Best Lenses for Food Photography: From 50mm to Macro

Picking the right lens for food photography makes a huge difference in how your shots turn out. It affects how much detail you capture, how close you can get, and how the background looks. If you’ve ever struggled with getting the right focus or making your food look as good on camera as it does in real life, your lens might be the issue.

In this article, we give you more insights into which lenses you should be considering for your ventures as a food photographer. Here’s a little spoiler – a 50mm lens is a good all-rounder, great for overhead shots and natural-looking angles. If you’re after extreme close-ups (like highlighting the flakiness of pastry or the texture of a cake crumb), a macro lens (90mm or 100mm) is the way forward. And if you need a bit of distance, say for restaurant photography, an 85mm or 105mm lens keeps the subject sharp while softening the background.

Read on to learn about:

• Our favourite 50mm lenses
• Our top macro lens picks
• Our top telephoto lenses
• Our top wide-angle lenses
• Top lens investments for every budget

What to think about before choosing the right lens

Before you invest in a lens for food photography, it’s worth thinking about how you like to shoot. Ask yourself: Do you focus on overhead table spreads, extreme close-ups, or a mix of both? Although this might seem a little pedantic, your style plays a massive role in which lens will work best for you, so it’s important you know! Here are some quick-fire tips to get you started: 

Overhead shots of plated dishes	A 50mm lens, like the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, is lightweight and compact and delivers a natural perspective without distortion.
Close-up texture shots	A macro lens (like a 60mm Micro) captures tiny details, from sugar crystals to the layers in a croissant.
Hot and steamy dishes	Fast autofocus helps capture steam before it fades.
Cold dishes	A lens with a close focusing distance is useful for getting the details before they start melting.
Drink shots	If you’re trying to freeze splashes or pour shots, look for a lens that works well with high shutter speeds.

Techy things to keep in mind

• Not all lenses work with every camera, so check that the lens mount matches your camera body.
• Image stabilization helps keep shots sharp when shooting handheld, especially in low light.
• A wide aperture (f/1.8–f/2.8) creates a blurred background, while a narrow aperture (f/8–f/11) keeps everything in focus – fantastic for full-table shots.
• The minimum focusing distance determines how close you can get before your lens starts struggling to focus.
• ISO and shutter speed work alongside the aperture to control brightness, reduce noise, and avoid motion blur.

❗Remember: Good lenses aren’t cheap, and what looks great in a product listing might not suit your shooting style. If possible, rent or test a lens before committing. This helps you figure out if it feels comfortable, works in your space, and delivers the look you’re going for!

You don’t need to buy a whole collection of lenses to get great food photos – starting with just one can take you a long way. If you’re unsure where to begin, a 50mm lens is a fantastic all-rounder.

Often called the “nifty fifty,” this lens closely matches what the human eye sees, making it a natural choice for food photography. It works well for a variety of angles, from overhead shots to 45-degree compositions and straight-on perspectives. Unlike wider lenses, it doesn’t introduce distortion, keeping dishes looking true to life. It’s also great for creating negative space, giving you room for text overlays if you’re shooting for a blog or social media.

That said, it’s not a macro lens, so extreme close-ups might not capture as much fine detail as a dedicated macro lens would. If you’re after super-tight texture shots, you may need to crop in post-production. 

Must-know focal lengths for food photography

The focal length determines how much of a scene your lens captures and how close or far your subject appears. For food photography, 35mm to 100mm is the sweet spot, with different focal lengths serving different purposes.

• Wide (24-35mm): Best for table spreads and overhead shots, capturing more of the scene while keeping everything in focus. Be mindful of distortion, especially at 24mm.
• Standard (50mm): A go-to for food photography, offering a natural perspective with minimal distortion. It’s great for overhead, 45-degree, and straight-on shots.
• Telephoto (85-100mm): Ideal for tight detail shots and creating a beautiful background blur (bokeh). The longer focal length compresses the background, making the food stand out.

Your camera’s sensor affects how focal length translates in practice. Full-frame cameras use focal lengths as listed, while crop-sensor cameras (APS-C) apply a crop factor (typically 1.5x for Nikon, 1.6x for Canon). For example, a 50mm lens on a crop sensor behaves more like a 75-80mm lens, offering tighter framing. When choosing the right focal length, as yourself:

• How close do you want to be to your subject?
• Do you have enough space for wider shots, or do you need a longer lens to step back?
• What angles do you shoot most – overhead, 45-degree, or straight-on?

Different types of lenses and their benefits for food photography

The right lens depends on how and where you shoot. There are a couple of things you need to know about the different types of lenses before you choose.

