The First 3 Lenses Car Photographers Should Have in Their Kit

In this guide, we’ll discover all there is to know about choosing the first three lenses every car photographer should have in their kit.

Car photography typically covers two core disciplines: motorsport and automotive photography.

Motorsport photography takes place trackside at local and international events such as Formula 1 and Le Mans. Automotive photography occurs on the streets, in garages, and even in photographic studios.

Having the right lens for the job is essential when shooting in fast-paced environments with ever-changing lighting and locations.

Our guide will give you the low-down on the best lenses for motorsport and automotive shoots and why they’re essential for any car photography kit.

Which Lenses Should You Be Using for Car Photography?

If you’re keen to get into car photography as a hobby or want to take your hobby to the next level, you’ll need to stop for a moment and consider the best lenses.

Like any photographic genre, car, motorsport, and automotive photography demands specific lenses to nail the winning shot every time.

If you’re a motorsport photographer, you’ll need lenses with lightning-fast focus performance, exceptional image quality, flexibility, and weather sealing.

The lenses should offer brilliant low-light performance, fast apertures, and excellent image sharpness for those working in automotive applications.

The trick is to select lenses that can encompass all of these attributes. That way, you can work trackside or in a studio with much the same kit.

But before you rush out and spend big on three new lenses, let’s hit the brakes (the puns keep coming) and start with the most critical lens in your car photography kit.

The first lens in your car photography kit should be a fast, flexible 24-70mm full-frame (or equivalent) zoom lens with a constant max aperture.

Once you’ve got the hang of the 24-70mm, it’s time to step up to one of the most versatile primes in any car photography kit – a Nifty Fifty.

A full-frame (or equivalent) 50mm lens with a fast maximum aperture is an excellent addition to your kit for tighter compositions and studio work where attention to detail is king.

The final lens to add to your car photography kit is another versatile and flexible fast zoom lens – the 70-200mm. With greater reach, you can spot, track, and capture cars moving at high speeds from some distance away.

Let’s get to know each of these three lenses in greater detail.

P.S. While we’ve highlighted Nikon Z lenses, the same focal lengths and apertures are available in almost all leading brands. You can find links to them at the bottom of each section.

• More: Best Cameras for Car Photography

24-70mm f/2.8 (or a 28-70mm f/2.8)

The first and most crucial lens on your shopping list should be a fast, full-frame 24-70mm with a relatively fast f/2.8 constant aperture, or an equivalent cropped sensor or micro four-thirds lens.

If you can only afford one lens, a 24-70mm f/2.8 is an excellent starting point. The wide 24mm end covers close-up car shots, sweeping and tight corners, and expansive circuit compositions.

The 70mm end provides greater reach for track work, singling out a moving subject, or zooming in for detailed studio shots.

Plus, the constant f/2.8 aperture optimises performance and outcomes in low light conditions.

If you own a Nikon Z, the best option is the full-frame Z-mount Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S.

The robust and weather-sealed Nikon Z 24-70 boasts impressive focus speeds thanks to the dual Multi-Focus Stepping Motor AF System.

Check out our full Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S review!

The Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S features a precision lens assembly consisting of two ED and four Aspherical Elements, an OLED display panel, a customizable control ring, and video-friendly silent operation.

It’s an absolute workhorse ideal for trackside motorsport, studio automotive, or driveway shoots of your best mate’s project car.

The beauty of the Nikon Z 24-70mm is its flexibility and adaptability in any setting. Plus, when paired with a flagship Nikon Z8 or Z9 camera body, you’ll be amazed at its speed and responsiveness just as much as the resulting images.

If you’re okay with a little less on the wide end, the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 [Amazon | B&H] and the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 [Amazon | B&H] are both excellent lenses at great prices. (The price of the Tamron for Sony right now is fantastic, although personally, I prefer the Sigma—the shots come out less clinical.)

Nikon FX [Amazon | B&H] | Nikon DX [Amazon | B&H] | Canon EF [Amazon | B&H] | Canon APS-C [Amazon | B&H] | Canon RF [Amazon | B&H] | Sony FE [Amazon | B&H] | Sony E [Amazon | B&H] | Fujifilm [Amazon | B&H] | Micro Four-Thirds [Amazon | B&H]

A Nifty Fifty (50mm f/1.8)

The second lens on our list is a fast, reliable full-frame (or equivalent) 50mm lens with a fast maximum aperture like f/1.8.

