These are the best Canon lenses for cityscape photography, chosen for their rectilinear control, edge-to-edge sharpness, filter friendliness, stabilization, and focal-length coverage that lets you move from tight alleyways to sweeping skylines and long-lens compression—whether you’re on RF mirrorless or adapting EF glass. For a flagship wide zoom, the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM is the blue-hour workhorse: constant f/2.8 for twilight, prime-like sharpness, quiet Nano USM AF for video walk-throughs, and image stabilization that pairs beautifully with IBIS for handheld shots on bridges and rooftops; if you want lighter weight and easy polarizer/ND use, the RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM delivers crisp corners, a wider start, and accepts standard filters—perfect for reflections, long exposures, and travel kits. When space gets impossibly tight or you crave dramatic perspectives inside stations and atriums, the RF 10-20mm f/4 L IS STM pushes ultra-ultra-wide with modern corrections and effective IS; plan for rear-gel or dedicated holders instead of screw-in filters but enjoy compositions other lenses can’t reach. For context-rich storytelling and “walkable” framing, the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is the city all-rounder—stabilized, weather-sealed, and optically clean—while the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM adds speed for mixed light and layered street-to-sky frames; prime lovers can keep it pocketable with the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM for sweeping views, the RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM for fast night scenes and detail-in-context, and the RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM for intimate urban vignettes and café interiors. For compression and graphic skyline stacks, the RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM balances beautifully on footpaths and observation decks, the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM excels at dusk and fog with creamy separation, and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM reaches distant towers, ridgelines, and bridge details from safe vantage points without sacrificing sharpness. Adapting EF glass remains a smart, value-savvy path: the EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM is a rectilinear hero with IS and filter-friendly design; the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM brings speed and improved corner discipline for single-frame Milky Way over skylines or moody nights; the EF 11-24mm f/4L is the rectilinear extreme for cathedrals, subway halls, and dramatic foregrounds (use a square system for filtration); and the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II plus EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II form a lightweight duo for day-to-night city laps. If perspective control is part of your workflow, tilt-shifts elevate architecture-heavy cityscapes: the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II corrects verticals and enables parallax-free stitched panoramas with standard filters, while the TS-E 17mm f/4L covers ultra-wide interiors and soaring facades with generous shift. APS-C shooters stay featherweight with the RF-S 10-18mm IS STM for interiors and tight streets, the RF-S 18-150mm IS STM for context frames and vantage views, and adapted EF-S gems like the 10-18mm IS STM when budget rules. Technique turns these lenses into polished results: level the camera first to minimize keystone stretch, then correct perspective gently in post or via shift on TS-E; for corner discipline on zooms, shoot around f/5.6–f/8 (f/8–f/11 on ultra-wides if needed), and for primes start at f/2–f/2.8 for night scenes before stopping down if edges demand it; carry a circular polarizer for managing window glare and water reflections but rotate conservatively at very wide angles to avoid uneven skies; a 3–6 stop ND or variable ND is invaluable for smoothing traffic and crowds at dusk, and a square filter system keeps bulbous-front lenses in play for long exposures. Stabilization helps for quick handheld frames, but a compact tripod unlocks low-ISO, long-shutter clarity—aim 5–30 seconds at ISO 100–400 for silky light trails and clouds; use a 2-second timer or remote, disable IBIS/IS on a locked-down setup, and enable long-exposure NR only when not stacking. For layered skyline compression, work tele at golden or blue hour, backlight haze for depth, and meter for highlights to preserve neon and signage; for reflections, align angles carefully and feather polarizer strength to keep skies natural. Simple, effective RF kits look like RF 14-35mm f/4L plus RF 24-105mm f/4L for travel-ready coverage, or RF 15-35mm f/2.8L plus RF 70-200mm f/4L for dusk-to-night versatility with elegant compression; add the RF 100-500mm when distant details are the brief, or the RF 16mm f/2.8 and RF 24mm f/1.8 when you want pocketable night options. Whether you’re framing skyline silhouettes from a ferry, stacking tele layers from a rooftop, smoothing traffic streams under viaducts, or rendering museum interiors with disciplined lines, Canon’s wide primes, rectilinear zooms, tilt-shifts, and long telephotos provide the sharpness, stabilization, and handling that turn busy cities into clean, compelling photographs.