up that is a true upgrade over its EF counterpart.
- RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
As usual, the RF 24-105L on our top-ten list is a good indication of first-time mirrorless body purchasers — this is often the first lens purchased with a new RF-mount body. This lens is a good performer, a good upgrade over the EF 24-105L II, and despite the price increase, is still a great value lens.
- RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM
Even though the RF 24-70mm was priced $200 more than the RF 15-35mm, this remained the most popular lens throughout the year, a true staple lens of the RF zoom line-up.
- EOS R7
The EOS R7 is Canon’s spiritual successor to the EOS 7D Mark II, and the first crop-sensor camera in the RF-mount line-up. It didn’t disappoint in its launch year, debuting at #6 in our list. It has been especially popular amongst wildlife and sports photographers, with a 30 FPS electronic shutter.
- RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM
We love this lens — and you do too, given that it’s been sold out for the previous two years. There was finally decent stock of this lens in 2022; it’s a must-have lens for event photographers and a surprising choice for walk-around photography — despite the three pound weight and hefty price tag to match.
- RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM
The ultra-sharp RF 100-500mm was the second most popular RF lens of the year. Photographers love its versatile (100-500mm) focal length range and fast autofocus. Sports and wildlife photographers have propelled this lens to #4 on our list.
- RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
No top 10 list is complete without a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom, and the RF 70-200mm f/2.8 repeats a third year at #3 (and top lens on our list). We see many photographers upgrading from the EF version of this lens, so we expect this lens to be top of the RF lenses and near the top of the list for years to come.
- EOS R5
The EOS R5 repeats in #2 position for the second year. If sorting by total dollars, the EOS R5 would have been top, but it is edged out in number. A replacement looms for the R5 in 2023, but some end-of-year sales kept the camera very popular; its 8K video features are still leading the market.
- EOS R6
We have a repeat, with the EOS R6 retaining its title as this year’s #1 Canon item. Although its successor was released in November and is quickly storming up the charts (the R6 Mark II just missed the list at #14), a tremendous end-of-year deal has kept this camera atop the list — but it’s unlikely to repeat this feat in 2023.
As usual, we had a ton of fun bringing you all the Canon deals in 2022. Happy New Year and all the best to our readers in 2023!
I know this is a Top 10 for the year, but I’d be interested in seeing what the Top 25 were, and especially see how that great refurbished sale helped changed the numbers.
It’s somewhat predictable: the RF primes, the f/4 RF zooms, and the R6 Mark II, R3, and R10 make up most of the remaining list. A few of the highly discounted refurb RF items round out the top 20.
I feel like a common sentiment I hear is how people “don’t need an ultra-wide zoom” and that “an F2.8 aperture is mostly wasted on an ultra-wide”. I mean, not entirely wrong, but I know I get a lot of use out of mine. Could be that the majority of people looking at a lens like that already have it. The refurb sale that brought the price to 1599 was insane though, and I put that information everywhere I could. I doubt we see it that low again for a while. Maybe close, like 1699 or 1649, but not 1599.
The 100mm at that price was one of the best deals on lenses this year, and lead to me getting it.