What kind of lens is suitable for Food Photography?


Abuddlah

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Sep 2, 2008
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I'm currently using a Canon 450D but planning to upgrade to 70D soon. What kind of lens is suitable for taking food? I have a 50mm f1.8 but it seems to be too closed up. Is a sigma 35mm a better prime lens choice? Please some help!
 

Unless you need to be very close up, then most mid range focal length lens will do.

Here is a link of a very good photographer that I follow in Flickr. Equipment used is a Canon 60D and EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM L lens. He is also a member of CS. His handle is "ntheni". Check out his flickr page on food and you will have an idea how the lens perform and how close it is.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntheni/10139168556/
 

I'm currently using a Canon 450D but planning to upgrade to 70D soon. What kind of lens is suitable for taking food? I have a 50mm f1.8 but it seems to be too closed up. Is a sigma 35mm a better prime lens choice? Please some help!

Yes 35mm will not be so 'closed up', focal length speaking, layman terms.
 

I'm currently using a Canon 450D but planning to upgrade to 70D soon. What kind of lens is suitable for taking food? I have a 50mm f1.8 but it seems to be too closed up. Is a sigma 35mm a better prime lens choice? Please some help!

You could also try reading the many many many existing threads that asked the same question. Please try a search.
 

I'm currently using a Canon 450D but planning to upgrade to 70D soon. What kind of lens is suitable for taking food? I have a 50mm f1.8 but it seems to be too closed up. Is a sigma 35mm a better prime lens choice? Please some help!

IMHO, the 50mm seems 'too closed up' only because you are not moving back to frame it.

A macro lens helps with the versatility of getting the whole food shot and closing in on details, but a simple 50mm can do a lot already.


Taken with a Vivitar 55/2.8 macro
9290043133_a66649e2b1_c.jpg
 

I'm currently using a Canon 450D but planning to upgrade to 70D soon. What kind of lens is suitable for taking food? I have a 50mm f1.8 but it seems to be too closed up. Is a sigma 35mm a better prime lens choice? Please some help!

Bro, I feel 50mm is sufficient. Probably you can show the shots that you want to get? Alternatively, some go for the sigma 30mm as the crop factor issue is present.
 

actually any decent lens will be good and sharp enough unless u r into showing the minute differences between sesame seed 01 and sesame seed 02 ;)

I use a 24-70/2.8 lens to take most of my food photos and have on occasion simply used the D-lux 6 to do it, using the OOC Jpeg with little editing. Results have not disappointed me at all so far :)
 

I'm currently using a Canon 450D but planning to upgrade to 70D soon. What kind of lens is suitable for taking food? I have a 50mm f1.8 but it seems to be too closed up. Is a sigma 35mm a better prime lens choice? Please some help!
Your current setup is perfectly fine. Actually, there is no need to upgrade anything. Maybe you can share with us your thoughts behind the upgrading and maybe also share some pictures? I strongly suspect you expect better pictures just by upgrading. If so, then be prepared for disappointments. Read the many existing threads and you will notice that the camera and lens are just a small part of the equation, the rest is light management, composition and other aspects.
It's also quite pointless to drool over f/1.8 or other small numbers. People want to see the food, not a technical experiment in thin Depth of Field.
 

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Unless you need to be very close up, then most mid range focal length lens will do.

Here is a link of a very good photographer that I follow in Flickr. Equipment used is a Canon 60D and EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM L lens. He is also a member of CS. His handle is "ntheni". Check out his flickr page on food and you will have an idea how the lens perform and how close it is.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntheni/10139168556/

Thank you for enjoying my photos!! Made my day to know there is someone enjoying it :)

I think TS situation will be taking food photo in a restaurant whereby taking it from the chair he is sitting will be too close. 50mm on crop sensor should be around 80mm? Quite hard to compose and standing up may lead to some weird looks from other diners haha

TS can try 17-55 f2.8, Good focus length and options to go higher F stop in low light restaurant. But if you have the options to move around the food, 50mm is more than enough for food photo.
 

I feel that 50mm Abit too cropped when in a restaurant set up. As mentioned by one of the bros, I need to stand up to take a shot which is Abit funny in a restaurant. I can't get a full shot of the dish.

As my 450D is due for an upgrade, I'm changing to 70D as compared to 7D. But thinking of a 30-35mm range to take photos. Not sure if is a good idea.
 

Since 70D is not FF.
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM IS

Because you don't want to use flash in a restaurant and annoy other diners or attract unwanted attention to yourself.

 

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Any kit 18-55 lens should suffice.
 

Because you don't want to use flash in a restaurant and annoy other diners or attract unwanted attention to yourself.
There's nothing mentioned in TS posting that would confirm this assumption. On the other hand, many people use flash for they food snaps and they don't give two hoots about other people.
 

There's nothing mentioned in TS posting that would confirm this assumption. On the other hand, many people use flash for they food snaps and they don't give two hoots about other people.

Ya... Saw this group of youngsters try to take food photo in a low light restaurant, think they can't get a good shot so pop up the build-in flash and start snapping away. Quite irritating haha
 

Probably TS can set 35mm on your 18-55 to shoot which will give you a 50mm on your DX body. I normally shoot at 50mm on food.

Also do rem to get your correct WB before you shoot. Not a "must follow" rule but it helps in your pics...
 

IMHO, the 50mm seems 'too closed up' only because you are not moving back to frame it.

A macro lens helps with the versatility of getting the whole food shot and closing in on details, but a simple 50mm can do a lot already.


Taken with a Vivitar 55/2.8 macro
9290043133_a66649e2b1_c.jpg

Good photo.
 

for canon kit lens 18-55 whether STM or other variants of the IS versions, has actually got a much nearer MFD (Min Focus Distance) ard 25 cm or so. (not sure exact)

hence it is a good enough lens especially if there is no room to move around while taking food photos