With the overwhelming offer of lens options and brands, it is hard to say which one is the best lens or let alone choose a lens. However, when you know how you work and what type of photos you want to take this decision becomes a lot clearer. In this article, we will share some basic information about lenses and the ones recommended by some of our best-performing photographers.

These are the 3 main types of photo lenses that all photographers need to know about to begin their photography career. These are categorized according to their focal length and what they are best for.

The Standard Lens: any lens with a focal length between 35mm-85mm, works best for street, travel, and portrait photography. Most photo photographers agree that the best focal length for portraits is 50mm for crop-factor cameras and 85mm for full-frame cameras. These focal lengths are the best to not distort the face and enhance features.
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The Telephoto Lens: any lens with a focal length greater than 85mm, works best for landscape, wildlife, sports, and portraits.
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Check out the difference a lens can make: 😱

So which is the best for a Smiler photographer? 💯

We suggest a Standard Zoom Lens that will allow you to change between 35mm, perfect for capturing full-body photos with a nice background, and 85mm ideal for portraits (50mm for crop-factor cameras).

Smiler photographer, Martine based in the Netherlands, recently upgraded her gear to a new Sony Alpha 7 III with the lens Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS, and her Conversion Rate went from 28% to 39%. And during summer she hit 40 and 50% Conversion Rate!

Smiler photographer, Clara based in Barcelona, also recently started using the Sony Alpha 7 III with a 35mm 1.8 lens. She enjoys the quality of the automatic focus, how fast it works and loves that it is lightweight, as it is a mirrorless camera.

Another camera that a lot of Smiler photographers are loving is the Sony A7R mark 3 or 4 with satisfying results. Smiler photographers have said that a huge upside of it is the leveling tool. It allows them to capture photos while moving and stays balanced. Most photographers lean more towards zoom lenses, usually 24-70mm due to the convenience of changing the depth of field.

However, gear is not everything. The most important thing is to take great photos and have a positive interaction with the client. You can still take great photos that people will purchase with an older camera or a simpler lens. All photographers start with a regular camera. Don’t let gear stop you from doing what you love!