The best lens for real estate photography will depend on the type of home features you are interested in capturing. Most importantly, this post will outline the best lenses for a variety of different use cases to help you find the one that suits your needs best.

However, because not all lenses are created equal. It’s essential to know what you want from your photos and where they will end up before picking out a lens.

The majority of real estate photography is done through the lens of a DSLR, though there are options like the Panasonic Lumix GH4, which shoots 4k video, in addition, to still photography.

I personally shoot with a Nikon D800. My primary lens is the Nikon 24-70mm F/2.8, and my backup is the Nikon 70-200mm F/2.8 VR II. The truth of the matter, though, is that any lens can take great real estate photos—as long as you know how to use it.

You must know how and why you will use your camera before investing thousands of dollars in a lens. In addition, it’s important to remember that the best camera in the world can’t take great photos if you do not put in the work.

After all, it doesn’t matter how many megapixels your sensor has if you aren’t taking good pictures.

You might be interested in our review of the best lenses for product photography.

The 5 Best Lenses for Real Estate Photography

What’s the Best Lens for Real Estate Photography?

It all depends on what you want to shoot. Are you looking for a macro lens to get close-ups of those stunning subway tiles in the kitchen? Or are you looking for something wider to capture the expansive views of a mountain home?

Lenses are priced by aperture or a measure of light. The higher the number goes, the lower the amount of light; in other words, the more “stop” you have. Certainly, this is important because lenses with large apertures allow you to shoot during the day when there is a brighter light.

However, if you only want to shoot indoors and capture doors and windows in low light conditions (usually midday), lenses with smaller apertures would be optimal.

A good rule of thumb is to use the lens that lets you get the highest number of “stops” necessary for your use case. Therefore, if shooting bright landscapes, opt for a high number of aperture stops (like f/2.8) so you can capture the scene without blowing out the photo in post.

If taking a wide shot of the yard at a $5 million home, opt for a higher number of megapixels (like 24). So you don’t have to crop out too much of the background and lose detail.

Best Zoom Lens for Real Estate Photography – Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8

What is the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens?

This lens is a jack-of-all-trades. It has the largest aperture (f/2.8) of any zoom lens on the market. Moreover, it’s reasonably priced considering the quality of this lens.

Nikon has dominated the photography industry for decades, and they know how to make an excellent lens! As a result, this is one lens that I personally own and use whenever I need extra focal length or a wide aperture.

This lens also has an 83% rating on Amazon, which means it’s pretty reliable. Consequently, it’s one of the better lenses for real estate photography and comes with an excellent telephoto range of 24 to 70mm.

If you want a good all-around lens, this is it. I have shot various real estate photography scenes with this lens, and it performs excellently in most situations.

We have included this lens in our must-have lenses for wedding photography.

Features of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens

It’s not too heavy or bulky, making it easy to carry around for long periods or shoot handheld photos. However, I personally prefer a heavy lens when shooting, but this one is not too bad.

It comes with a minimum focusing distance of 1.5-feet and is noticeably sharp from the wide end to the telephoto length. Over at Nikon, they are rated by their “ED” designation (the letters stand for Extra-low Dispersion).

As you can probably tell, this is a superior grade of glass. Moreover, it has a smooth-focus system that helps it maintain focus during zooming or panning shots. I prefer this over the traditional “tilt” focus systems.

If you’re a professional photographer shooting stills, this is probably a good lens to get. In addition, it only has a 65mm filter size, but it does come with two screws and a lens hood.

However, it’s nice to know that this one comes with ready-to-go equipment if my bag or camera bag gets dinged up.

This is a full-frame lens, and at 24–70mm, you can see how versatile it is. From wide-angle pictures of the front door to wide shots of the yard from across the street.

Why Do I Recommend the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens for Real Estate Photography?

This lens has been featured in various real estate photography articles on photography blogs across the web. Above all, it’s very popular among professional photographers, and for a good reason!

