Best lens for Food Photography

benlee

New member
Hello,

I am new here and glad to have found this forum. I have a Nikon D5100 camera.

I love to take photos of food. I have been trying to use my Nikkor 105mm microlens to take close-up of food pictures. However, due to the fixed focal length of 105mm, it means the pictures I took at restaurants will zoom in too much esp at the table from a sitting position, at the expenses of the overall presentation of the dish. Of course, I can take the pictures from a further position but that will mean leaving my seat which will feel kind of odd especially in a restaurant.

Which is the best lens for food photography for this camera? One that can let me sit and take from 0.3 to 0.5m and still take a good overall sharp picture with closed-up details. I am considering the AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR (5.3x). Or is there a better one?

Thanks!

P/S : If you don't mind, please attach a food shot with your recommended lens.
 
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jr19

Senior Member
I don't take many photos of food, but I took some about a month ago that I never uploaded. Here are a couple that I took with my 35mm 1.8/g. I did do some post-processing in Lightroom 4. I am extremely amateur and still learning, so whether or not I made the photos better, I don't know :D. But it might help give you some kind of idea about using this lens to photograph food. Both of these were taken with the aperture wide open (f/1.8) and ISO 800. The stuffed shells ended up being pretty tasty too...my fiance does a good job of keeping my stomach happy.

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SkvLTD

Senior Member
Was gonna say, 35 prime should be more than enough. Food doesn't move nor sits too far from you, so extra light vs zoom is the best choice. Stock 18-55 isn't horrible either, I think...

Taken, while cooking give or take :p
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§am

Senior Member
Your 105mm f/2.8G micro lens will focus as close as 30.5cm, but is prob not wide enough to get up close to your food

Compare that to the:
28mm f/1.8G; 25cm
35mm f/1.8G; 30cm
50mm f/1.8G; 45cm

40mm f/2.8G micro; 16.5cm

16-85mm f/3.5-5.6; 39.5.cm
'Kit' 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6; 27.5cm

Now, what's your budget for a new lens?
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Your 105mm f/2.8G micro lens will focus as close as 30.5cm, but is prob not wide enough to get up close to your food

Compare that to the:
28mm f/1.8G; 25cm
35mm f/1.8G; 30cm
50mm f/1.8G; 45cm

40mm f/2.8G micro; 16.5cm

16-85mm f/3.5-5.6; 39.5.cm
'Kit' 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6; 27.5cm

Now, what's your budget for a new lens?


Don't forget that the longer the lens, the less depth of field you'll get for a same given aperture. I would think on a crop sensor that 28-500 mm range would be good, fixed primes recommended since they have a little less distortion.
 

stmv

Senior Member
the 18x15 can shoot amazingly close, and for the price is really sharp.

consider the 60mm ED micro (these are being discounted now as the G's crowd them out).

you really want to keep your focus distance close, since you might be in settings with limited space.
 
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