3 Best Lenses for Studio Photography

April 25, 2014

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens

1. Wide Angle Lenses
2. Zoom Lenses
3. Telephoto Lenses

Taking photos in a studio setting is just a matter of pointing your camera and hoping for the best, right? Wrong! You will need to explore the best lenses for studio photo shoots in order to produce more effective images. There are a number of different camera lenses that can be used to enhance the look and feel of a photo, many of which are used in a professional setting by trained and qualified photographers. If you want to get the most out of your photos, using a professional photographer can have a number of benefits, and provide you with the results you need. This article explores the best lenses to use when in a studio, with tips on how a good camera lens can dramatically enhance an image.

1. Wide Angle Lenses

Wide angle lenses can have a number of benefits, and can create an exaggerated perspective in images. Normally wide angle lenses are in the 50mm focal range, and they can produce unique results with relatively minimal effort. This type of lens is imperative if you are working in a studio setting as space will be limited. In order to capture everything in one image, you will need to be compose the photo with the entire frame in mind.

Wide angle lenses differ from normal lenses, which are among the most common lenses used in a studio setting. These lenses are usually in the 50mm to 55mm range and provide a view which is similar to the naked eye. A normal lens may also be used when taking photos in a home studio, or if the whole of the subject will be included in the frame.

In order to take great photos with a wide angle lens, you will need to remove the existing lens on your camera mount and attach a wide angle lens by lining up the lens and twisting it into place. You will then need to program the new lens on the menu if you are using a digital camera. The conditions of your studio setting will also have an effect on the photos you take. If your studio is based outside, wide angle lenses can be less resistant to flare, and can be beneficial when taking photos in sunny conditions.

Canon’s EF-S 10-22mm USM is one of the best wide-angle lenses on the market, and is great for big group shots.

Canon’s EF-S 10-22mm USM is one of the best wide-angle lenses on the market, and is great for big group shots. The lens weighs 385 grams and has a quiet focus. If you own a Nixon camera, the Nikkor DX 10-22mm is mounted on a DX body, with an equivalent range of 15-36mm – ideal for capturing a wide shot in a studio setting.

2. Zoom Lenses

Zoom lenses are usually in the 50mm to 300mm range, and are among the most popular used in a studio setting for portrait photography. These lenses make it easy for a photographer to quickly change the view on a fly, and are used to provide high quality portrait images. Zoom lenses are also used in other types of photography, such as in sports photography, where the photography will need to stand some distance away to ensure that everything is included in the shot. This type of lens is also used when taking photos of animals and birds, as the photographer will need keep their distance in order not to disturb or scare the animal away.

To take a photo with a zoom lens, you will need to use a wide aperture. This will help to increase the background blue, and will leave the model in focus. You will be able to create a photo where your audience will be directed to the model without being distracted by other elements in the image. If you have a digital camera with aperture priority mode, you will be able to narrow the aperture easily. However, you can use the landscape mode if you don’t have this feature.

When taking photos of your model in a studio setting using this type of lens, step back and photograph the subject using a long focal length and zoom in. This will enhance the background blur and create a great visual effect. This type of effect is often used in fashion photography, and can be beneficial when focusing on facial features on a model. You will need to be wary of camera shake when using this lens however, especially as you zoom closer and closer into your subject. This can lead to your images becoming blurry and distorted, and can be counteracted by using a tripod to rest your camera on when taking your shots.

Sigma F4.5-5.6 is a third-party lens for your Nikon camera.

If you are looking for a great zoom lens to use with your Canon camera, the Canon EF is durable, lightweight and effective, with a sharp zoom. The lens can be used to produce high quality images in a studio setting. The Sigma F4.5-5.6 is a third-party lens for your Nikon camera with a good quality tripod mount, making it easy to balance the camera when in the studio.

3. Telephoto Lenses

These lenses are often used when taking a headshot photo inside, ranging from 85mm to 105mm (although a lens with a focal length over 55mm can be considered a telephoto lens). Many people have noted how flattering this lens is when taking in a studio setting, and this is due to an effect known as perspective foreshortening. This lens can also be used to take photos outside.

Telephoto lens produce a great deal of flexibility when taking photos, giving the lens a narrow perspective. Photographers will focus on the subject and the lens will allow them to disregard anything in the background, making this photo technique popular in print media. Less of the image will appear in the focus of the camera, and the lens has a lower depth of field. When using a digital camera and wanting to take advantage of a telephoto lens, open the aperture on the camera to its widest setting if you need to minimize the depth of field. This will isolate your model against a background that is blurry, allowing you to focus the attention on the model.

Place the aperture of the camera on a smaller setting if you want to increase the depth of field and get more of the background into focus. Although you will not be able to achieve a depth of field that is as great as the other best lenses for studio photo shoots, you will still be able to incorporate some of the background into the image by placing the aperture on this smaller setting.

EF 75-300mm III is a cost-effective telephoto lens that can be used with Canon cameras.

The EF 75-300mm III is a cost-effective telephoto lens that can be used with Canon cameras. This model is compatible with full-framed and cropped bodies, and is one of the cheapest lenses of this range available on the market. Alternatively, the Nikkor 80-400mm VR is a telephoto lens with a long reach, and can be used with a Nikon camera.

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3 Best Lenses for Studio Photography

1. Wide Angle Lenses

2. Zoom Lenses

3. Telephoto Lenses

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