It is not enough to have a good and high-quality camera if you are a product photographer. If you photograph different products, aside from the camera, you will also need a good tool or equipment like a lens that offers stability in every shot.
It needs to have the best lens to make great images, whether outdoors or in the studio. Many newbie and professional photographers ask, what is the best lens for product photography? Well, you are lucky as different brands provide many good and high-quality lenses in online and offline stores.
Our Top Lens for Product Photography Reviews
The best lens for a product can make a massive difference in the superiority of your product’s pictures, and this means the right product camera and the best optical tool in favor of the task. We have collected a list of the best product photography lenses to maximize your product photographs.
So, check this out!
Best Overall: Canon EF100 F/2 8L Macro
If we had to pick one lens for product photography to use every now and then, it would be the Canon EF100. Why?
First and foremost, it has a great focal length ideal for product photography. It is long for a bit of flatting compression, however short enough which it can be utilized in the studio with ease.
Second, the quality of the image is outstanding. State of the art Canon 100Mm Macro is the sharpest lenses Canon’s ever made, and chromatic aberration is appropriately controlled.
Handling this lens is also excellent. It has a large and user-friendly manual focusing ring. If you have not done manual focusing in the past, this is an ideal lens to begin with. You need this most especially in close-up photography, as it is equipped with 100mm focal length and 1:1 magnification capability.
The camera is sturdy, perfect for professional photographers who are always in the field. In addition, the integrated Optical Image Stabilization enables handheld shooting with the least amount of motion blur. So, you can shoot your subject or product without a tripod and still obtain the best results.
With fantastic microlens, you can acquire ultra-close shots of small products, including necklaces, rings, and other jewelry items.
What We Like
- Compact and lightweight
- Engineering Plastic
- Hybrid Image Stabilization
- Tough aluminum components
- Great Centre Sharpness
- 100 millimeter focal length and 1:2.8 maximum aperture. The EF1.4X II; EF2X II extenders cannot be used with this lens. There are no compatible close-up lenses
- Lens construction consists of 15 elements in 12 groups
- 23.4-Degree diagonal angle of view
- Inner focusing system with USM and full-time manual focus option. Closest focusing distance 0.99 feet; 0.3 meter (maximum close-up magnification: 1x)
- 67 millimetre filter size. Filter Size: 58 millimetre. Lens hood: ET-73
Best for the Money: Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8G VR Micro
If you are looking for the best companion lens for photography that is best for the money, then Nikon AF-S 105 is the best choice. While it is not as incredible as other brands, it is still considered a remarkable product.
It provides true macro capabilities, allowing you to concentrate all the way up to 1:1 and get up close and personal pictures the product photographer love. State-of-the-art Nikon 105mm Microlens for product photography is tack sharp with small chromatic aberration. There is no need to worry about the quality of the picture with this lens; it is well put together.
Like the expensive Canon100mm Macro, this lens for photography has a superb focal length for product photography. You can work comfortably with the product or subject; however, you would not feel like you are getting closer or too far away. Even if it is a little bit heavy, this does not matter a lot in the product set. You can simply pop it on your tripod and start shooting.
What We Liked
- True macro capabilities
- Small chromatic aberration
- High quality picture
- Superb focal length
- Lens not zoomable
- German (Publication Language)
Best Cheap Lens for Photography: Canon EF-S 50mm F1.8
Canon EF-S 50MM is indeed the cheapest but compact lens for photography available. If you got your hands on this product, you might not need to spend more on different brands for product photography.
Having a wide aperture and normal focal length makes this ideal for daily application, and the wider aperture allows you to shoot pictures in a low-light setting. The lens is able to capture images with a decent amount of bokeh. The quality of the build doesn’t feel contemptible at all. The fact that it has an EF-EF-S mount, you can use it on different Canon DSLRs.
What is more, this lens for photography is the cheapest and the excellent lens available. It is also renowned as the nifty fifty in the world of product photography.
