These are the best Canon lenses for medical photography, chosen for their true-to-life color, distortion control, close-focus precision, and working distances that keep lights and instruments out of the field while producing consistent, publication-ready documentation on RF mirrorless or adapted EF bodies. The RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM is the clinical workhorse: true 1:1 magnification, Hybrid IS that steadies hand-held shots at practical apertures, flat-field sharpness for lesions, sutures, and dental arches, and enough working room for barrier drapes, retractors, and ring flashes; its SA Control ring can be left at neutral for neutral blur or nudged for gentler edges on teaching images. Budget and lightweight close-focus options include the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM (0.5×) for facial dermatology, oral cavity details, and instruments on trays, plus the RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM and RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM (both 0.5×) for tight exam rooms, OR over-table context, and procedural step-by-step series where you need environment and detail in one frame. Adapting EF glass remains a proven clinical path: the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM is a hospital staple—tack sharp, stabilized, and friendly with medical ring/twin flashes—while the non-L EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is a cost-effective alternative; for extreme detail (dermatologic patterns, suture technique, device components), the MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1–5× Macro turns your camera into a microscope when paired with a focusing rail and diffused flash. When procedures require stand-off distance, the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM focuses close with superb stabilization for surgeon-safe working space, crisp intra-op details from the perimeter, and clean interview portraits of staff; the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM or RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM cover pre-/post-op room documentation, equipment setups, and consent images with reliable color and geometry, while the RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM helps in cramped consult rooms and ORs where you need rectilinear wides for equipment layout without bending lines. Technique makes these lenses clinical-grade: shoot RAW with a fixed Kelvin or custom white balance against a gray card for color consistency across cases; use a circular polarizer or cross-polarization (polarizing film on lights + CPL on lens) to suppress skin glare while preserving diagnostically relevant texture; favor f/8–f/11 at 1:1 for across-frame clarity (open to f/5.6 for handheld speed, stop to f/16 only when depth demands it and watch diffraction); use manual focus with magnification and peaking, “rock” through focus to land the critical plane on lesion borders or incision lines, and turn off IBIS/IS on a locked tripod. For handheld clinics, pair Hybrid IS with a ring or twin macro flash to freeze motion and keep ISO low; for step-by-step series, lock distance, aperture, and Kelvin so images align in teaching decks; for intraoral and orthopedics, longer focal lengths (85–100mm macro) preserve perspective and give room for sterile barriers. Practical kits that cover nearly everything: RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro for hero/diagnostic close-ups, RF 24-70mm f/2.8L (or 24-105mm f/4L) for context and room sets, and RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro for tight spaces and quick details; an EF-centric value set is EF 100L Macro IS plus EF 24-70/2.8L II and a twin flash; add MP-E 65mm for super-macro when pathology requires it. Keep gear cleanable and quiet—use disposable covers, alcohol-safe surfaces, and silent shutters for patient comfort—and document with consistent angles (frontal, oblique, lateral), scale references, and plain backgrounds. Whether you’re recording dermatology follow-ups, intra-op technique, dental cases, or device trials, Canon’s true macros, close-focus primes, stabilized standards, and tele zooms provide the sharpness, color fidelity, and handling that turn clinical moments into clear, consistent medical images.