#bestlensnewbornphotographycanon

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How to Choose Best Lens for Newborn Photography

I have always liked prime lenses, but found zoom lenses to be far more practical — so that’s what I used. However, after having a kid I learned of two huge advantages prime lenses have: there is no zoom ring to fiddle with, and they are lighter (perhaps only slightly, depending upon your lens selections). A prime lens most likely will have a faster aperture which is invaluable to help get the shot when you can’t mess around with flash because of the fast-moving kid, too.

Both reasons are related, of course. Being lighter, it’s easier to hold the camera one-handed for extended periods of time. This is important when I’m holding the kid with one arm, and only have one free to shoot. Shooting at the kid’s eye level is important to making an engaging photo, which means getting on the floor/ground. Having one hand to help move and balance on the floor while still being able to shoot makes it possible to get shots much easier. And of course, without a zoom ring, I’m always at the expected focal length so it’s easy to recognize how to move to frame a shot.

I’m guessing you already have a lens (the kit zoom?) and have used it some. Before buying a prime, I would try to determine how you have used the lens you have to decide what focal length(s) of primes to use. The way I do this is with Lightroom, and review metadata to see what focal lengths are most-used. (Other programs likely offer such functionality.) Alternatively, try setting the lens at a specific focal length and shooting the kids for a while to see how you like it. I have found a two-lens prime kit to be hugely versatile: something on the wide end and something mildly-telephoto.

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Buying Best Nikon Lens for Newborn Photography

Some photographers might argue that a zoom will never be as sharp as a prime and yes, in most cases I would agree. However, (and this is where my Nikon girl colours really show)….I’ve never had an issue with sharpness in this particular lens, after all – its a Nikkor 24 – 70 for pete’s sake!

Finally I have a secret weapon – the Nikkor 60mm micro for close up shots of those tiny fingers, toes, lips and eyelashes – a wonderful lens but I do find that sometimes you have to get so close to your subject that you’re blocking out your own light!

As I’ve already said, if you’re deciding on a lens for your newborn portraiture you must consider your own style, your work space and how you work and what you want to achieve, then base your decision on that. I hope this little blog has provided some useful tips in the meantime.

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Buying Best Canon Lens for Newborn Photography

The nifty fifty is great for newborn photography without a doubt – but as I tend to include family portraits it did mean that, to avoid standing with my back pressed up against the wall, I either had to have another body with a wider lens on in the studio, or switch lenses during a shoot.  I also had to climb a stepladder for those cute ‘looking down on baby’ shots.

Much as I love my nifty fifty I did question one day, whilst balanced on my step stool in a very warm room trying to get my little model and all the lovely swooshy fabrics that I had painstakingly arranged into shot, whether there was a better option.

Later on as I rummaged through my camera bag I realised of course there was.  I dug out my 24 – 70 2.8.  Fabulous lens, but one that had not seen much use since I gave up weddings a couple of years back. I used it in my next newborn shoot and haven’t look back since.  I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me much earlier – stupid me!  Of course I can still photograph at 50mm, but I can now also easily fit the whole family in.  In addition, I no longer have to climb on my step stool to get those ‘looking down on baby’ shots so a lot safer from that perspective too – I’m really steady on my feet but one less risk is all good!  By the way – if you are photographing from this position, i.e. leaning over baby, please always remember to have your camera strap around your neck!

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Buying Best Lenses for Newborn Photography

For example, I know some fab photographers who use a 35mm prime to great effect in their newborn work.  For me personally, that doesn’t work.  With wider lenses you have to be careful with your distance and perspective, as a wider lens will make close subjects look a lot larger than ones further away.  If you get ‘lost’ in your work and aren’t concentrating, you could well end up with images of big nosed babies with tiny eyes!

The 85mm prime is a fantastic lens and one I use regularly for head shots, but for me its not wide enough to use throughout a newborn session.  I don’t like switching lenses if I can get away with it, so the 85 whilst fine for some shots, doesn’t give me enough scope.   Likewise, whilst I do use the wonderful 70 – 200 2.8 for portraits where I’ve wanted beautiful bokeh, I personally find it far too cumbersome to wield around in a newborn session as my studio space isn’t huge.

When I first started, I used my trusty Nikkor 50mm 1.8 (“not the 1.4?” I hear Nikon purists gasp!)  Nope, the 1.8. Cheap as chips, sharp as a pin and in my opinion, great for newborns.  When the new 50mm Nikkor came out I upgraded and continued with that.

