10 Best Lenses For Family Photography

Capturing a family's precious moments is a high-pressure job. And you don’t want to fail because you don’t have the right equipment.

When it comes to family photography you have a lot of components to consider and that means having the perfect lens for every situation.

10 Best Lenses For Family Photography

There are endless options for lenses on the market. Depending on what camera you have, what images you want to capture, and your overall comfortability, the lens you choose is going to be different.

Below are 10 of the best lenses for family photography(see also: How To Shoot Full-Body Portrait Photography (+ Best Lenses)). All you have to do is take a look and decide which one suits your needs the best.

Let’s dive in!

OUR TOP PICK

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L is a popular choice among family photographers. It works great in low light and has a wide aperture to give you the best pictures in the poorest conditions.

A newly created ring-type ultrasonic motor (USM), a high-speed processor, and better AF algorithms are all features of the lens. All of this puts you in a position to benefit from quick and sensitive autofocus.

The 50mm lens is great for family photos as it offers excellent depth of field and makes your images turn out crispy and bright. 

EDITORS CHOICE

Prefer Nikon cameras over Cannon? The Nikon NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G is an excellent choice for family photos. The lens is adaptable to a wide array of situations and lighting.

This lens provides respectable performance for a reasonable price. Utilizing the largest aperture will allow you to capture images with decent overall sharpness.

With the new AF-S Focusing motor, you can now use this lens on any Nikon camera you have. Perfect if you need to use an older model every once in a while. Not to mention it is completely silent when in use!

BEST VALUE

The Tamron 45mm F/1.8 has two designs. One made for Canon cameras and one made for Nikkon cameras.

Be careful when selecting which one you want to purchase. The lens itself is extremely useful as it has incredible stabilization, nine aperture blades, and a weather protection feature.

Another advantage of this lens is its capacity to separate an object from its surroundings. Even among the more costly Nikon models, this capability is quite uncommon today.

The only issue with this lens is that it is not as sharp as a 35mm. You can still produce a clear image but not to the same standard. 

RUNNER UP

When it comes to family portraits, the Sigma 50mm F1.4 ART lens is your best friend. It comes with a protective case for travel and will give you clear, natural images for your clients to love. 

You may find the heavier weight and larger size a little bit of an adjustment but the results it produces are worth it.

The multi-layer illumination features allow you to completely remove any glare on the image and produce bright, clear images.  

There are Cannon, Nikon, and Sony models of this lens allowing any camera lover to get one!

RUNNER UP

The Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 75mm f/1.8 is a great lens for beginners. It is easy to use and is extremely reliable when it comes to lighting and quality.

It works great in low-light situations and uses a quick aperture to capture every moment perfectly.

It has a low depth of field which is perfect for family portraits and adds a professional quality to any final image.

It has zero coating which is adapted from film deposition technology which eliminates glass and flares from the sun or artificial lighting.

Perfect if you find yourself working in the evening with little to no natural light. 

RUNNER UP

If you find yourself taking images of groups as a wedding photographer, sports reporter, or even journalists you are going to love the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II.

It has great image stabilization, a fantastic f/2.8 aperture, and telephoto zoom, and produces high-quality images.

This Canon lens performs appropriately and is worth the money that was spent on it. Both individual and collective family portraits turn out well with it.

Whether you are shooting portraits or moving images, this lens is going to go above and beyond to get the job done. Not to mention it is perfectly compact to fit in your kit. 

RUNNER UP

Consider this model if you require a close-up lens with the ability to function in dim light. The performance and close-range focusing of this macro lens for portrait shooting are superb.

The lens is designed with an f/2.8 aperture and good quality image stabilization. You can also adjust the autofocus of the lens through the manual focus ring giving you more focus on the image as a whole.

Because of the small depth-of-field that results from utilizing high magnification ratios on this lens, you might need to utilize a tripod to get the required sharpness. The importance of VR technology decreases while using a tripod.

RUNNER UP

One of the best features of the Canon EF 85mm F/1.8 USM lens is that it has quick and accurate autofocus. Perfect when you are working with groups and families who tend to move around.

It has a wide aperture which gives you the ability to take clear and detailed images whether they are moving or remaining still for a portrait.

It is lightweight and compact making it the perfect tool for any kit.

Not to mention it is extremely affordable compared to the other lenses on this list!

RUNNER UP

The typical 50 mm lens is distinctive for being light and small. Because of the lens's huge f/1.8 aperture ratio, you can utilize it for low-light photography.

This lens can produce a shallow depth of well-defined space and gives you a bright image in the viewfinder.

When it comes to a fast focus, this lens is one of the best and is even better compared to more expensive models. 

It has a wide focus ring that can adapt quickly when you come close and step back from your subject. 

RUNNER UP

The sharpest lens for family photography is the 56mm f1.2 Fujifilm. Such high-quality mirrorless camera lenses are quite hard to come by.

The Fujifilm 56mm f1.2 features a contemporary design, effective performance, and a robust body.

It focuses very rapidly and produces bokeh that is breathtakingly beautiful.

It captures the colors perfectly and is perfect for both location and studio work.

Final Thoughts

Capturing those family moments that are going to be treasured for a lifetime, means you need the right gear.

The lens you use heavily impacts the quality of the image you produce and how well it captures the behind in front of the camera.

Above are 10 of the best lenses for family photos that will produce incredible images. Check them out and watch your skills soar.

Laura McNeill
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