Choosing between zoom lenses and prime lenses

Feature	Prime lenses	Zoom lenses
Focal Length	Fixed (does not zoom).	Variable (adjustable zoom).
Sharpness	Typically sharper.	Slightly less sharp than primes.
Aperture	Wider (f/1.4–f/2.8) for better background blur and low-light performance.	Smaller maximum aperture, meaning less background blur.
Flexibility	Limited – must move physically to reframe shots.	High – can adjust framing without moving.
Distortion	Minimal distortion.	Can have distortion at extreme focal lengths.
Best for	Restaurant photography (low light).Single-plate shots with controlled composition.Overhead shots.	Catering events or fast-paced environments.Buffet spreads or large table setups.Behind-the-scenes and documentary-style food photography.
Limitations	No zoom, requiring physical movement for composition.Need to swap lenses for different perspectives.	Not as sharp as primes.More distortion at wide or telephoto ends.

Capturing textures and tiny details with macro lenses

Macro lenses are designed for extreme close-ups so you can capture food in stunning detail. With a 1:1 magnification ratio, they reproduce subjects at life-size, making them perfect for showing off textures – like the crispness of a pastry or the tiny bubbles in a cocktail. Here’s why you might choose a macro lens:

• Sharp close-ups without losing quality.
• True-to-size reproduction, capturing details exactly as they appear.
• Perfect for highlighting textures like sugar granules, flaky crusts, or the intricate surface of fruit.

Popular focal lengths for food photography are:

• 60mm: Best for crop sensor cameras, offering a balance between detail and working distance.
• 100mm: Ideal for full-frame cameras, giving more background compression and softer bokeh.

Isolating food for stunning compression with telephoto lenses

Although telephoto lenses are usually associated with portraits, they can also work beautifully for food photography. Their longer focal length naturally compresses the background, making the subject stand out while adding depth and dimension to the shot. This compression effect is great for creating a polished, professional look. Someone might use a telephoto lens because they:

• Create natural compression, making food appear more three-dimensional.
• Give a soft, creamy background blur (bokeh) for a refined aesthetic.
• Let you shoot from a comfortable distance, which is useful in restaurant settings or tight spaces.

Telephoto lenses create a quick focus fall-off, meaning the background blurs smoothly while keeping the food as the focal point. This naturally enhances subject isolation, helping to reduce background distractions and making the dish stand out. Unlike wider lenses, telephotos also introduce less distortion, meaning plates and ingredients retain their natural proportions without any warping.

Wide-angle lenses for storytelling and scene-setting

Wide-angle lenses are perfect for capturing the bigger picture in food photography. Whether you’re shooting an entire table spread, a bustling restaurant, or a beautifully plated dish in its environment, these lenses help tell a story beyond just the food itself. Food photographers mainly use them for:

• Overhead shots of multiple dishes.
• Capturing restaurant ambiance and full table settings.
• Putting food into context. making it feel more inviting and immersive.

Although these lenses are great, there are some things you need to keep in mind about them:

• Be careful with distortion – at very close range, wide-angle lenses can stretch and warp objects.
• Best used for scene-setting shots rather than extreme close-ups.
• Works well for flat lays and overhead compositions.

Top lens investments for every budget 💲

Professional-grade lenses ($1000+)

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM – $1,299

A high-end macro lens with exceptional sharpness and 1:1 magnification for detailed close-ups.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L is USM – $1,299

A versatile zoom lens with 0.5x magnification, great for mixed shooting styles.

Intermediate options ($500-1000)

Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM – $549

A telephoto/macro hybrid with image stabilization, perfect for isolating subjects.

Beginner-friendly ($200-500)

Nikkor AF-S VR Micro 105mm F2.8G – $442

A macro lens ideal for drink photography, minimizing distortion at close range.

Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM – $499.99

A wide-angle lens with macro capabilities, ideal for full table scenes.

Budget options (under $200)

Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM – $199.99

A sharp, compact 50mm lens, great for overhead shots and low-light conditions.

Used 50mm f/1.8 lenses

An affordable way to get started, offering great image quality for the price.

Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM – $224

An ultra-wide lens for restaurant and environmental shots, often available on sale.

Display your food photography with WP Recipe Maker

The right lens helps you capture stunning food photos, but how you present them online matters just as much. Macro shots that highlight textures deserve a prominent place in a recipe post, while wide-angle scene-setting shots work beautifully as hero images. Process shots taken with a 50mm lens naturally fit into step-by-step recipe instructions – guiding readers visually as they cook.

“Great food photography isn’t just about the camera or the lens – it’s about how you use those images to tell a story. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting the fine details of a flaky croissant or the inviting warmth of a family dinner, the way you display your photos makes all the difference.”

Birthe Vandermeeren

Cofounder of Bootstrapped Ventures

• WordPress
• Instagram
• Mail

With WP Recipe Maker, your photography becomes the main focal point (pardon the pun) of your recipe’s success. You can:

• Customize recipe layouts to match your photography style.
• Add images within recipe cards to guide readers visually.
• Include ingredient images for better clarity.
• Use Lightbox integration to let visitors zoom in on the details.

No matter what type of food photos you take, we’ll make sure they look as good on your site as they do on your camera. So, whatcha waiting for? Show off your food photography the right way with WP Recipe Maker!