Selecting your lenses for event photography can be challenging. What lens should you start with? And should you choose one zoom lens with a wide range, or several prime lenses? I like to answer your questions here.
Let’s start with the basics.
Why fast lenses are crucial for low light and indoors
Many photographers struggle with finding fast lenses in low light. Since events often take place in less-than-ideal lighting conditions and require decent sharpness, it’s best to use fast lenses.
This means an aperture that can open as wide as possible. Usually, somewhere between f/1.4 and f/2.8 is plenty. I don’t even own any lenses faster than f/1.8.
Most events take place indoors, often in dimly lit rooms. A wide aperture helps you prevent going to shutter speeds that are too slow, ensuring you still get sharp images. It also helps you avoid bumping the ISO through the roof.
If you plan to use a flash, you can use lenses that only go down to f/5.6 and still get good photos. But investing in faster lenses for event photography is always the better route.
What is the best focal length for event photography?
A question I get often is about the best focal length for event photography. The truth is, there isn’t just one. It depends entirely on what you’re shooting.
However, the “holy trinity” of event focal lengths generally covers 35mm, 50mm, and 70-200mm.
- 35mm: Perfect for environmental portraits and capturing the atmosphere of a room.
- 50mm: The classic standard. Great for tighter candid shots and half-body portraits.
- 70-200mm: Essential for reaching across a room, capturing raw emotion from a distance, or photographing speakers on a stage.
My personal lens setup
The lenses I use for event photography are quite simple:
- Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8
- Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8
- Tamron 35mm f/1.8 and others for variation
All of these are usually mounted on my Nikon Z8 and Z7II bodies. Having a selection of specialized, high-quality prime lenses means I have to change lenses during the event or carry multiple camera bodies.
A costly and heavy activity. But for me, it’s worth it. I just feel zoom lenses sometimes lack the absolute sharpness and low-light capabilities of a good prime.
But if you don’t feel that way, it could be easier and cheaper for you to buy one zoom lens and one body. You are saving yourself a lot of money and back pain.
Choosing lenses based on the event type
The first question to ask yourself is: what type of events will you shoot?
Best lens for party photography and club events
If you are looking for the best lens for party photography, you will encounter dark environments and unpredictable movement.
You’ll want a wide, fast lens, like a 24mm or 35mm f/1.4 or f/1.8, to get up close to the crowd in a dark hall. This lets you capture the energy of the dance floor without needing to stand 10 meters away.
Best lens for corporate congresses
The speaker is often far away on the stage for large corporate congresses. A range of 35-200mm or even more is better here. You’ll want a telephoto lens (like a 70-200mm f/2.8) to photograph the speaker on the usually well-lit stage and get those tight, professional headshots.
Best lens for group shots
At almost every event, someone will ask you to take a photo of their team or family. To find the best lens for group shots, you need something wide enough to fit everyone in without distortion.
A 24mm or 35mm lens is usually perfect for this. If you use a 50mm lens, you might find yourself backing up into a wall trying to fit a group of six into the frame!
Best lenses for event photography by brand
While I shoot Nikon, I know many of you are searching for recommendations for other systems. Whether you want the best Canon lens for event photography or you are shooting Sony, here is a quick breakdown.
Best Canon lenses for event photography
If you’re wondering which Canon lenses are best for event photography, the Canon EF (or RF) 24-70mm f/2.8 is an absolute workhorse. If you prefer primes, the Canon 35mm f/1.4 and the classic “nifty fifty” 50mm f/1.8 are must-haves for indoor events.
Best Nikon lenses for event photography
For DSLR users, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 is a great lens. If you’ve moved to mirrorless and want the best Nikon lens for event photography, it is arguably the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S, paired with a fast prime like the Z 50mm f/1.8 S for lower light.
Best Sony lenses for event photography
If you are looking for the best lens for event photography Sony offers, the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II is tough to beat. For a prime setup, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM is spectacular for capturing candid moments and parties.
Best Fujifilm lenses for event photography
Fuji shooters often ask for the best Fuji lens for event photography. Since Fuji uses APS-C sensors, the XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR provides the perfect standard zoom range, equivalent to a 24-70mm on full-frame. Pair that with the XF 33mm f/1.4 for a fast, low-light prime.
Zoom vs. prime lenses for event photography
The last question is: Zoom or prime lenses for event photography?
As I mentioned, I prefer several prime lenses. Having a selection of specialized, high-quality glass is great, but it requires swapping or carrying multiple cameras.
If you don’t want to niche down and just want to cover any event, you may not need the fastest primes. Just a wide zoom range of 24-70mm or 24-105mm in one lens might cover it all.
I recommend finding a lens or set of lenses for event photography covering 35mm, 50mm, and up to 150mm. You can have it either in one lens or several.
Awesome photographies. I love to know if you ever use a monopod or tripod to capture so great images in low light environments