Best Lens for Product Photography
- Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS Macro Lens
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
- Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens
- Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF VR Macro Lens
- Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens
photo by grinvalds via iStock
In the capitalist world of small businesses and startups we live in, product photography has never been more in demand. That’s terrific news for you, since it means infinitely more potential clients in the sea!
At the same time, due to this heavy demand, more and more photographers every day are deciding to dip their feet in and test the waters of product photography. How on earth are you supposed to stand out amongst the crowd?
Well, one fantastic way to improve both the quality of your product photography, and make a great impression on clients, is by having the best lens for product photography! But what lens is best for product photography? That depends on you!
The first question to ask yourself is whether you want the extra crispness of a prime lens or the versatility of a zoom lens? After that, the two main factors you will want to consider when deciding on the best lens for product photography are, focal length and image sharpness.
The sweet spot for focal length in product photography is generally considered to be between 85mm and 105mm. All of my top recommendations, regardless if it’s a prime lens or zoom lens, will fall somewhere in this range. Additionally, all of them produce stunning images with outstanding sharpness!
So with that being said, let's dive in and discover the best lens for product photography for each camera brand, and where to buy them!
Best Lens For Product Photography - Sony Users
The Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens is Sony’s premier macro lens, and without a doubt the best lens for product photography if you are a Sony shooter! Personally, I shoot with Sony and this is my go-to lens whenever I am doing product work for a client.
What makes this Sony’s best lens for product photography you ask? For starters, the 90mm focal length is right in the heart of the 85mm-105mm zone I spoke about earlier. I recommend pairing it with a full-frame camera if you want best results. It still works great on an APC-S camera, but technically you will be shooting at a length of 135mm due to the 1.5x crop factor.
Next, the Sony 90mm offers 1:1 magnification which makes it easy to get extremely sharp images of even the smallest products! If you shoot jewelry, this is an unbelievable product photography lens!
In addition, the lens has built-in image stabilization and a low f-stop of f2.8. The OSS image stabilization means you can get stellar handheld shots, and the f2.8 aperture creates a creamy bokeh effect.
The only downside of the Sony 90mm is the price, but with that said, you definitely get what you pay for, because the quality is absolutely crazy! If you are looking for an amazing deal, try checking out Samy’s Camera, they are always running deals and promotions on their new products, and oftentimes have used cameras in stock for bargain prices as well!
Best Lens For Product Photography - Nikon Users
The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Lens is an excellent choice if you prefer to have a zoom lens for product photography! While the clarity isn’t quite comparable to a prime lens, it’s still very good, and on top of that you get a ton of versatility!
With a variable focal length of 24-200mm, no matter what sort of product you are shooting, you will never have to switch lenses. At 24mm you can photograph large items like furniture, or even use it for real estate photography. Whereas fully zoomed in at 200mm you can capture even the tiniest details of any product.
Another rad feature is the DX crop mode. If you pair the Nikon 24-200mm with a DX camera, you can shoot at the equivalent of 300mm! While that may be overkill most of the time in product photography, having the option to zoom in like that can sometimes be a huge advantage.
Other things I love about this lens are the built-in vibration reduction (VR), how lightweight it is, its video versatility, the customizable control ring, and its weather-resistant build. As far as zoom lenses go, this is unquestionably the best lens for product photography!
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Best Lens For Product Photography - Canon Users
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens is one of the most popular product photography lenses of all time. First released in 2009, this lens has been creating award-winning images since the day it came out, and still today it’s in the running for the overall best lens for product photography!
The 100mm focal length is ideal, and it’s images have been scored as some of the sharpest from any Canon lens. Furthermore, the colors in this lens are super vibrant and will help make your images pop!
Something else I love about this lens is the large and easy-to-control manual focus ring. Autofocus is great, but when shooting product photography you will always be able to get crisper images if you change over to manual focus. If you do decide to shoot in manual focus, a quick tip is to throw the camera on a tripod. If you don’t have steady hands, trying to focus manually when shooting handheld can often be a challenge!
As an older lens, there are plenty of Canon 100mm lenses on the second-hand market. Samy’s Camera always has a wide selection of pre-owned lenses and open box lenses that are constantly changing, and it’s a fabulous place to look.
Additional Lenses to Consider for Product Photography
photo by focalmatter via iStock
Hopefully now you have decided what lens to use for product photography! If you’re not quite sure don’t worry, take a look at these other terrific lens options! One of them may very well be the best lens for product photography for you!