While the 24-70mm lens also covers the same focal distance, a fast 50mm prime lens typically offers a brighter maximum aperture, exceptional low-light performance, and greater image sharpness.

Plus, a fast prime, like the Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S lens, offers a compressed field of view ideal for almost every other photography genre.

If you’re trackside or have the privilege of working with a motorsport team, a fast 50mm is perfect for detailed car shots and intimate portraits of drivers and their teams.

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S is a weather-sealed prime lens with a wide max aperture for working in low-light studios and overnight endurance races.

Its lens assembly includes a pair of ED and Aspherical Elements, nano-crystal and super-integrated glass coating, and an impressively quiet focusing system.

It also features a highly customizable command ring that can be assigned to manual focus, exposure compensation, and aperture.

Driven by Nikon’s Stepping Motor AF system, the Z 50mm f/1.8 S acquires focus incredibly quickly, especially when paired with a full-frame Nikon Z7, Z8, or Z9.

Nikon’s Z 50mm f/1.8 S boasts a wide maximum aperture and sharp image outcomes regardless of the lighting conditions. The f/1.8 maximum aperture also delivers optimal depth of field, subject separation, and creamy background blur (bokeh).

While the Z lens doesn’t feature optical image stabilization (OIS), it works with the in-camera image stabilization when shooting at slower shutter speeds.

Given its affordability, the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S is an essential car photography lens that will always win the day.

Nikon FX [Amazon | B&H] | Nikon DX [Amazon | B&H] | Canon EF [Amazon | B&H] | Canon APS-C [Amazon | B&H] | Canon RF [Amazon | B&H] | Sony FE [Amazon | B&H] | Sony APS-C [Amazon | B&H] | Fujifilm [Amazon | B&H] | Micro Four-Thirds [Amazon | B&H]

70-200mm f/2.8

A full-frame 70-200mm (or equivalent) lens is the third and final essential for car, automotive, and motorsport photography.

A fast, weather-sealed full-frame 70-200mm lens is especially crucial for trackside motorsport events where you aren’t close to the track.

The reach of a 70-200mm lens brings the racing action within reach and allows you to spot, track, and photograph fast-moving cars from a distance.

Such a lens will also enable you to get super close to pit-lane action without risking getting in the way of race teams and speeding vehicles.

Nikon’s Z-mount 70-200mm f/2.8 is the ideal companion to the above-mentioned Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 standard zoom lens.

Check out our comprehensive review here!

If you’re on a strict budget but want the best outcomes for your car photography, I recommend adding the 50mm f/1.8 to your wish list and only working with the two zoom lenses. With a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8, you have full coverage of any motorsport or automotive opportunity.

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S  is a fast, flexible, telephoto zoom lens with all the bells and whistles car photography demands.

Nikon’s telephoto Z 70-200mm boasts a weather-sealed body, programmable command ring, customizable function button, and a handy tripod mounting collar for optimal control, especially when paired with a carbon-fibre monopod.

The Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S packs a 21-element in 18-group lens assembly including ED, SR, and Fluorite elements to deliver optical excellence day or night.

Plus, image clarity and sharpness are assured thanks to ARNEO and Nano Crystal glass lens coatings.

Another neat feature of the Z 70-200mm is Nikon’s Vibration Reduction Image Stabilization (VR), which allows for masterful panning shots as cars speed past you on the track.

It’s one of the Z fleet’s sharp Nikon telephoto zoom lenses!

Nikon Z [Amazon | B&H] | Nikon FX [Amazon | B&H] | Nikon DX [Amazon | B&H] | Canon EF [Amazon | B&H] | Canon APS-C [Amazon | B&H] | Canon RF [Amazon | B&H] | Sony FE [Amazon | B&H] | Sony APS-C [Use the Canon APS-C with a converter] | Fujifilm [Amazon | B&H] | Micro Four-Thirds [Amazon | B&H]

Other Important Lenses for Car Photography

 

Now that we’ve covered the core car photography lens kit, it’s time to consider additional lenses to elevate and expand your creative outcomes.

While a fast 24-70mm, 50mm, and telephoto 70-200mm lens combo appears to cover most car, automotive, and motorsport applications, additional lens choices can achieve a whole lot more.

If you’re starting in car photography as a beginner or enthusiast picking up a few paid gigs, stick with the above trilogy of lenses to master your craft.