What We Liked
- Very compact and lightweight
- Very affordable
- Wide aperture
- Macro Close up Performance Photography
- STM Stepping Motor
- 50 millimeter focal length and maximum aperture of f/1.8
- Great for portraits, action, and nighttime photography; Angle of view (horizontal, vertical, diagonal): 40º, 27º,46º
- Minimum focusing distance of 1.15 feet (0.35 meter) and a maximum magnification of 0.21x
- Stepping motor (STM) delivers near silent, continuous move Servo AF for movies and smooth AF for stills
- 80 millimetre effective focal length on APS C cameras, 50 millimetre on full frame cameras. Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Additional Lens for Product Photography Reviews
Sony SEL90M28G FE 90mm f/2.8-22 Macro G OSS Standard-Prime Lens for Mirrorless Cameras, Black
This lens for product photography is a humble offering by Sony, which must have the lower aperture valued covered when you are not into a very powerful unit. It has a focal range of 90mm that is fine for product photography; however, that means this is not your choice if you like a versatile focal range.
It is also integrated with Optical Steady Shot picture stabilization, which smooths out micro-actions/movements, which makes it the best camera lens for people excessively worried with handheld product photography.
Sony lens for photography has Nano AR coating that ensures common issues such as flare and ghosting do not rear their repulsive heads, the latter being specifically valuable given the well-lit condition that product shooting is generally done in.
It comes with Direct Drive SSM, meaning it focuses extremely quietly and therefore would not upset you and the shoot. Sony lens is one of the most expensive products, but just by a small margin compared to other lenses mentioned on this list.
Pros
- Integrated with Direct Drive SSM allows quiet focusing
- Advanced Spherical elements offer corner to corner unevenness
- It focuses hold button that keeps focus for a long period
Cons
- Fixed focal range
- Expensive
- A perfect match for α7 series, 35mm full-frame E-mount cameras, 90mm Macro with a bright F2.8 maximum aperture, Nano AR coating effectively suppress reflections, Dust and moisture resistant design
- Minimum Focus Distance : 0.92 ft (0.28 m), Maximum Magnification ratio : 1.0x, Focal Length : 90 mm. The angle of view is 27 degree (35 mm) and 17 degree (APS-C)
- Optical Steady Shot image stabilization for handheld shooting, Instant manual/auto focus selection via a sliding focus ring, Instant manual/auto focus selection via a sliding focus ring
- Corner to corner sharpness w/ Advanced Spherical elements, Super ED glass w/ multi‐coating reduces flare and ghosting, 9-blade circular aperture contributes to gorgeous bokeh
- Direct Drive SSM (DDSSM) for quiet, precise focusing; Weight: 602 g (21.3 oz)
Sony – FE 50mm F1.8
This lens for photography is also one of the most sought-after amongst photographers. Like other 50mm lenses available on the market, it comes with a highly versatile focal length you can use, whether outside or inside the studio.
It is integrated with a big aperture which helps generate amazing bokeh too. But, there is an issue with its autofocus. It uses a noisy DC motor, which takes many pulsing prior to getting to narrow down on a product or subject.
Pros
- Wide aperture
- Sharp images
- Versatile lens
Cons
- Autofocus is hard to use
- Not the best choice for without flash
- Large F1.8 maximum aperture enables beautiful defocusing effects, 7-blade circular aperture creates beautiful defocused bokeh
- Compact, lightweight design ideal for full-frame E-mount cameras, Aspherical element controls spherical aberration and coma
- Double-gauss configuration suppresses field curvature & distortion, Metal mount adds solid durability as well as a sophisticated feel, Fast DC motor focus actuator system drives all lens groups
- 75mm (35mm equivalent) focal length with APS-C sensor. Angle of View (APS-C) : 32 degree
- In-the-box: Hood (ALC-SH146), Lens front cap (ALC-F49S), Lens rear cap (ALC-R1EM)
Features to Consider for the Best Lens for Product Photography
There are lots of remarkable lenses for product photography available out there, which makes it hard to choose the best one. There are four vital features that you must consider when buying a lens for product photography such as:
- Focal length
- Aperture
- Type of lens: prime, zoom, macro, tilt-shift, and
- Cost
Focal Length
Lens focal length will determine its magnification or how zoomed in it is. If the focal point is higher, the closer products or subjects will appear. For instance, if you shoot an object with a 35mm lens from 30 meters away, the object will look tiny in the picture frame. However, once you change to a 30mm lens focal length, the object will look bigger in the picture frame.
