These are the best Canon lenses under $1000, chosen for their mix of sharp optics, fast and quiet autofocus, useful stabilization, and real-world versatility across EOS R mirrorless and EF DSLR ecosystems so you can cover everything from travel and street to portraits, macro, sports, and video without overspending. For RF mirrorless shooters, start your prime set with the RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM and RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM—both stabilized, both close-focus champs, and both gorgeous for people, food, product, and moody low-light scenes; add the tiny RF 50mm f/1.8 STM as a bright, natural perspective that punches far above its price, and round out the wide end with either the pocketable RF 16mm f/2.8 STM for vlogs, interiors, and astro, or the featherweight RF 28mm f/2.8 STM when you want a classic walk-around field of view that stays truly compact. If you prefer zoom flexibility under the threshold, the RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM is the ultimate one-lens travel solution with fast Nano USM AF and strong stabilization, while the RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM delivers surprisingly crisp ultra-wide coverage for landscapes, architecture, and handheld city nights; for telephoto reach without heft, the RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is a shockingly capable daylight wildlife and sidelines lens with smooth AF and effective IS that pairs beautifully with modern R bodies’ high-ISO performance. On APS-C bodies like the R10 or R50, the RF-S 18-150mm IS STM is the budget travel workhorse that does a little of everything in one stabilized package, the RF-S 10-18mm IS STM is a tiny ultra-wide for cramped rooms and dramatic vistas, and the RF-S 55-210mm IS STM gives lightweight sideline and wildlife reach; mix any of these with the small RF primes above and you’ve got a nimble kit that covers nearly every trip or shoot. One of the smartest sub-$1000 moves for EOS R owners is adding Canon’s EF-to-RF adapter to unlock EF bargains: the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM remains a portrait classic with fast, confident focus and creamy backgrounds, the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM brings a brighter normal prime with pleasing rendering, the EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM (non-L) is a razor-sharp 1:1 macro that doubles as a flattering short-tele, and the EF-S 10-18mm IS STM plus EF-S 55-250mm IS STM are lightweight, stabilized gems for crop bodies; even several L-series zooms often slip under the line on sale or used—the EF 17-40mm f/4L for ultra-wide landscapes, the original EF 24-105mm f/4L IS as a do-everything walk-around, and the EF 70-200mm f/4L (IS or non-IS depending on deal) for tack-sharp events and outdoor sports. To build a balanced, under-$1000 setup, think in “coverage blocks”: a wide or ultra-wide for spaces and scenes (RF 15-30 or RF-S 10-18 or EF 17-40L via adapter), a fast normal or short-tele prime for people and low light (RF 35/1.8, RF 50/1.8, RF 85/2, EF 85/1.8), and a lightweight telephoto for reach (RF 100-400 or RF-S 55-210 or EF 70-200 f/4); if you shoot lots of travel and family, the RF 24-240 as a single lens plus an RF 50/1.8 for evenings is an unbeatable two-piece kit, while portrait-first creators can pair the RF 35/1.8 with the RF 85/2 and call it a day. Prioritize IS for handheld video and dim venues, Nano USM/STM for smooth, quiet focus, and common filter threads (67/72/77mm) if you’re sharing ND and polarizers; buy used or refurbished when possible to stretch budget into higher tiers, and keep the adapter handy so excellent EF glass stays in play as you grow. With thoughtful picks in this price band you’ll shoot sharper, carry lighter, and cover more assignments confidently—proof that you don’t need four-figure lenses to make images that look like they came from them.