Then, once you can shoot with that trio in almost every car photography scenario, it’s time to explore your creativity.

Wide Angle Zoom: 14-24mm f/2.8

Another neat addition to your car photography lens kit is a wide-angle 14-24mm zoom lens with a fast f/2.8 aperture.

Motorsport photographers often want to capture wide, dynamic shots when a group of cars rounds a tight corner or crests a nearby rise.

A wide-angle 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens is ideal in these situations, as the ability to close in with a longer zoom or prime is limited.

Alternatively, if you’re shooting details of cars and car interiors closer, a wide-angle zoom lens provides exceptional coverage and flexibility, especially in tight spaces.

The creative possibilities are endless with a wide-angle zoom such as the Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S or the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Lens for Sony E.

With a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture and highly responsive and quick focus performance, a 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom can capture expansive panning shots with vehicles and backgrounds in stunning detail.

Nikon FX [Amazon | B&H] | Nikon DX [Amazon] | Canon EF [Amazon | B&H] | Canon APS-C [Amazon | B&H] | Canon RF [Amazon | B&H] Sony FE [Amazon | B&H] | Sony APS-C [Amazon | B&H] | Fujifilm [Amazon | B&H] | Micro Four-Thirds [Amazon | B&H]

Wide Angle Prime: 14mm f/2.8

While a 14-24mm wide-angle zoom offers flexibility and creative expression, nothing quite beats the optical output of a fast 14mm full-frame f/2.8 prime lens.

A wide-angle 14mm f/2.8 prime lens is the best choice for car interior shots, where brightness and detail are key. However, “best” depends on your style, and some people may want something a bit narrower.

A wide prime is also excellent for capturing and showcasing the countryside surrounding a race circuit. Imagine capturing speeding cars in the foreground while Mount Fuji looms above the track at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Japan.

If you can only get two lenses and primarily shoot car interiors, a good budget pairing would be something like the Tamron 28-75 with a Samyang 14mm AF (at least for Sony shooters).

Nikon Z [Amazon | B&H] | Nikon FX [Amazon | B&H] | Canon EF [Amazon | B&H] | Canon APS-C [Amazon | B&H] | Canon RF [Amazon | B&H] Sony FE [Amazon | B&H] | Sony APS-C [Amazon | B&H] | Fujifilm [Amazon | B&H] | Micro Four-Thirds [Amazon | B&H]

Long Range Telephoto: 100-400mm

Another lens consideration, especially for motorsport photographers working at expansive long-range raceways, is a super-telephoto zoom lens.

A telephoto 100-400mm full-frame zoom lens allows car photographers to bring the distant action closer and cover a vast area.

Race tracks often occupy vast landscapes, with a single lap measuring miles and miles. The Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany is the world’s longest race track, measuring 13 miles (21km).

Rather than chasing the action on foot, a super-telephoto lens allows you to capture more of the circuit and action from a higher vantage point.

Most leading brands offer a cropped or full-frame super-telephoto 100-400mm zoom lens for trackside photography. However, at those focal distances, the aperture varies depending on the asking price at retail.

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S super-telephoto lens boasts image stabilization, fast focus speeds, customizable control options, and retails for around US$2,300.

Alternatively, the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary lens for Sony E mount also includes image stabilization, quick focus speeds, and a slightly slower aperture for around US$950.

Nikon Z [Amazon | B&H] | Nikon FX [Amazon | B&H] | Canon EF [Amazon | B&H]  Canon RF [Amazon | B&H] | Sony FE [Amazon | B&H] | Fujifilm [Amazon | B&H] | Micro Four-Thirds [Amazon | B&H]

Prime Lenses vs Zoom Lenses: Which Is Better for Car Photography?

 

The debate over prime versus zoom lenses has and will continue to rage in almost every photography community and genre.

As a street and travel photographer, I shoot with wider primes because they have faster apertures, focus speeds, and image sharpness. While street photography and car photography seem worlds apart, the rules of engagement are much the same.

Prime lenses typically offer faster autofocus performance, wider maximum apertures, and greater optical control to deliver sharper images. However, they are less flexible, especially when you’re in a location and cannot “zoom with your feet” to get closer.

Conversely, zoom lenses offer far greater flexibility over primes. You can zoom in and out to frame and capture the best possible composition.

Depending on your budget and the brand, prime lenses can be considerably cheaper than zoom lenses, especially when both have an f/2.8 maximum aperture.

