This week I thought I’d cover some of the best types of lenses that can be used for fashion blogging, as well as some lenses that you should avoid. I’ll give some examples of some great and affordable options for each category for both Canon and Nikon cameras, since they are generally the most popular D-SLRs used by fashion bloggers. If you own a different brand of camera than these two, there’s no need to worry! Each manufacturer makes similar lenses with similar characteristics. Just browse on their website and check them out.

The ideal type of lens that you should look for is a fast, prime lens with a focal length between 50-100mm. In English, you want to find a lens with a large maximum aperture {around f/1.4 if possible} and a fixed focal length.

Probably the most popular prime lens is a fast 50mm lens. Sometimes known as the “nifty fifty,” the 50mm prime is a great focal length for shooting outfit photos as the shorter focal length means the photographer can stand closer to the subject while photographing, which is ideal when working in small interior areas. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM {this is what Grace and I use} and the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G are both spectacular options whose large, f/1.4 aperture allows them to capture photos in extremely low light as well as create some amazing background blur to isolate your subject and their outfit.

This photo was taken with our trusty Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens.

If you’re looking for even more background blur, another good option would be an 85mm lens. The longer focal length on this type of lens tends to exaggerate the blurriness of the background, which is ideal for subject isolation. You’ll have to stand a little bit farther from your subject, but if you do most of your outfit photos outside, this won’t be an issue at all. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM and the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G are both great options.

There are some types of lenses that you should generally avoid for fashion blogging as well. Try to avoid lenses with a focal length less than 50mm. These are known as wide angle lenses and they require you to get so close to your subjects that the body part your lens is closest too seems very big and the rest of the body appears disproportionately small. Check out the photo below to see what I mean.

See how Grace’s head looks just a little too big for her body in this photo? It’s not her, I promise, rather, I was using a 28mm wide angle lens and had to stand so close that it made her head appear larger than it is. Try to avoid wide angle lenses, they’re much better suited to landscape photography.

I hope this guide has been some help to everyone. If anyone has any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below or send them to Grace and I’ll try and answer them as quick as I can.