I’ll tell you which lens is best for car photography and why. If you’d like more detailed info and best practices, check out the blog website at http://www.canon-lens-guide.com
So you want to do car photography? Awesome! It’s not the kind of photography that everyone does, but it is a fun hobby and can produce great pictures. This post will tell you what lens for car photography you’ll need for different situations and why.
I’ll show you which lens to use for car photography. And I’ll also help you choose a good camera for car photography.
What lens to use for car photography
I think a good car photography lens is one that you will use more of than any other lens. I’m talking about an affordable option for taking high quality photos of your car as well as being able to benefit from the special effects available with many lenses.
Canon lenses are regarded as some of the best available lenses in the market. Canon has a range of lenses that will suit almost any photographer’s needs and this article will look at some of the best Canon lens options and highlight each one’s pros, cons and other features.
Have you ever been asked a question like this before? I did the other day, and it made me wonder if I was using the right camera or lens. So, I decided to do some research and find out which lens is best for car photography. No longer will you have to waste time reading blogs online trying to find what your friend used to take those wonderful photos of their fancy car. You’ll just be able to look straight at them when they show them off over cocktails at the club (we never go out).
Good canon lenses for car photography
If you’re looking for the best Canon lens for car photography, you’ve definitely come to the right place. For car photographers, having a great telephoto lens is essential; this is a lens that you would use most. If you aren’t sure if you should get any of these lenses, then don’t worry because we have provided links where they can be bought so you can try them out yourself and see if they are what you need!
The best Canon lenses for car photography are the ones that you can use to take stunning pictures. In this article, we’re going to explore the best options and some lesser-known choices that are worth another look.
List of the best good canon lenses for car photography
The best canon lenses for car photography are the 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens, the 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens, the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens, the 200-400mm f/4L IS II USM Lens and then there are other models of Canon lens but these are the ones that I recommend if you want perfect results on your photos of cars.
Best Overall Lens for Car Photography
- NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G
Lens Specifications:
Lens type: Prime lens
Maximum aperture: F1.8
Minimum aperture: F16
Max Format size: 35mm FF
Focal length: 50mm
Image stabilization: No
Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
Weight: 185g (0.41 lb)
Diameter: 72mm (2.83″)
Length: 53mm (2.07″)
Sealing: No
My Pros With This Lens:
Sharp and vibrant colors
Wide aperture
Beautiful bokeh
Versatile
My Cons With This Lens:
Soft when the aperture is wide open
If you are going to look into some of the best lenses for car photography, it is still hard to match the value of 50mm prime lenses. These are highly versatile lenses that can bring amazing results to the table.
With a wide aperture at F1.8, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8G lens can give you high quality shots whether you need to focus on a small area of the car or when you need the entire car on the frame.
Plus, it can create beautiful bokeh which can be practical when shooting parts of the car.
Nikon’s optics is known for vibrant colors and sharpness. This lens can do justice to whatever car you are trying to shoot. However, the only downside is that the results are a bit softer when the aperture is wide open.
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G example image
You can also find this lens on Walmart and Best Buy
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Best Budget Lens for Car Photography
- NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED
Lens Specifications:
Lens type: Zoom lens
Maximum aperture: F3.5 – 5.6
Minimum aperture: F22 – 38
Max Format size: APS-C/DX
Focal length: 18–140mm
Image stabilization: Yes (VR)
Lens mount: Nikon F (DX)
Weight: 490g (1.08 lb)
Diameter: 78mm (3.07″)
Length: 97mm (3.82″)
Zoom method: Rotary (extending)
My Pros With This Lens:
Superb sharpness
Great range of focal length
With vibration reduction
My Cons With This Lens:
You will need flash to get decent shots indoors
Not everyone is willing to invest a lot on the best lenses for car photography.
If this is the case, you might consider having the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED zoom lens.
It comes with a wide range of focal lengths to choose from whether you need a wide-angle lens to capture the entire car, or you want to zoom in close to some of the smaller details.
It means that it can also minimize the lenses that you are going to bring in your bag. If asked to just bring one lens, this could be your go-to lens.
It features vibration reduction that minimizes wasted shots when you don’t have a tripod. Plus, it produces sharp results with vibrant colors.
