Photographing domestic animals is not far from photographing people, however, with the not-so-small difference that pets are somewhat more unpredictable and restless and it can cost more to photograph them. Surely many times your pet seems a thousand times prettier in person than in the photos you take and you don't understand why. And it is that there are tricks to photograph pets and achieve photos at the level of a professional. If you click on the link from now on the photos will do justice to the beauty of your little or big furry friend, but one of these tricks is to use the right lens. That is why we are here today with the best lenses for photographing pets.
The characteristics of a lens for pets must always be adapted to what type of animal you want to portray and even to what is your way of photographing. We will see it in the following lines. But let me recommend this guide first, in case you have any questions regarding numbers, abbreviations, mounts and compatibilities, etc., when choosing your next lens.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A GOAL FOR PETS?
To choose a lens for pets or, in general, for any type of photography you want to do, the first thing to do is to ask yourself what that specific type of photography requires . Will I need light? A lot of angle? Very little? Will a fixed lens or a zoom be more useful? First define the type of photography you are going to do and so you can narrow down the essential features you will need.
In this case, consider, for example, if you want close-ups of your pet or if you prefer to photograph it surrounded by a beautiful landscape.
FOCAL LENGTH
Recommending one focal length or another is not always easy when we talk about portraits. With other types of photography like landscape or macro photography, it's easier to be specific, but the focal length of portrait photography depends a lot on the style of the photographer taking the photos. In this case, you.
Let me explain, there are those who take spectacular portraits with a 35mm because their style is to add context to the image; there are those who enjoy more with a 50mm, to have a somewhat more closed angle; and there are those who prefer to stay far away and get closer with a 100mm type optic.
Each focal length responds to a specific style and needs, but I would move in this range to photograph pets: from a 35-50mm focal length to 80 or 105mm. Ultimately, I would recommend between a "standard" lens and a "short tele".
THE TRIMMING OR CONVERSION FACTOR
If your camera is not full format, you should always take into account the conversion factor, which depends on your camera model (for example, it is usually 1.5 for Nikon and 1.6 for Canon). If you do not know what the crop factor is, here we explain it to you clearly.
DEPTH OF FIELD
When choosing a focal length you should also take into account how it affects the depth of field of the image. The greater the focal length, the greater the blur and vice versa, the shorter the focal length, the less blur.
LIGHTNESS
Whatever the type of photography that catches your attention, the luminosity of a lens is vital when deciding on one option or another. My recommendation is that you always get the brightest lens you can afford.
The brightness of the lens is set by the f/ value. The lower this value, the greater its luminosity. For example, a lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4 is brighter than one with a maximum aperture of f/4.
IMAGE STABILIZER
If you have the possibility to choose a lens with an integrated image stabilizer, it is a good point to take into account, especially when it comes to telephoto lenses. Photographing a pet, as you well know, is not always easy and, in terms of sharpness, all help is little.
FIXED OPTICS OR ZOOM?
The main advantage of a zoom lens is mainly its versatility but also its price, since with a single outlay, you have different focal lengths. On the contrary, they tend to be less bright than fixed optics. By having more mechanisms they are also less resistant and are not as optimized to respond perfectly in each focal range.
If you are looking for a zoom to photograph pets, I would recommend a 24-70mm, which brings together most of the focal lengths that I have recommended in the focal length section.
On the contrary, a fixed lens is usually brighter and better built than a zoom lens since it is optimized for a single focal length.
If you have questions about the advantages or disadvantages of a zoom lens compared to a fixed one, take a look at this article.
THE PRICE
Price is always a decisive factor when choosing a lens. My recomendation? Invest what you can, if you can save a little more, much better. But always try to be realistic and set a maximum budget, otherwise you will go crazy. Once you have it, look for the best one within this range.
THE OPINIONS OF THE USERS
The opinions of people who have bought and tried that lens you have your eye on before you can be a good clue and tell you if you are on the right track or, on the contrary, you should opt for other options ?
There are construction, finish or aberration problems, which if you don't test the lenses, are difficult to discover, so the opinions and scores of the users are one more clue when choosing a lens.
AVOID THIS LENS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PETS
Whether it is for photographing pets or for the type of photography you want to do, this is the lens that I recommend the least and the one that you should avoid at all costs. I explain it to you in this video.
BEST LENSES FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PETS
After this not-so-brief introduction, I leave you with the list of what I consider to be the best lenses for photographing pets:
35MM F/1.8 LENS
It may not be the most suitable for close-up portraits, but it is very interesting if your style is more documentary, if you like to add landscape or environment in your pet photos. In short, it is the ideal lens for photographing pets in a context.