It’s an all-around lens with a wide range of specialty options, making it great for real estate photography.

The telephoto range is excellent for shooting the yard from across the street without paying attention to focus. In addition, you can utilize this range for capturing wide landscapes in an outdoor setting.

It’s not too heavy or bulky and fits easily into a camera bag or pocket. Therefore, it is just about perfect for real estate photography, especially if you’re new to the field and want something that can get you started!

The size is also quite helpful, as it will fit into most cases without adding too much weight or bulk to your camera rig.

Aperture is rated at f/2.8, which is the highest aperture rating of any zoom lens. In other words, you can take photos in low light without having to spend extra on a flash or using a tripod.

Best Cheap Lens for Real Estate Photography – TOKINA ATX-i 11-16mm F2.8

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What is the TOKINA ATX-i 11-16mm F2.8 lens?

This wide-angle lens with a decent aperture rating makes it the ultimate piece of equipment for real estate photography.

The field of view is incredibly wide at 16mm with a maximum aperture of 2.8.

This lens is excellent for real estate photography. Therefore, you can take some really creative pictures with a wide angle. Consequently, the f-stop of 2.8 will allow you to take photos during the day without having to use a flash.

Features of the TOKINA ATX-i 11-16mm F2.8 lens

It comes with a built-in petal hood for added protection against sunlight or glare and an “ED” (Extra-low Dispersion) lens that helps keep the image sharp at all times.

It’s made from high-quality materials that help with durability. Moreover, it’s also lightweight and compact, making it an easy lens to carry around.

The minimum focusing distance is a far 1.9 inches away, and the lens’s front is 77mm. Consequently, the image quality is very sharp, right from the wide-angle setting. Therefore, you can be sure that you’re going to capture many beautiful shots with this one piece of equipment.

It has a simple design – nothing too fancy here!

This lens comes with a petal hood and pouch, making it easy for transportation and storage.

Why Do I Recommend the TOKINA ATX-i 11-16mm F2.8 Lens for Real Estate Photography?

This is one of the best low-priced wide-angle lenses out there. As a result, it’s a great beginner lens that won’t break the bank and can capture some good wide-angle shots right off the bat.

You could try out some real estate photography without dropping thousands of dollars on a new camera setup! In addition, it’s also lightweight enough that you can use it all day to get pictures for your listing.

It’s not the best lens for shooting pictures in low light, but it will still work for you if you’re only doing that occasionally.

This is an excellent option to have around if you want to take low-light shots when the lighting is terrible without buying a flash. You can also use it outdoors during the day for pictures of landscapes or outdoor real estate.

The aperture is at 2.8 throughout the entire zoom range, which allows for great lighting and clarity in your photos. It’s also wide enough to capture some very cool angles and panoramic shots!

The focus distance is very near, allowing you to get up close to your subject with ease.

Best APS-C Camera Lens for Real Estate Photography – Canon EF 17-35mm f/2.8 USM L

What is the Canon EF 17-35mm f/2.8 USM L Lens?

This is a wide-angle to a standard lens with a large aperture, making it the ultimate camera lens for real estate photography.

With an EOS EF mount, this lens works great for APS-C cameras. The field of view is incredibly wide, and the maximum aperture of 2.8 allows you to take pictures at any time of day without having to use a flash.

This lens is ideal for real estate photography because you can take some really creative pictures with a wide angle, and the f-stop of 2.8 will allow you to take photos during the day without having to use a flash.

Features of the Canon EF 17-35mm f/2.8 USM L Lens

This lens is made from high-quality materials that help with durability. Moreover, it’s also lightweight and compact, making it an easy lens to carry around.

The minimum focusing distance is just under 4 inches. The front of the lens is 77mm, and the image quality is quite sharp, right from the wide-angle setting. Therefore, you can be sure that you’re going to capture many beautiful shots with this one piece of equipment.

This lens offers a great deal of versatility because of the range. However, it is a wide-angle to a standard lens, offering you many options for taking different real estate photos.

