Since starting Martin Creates and offering professional photography and videography services, this has become toughest question I get asked quite often... there are literally too many lenses to choose from.
The difficulty comes not only in the focal length and aperture but also due to the fact that there are lenses which are more geared towards cinema (video) purposes and others which are more aimed at photographers. I'll need to cover this topic of photography vs videography lenses in another post.
Black and white photograph featuring The London Eye, taken by Martin Creates using a 35mm
Sony 35mm f1.8
Basic? Yes.
This was the lens that saw me transition from a semi-professional to a professional photographer. It also saw me become a professional videographer. These two key milestones in my career were thanks to this lens. There's no simpler way to put it. And the beautiful thing is I never pack my camera gear without it even to this day.
I've considered part-exchanging it for a Sigma f1.4 which I've seen first-hand performs incredibly well, however, why touch / change something that isn't broken?
The 35mm lens is a slightly wider lens which is why a lot of amateur photographers struggle to use it properly however it's probably the widest focal length before things start to become distorted. It produces a natural composition that is similar to what the human eye will see. A lot of my favourite photographers have produced some of their best work with a 35mm. It can be used for various forms of photography such as landscapes, cityscapes, portraits, products, mixology, corporate events and more. I love using it for video because it's so light and ideal for either handheld or gimbal. f1.8 is perfectly fine for low light as well, I know a lot of people are fascinated by 1.4 and assume it's better but that's not always the case.
Below is one of my favourite photographs that I took whilst on a skiing trip in the French Alps. I want to highlight the power of the 35mm because I think it proves a lot of the reasons for me choosing it as my favourite lens.
Astrophotography in the French Alps (Chamonix) by Martin Creates using a Sony 35mm 1.8
Other contenders:
Sigma 105mm 1.4
The Sigma 105mm boasts numerous key features that make it the ideal portrait lens (if space isn't an issue). Firstly, the compression is probably the best I've experienced in a prime lens. The low-light capability due to its aperture makes it very versatile.
I remember I borrowed it from a friend when I was testing the Canon EOS R and I came across a K-pop dance group in Central London who asked me for a few photos after their street performance. I posted those and a few more photos that afternoon on my instagram story and to my surprise I received numerous DMs enquiring about my availability ... sometimes investing in good lenses is worth every penny.
The only things to watch out for are the fact that it's a very tight focal length and very heavy. It's going to have to accompany your other lens(es) during any given shoot especially for when you need to do vertical content on a gimbal - it simply won't deliver great results in my experience.
Street documentary style photography in Central London by Martin Creates using a Sigma105mm 1.4
Sony 85mm 1.8
For those of you wanting a bit more flexibility but with similar results to a 105mm you might want to consider an 85mm. I personally opted for the 1.8 because it was very sharp, quick and light. I found it wasn't playing a big role in my professional work and I was using it mainly for street and travel, so I sold it. It's a cheap lens vs other professional lenses available and it's a lot of fun to use. I have used it for video and it's quite handy. I would always have it with me for a portrait shoot if I didn't have the 105mm because it gives you an extra dimension to work with that will make your work stand out.
Street documentary style photography in front of St Paul's by Martin Creates using a Sony 85mm 1.8
Zeiss 55mm 1.8
I use this a lot for street photography but also professionally because it's the ideal focal length without having to crop, I can still rely on it for handheld video even in 4K and it's very light. One of my smartest investments. I have taken professional portrait shots like the example below, had it on the whole time at event photoshoots and for professional product photoshoots.
Portrait photography in a studio by Martin Creates using a Zeiss 55mm 1.8
Sigma 14-24mm 2.8
Sigma produce some of the best lenses in the camera market. They're very front heavy due to their design and quality of glass inside the lens. It's not a cheap lens either but it's gotten me through some tricky shoots. I think it's a lens that has taught me so much and I have so much to learn still. I use it for videos especially handheld but it's also great on the gimbal. What initially turned out to be a purchase to help with my property and real estate photography ended up being my lifestyle photo lens too.
Street documentary style portrait shoot in a Central London Underground by Martin Creates using a 14-24mm 2.8
Tamron 28-75mm 2.8
Anybody considering event photography needs to have this on at least one of the bodies. It's much more affordable and performs just as well if not better than its Sigma and Sony counterparts. I highly recommend renting one to test it for a day or two if you haven't already you'll be amazed.
Overall, it's great to have a favourite lens but at Martin Creates, we know not to get overly attached to our camera gear and still use the right tools for the right project.
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