How to chose the right lens for your photography style

Finding the right lens is a holy grail for photographers. It can elevate your images and expand your creativity, whatever your style. But knowing how to choose a camera lens, let alone the perfect one, can be a challenge — especially for beginners. 

Here’s how to get it right, whether you shoot from the hip or take time to consider your set-up.

How does the camera lens you use affect your photography?

Taking great shots is a balance between your camera, your lens, and your skill as a photographer. The lens is your eye, focusing and transforming light into sharp, detailed images. 

Using the wrong lens can be frustrating, resulting in poor-quality photos with colour distortion. Worse, it can hinder your progression as a photographer. Get it right, and you’ll quickly take your skills to the next level.

What are the primary types of camera lenses?

Before we start an in-depth camera lens comparison, it’s worth understanding the fundamentals — especially if you want to know how to choose a lens for beginners:

• • Focal length controls how much you see. A short focal length gives a wide view, a longer focal length zooms in to capture details and portraits. 
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  • Aperture controls the amount of light that enters your lens. A narrow aperture, which lets in less light, is suitable for capturing details and landscapes. A wide aperture is a smart choice for low-light photography.
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  • Depth of field determines how much of the background is in focus. The closer you are, the more the background is blurred. The further away, the deeper the depth of field and the more of the image stays in focus.

Once you understand what your lens does (and how), you can move on to the difference between camera lenses. Knowing your prime from your zoom is useful when you want to compare lenses and improve your photography.

Prime lenses are generally smaller, lighter and more affordable than zoom lenses. Each lens has a fixed focal length, a wider aperture and a simpler optical design for sharper images. 

Prime or fixed focal length lenses include:

• • Wide-angle lens (12 - 35mm)
• • Nifty Fifty lens (50mm)
• • Short telephoto (70 - 135mm)
• • Telephoto and super telephoto (135mm+)
• • Macro lenses

Zoom lenses let you play with multiple focal lengths, meaning you won't need to keep changing your lens — no more physically moving closer or further away from your subject. However, they can be heavy to carry around and may not match the image sharpness of a prime lens. 

Types of zoom lenses worth considering include:

• • Wide-angle zoom lens (15 - 35mm range)
• • Standard zoom (24 - 70mm range)
• • Telephoto zoom lenses (70 - 600mm range)
• • Fisheye zoom lenses

Prefer to try before you buy? With our product loans, you can experiment with a Fujifilm lens comparison before committing to equipment that may not work for your photography style. 

What are the best camera lenses for different photography styles?

Want to unlock your creativity and elevate the quality of your images? These are the best lenses for your photography style.

Portrait photography

If you want to make your subjects pop against your chosen backdrop, you can’t go wrong with a nifty fifty like the FUJIFILM XF 50mm F1.0 R WR. This is a lens that gives a shallow depth of field, resulting in gorgeous blurred backgrounds. As a bonus, it also flatters facial features for a natural-looking result. 

For more flexibility, try a zoom lens like the FUJIFILM GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR for versatility and stunning portrait results. If you’re ready to step up, you could also try the professional's favourite — an 80mm lens like the FUJIFILM GF 80mm F1.7 R WR delivers perfect portraits with stunning bokeh.

Street photography

Street photographers tend to use prime lenses. Why? Because they’re lightweight and give great results in low-light situations. If you love capturing life as it happens, a 35mm prime lens will faithfully capture what your eye sees, giving naturalistic results. 

Another strong choice is a 50mm prime lens, which is ideal for street portraits. The FUJIFILM GF 50mm F3.5 R LM WR is the perfect lightweight and powerful companion when you’re hitting the streets. Or for more flexibility, try a standard zoom lens like the FUJIFILM GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR, which can handle everything from wide shots to single portraits. 

Wildlife photography

Great wildlife photography depends on being able to capture action in a split second. Telephoto zoom lenses are an obvious choice when you want to get the perfect shot while keeping your distance.

The FUJIFILM XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR excels when it comes to capturing wildlife or sports action. With built-in image stabilisation, weather-proofing, and optional converters, it’s the perfect way to get to the heart of the action, thanks to its outstanding reach.

Landscape photography

Wide-angle lenses are ideal for capturing sweeping panoramas in breathtaking detail. The GF30mm F3.5 R WR is a great choice for capturing epic perspectives. It’s lightweight and portable yet rugged enough to accompany you on your hiking adventures.

A telephoto zoom lens is also an excellent choice for capturing distant mountains. The weather-resistant FUJIFILM XF 70-300mm F4-5.6 R LM OIS WR is an excellent choice that lets you capture blur-free landscapes, whatever the weather.

Read more about choosing the best camera lenses for landscape photography. 

Wedding photography

Wedding photography is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your skills, ranging from portrait photography to candid shots and macro details. 

A wide-angle lens like the FUJIFILM GF 20-35mm F4 R WR is perfect for group shots inside and outside the wedding venue, from the ceremony to cutting the cake, while the versatile FUJIFILM XF 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR is a solid all-rounder with auto-focusing and a powerful OIS system to eliminate blur. 

A nifty fifty is also a go-to lens for wedding portraits, while an 80mm macro lens, such as the FUJIFILM XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro, is an excellent choice for the kind of 1:1 detail photography that brings your wedding shots to life.

Compare lenses and find the best equipment for you with FUJIFILM

Whether you need a standard prime or zoom lens or something more specialised, FUJIFILM has you covered. With our comprehensive series of GFX loans and X Series loans, you’re sure to find the right lenses to elevate your photography, whatever your personal style. 

To find out more about our product loan service, visit us at the FUJIFILM House of Photography today. 

Our team is always hands-on, ready to help you try out lenses and more in-store. Whether you're a beginner or looking to upgrade, our experts offer tailored advice and practical demos to ensure you choose the right lens for your photography style.