How to choose the best lens for product photography? All the questions you need to ask

When it comes to packshot photography, the choice of the lens is crucial to take professional quality photos. Indeed, the packshot aims to highlight products, in order to make them attractive and desirable for potential buyers. And to get perfect images, it's essential to pay close attention to lens selection. However, it is only by asking ourselves all the right questions that we can select the lens that will enhance our products. In this article, we give you all the keys to Choosing the best lens in packshot photography in general and according to the products you are going to photograph.

What are the different types of lenses in packshot photography and which should you choose?

Macro lens

The macro lens is ideal for photographs of small objects such as jewelry or coins. This type of lens allows you to obtain the 1:1 magnification ratio without additional accessories, while maintaining the sharpness and detail of the products. With a macro lens, you can thus capture even the tiniest detail and create exceptional packshots. Be careful, however, the blur effect due to a shallow depth of field will be unavoidable with a macro lens. This is an effect generally sought after and expected by photographers, but it is still good to keep it in mind as it can make the macro lens unsuitable for certain uses.

Wide-angle lens

The wide-angle lens has a shorter focal length than the standard lens, allowing it to capture a Wider angle of view. It is ideal for product photographs that need to be presented as a whole, such as furniture In particular, the wide-angle lens has one drawback: it tends to cause a rounded distortion in the perspective, a bit like a fish eye (much less extreme). This objective may therefore require some corrections in post-production.

Fixed focus lens

The fixed focus lens is considered to be a Classic in packshot photography. It is known for its sharpness and superior image quality. It is also lightweight and easy to carry. This makes the prime lens ideal for product photography that requires superior image quality. If you want sharp, crystal-clear images, a prime lens is a great choice. Attention, a prime lens can also be a macro or a wide-angle lens, one does not prevent the other. The fixed focus lens is rather the opposite of the zoom lens. However, fixed focus lenses have some inconveniences : it will first be up to you to move forward or backward, you will not be able to zoom directly into the product. Fixed focal lengths also tend to be more expensive, and you potentially lose versatility as you will need several lenses to cover the same focal length range, compared to a zoom lens that will often stand alone.

Zoom lens

The zoom lens allows you to zoom in on a subject without having to change the lens. This gives you the opportunity to photograph a variety of products without having to carry multiple lenses. The zoom lens is therefore ideal if you have products of various shapes and sizes to shoot and are only looking to invest in one lens. It is a practical and versatile choice.However, the zoom lens will tend to capture less light than a fixed focus lens. It will also tend to be less clear (a problem that is especially felt with economic goals).

What are the technical criteria to take into account when choosing the best lens for packshot photography?

To obtain quality images in packshot photography, the choice of lens is crucial. This is why it is important to take into account certain technical criteria that will determine the final rendering of the shot. If you are wondering how to choose the best lens for packshot photography, here are the famous criteria to take into account.

The focal length

The focal length (expressed in millimeters) plays a crucial role in photography. The bigger it is, the narrower the viewing angle and the higher the magnification. In contrast, a short focal length provides a wide angle of view and low magnification. In packshot photography, it is better to opt for a 50 mm focal length at the very least.

The maximum opening

Expressed in f values (e.g. f/2.8, f/4, etc.), the maximum aperture is one of the parameters that have a direct impact on exposure of your photograph, hand in hand with the shutter speed.

The opening represents the variable diaphragm diameter, which controls how much light enters the lens and that reaches the device's sensor. The wider the aperture (f/2.8, f/8, f/11) of the lens opens and the brighter the photo will be. On the contrary, the narrower the aperture (f/29, f/25, f/22), the less the diaphragm will be open and the darker the photo will be. A large aperture will also reduce the depth of field, while a narrow opening will have the opposite effect. Another parameter to take into account is the shutter speed, which determines how long the diaphragm stays open before the photo is taken, and therefore how much light will touch the sensor. The shutter speed therefore has a direct effect on the exposure of the final image. A medium aperture like f/8 or f/11 is often recommended in packshot photography : they offer sufficient depth of field for the entire product to be in focus. That said, it's always best to do tests with different apertures to find what works best for your specific situation. It all depends on the size of your product as well. : a piece of furniture will need a large depth of field in order to avoid unwanted blur on parts of the product and will therefore require a smaller aperture, while a piece of jewelry may benefit from a larger aperture.