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What Lens for Newborn Photography

I often get asked what equipment I use in the studio in particular, what lenses would I recommend be used to photograph newborns.

First of all, I’m a Nikon gal.  If you’re interested in photography yourself, you’re probably well aware of the great Nikon v Canon debate. I’ll be perfectly honest with you, I personally don’t think there’s much in it.

Every camera has its plus and minus points – sometimes the bods at Canon will bring out a new body that just pips the Nikon, sometimes its the other way around.

I, like many photographers I know, have stuck with one particular brand because its what I started out with.  Once you’ve built a photography business using a particular make and you’ve got a few bodies plus several lenses, its really quite expensive to think about switching to another system – although I am aware of photographers who have ‘jumped ship’ mid career one way or another for their own reasons.

Back to the subject of the blog.  What lenses would I advise be used for newborn work? First and foremost, you need to think about how you work, your particular work space, what your style is and what look you’re after in your photos. Then you can choose the lens that will best help you achieve that.

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What is Best Lens for Newborn Photography

You should definitely have the best lens for newborn photography to take your maternity and baby photography business to the next level. If you want to become a professional newborn photographer, you will need a medium telephoto, a wide-angle, a macro, and a 50mm prime lens. Let’s find the best lenses for baby photography that will suit your budget. I’ve chosen 12 lenses designed by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina that are affordable and for professional photography.

Newborn photography is one of the most difficult subtypes of portrait photography where a photographer takes pictures of a baby younger than two months. You should keep everything safe, choose the appropriate style of shooting, know how to pose baby, work with lighting, props, and accessories. The shooting process is usually up to 4-6 hours including short breaks.

Newborn photography is a relatively difficult type of shooting considering the fact that your models are two-week-old. Today we will find out how to capture the beautiful moment when your baby has not grown yet; I will share some relevant tips which will be useful for an amateurish as well as for a skillful shooter.

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Nikon D5600

Parents don’t need to deplete their diaper fund before the baby even arrives to capture good newborn pictures. While not a top performer like the Sony a7 III, the Nikon D5600 can shoot circles around smartphones and compact cameras.

And you can keep the costs even lower if you buy a refurbished model.

The Nikon D5600 sports a 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor. This isn’t quite as good as full frame but still packs plenty of capabilities.

The sensor captures solid photos for the price point — and DxOMark still considers the camera a top performer. The EXPEED 4 processor is still decent at capturing images in low light, especially if you pair the camera with a brighter lens.

Speed-wise, the D5600 snaps away at 5 fps. This is not enough to be hailed as a great spots camera, but it could still do the trick for toddlers and older kids in motion. The 39-point autofocus is decent, thanks to using the type of autofocus that’s long been fine-tuned inside DSLRs.

The camera also uses a tilting touchscreen unlike the slightly cheaper Nikon D3500. This can help get fun high and low angles that often work well when photographing babies and kids.

The Nikon D5600 isn’t the best camera on this list and isn’t ideal for professionals. But it is one of the best cameras you can get on a limited budget.

As a DSLR, it’s a bit louder than a mirrorless camera’s silent mode and doesn’t have stabilization in the body. For new parents that already have a list of things to buy, the D5600 will help capture those fleeting memories of the newborn stage and beyond without breaking the bank.

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Canon EOS R

The Canon EOS R has the 30-megapixel sensor of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR but in a smaller package and at a lower price point.

The 30-megapixel sensor is a good mid-point for newborn photography. It’s not too high to introduce a lot of noise or make skin imperfections obvious, but high enough for big prints and good detail.

The Canon EOS R also has a lens adapter that will allow it to be used with Canon’s DSLR lenses. It’s a good option for photographers that may already have a stash of Canon lenses.

As a mirrorless, the camera is also equipped with a silent electronic shutter.

With solid low light performance, the Canon EOS R is one of the best Canon cameras for low light, according to DxOMark. They rank the image quality a bit below the first three cameras on this list.

The colors and dynamic range aren’t ranked quite as high as others in its class. This won’t stand out though. Canon’s Dual Pixel autofocus system is also highly praised. This should come in handy when shooting with only window light or capturing those fast-moving toddlers later on.

The EOS R also offers a respectable 8 fps that will keep up with toddlers and older children as well.

The Canon EOS R body sells for $2,300, which is a bit higher than the Sony a7 III and Nikon Z 6. The EOS R is missing image stabilization equipped in those models and didn’t score quite as high on sensor tests.