A 35mm is a very versatile optic that can be obtained for a very good value for money.
You have it for Nikon for €209.90, for Sony (FE) for €575.00or for Canon (f/2) by N/A
If you have a slightly larger budget, the Sigma Art seriesWith an aperture f / 1.4 it is wonderful.
50MM: THE KING OF LENSES
One of the best lenses in terms of versatility and value for money is, without a doubt, the 50mm f/1.4. A lens with a standard focal length, which makes it very suitable for all types of photography, also for portraying pets. It is very bright, not bulky and has a very acceptable price for the impressive quality it offers.
That is why it is Mario's favorite and he named it " The King of Objectives ", dedicating this very complete article to it telling you why it is his favorite. Now, if your budget is somewhat more limited, do not miss the " Prince of objectives ", another very good option for slightly tighter budgets. You have both for different brands, you will find them in their respective links, as well as example photos.
85MM F/1.8: TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR PET UP CLOSE
An 85mm lens is perfect for close-up portraits and with a luminosity like f/1.8 you will achieve heart-stopping blurs.
If you are a Canon user, you have the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM fixed focal length , ideal for photographing pets, not only because of its focal length but also because of its good brightness. It does not have an integrated stabilizer, but being so bright, it is something expendable. In addition, it has many and very good reviews on Amazon. All this for around €473.99on Amazon.
We also have it in the version for Nikon, equally recommended and it costs about €492.99. A light lens, with good luminosity and a very interesting focal length for photographing pets. With a good sharpness, and a beautiful blur, it is a great option for portrait lovers.
Also available for Sony (E mount)and for Fujifilm (for the brands Samyangor Viltrox)
TELEPHOTO LENSES
We now get into focal lengths from 100mm, telephoto lenses that allow you to photograph your pet from further away and achieve greater blurring in the background.
CANON EF 100MM F/2 USM LENS
Slightly less bright than the previous one but with a longer focal length, this Canon lens is also a great option for taking close-ups of your pet and isolating the background.
You can find it by N/A.
NIKON 105MM F/2.8 (FX) LENS
This telephoto lens for Nikon is also very versatile. Although its price is not low, it is a very good quality lens, with an image stabilizer, which generates beautiful bokeh and offers great sharpness.
You can get it for about N/A.
SIGMA 105MM F/1.4 LENS
A high-end, super bright, sealed lens of exceptional quality. By cons, it is quite heavy and bulky.
You can get it for:
- Canon for around €1,399.00.
- Nikon that costs €1,350.89.
- Sony (E mount) for €1,281.01.
ZOOM LENSES
If you're looking for more versatility and don't mind giving up image quality, a zoom lens may be your ideal lens. Remember that it is important not to look for zooms with an exaggerated focal range because they are built prioritizing versatility over quality. The best thing is that you focus on a focal range that is not too exaggerated and that you look for a lens that is as bright as possible.
Here are some recommendations for zoom lenses for photographing pets:
24-70MM F/2.8: THE BRIGHT ONE
It is a very versatile focal range, especially if you like pet photos that include the landscape that surrounds them. It includes a range that goes from wide, through standard and covering up to a short tele.
Despite being a zoom lens, it maintains a very good brightness (f/2.8), it is very well built, with an integrated stabilizer and spectacular bokeh. Got it for Canon, for Nikonor for sony.
SIGMA 24-105MM F/4: THE ALL-ROUNDER
Although in terms of focal length this lens seems like a panacea, you should keep in mind that it is less bright than the 24-70 (one stop difference).
However, it is an interesting option to take into account if you are looking for a single lens to photograph pets, since it covers many scenarios and situations and, although it is not as bright as a fixed lens could be, for the focal length it offers it's very nice.
It has a focus stabilizer and good sharpness, without a doubt a good all-rounder to chase the most restless pets ;). Got it for Nikon, canonand sony.
MACRO OBJECTIVES
Pets also shine for their details: the texture of your turtle's shell, your cat's whiskers, your dog's muzzle, the skin of a snake (if you're one of those brave people who have one as a pet), etc. Not to mention if you have a spider or any other insect as a pet. For all these cases a macro lens is needed . In the link you will find different focal lengths and for different brands.
"What if I only have my kit lens and it's not a good time to invest in any other optics?" Well, absolutely nothing, apart from the fact that I would like you to take a look at this article where we explain the best tricks to squeeze your goal out of the kit .
I hope you find this information useful and it helps you decide on the best lens to photograph your pet. If so, I would love for you to share this article so that it reaches more interested people. Until next time!