What’s not to like? Shooting without flash indoors can be tough with this lens.
NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED example image
You can also find this lens on Walmart and Best Buy
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Best Canon Lens for Car Photography
- Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II
Lens Specifications:
Lens type: Zoom lens
Maximum aperture: F4.5 – 5.6
Minimum aperture: F32 – 40
Max Format size: 35mm FF
Focal length: 100–400mm
Image stabilization: Yes (4 stops)
Lens mount: Canon EF
Weight: 1570g (3.46 lb)
Diameter: 94mm (3.7″)
Length: 193mm (7.6″)
Materials: Magnesium
Sealing: Yes
My Pros With This Lens:
Durable construction
Superior zoom precision
Perfect for shooting from afar
Takes sharp photos
My Cons With This Lens:
n/a
The best Canon lens for car photography is the Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens.
This lens is the best pick for photographers who need to shoot cars on race tracks.
It allows the photographer to shoot from afar and get superb results. This L-series telephoto lens is a compact lens designed for different types of scenarios including both wildlife and sports photography.
It comes in with an improved torque adjustment ring that gives you the right amount of tension when zooming in and out. Plus, the rotation-type zoom ring lets users experience precision when capturing moving subjects such as cars in high-speed races.
This lens is also equipped with New Air Sphere Coating that can reduce the flaring and ghosting.
Plus, it is also highly resistant to both dust and water perfect in different scenarios.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II example image
You can also find this lens on Walmart and Best Buy
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Best Sony Lens for Car Photography
- Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 G
Lens Specifications:
Lens type: Zoom lens
Maximum aperture: F2.8
Minimum aperture: F22
Max Format size: 35mm FF
Focal length: 24–70mm
Image stabilization: No
Lens mount: Sony FE
Weight: 886g (1.95 lb)
Diameter: 88mm (3.45″)
Length: 136mm (5.35″)
Sealing: Yes
My Pros With This Lens:
Sharp lifelike results
Great range
Wide aperture
My Cons With This Lens:
Heavy construction
I believe the best Sony lens for car photography is the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8G Master Full Frame Zoom Lens. This lens is a favorite among professional photographers.
If you’ll compare the shots of the other lenses we’ve featured side by side with the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8G Master Full Frame Zoom Lens, you’ll notice that this lens stands out.
It comes in with superb and sharp lifelike results. The reason for this is the super E glass elements used in this lens. The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8G Master Full Frame Zoom Lens is also popular for its Nano AR Coating that improved its clarity and contrast.
This lens comes in handy whether you want to take a photo of the entire car or you simply want to focus on its parts.
Also, it feels a bit heavy perhaps because of its sturdy construction.
Sony SEL2470GM FE 24-70 mm F2.8 G example image
You can also find this lens on Walmart and Best Buy
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Best Nikon Lens for Car Photography
- NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E
Lens Specifications:
Lens type: Zoom lens
Maximum aperture: F2.8
Minimum aperture: F22
Max Format size: 35mm FF
Focal length: 70–200mm
Image stabilization: Yes (4 stops)
Lens mount: Nikon F (FX)
Weight: 1430g (3.15 lb)
Diameter: 89mm (3.48″)
Length: 203mm (7.97″)
Materials: Magnesium alloy
Sealing: Yes
My Pros With This Lens:
Sharp and vibrant photos
With AF lock
Great performance even in low-light situations
A great range for shooting subjects from afar
My Cons With This Lens:
n/a
The best Nikon lens for car photography is the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8E FL ED VR Lens.
It is a great choice if you are going to take photos or even videos from afar. At f2.8, it gives users the versatility that they need even when shooting in low-light conditions.
This is a favorite among many professional photographers for a reason. Its optics provides sharp and vibrant images as expected from Nikon.
The six ED glass elements, Flourite, and High Refractive lens elements all guarantee that you don’t see distortion or glare on your shots when using this lens.
If you are shooting rally races or other exciting car events, this lens comes in handy since it has four focus functions right at the barrel.
You can also engage the AF lock in case you want the lens to shoot in one location.
You are getting your money’s worth since it is a contender for the best car photography lens.
