5 Versatile Lenses Every Photographer Should Own. Full Frame Edition.

Now that I’ve made the first of my lists of cameras for beginners, I thought I should start with my first list of lenses for beginners as well.

I say first, because conventional wisdom says that there should be a list for crop sensor (APS-C) cameras and one for full frame cameras with larger sensors. And while there is some truth there, I would still recommend full frame lenses for both types of camera, if only because they are of higher quality. I’ll probably get more into this in the APS-C list, but for now let’s concentrate on full frame cameras.

Portrait taken with a cheap 35mm f/2,8.

• 28-70mm f/2.8

  I’m listing this lens first, even though I don’t always think it should be the first lens you purchase. However, if you can only afford to buy one lens for the foreseeable future, this is the one. A good 28-70 with a fast aperture such as 2.8 will quite capably handle most situations, except for long distances. 28mm is wide enough for landscapes and 70mm is fair for portraits. The advantage of the zoom lens is situations wherein you are unable to move quickly back and forth.

• 35mm f/1.8

  A good 35mm prime lens is an acceptable, and often superior choice to the 28-70. An f/1.8 aperture is going to give you a better advantage in low light situations and better bokeh (background blur) in all situations. 35mm is considered a landscape focal length, but you can get great portraits with it as well. If you can afford an f/1.4 or 1.2, it will be even better.

• 85mm f/1.8

  85mm is my favorite focal length. It’s sort of the standard bearer for portraits. I have an 85 f/1.4, which is just kind of perfect. A quality 85mm lens is going to help you get fantastic shots. The bokeh will be beautiful. In addition to portraits, an 85 can be used quite capably for landscapes and street photography.

• 70-200mm f/4

  “The Wedding Lens”. This is the lens that is most often recommended for wedding photographers. It isn’t an absolute must-have, but if you have the 70-200 and the 28-70, there is no situation you won’t have covered. The 70-200 will give you outstanding portraits and allow you to take photos at a fair distance without interrupting the scene, which is why it is so desirable for weddings. As a telephoto, it is also great if you’re taking landscape shots from far away, like in the mountains. The 70-200 f/2.8 is most preferable, but it is expensive. With modern cameras, an f/4 is going to be just fine if you can’t afford more.

• A Macro Lens

  It is debatable how much you need a macro lens, unless you’re taking floral and insect photography, but they are great lenses. A macro lens allows you to take photos up close. All lenses have minimum focusing distances, but a Macro lens will still focus when you are very close to your subject.

  You can argue a bit about the macro lens based on the interests of the photographer; maybe substituting a super-telephoto for people who want to shoot wildlife or sports. Mostly though, this is a pretty strong base list.

  I would recommend that after the first three, you consider renting lenses before buying. Decided how much you need and how regularly you will use these lenses. For instance, I know a guy who goes to NASCAR races once a year. He just rents a super-telephoto lens, because it isn’t worth the money for something he rarely uses.

  Anyway, I hope this has been helpful. Stay tuned for the APS-C version of this list.

Landscape shot taken with my 85mm f/1.4