It’s also worth considering the overall weight of your kit. Two or three relatively compact primes will be lighter and more compact to carry over a couple of zooms.

At the end of the day, a car photography lens kit must meet the job’s criteria, regardless of being primes or zooms.

Given the typical shooting conditions of motorsport photographers, the job demands rugged, weather-sealed, standard and telephoto zoom lenses with fast focus performance and bright apertures.

A car interior photographer would prefer to work with wider primes with wider and brighter apertures to account for the dim lighting.

Studio-based automotive photographers typically use off-camera lighting and a wide range of zooms and primes to meet the client’s brief.

A car photography kit is an ever-evolving exercise in aligning the lens options with the day’s demands.

• More: Best Lenses for Beginners

What Are the Best Lenses for Car Videography?

 

Given the impressive video capabilities of current-generation digital mirrorless cameras, many car photographers branch out into car videography.

Some will exclusively capture video content for brands and clients. In contrast, others will produce hybrid content with a single mirrorless camera or a dual camera setup – one for stills and one for video.

While many flagship mirrorless cameras from brands like Canon, Sony, and Nikon are compatible with specialized cine lenses, building a cine lens kit is unnecessary.

Cine lenses are in a class of their own. They boast impressive build quality, optical excellence, and a weight and price tag to match.

Fortunately, camera and lens brands have developed lenses suited to hybrid photography/videography applications, many of which pair with pro-level cine cameras.

The best lenses for car photography are often well suited to videography output from the same cameras. Many considerations around focal length, focus speed, build quality, maximum aperture, and image stabilisation hold for video applications.

If you’re in a tight, dark location, a wide and bright prime is best for car videography, just like photography. If you need a long shot, use a 100-400mm super-telephoto with subject detection and tracking set in-camera.

The biggest considerations when selecting a suitable car videography lens are focus breathing and focus motor noise.

If a lens is known for focus breathing, it will negatively impact the look and quality of any content with focus breathing in and out of sharpness.

Likewise, if the lens focus motors are loud, the microphone may pick up the noise and detract from the audio quality.

Do You Need to Use a Polarizing Filter When Shooting Car Photography?

 

One of the biggest challenges with car photography is mitigating the high amount of glare and reflections.

Regardless of shooting cars in a studio or out on the track in the middle of the day, there’s a lot of glare and reflection cast by metallic and glass surfaces.

Likewise, when shooting trackside, the midday sun will cast a lot of glare from the track and the surrounding area.

Using a front-mount polarizing filter on your lens is the best way to manage excessive glare and reflection. Polarizing filters are available in all standard lens sizes and are suited to all budgets.

If shooting outdoors, the sun’s ambient light is partially polarized by reflecting off air molecules and scattering the light. It can also cause the appearance of atmospheric haze—it’s amplified at racetracks due to the amount of atmospheric pollution from dust and exhaust.

A polarizing filter cuts out polarized light and reduces glare and unwanted reflections off windscreens and windows. As a result, you’ll gain clear and sharp images of drivers inside their cars, whereas light reflecting off the windscreen will obscure your view.

A polarizing filter is a simple and effective solution to a typical car photography problem.

FAQs About the Best Lenses for Car Photography

What focal length is best for car photography?

The best focal length for car photography is achieved with a full-frame 24-70mm zoom lens with a relatively fast f/2.8 aperture. Depending on your budget, a 70-200mm zoom and a 50mm prime lens will complete the kit and cover almost all bases.

Is image stabilization important for car photography?

Lens image stabilization is less critical in car photography, especially if you’re shooting with a camera equipped with IBIS. However, car photography (especially motorsport) requires slower shutter speeds when panning to capture the car in sharp focus and blur the background – image stabilization can assist with this approach.

Can I use a kit lens for car photography?

Yes. If you’re new to car photography, a standard kit lens (18-55mm or 24-70mm full-frame equivalent) is ideal to build your automotive and motorsport photography skills. Once you’ve built your skillset, move on to an enthusiast or pro-level lens with a similar focus range, faster aperture, and improved focus speed.

Is an 85mm lens good for car photography?

An 85mm lens is an excellent choice for car photography if you shoot automotive work in a studio environment. While typically a portrait focus distance, capturing finer details with an 85mm lens in an automotive setting delivers a compressed composition highlighting a car’s features.