A Bit About Lenses

I wrote this post about a year ago in the context of architectural and interior design photography. At the time, I was primarily photographing homes designed by interior designers for their websites. Back then, I used different equipment than I do today, and I wrote about the recommended lenses for this type of photography. The information is also relevant to other fields since it generally covers key parameters of lenses. So, I'm sharing it here for anyone interested in reading it:

If you've ever walked into a camera store and asked for a recommendation, you probably realized that choosing the right equipment isn't simple. It depends on many variables. The most important question, and likely the first one the salesperson asked you, is: What are you planning to shoot? This is because each photography niche has cameras that are more or less suited to it. However, most new cameras today, as of 2022, come with advanced features that can achieve things only Hollywood studios could afford 15 years ago. So, if most cameras can do so much today, why is it important to know what you’re going to shoot before buying photography gear? The answer lies in choosing the right lens for your needs.

If you could create a lens that suits all photography styles, you'd be a millionaire by tomorrow. The reason is that each style requires specific features in a lens, and so far, no one has managed to create a lens that covers such a wide range of features without compromising on others.

Here are the three main characteristics of a lens that relate to what you want to photograph. In the specific example shown in the table, they are circled in red. I'll now explain, in a simplified way, what they mean and why they’re important for you.

Example : Lens Specifications:

• Width: 16-35 mm

• Focal Length: 16-35 mm

• Maximum Aperture: f/4

• Minimum Focus Distance: 28 cm

• Image Stabilization: Yes

• Filter Size: 77 mm

• Focus Motor: Yes

• Weight: 615 grams

• Compatibility: APS-C, Full Frame

• Mount: Canon EF

Focal Length

This determines the lens's field of view. Simply put: the higher the number, the more zoomed-in your frame will be. On the other hand, the lower the number, the wider your angle will be. For example, if you're photographing a room with a 200mm lens, you'll see the kitchen faucet in your camera. But if you stand in the exact same spot and switch to a 16mm lens, you'll see the entire kitchen, including the ceiling and floor. Therefore, in architectural and interior design photography, it's important that one of your lenses (yes, you'll need more than one) has a relatively small focal length. For full-frame cameras, the classic focal length is about 16-35mm to capture the entire space. Additionally, depending on your budget, you can choose lenses with a slightly narrower focal length for shooting niches. For this, all the well-known manufacturers today produce the most popular lens among professional photographers—a 24-70mm lens. It’s suitable for perhaps the widest variety of photography styles and can capture spaces in different and diverse frames.

A quick summary so far: If you're photographing birds, choose a lens with the highest focal length number (and don't be scared off by the price). Conversely, for an interior design and architecture project, choose a lower number (the minimum recommended is 16mm for a full-frame camera).

Note: The wider the angle, the more distortion occurs, bending straight lines, but this can be quickly corrected in editing software.

Maximum Aperture

The number you'll see on average is usually between 1.8 and 22. What this number represents is how wide the lens opens during shooting. Here's the slightly confusing part: a lower number represents a larger aperture and vice versa. A larger aperture means more light enters through the lens. The actual result you'll see is both a brighter image (requiring adjustments to other settings for exposure balance) and more blur (lack of focus) in areas you didn’t focus on. The good news for architectural photography is that we don't need a large aperture (meaning a low number), which usually drives up the price significantly. The comfort zone for shooting interiors is an aperture between 8 and 11, so most of what you shoot will be sharp and in focus. However, if you want to create an image with a blurred background, like in portrait photography, you’ll need to invest in a lens with a suitable maximum aperture, just like I did.

Weight

In the beginning, when I was debating which equipment to choose, I didn’t give much importance to the weight of the gear. I preferred, and always will prefer, maximum quality and versatility in lenses. But there’s no doubt that over time, this consideration starts to matter. When you're carrying photography equipment for several hours every day, the weight of each item in your camera bag is crucial for avoiding physical fatigue. Therefore, keep in mind that there might be a more suitable alternative to the lens you choose. For example, I use Canon’s 50mm f/1.8 lens for some of my close-up shots in interior design (and also for portraits in headshot photography). This is Canon's best-selling lens today because its price is relatively low compared to others, and its weight is about the same as a wristwatch (150 grams). The results are amazing and meet all my needs without compromising on any feature. However, Canon has released a very similar lens that costs $2,000 more than the previous one (a 50mm with an f/1.2 aperture) and weighs almost a full kilogram! Therefore, in architectural and interior design photography, where you use multiple lenses, a tripod, lighting, and more, it’s important to also consider this variable.