5 Versatile Lenses That Documentarians Love Using
These lenses can survive the harshest conditions and won’t back down from any job you throw their way.
When out in the field, photographers need to capture a moment in the blink of an eye. If you’re a split second late, that moment is lost forever. Documentarians find themselves in these situations daily. They need lenses that can adapt to multiple situations and genres, and take a beating. The great news is that modern lenses are tough yet lightweight. They also have the ability to focus quicker than ever before. These versatile lenses can go from shooting close-ups to wides and on to telephoto images in a split second. These are all features of the incredibly versatile lenses listed here. After the break, you’ll find a lens for each of five popular systems. These lenses will have your back and won’t leave you wanting more.
Canon RF 24-70mm f2.8 L IS USM
In our review, we said:
“The Canon RF 24-70mm f2.8 L IS USM is a great lens through and through. It’s sharp, has beautiful bokeh, great colors, and is incredibly versatile.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $2,299
Fujifilm 16-55mm f2.8 LM WR
In our review, we said:
“The Fujifilm 16-55mm f2.8 LM WR is an exceptional lens in pretty much every way when it comes to image quality. The lens is sharp–sharper than most of the company’s primes in fact. It also gives us great bokeh, excellent colors, and everything a photographer could ask for, including weather sealing.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $1,199
Pro Tip: Anyone can jump into documentary photography with these versatile lenses. However, you really need to be able to make your images capture emotions and tell stories. You need to have a trained shutter finger to be able to capture the moment. You also need a trained eye to spot moments of significance. This documentary photography tutorial will help you become a modern documentarian who can capture soulful images. It will show you how to leverage new mediums to get your work seen as well. Check it out.
Sony 24-70mm f2.8 G Master
In our review, we said:
“In all rights, this is a fantastic lens. It delivers wonderful image quality, performs well, has a fast autofocus, and will make lots of professional photographers very happy. For the photographers who love zoom lenses, this is another reason to move to the Sony E mount system if you haven’t already. It can tackle any sort of work you can throw at it, and combined with just the right Sony a7 camera body, you’ll get the results you really want.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $2,098
Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 Pro
In our review, we said:
“What makes the lens so special is not only its excellent image quality, which we can’t mention enough, but the size, build quality, and speed in focusing.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $849
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f2.8 S
In our review, we said:
“The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70 f2.8 S’s hefty price is further justified by the lens’ ability to produce vibrant yet color-accurate images, the consistent sharpness throughout its focal range, and its ability to minimize chromatic aberrations and distortions.”
Buy now: $2,296.95