Which lens is best for product photography?
Lenses are single-handedly the most important piece of gear that will make or break your photos.
You can work with a ten year old camera and have to shoot in a incredibly low light situation. However, if your lens of choice is not optimal, you won’t get the photo you are looking for.
With that being said, I would argue you can quite literally use any camera at all for product photography, but I would advise you to be very selective about your lens choice. My biggest piece of advice when it comes to investing in camera gear is to save your money for the lens, and to forego the kit lens for something more specific to your interests. So, what makes a lens suitable for product photography then? And which ones are the most used in this industry and why?
35mm
The 35mm lens is an all-around great option versatile enough for any photography scenario. This was the lens I chose to purchase to go with my first camera ever instead of opting for a kit lens. At the time, I had no idea what type of photography I wanted to do, and what I liked about the 35mm was that it mimicked the focal length of the human eye so it felt more natural to use and to frame shots with.
In terms of product photography, the 35mm lens is a solid choice when you are shooting a scene that has a few props and the main product is not so close up. I also find the 35mm great for any time there is an action shot, such as a water splash when there can be more depth and action to capture.
If you’re trying to take more up close or detailed shots of certain features or textures though, it might prove a bit difficult with the 35mm lens. Especially if you’re using a prime lens (fixed focal distance), objects in frame can start to look a bit warped when you try to photograph them from a closer distance.
100mm or 105mm
Opt for a macro lens such as the 100mm or the 105mm if you’re looking to create those detailed texture swatch shots. This is also a great lens to have for jewelry or any products that tend to be on the smaller side. The amount of detail you can capture is seriously a game changer with a macro lens.
I personally don’t own a macro lens, but I’ve been saving up for one since this is definitely the next lens on my purchase list.
As product photography tends to be staged set-ups, you would be free to shoot from a comfortable distance using the macro lens.
If you watch my vlogs, you’ll be relieved to know I won’t be hunched over nearly as much once I upgrade to a macro lens!
24-70mm
Like the macro lens, I’ve personally never owned a 24-70mm lens, but I have shot with them on occasion. I would say this lens is the most versatile one you can find on the market, even more so than the 35mm.
The versatility is especially nice to have when you also plan on shooting video or you need to capture multiple angles of a product or setup.
I don’t think a zoom lens is absolutely required for product photography, yet having the 24-70mm with its wider angel options will prepare you for any shooting scenario.
18-300mm
The only other lens I own besides the 35mm is the 18-300mm. This is quite an uncommon lens, especially for product photography as it’s more commonly used for event, landscape, sports, or travel photography.
The 18-300mm ended up being my go-to lens for product photography, surprisingly. I use it for about 95% of all shots as it’s my closest lens to the 24-70mm option.
My biggest gripe about this lens is that the lowest f-stop is only f/3.5 and closer to f/6 when zooming in. For all lenses in general, I would recommend investing in one that can go to as low of an f-stop as possible, closer to f/1.4, f/1.8, or even f/2.8 will suffice. This gives you better performance and options in all types of lighting situations.
In terms of product photography, this lens has honestly served me well so far, but performs poorly for the types of detailed texture shots I would like to capture, and is troublesome in low-light set-ups.
Final Thoughts
Think long and hard about any lens purchase you make, devote more time and research on it than on any other piece of gear. Depending on the lens you have in mind, whether you use a third party and brand lenses likely won’t make or break your photos. If you only have the budget to invest in one lens when starting out, versatility is key. So, I would recommend going with the 24-70mm lens. If you’re deciding between a few lens options, the best way to go about it is to rent the models you’re interested in for a few days or shoots as a trial run.