How to choose the best lens for car photography.
Learn how to take pictures of the coolest machines on four wheels with the best lens for car photography.
Choose the right focal length for car photography.
There are almost as many different types of car photography as there are types of cars. You can shoot portraits of still cars or action shots as they speed around the track. The ideal lens will depend on what you’re shooting.
These are the three most popular lenses for car photography:
- 35mm f/1.4 — If the car is sitting still, there’s no better lens than the 35mm. It gives you a wide angle to shoot the entire car and the background without forcing you to stand too far away. And, since it’s a prime lens, you can shoot at wide apertures (low f-stops) to create a bokeh effect in the background.
- 24-70mm f/2.8 — The 24-70mm is a great all-around lens for car photography. You can shoot close or wide shots with a single lens. Since it’s a zoom lens and you can make adjustments quickly, it’s ideal for shooting cars in motion (if they’re not too far away).
- 70-200mm f/2.8 — If you’re shooting from far away, like at a track, a 70-200mm lens will let you zoom in on the action from a safe distance. Just make sure you maintain a fast shutter speed to reduce motion blur.
Use a lens with a wide aperture for car photography.
Wide apertures let in more light, so you can keep your shutter speed up and reduce motion blur — which is especially important when shooting fast cars. Ideally, use lenses with apertures of f/2.8 or less to let in as much light as possible.
Even if your exposure doesn’t come out just right or you end up with some motion blur, you can make adjustments later with photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Want more helpful photography tips?
Explore what more you can do with Photoshop and Lightroom to take your car photography to the next level.