Minimum focus distance

The minimum focus distance is essential for close-up photos. The shorter this distance is, the more suitable your lens will be for close-ups. This allows you to capture all the details of the object and highlight some important characteristics.

Optical quality

A lens with low optical quality can create defects such as chromatic aberrations, inaccurate focus, or distortions. It is therefore important toinvest in a quality objective for sharp, high-quality images.

The magnification ratio

In packshot photography, one of the most important criteria for choosing a suitable lens is the magnification ratio. The latter measures the size of the image projected on the camera sensor in relation to the real size of the object being photographed. For example, let's say you are shooting a coin that measures 2 cm in diameter. With a magnification ratio of 1:1, the image of the room will be projected onto the sensor with an identical size of 2 cm. On the other hand, if you use a lens with a magnification ratio of 1:2 for example, the image of the room will only measure 1 cm on the sensor.

Concretely, a magnification ratio of 1:1 is preferred, because it allows you to obtain much more detailed photos of your small products: so you can zoom in on the images without any loss of detail, without pixelation or blur. It also allows you to produce high-quality images that will be perfect for commercial use.

Are there non-technical criteria that should not be overlooked?

When choosing a lens for packshot photography, it's easy to focus only on technical features like focal length, maximum aperture, and optical quality. However, you should also consider other crucial factors that should affect your decision.

The budget: how much should you set aside for a good objective?

The objectives are available in a extended price range, depending on their optical quality and the brand. If you want the best possible lens at all costs, you must therefore be ready to invest a considerable amount of money: you can in fact easily reach €3,000 for a quality professional lens, or even more depending on the model... However, this does not mean that you cannot find cheaper lenses that can fully meet your needs, as long as you search a bit. For example, the Canon lenses start at €130 at the entry level for general use, can be around €700 or 800 in the price range above (amateur or passionate level), and reach €1500, 2000 or even 3000€ for lenses intended for professionals (even €10,000 for some specialized and high-end lenses).

Brands and models: pay attention to compatibility with your camera!

There is a wide choice of brands (Nikon, Canon, Sony, etc.) and lens models on the market, each with its own pros and cons. Make sure you choose a quality lens from a reliable brand, and don't hesitate to read reviews and comments from professional photographers to help you make an informed decision. It's also entirely possible to buy goals from third party providers, like Sigma or Tamron for example. These lenses are often cheaper, without compromising on quality. However, Remember to check the compatibility with your camera before buying a lens from a third party vendor.

How to choose your lens according to the type of packshot made: a few examples

How to choose a lens in jewelry photography?

Having the right lens captures the details, textures, and colors that make each piece unique.

First observation: you will need a macro lens. It will allow you to take photos up close and capture every little detail of your product. ideal focal length for photographing jewelry is generally equal or greater than 100 mm. Such a focal length allows you to keep the camera close enough to the subject while having a small field, which is preferable for jewelry photos. We also recommend a 1:1 magnification ratio in order to visually restore the photographed object to its real size. In particular, we can recommend the following lenses for jewelry photography:

• Canon 18-135mm lens or 24-105 mm depending on the sensor
• Canon EF 100mm macro lens
• Sigma 105mm macro lens

The Focus stacking technique is also important to master when photographing jewelry. When you photograph a piece of jewelry, your camera will focus on an area of the piece of jewelry. This focus then causes a blur effect on the rest of the product. Focus stacking consists in taking several shots of a product with focus on different parts each time. Software then makes it possible to assemble the images. You thus get a Photo with a perfectly clean piece of jewelry. If it's completely possible to make a manual focus stacking taking the various necessary photographs by hand, this is a fairly long and tedious process. An automated photo studio like the ones from Orbitvu allow you to perform automatic focus stacking very quickly and effortlessly.

How to choose a lens in clothing photography?

First of all, we will only talk here about the photography of clothing on a model.

In terms of focal length, it is recommended to use a lens around 50 mm. This will capture the image of the mannequin and the clothes with a natural perspective, without distortion.Also, choose a lens with a Grand opening (starting at f/8). It will in fact allow you to capture more light, for sharper and brighter images. Choosing the lens in packshot photography is therefore a crucial step in properly promoting your product. However, remember that the quality of a packshot photo does not only depend on the lens used... Of numerous other factors also come into play, such as composition, light, background, and much more. If you want to go further, we invite you to consult our Complete guide to packshot photography. With all these tools in hand, you will be able to create images that will highlight your products in the best possible way.