While the other cameras may be better deals, the compatibility with Canon lenses and dual pixel autofocus will sway some to pick up this still excellent camera.

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Nikon Z 6

Nikon is new to the full frame mirrorless category, and while the Nikon Z 6 may not be quite as refined as Sony’s third generation, the new camera still packs a powerful punch.

The Z 6 uses a 24.5-megapixel full frame sensor that captures excellent images. DxOMark ranks it right below the Sony a7 III by a single point.

The camera body also has stabilization built-in. This can help in those low light shots if the baby isn’t moving around.

As part of Nikon’s new mirrorless series, the Z 6 has access to a lot of existing Nikon lenses using an adapter. This could be reason enough to choose the Z 6 for photographers that already own some Nikkor glass.

Like most mirrorless cameras, there’s a silent electronic shutter for when being quiet matters. And the Z 6 is even faster than the a7 III with a 12 fps, though that’s in an extended mode with a few limitations.

The Z 6 is lighter than Nikon’s DSLRs, though not by a lot if you use a heavier Z lens or once you add the mount adapter. The tilting touchscreen can also help get the perfect angle without getting out a step stool.

The Z 6 is also weather-sealed. You won’t be photographing a newborn in the rain, but baby drool and toddler spills shouldn’t be a problem.

Nikon also has the higher-resolution Z 7, but the Z 6 has an autofocus that’s rated a bit better in low light. The mid-range resolution is perfect for newborns. It also means the camera doesn’t cost quite so much.

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What Does the Best Lens for Newborn Photography Have?

Stabilization in the lens or camera body will also boost low light quality. It’ll allow you to shoot at slower shutter speeds instead of increasing the ISO. This will happen only if the baby is being very still.

Along the same lines, when you look for a lens to pair with your camera body, look for one that has a wide aperture, like an f/2.8.

Give yourself permission to skip those f/3.6 kit lenses often bundled with camera bodies. A 35mm or 50mm f/1.8 is a great lens for newborn photography. Many good versions are also cheap.

Another consideration is how loud the camera will be. In most cases, newborn photographers play white noise that will drown out the click of a shutter.

In some instances, a quiet mode is an excellent feature to have. Many mirrorless cameras have this feature and some DSLRs.

The best cameras for newborn photography have a resolution that’s right. A camera with a resolution that’s too low won’t allow parents to have large prints.

Your camera should have at least 12 megapixels, but 20+ is even better. Many photographers have successfully used cameras around 50 megapixels. But higher megapixel cameras don’t handle high ISOs as well.

The greater detail in higher megapixel cameras can make the many skin imperfections that are very noticeable on newborns. This will leave you with more post-processing work.

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What Does the Best Camera for Newborn Photography Have?

Newborn photography is the closest the portrait genre gets to still life. Often, newborns are photographed sleeping.

Sometimes fussy babies only offer a few seconds to get the shot. Most of the time, you’ll have a few minutes to get the shot once you get the baby in position.

That means a fast camera, with a high burst speed such as 10 fps, isn’t absolutely necessary.

Many newborn photographers or parents looking for a new camera will also be photographing toddlers at some point or photographing a toddler with a brand new sibling. That’s a different story.

Photographers specializing beyond the newborn stage may want to consider a camera with a good burst speed. Kids go from that still newborn to a wild, won’t-sit-still toddler in a blink.

For newborns, don’t feel like you need to spend a lot of cash for a crazy fast camera.

While still, newborns are often photographed using natural window light, since flash can startle some newborns. That means a good camera for newborn portraits should have excellent performance at higher ISOs.

Look for a camera that has excellent noise ratings for the higher ISO levels. Indoor scenes often mean more than that base ISO 100.

Stick with a full frame camera, or an APS-C camera if you’re on a budget. This will allow you to take the most advantage of the available light as well.

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The Best Camera Lens For Newborn Photography

Newborns don’t stay new long. Photographing those first few weeks of life is critical. But what’s the best camera for newborn photography?

Newborns aren’t running around yet. You don’t need a fast, expensive camera to capture newborn baby pictures. But that doesn’t mean you should pick up a random, cheap budget camera to snap newborn photos with.

This article will show you what to look for in a camera for newborn photography and the best camera for newborn photography. Whether you are looking for the best camera as a new parent or you are looking to take professional baby photographs.

Photographing newborns comes with a long list of challenges. You need to get the baby settled, sleeping and into that perfect position then doing it all over again for a new pose.

