The best lens for commercial photography.
Learn what you should look for in a camera lens to shoot attractive and effective commercial photographs.
Commercial photography has one simple goal — to help sell products and services. That’s nothing to scoff at, though, and many commercial photographers produce incredible, creative work.
To showcase products at their best, you’ll need the right tools. Let’s take a look at what lenses are best for commercial photography.
What to look for in commercial photography lenses.
There’s no single lens for commercial photography that’s above all others. Your lens choice depends on the product you’re photographing and whether you’re shooting in a studio or an authentic environment, like a store. But you should consider these factors when picking your lens:
- Use a prime lens: Prime lenses don’t have mechanical zoom, but they produce sharper pictures with less optical distortion. A prime lens is a good choice for commercial photos, since you can usually lean in closer to the product if necessary.
- Pick a wide aperture: You should pick a lens with a low f-stop number, such as f/4 or smaller. These lenses have wide apertures that produce a shallow depth of field, blurring the background and putting more focus on the product.
- Go for a short focal length: The focal length, or the distance between the lens and the image sensor, determines how wide a view your camera captures. For commercial photos, go for a short focal length to get sharp close-ups.
- Consider a macro lens: A macro lens is a useful tool for any commercial photographer’s kit. These lenses let you shoot extremely close-up photos to highlight small details.
The best basic lens for commercial photography is a prime lens with a wide aperture and short focal length. As you learn more photography techniques, you can start buying additional lenses for your kit.
Discover how Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop can help make your commercial photos crisper and more vibrant, no matter your lens choice.