The Importance of Focal Length in Product Photography
One good reason this feature is vital in the world of product photography is that it impacts the depth of field and how blurred the background will be. If the focal length is long, the background will be blurrier. Most notably, you will often like to have as much of the object in focus for product shooting with white background.
Perspective is another reason why the focal point is vital. The wider your lenses, the bigger the objects will appear in the foreground than those in the background. A wide-angle lens also affects the subject’s shade and makes the subject towards the front of the image look bigger in scale.
Focal length is also vital as it will determine the least distance between you and the object. Therefore, if you have just a limited shooting area, then a 100m lens or 200mm lens might be very long. You’ll require standing about 12ft from a two-foot subject in order to suit into the frame that has a 100mm lens on a full-frame camera.
Aperture
Aperture refers to the size of the hole the light passes in to get to the sensor. This has many impacts in photography, including the level of light allowed in and background within focus. A big aperture setting will allow further light in; however, field depth will be less. So, meaning your background will appear out of focus. Also, a big aperture lens will cost you a lot.
In the world of product photography, usually, you will need more depth of field, except you are doing creative photoshoots. For product photography with white background, you can use f/12- f/16, while for a creative photoshoot, you can work with f/4 to f/8; these are the best choice.
The Ideal Aperture for Product Photography
As a whole, you do not need a big aperture for shooting objects or products. A sharp lens from f/5.6 to f/16 is a perfect choice. Also, you do not need to give out a lot to obtain an ideal lens.
Lens: Zoom Lens or Prime Lens
With regards to picking a lens, you can select from a zoom lens or a prime lens. However, there are also other types of lenses available such as tilt-shift. But, for now, we will just stick to these two.
Prime Lens
This is regarded as a fixed focal length lens. For instance, 100mm, 50mm, and many others. This usually comes with a sharp, high-quality picture and, most of the time has a larger aperture. On the other hand, this isn’t flexible and less convenient to use as you can zoom in or zoom out. Therefore, this is perfect for studio work like food photography and product photography.
Zoom Lens
This kind of lens has a changeable focal length that makes it more versatile. It has amazing sharpness that is way better than a prime lens, but a superior zoom lens will still provide you a sharp photo with the extra perks of being capable of zooming in and zooming out.
Lens Cost
This is also a vital thing to consider when buying a lens for photography. It all depends on much you can afford; however, be wise about it. Lens technology does not evolve fast, not like a camera. You can find an affordable lens, but it gives you a high-quality result.
Conclusion
Being a product photographer, we hope this thorough guide and tips have helped. Also, we are hoping all the information mentioned can help you find the best lens that suits you the best.
We reviewed some of the superb product lenses for product photography available on the market that cover all distances and lengths. However, shopping for the right type of lens can be intimidating and confusing at the same time.
We have come up with the best lenses available to assists you find the best match for you to close the deal on your decision. Don’t forget to read about the differences between each lens mentioned. This allows you to compare the brands and figure out the one that provides you the best bang for your money.
Paying a considerable amount of money for a camera lens usually means you get the best features like larger aperture, high and sharper image, and image stabilization as well as longer zoom. One important feature you need to think of is image stabilization, particularly if you are holding the cam and not using a tripod.
So, as a whole, before buying a lens for product photography, ensure how you are going to utilize it. For example, will you be taking pictures of the same size products, or do they differ a lot? So, make sure to make a wise choice.