But the challenges that come along with newborn photography aren’t the ones that need a $4,000 best-ever digital camera.

For newborn photography, look for a camera that will perform well in window light, a quiet shutter, and a mid-range resolution.

When introducing toddlers into the shot, like with sibling photos or working with older children, photographers should also look for a camera with a faster burst speed.

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Recommend Best Lens for Newborn photography

If you have to go for one lens and your budget isn’t too high, I’d go for a second hand 60mm micro, it is a lovely focal length for portraits and doubles as a macro for the close ups, little hands and feet etc and gives a nice bokeh effect. I never find it too long but one thing to consider is where will the shoots take place, i.e. do you have a set location or are you planning to go to people’s homes – if it’s the latter then a shorter (i.e. wider) focal length may be more appropriate.

Another suggestion is a second hand 28-70, far cheaper than the 24-70 and imo a cracking lens – I don’t miss those few degrees wider. Though if you go down the second hand route be sure to use a reputable dealer rather than buying off ebay etc.

But they are just suggestions – the 50mm will also tide you over for the time being too.

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Recommend Best Nikon Lens for Newborn photography

That lens may be too long for your sensor for photography while inside. It will have approximately half of the angle of view of a 50 mm lens. It's a good focal length for portraiture, but only if you can get far enough away from your subject. Basically, you want to be able to stand far enough away from your subject to avoid perspective distortion: while some photographers with some subjects are able to pull it off successfully, you risk making the subject look comical. Instead, a commonly-suggested working distance of 10-15 feet from your subject is usually safe, or if this isn't possible, at least as far away as practical. Where are you planning to photograph the babies? If outside, then you have far more flexibility to use a longer focal length in order to get "close up" detail and greater background blur or 'bokeh'. In this case, any focal length greater than about 70 mm should do well; longer focal lengths as well as wider apertures both help increase the amount of background blur, but be sure that your background is distant. Read more from Trampolinepaul

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Recommend Nikon Lens for Newborn photography

The most obvious attributes of a lens are its focal length and maximum aperture.

Parents of newborns can be concerned by the use of flash, so you will probably want the option of taking photos in available light, and for this a lens with a wide maximum aperture (a low f-number) is better. This will also help you get a shallow DoF. An alternative is to buy a bounce flash for your camera, such as the SB500.

For newborns, the shooting distance itself isn’t much of a concern. You’ll choose it more because of comfort, available space, and effects on background than by its effect on the appearance of the subject. However, when you include parents or other adults in the picture, you might want to try for a shooting distance of about 2-3m, to show the adults at their best.

The focal length to choose depends on the shooting distance and the size of the area you want to frame. When shooting just a newborn, you are framing an area of about 75cm by 50cm, or even smaller. From about 1.5m away, this is framed by a 50mm lens on your APS-C body. From about 2.5m away, an 85mm lens comes closer.

To frame a mom half-height holding her newborn, from about 2.5m away, that 85mm would work well. 50mm might work for a seated shot, and 35mm might be enough for a standing shot, if she’s short. Otherwise 30mm would be better. If you shoot from closer than 2.5m you’ll need proportionally shorter focal lengths. However these shots often don’t need shallow DoF so you might be able to get by with your kit lens at short focal lengths other than 35mm.

So in the end, I think it comes down to a choice between the 50mm f/1.8G or the 85mm f/1.8G. Use your kit lens to shoot a doll or teddy bear, with or without an adult holding it to see if you think you’ll often need a focal length longer than 50mm. If not, the 50 is what you should get.

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The Best Nikon Lens for Newborn Photography

The lens you’re looking through can make a big difference. Summer prefers prime lenses—that is, single focal length lenses—with the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G a particular favorite.

Primes are generally lighter and smaller than zooms, but she likes them for their large maximum apertures that allow in more light. Since she often photographs in the client’s house, lighting can be a problem. “I try to use natural light whenever I can,” she says, “even if it’s coming in through just one window. I’m going to bring the child over to that window and start working it.”

She also likes to shoot wide open (the lens at its maximum aperture), or close to it, to get sharp focus on her subject and a pleasantly blurred, non-distracting background—as in the photograph of her daughter playing with the magnets.

Primes also allow her to shoot at faster shutter speeds. “I don’t often have a lot of time—the baby is yawning, that’s a second. I need to be able to capture a yawn or a smile or something that’s going to happen fast. Photographing babies and toddlers you can miss those moments in a second, so if you don’t have a fast lens it’s not going to happen.”

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