Best lens for different forms of photography

You are probably playing with the standard 18-55mm kit lens that came with your brand-new Canon DSLR and thinking about outgrowing your kit lens with the longing for some experiment with depth, focal length, aperture and more. 

But you are scratching your head where to start given that there are hundreds of lenses out there.

No worries! The Business Standard has come forward to save your day.

We have reached out to some professional photographers with diverse backgrounds to find out what kind of lenses they recommend for you.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM

Imtiaz Mahbub Mumit, Documentary photographer 

My favourite pick is Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM priced at around Tk1,20,000. 

As a documentary photographer, often I have to click pictures in low light. From my experience, it shines bright particularly in low light rather than some of its peers. 

Due to its 1.2 aperture, it captures many objects that we miss in naked eyes. It has the proficiency to show the shallow and deep depth of the field individually. Although it is neither a wide nor a telephoto lens, it can serve twin purposes. I would say it totally depends on users' expertise and technique.

We are living in an era where gadgets are updated and available at a reasonable price. But I feel we have not observed much change in the price of lenses for a long time. There might be a syndicate accountable for this. 

However, in this price range, this lens is one of the best to buy among all the lenses that Canon offers.

People who are interested in documentary photography can also begin with Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens.

Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Prime

Noor-A-Alam, Portrait photographer

As a portrait photographer, my preferred lens is Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Prime Lens which costs Tk82,000. 

It being a prime lens provides outstanding sharpness. So, it is easy to play with its shallow and deep depth of the field. However, each lens has its unique features which creates the background differently. So far, I have found this lens's background rendering the best it it's class, especially for capturing portraits.

The advantages of using this lens are manifold – from less distortion to reduced noise to clear focus on the subject. In proper daylight, it finds focus fast and the background becomes blurry enough. So, the portrait of the subject seems stronger in the picture.

Being lightweight compared to other lenses, it is handy to carry at here and there and does not put unnecessary pressure on the photographer's wrist. Its value is justified and I think, for portraits, Canon is offering the best lenses in this price range.

However, there are other lenses for portrait photography which can be found at a lower or higher price range from different brands. But its lenses are widely available and compatible with different cameras.

Nikon EF 35mm f/1.4 USM

Mahmud Hossain Opu, Photojournalist

As I like wide and open aperture, my preference is Nikon EF 35mm f/1.4 USM Lens for my everyday use. The price is around Tk1,50,000 which is reasonable as per its performance. 

The lens is tricky to work with. When I am about to capture anything, first I think about how to fix the subject in that frame and then I click. It gives me different perspectives and frames than others, even if that event is covered widely.

This lens distorts less, picks less noisy things and clearly focuses on the subject. After clicking the picture, it does not require much cropping or manipulation. 

As it does not have the option of zooming in and out, the photographer needs to change position frequently. It might be a problem for beginners but professionals who know its techniques and features would love this.

I am so comfortable with this lens that I use this for other purposes too, like taking street photos. This lens helps to create a charm by using its shallow and deep depth of the field.

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Super Telephoto

Firoz Ahmed, Sports photographer

For clicking sporting moments, I feel comfortable to work with Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens.

You can buy it around Tk7,50,000. The price looks bulky but its ability to provide top-notch pictures justify the expense. 

The lens specializes in taking wider angle from a long distance. Capturing players' emotion using this lens is much easier as it captures long shots clearly. I can even read out the body language of the players and sometimes their plans too through this lens. I understand what kind of actions are going to happen.

The lens allows me to cover both cricket and football matches and also take group pictures. Other lenses do not have features to cover both. 

I have clicked numerous famous pictures using this lens as it zooms very well. Depending on the use of its technique, one can even capture vivid pictures of the moon. Apart from the professional purposes, I love photographing birds. This lens helps me to click from a distance without disturbing them.

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens is also good for clear and sharp images but the user needs to use that strategically.

Canon EF 40MM f/2.8 STM

Atik Hossain Zisan, Street Photographer

Nothing beats Canon EF 40MM f/2.8 STM Lens for street photography. It is super budget-friendly and can be purchased within Tk15,000. 

Though most prefer Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, I am not comfortable with that as it crops the frame. I personally like the wider frame.

The lens captures macro objects perfectly. Taking close pictures of animals and other objects are its specialty. It does not play with the depth and shallow well, but for my purpose it is more than good. Another reason to like the lens is its handy size. It is so small that people call it pancake lens.

Canon EF 85MM f/1.8 STM Lens can be another option to consider for taking street photos.

Lenses from several other brands, such as, Sigma or Tamron, come with many features and at a cheaper price. But they are not widely popular among users. When the camera and lens' brands do not match, compatibility issues arise, for example, focus on the objects.

So, I prefer Canon as it is reliable and services are available all over the world.