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Top 5 Best Lenses for Car Photography – The Ultimate Buying Guide!

A good lens is the most important part of your camera kit. It’s what makes or breaks your photos. But there are hundreds of lenses out there, and it can be hard to decide which one is right for you! 

We’ve done all the research for you so that you don’t have to waste time reading online reviews or watching YouTube videos. Our guide has everything you need to know about the best lenses for car photography in an easy-to-read format.

If you’re looking to get into shooting cars or want to improve your skills then it’s important that you have the right gear. This ultimate buying guide will help you find the best lens for your specific needs! 

Let’s get started!

Top 5 Best Lenses for Car Photography 2021

Product Rating Lens DescriptionMaximum Focal LengthCheck Price (Link)
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM – Value for the Money 195385 mm85 mmClick Here
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens – Great Bokeh Effects130350 mm50 mmClick Here
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 – Di Macro 1:1 17190 mm90 mmClick Here
Tokina AT-X 116 PRO – Affordable6109 mm16 mmClick Here
Olympus M. ED 12-40mm F2 – Freeze proof31340 mm40 mmClick Here

1. Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM – Value for the Money 

What these lenses are perfect for is portraits, snapshots, architecture – anything where you want a shallow depth of field to be able to isolate your subject. It’s an 85 millimetre length telephoto lens with an f-1.8 aperture that’s popular for Canon SLR cameras. It weighs just 15 ounces and gives you close-up images at 2.8 feet.

Features: Sale Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM High-performance normal to short telephoto lens with superb delineation and portability

Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 85 mm 1:1.8 ; Lens Construction: 8 elements in 6 groups

Pros:

  • It has a great focal length for car photography.
  • Affordable.
  • Produce the depth of field you need.
  • Lightweight and compact

Cons:

  • Focus is slightly hard to maintain

2. Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens – Great Bokeh Effects

The Sigma 50mm lens features a global shutter, natural color reproduction because of its copper alloy sealing ring, and has a maximum aperture size of F1.4. The lens is great for snapshots, bokeh effects, portraits, close-up shots with or without rings or trace shapes by using the 5 different types of diaphragm blades which are also removable.

Features: Natural color reproduction through its copper alloy sealing ring-Reduce flaring and ghosting with Super Multi-Layer Coating-High resolution, high contrast and optical performance

Pros:

  • Focus is much easier to maintain.
  • Super Multi-Layer
  • It has a great focal length for car photography.

Cons:

  • Slightly heavy compared to other

3. Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 – Di Macro 1:1 

Nothing is more beautiful than a macro shot. Take stunning shots. Moisture-proof and dust resistant construction ensures this lens stays clean, even if water or dirt gets in the way. Get super sharp images with extreme detail, even at very close distances to your subject with VC enhanced stability.

Features: With this lens, you have the ability to capture photos as close as 11.8 inches from your subject. You can take beautifully blurry photographs with circular aperture brilliant bokeh effects and advanced coating technology reduces flare and ghosting during shooting.

Pros:

  • Dustproof
  • Moisture-resistant
  • Makes sharp and detailed images.

Cons:

  • It’s expensive

4. Tokina AT-X 116 PRO – Affordable

Protect your investment with the Tokina AT-X 116 PRO. This micro-four thirds lens is durable enough to keep up with your adventures and features a weather sealed body so you can shoot in any kind of conditions.

Features: The ultra wide angle perspective will change the way you see the world as it captures those special moments from unsuspecting angles and this high-performance lens produces sharp 2.8 images through all focal lengths for enhanced clarity, incredible contrast and professional grade bokeh effect.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • It has a great focal length of 16mm for car photography.
  • Weather sealed body

Cons:

  • Noticeable chromatic aberration at f/2.8

5. Olympus M. ED 12-40mm F2 – Freeze proof

The Olympus M. ED 12-40mm F2 gives you the amazing ability to take stunning landscape and macro photos of up close moments with detail, coloration, and sharpness levels that are excellent! It is splash proof, dust proof, freeze proof.

Features: It features a lens hood so it can be used even in extreme weather conditions. With this lens on your camera you will have great fun exploring new photographic opportunities.

Pros:

  • Splash proof and dustproof
  • Freeze proof
  • Affordable
  • Excellent sharpness levels

Cons:

  • Lens hood is not included in the sales package

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Best Lenses for Car Photography

How to make the background blurry?

You can achieve depth of field by increasing your aperture size. For example, you can set your aperture size to f/2.8 or less. The small aperture size will give you an image with great depth of field which is why it’s important to focus on the subject at hand and not the background.

How much light do I need?

You don’t need too much light, but you will want to adjust your ISO to an appropriate level. The lower the ISO, the less noise you will have in your image. You don’t need too much light especially if you are taking photos at dawn or dusk.

How do I take professional looking car photos?

Professional car photography will require you to have a DSLR camera with high resolution. You should also have an understanding of light and its importance in your photos. Your environment will play a big role, so make sure you avoid harsh lighting conditions during your shoot.

Conclusion – Final Thoughts!

We’ve provided some of the best lenses for automotive photography. Whether you are aiming to capture your vehicle in all its glory or want to show off that new addition with a picture, these top 5 lenses will help make sure that your photos stand out among the rest!