When it comes to professional photography, a fantastic direction to pursue is commercial photography. Commercial photography, by definition, is a type of photography created and used to market and sell a product or service. This photography niche is incredibly rewarding, and gives you the potential to work with amazing brands and clients in industries you are passionate about. No matter if you shoot in a studio or out in the field, you need to work with lenses that produce tack sharp focus with beautiful background blur (or bokeh). Your lenses have to perform in all kinds of lighting conditions, whether it’s natural or studio light. That’s why you need reliable commercial photography lenses in your kit.
Prime lenses (as opposed to zoom lenses) have a fixed focal length. While they lack the versatility of a zoom lens, they gain amazing low light performance and shallower depth of field, thanks to their larger maximum aperture. These advantages allow for brilliant and sharp portraits and product images that measure up to the quality commercial photography requires.
Prime lenses are also much lighter, due to fewer moving parts and optical elements in their designs. That reduced weight makes them much better to carry and shoot with in the field or studio. Now, while there are several focal length options available, there are three that are most commonly used: 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm. If you’re serious about pursuing commercial photography, at least one of these lenses needs to be in your professional kit to start shooting the quality images brands need.
6 Best Canon Lenses for Product & Commercial Photography:
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
- Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM
- Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM
- Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM
- Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM
If you’re a Canon shooter ready to take that next step into commercial photography, you’re reading the right article. Below, I’ll down the top siz Canon lenses for product and commercial photography. We’ll also include both the Canon EF series (for full-frame Canon DSLRs) and RF series (for full-frame Canon mirrorless cameras).
Canon EF Series Lenses for DSLR Cameras
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is a fantastic prime lens for commercial photography, and has been a favorite of professionals for years. The 50mm focal length is incredibly versatile, whether you’re indoors or outdoors. Its large, bright aperture of f/1.2 allows for the narrowest depth of field and soft background blur for striking images.
In addition to its performance, the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens is built to handle even the most challenging environments. It has optimal weather-sealing to protect against the elements while shooting. Its Air Sphere Coating (ASC) also protects against ghosting and lens flares that frequently occur when shooting. The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is a go-to prime lens, perfect for commercial and product photography. It will deliver the best quality and image results every time. If you shoot with Canon DSLRs, this prime lens is a must-have.
Check out our hands-on review of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM to see it in action.
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM
If you’re looking for a fantastic prime lens for commercial work, but do a lot of your photography in the outdoors and need a wider focal length, then the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM is a fantastic choice.
The lens features weather-sealing and a fluorine coating on the front and rear lens surfaces to help guard against fingerprints, smears, or any elements that can get in the way of a clear image. You can take this lens most anywhere, and it will be up for the task.
In addition to its weather protection, the lens features Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics (BR Optics), which reduces chromatic aberration. The Subwavelength Coating (SWC) also eliminates ghosting and lens flare.
Finally, it also has the shortest minimum focusing distance in its class at 0.9 feet or 0.28 meters, making it a fantastic option for up-close details. The EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM is a top prime lens for product and commercial photography. If you find yourself more in the outdoors shooting more than inside a studio, this lens would be a fantastic option for you.
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens
The Canon EF-85mm f/1.8 USM Lens promises stellar and sharp clarity that helps each product and subject shine, no matter the scene. With the lens’ f/1.8 aperture, photographers can softly blur the background, directing the viewer’s eye where it matters: the subject. This is further enhanced by the lens’ seven groups and nine elements. They create gorgeous bokeh backgrounds that make portraits pop.
Additionally, the 28-degree angle of view provides an adequate perspective for everything from portraits to events. The EF-85mm f/1.8 USM Lens is an all-around can’t-beat Canon lens for product photography, and after just one shoot, it may never leave your kit.
Canon RF Series Lenses for Mirrorless Cameras
Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM
If you are a commercial photographer that just switched to the new EOS R full frame mirrorless line-up, then the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM is a fantastic choice to take your brand work to the next level. The RF 50mm f/1.2L USM features similar performance features to its EF series counterpart, like its ultra-wide f/1.2 aperture and blazing fast autofocus so that it can capture stunning sharp images.
However, the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM builds on its predecessor’s performance and takes it to the next level. With the new, wider RF lens mount design, there is less distance between the rear lens element and camera sensor. This provides better optical performance and minimum focusing distance (roughly 15 inches). It allows the photographer to capture even the smallest details in their subject, making the 50mm f/1.2 incredibly versatile.
The RF 50mm f/1.2L USM also features image stabilization, which dramatically improves image quality while shooting in low light. Finally, the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM provides two design elements found on any RF series lens that significantly improves control and communication. First, the RF 50mm f/1.2 features a customizable control ring on the lens barrel, allowing for quick exposure settings adjustments. Second, the 12-pin communication system optimizes information between camera and lens.
This is a fantastic prime lens that helped pave the way for the groundbreaking RF series of lenses. This glass is regarded as one of the best prime lenses on the market today. It will take your product photography to new heights.
Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM
The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM was designed to be a world-class prime and portrait lens to mimic the success of its EF series predecessor. It meets those expectations head-on and performs outstanding as a go-to commercial photography lens.
The RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM provides brilliant image quality and speedy autofocusing capabilities. All of this is thanks to the ultra-wide f/1.2 aperture and the RF mount design. The lens has several of the incredible features found in its 50mm RF cousin, including its customizable control ring and 12-pin communication system.
The lens also features a dust and weather-resistant design, along with BR Optics to reduce chromatic aberration and Air Sphere Coating (ASC), which protects against ghosting and lens flares. The RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM is the ultimate do-it-all prime lens, perfect for commercial and product photography. It can handle it all and provide your clients with the quality images they desire.
Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM Lens
Another can’t-miss Canon lens for product photos is the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM Lens. The powerhouse of a macro lens comes with a fast f/2 aperture, which means it works just as well in low-lit situations as it does on a bright and sunny day. This versatility lets photographers get creative when crafting their commercial shoot.
Built particularly for macro photography, the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM Lens has an astonishing 1.15-foot minimum focusing distance, with a maximum magnification of 0.5x. And, with five stops of shake correction, this lens delivers clear and sharp photos, even when used handheld. These features all work in tandem for another solid product-photography lens option from Canon.
Shop our full line of Canon lenses at Adorama.
Feature photo by Milind Ruparel on Unsplash