The Canon EF 17-35mm f/2.8 USM L Lens comes with a petal hood and pouch, making it transportable and easy to store.

Why Do I Recommend the Canon EF 17-35mm f/2.8 USM L Lens for Real Estate Photography?

This is one of the best Canon lens options that you can buy for real estate photography. In other words, its quality, sharpness, versatility, and price definitely make it a great option to consider.

It will not have image distortion, even at 16 mm! That is to say, your images won’t become out of focus when you’re taking pictures from a distance away.

This is one of the first professional-grade lenses that I recommend if you’re buying new equipment for real estate photography. Most importantly, it’s not too heavy, nor does it take up much space in a professional camera bag.

This lens is great if you’re planning to take a lot of detailed, close-up real estate photographs in areas with many architectural details. It’s sharp!

This lens is made from high-quality materials that help with durability. In addition, it’s lightweight and compact, making it an easy lens to carry around.

The Canon EF 17-35mm f/2.8 USM L Lens comes with a petal hood and pouch, making it transportable and easy to store.

Best Tilt-Shift Lens for Real Estate Photography – Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II

What is the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II Lens?

This is an ideal lens for those who love taking tilt shifts of objects, and real estate photographers are no exception to that rule.

The field of view is incredibly wide on this lens. As a result, you can capture angles and perspectives that would otherwise be impossible to achieve using a standard camera lens.

The f/3.5 aperture allows you to take amazing pictures without having to use a flash on the property! If not for the constant aperture, your property would definitely require some lighting for optimal photo quality.

The minimum focusing distance is over 4 inches, making it quick and easy to take pictures of objects right from the corner. The focus distance is around 7 inches at its widest angle. Consequently, the image quality is very sharp, right from the wide-angle setting.

Features of the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II Lens

This lens has a constant aperture of f/3.5. Above all, this is ideal if you are worried that your property does not have enough lighting as it will allow you to take pictures during the day and not have to worry about using a flash!

This lens offers a great deal of versatility because of the range and the tilt-shift capabilities. If you’re new to the game and are worried about how durable your equipment is in the long term, this lens is definitely worth trying out.

The image quality is very sharp, right from the wide-angle setting. Therefore, you can be sure that you’re going to capture many beautiful shots with this one piece of equipment.

This lens comes with a petal hood and pouch, making it transportable and easy to store.

Up to +/- 8.5° of tilt is possible for focus control. To adjust perspective and composition, the lens can tilt to +/- 12mm of shift.

The lens has a tilt locking mechanism you can use while shooting to get better stability.

Why Do I Recommend the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II Lens for Real Estate Photography?

It’s a specialty lens (tilt-shift lens) that allows me to get very creative with my real estate photography by allowing me to “straighten” what would otherwise be an uneven horizon or to lower the horizon so that the sky is not in the frame at all.

It’s a fun and unique way to photograph real estate that is not available with any other lenses.

The Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II lens was specifically designed for the professional needs of real estate photographers.

You will find it is a very popular lens with professional photographers, and with good reason.

With an f/3.5 aperture, this lens allows you to take photographs in lower light situations. Certainly, as the name implies, allows you to “tilt-shift” your perspective. Therefore, it’s a unique tool that can be used for creative real estate photography angles.

With its wide angle of view, the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II allows you to shoot in tighter spaces and captures an area that would be extremely challenging to capture with any other lens.

When used in a real estate setting, there are many creative possibilities for using this lens.

The Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II lens is specifically designed to eliminate most of the distortion of standard wide-angle lenses. Moreover, it allows you to control the perspective to get straight, level horizons and full, unbroken sky for an interesting full-frame image.

Best Lens For Real Estate Interior Photography – Sigma 12-24mm f/4 HSM Art

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What is the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 HSM Art Lens?

Sigma 12-24mm f/4 HSM Art Lens is an excellent lens for real estate photographers.

The sharpness is noticeable when you look at the image from close to home. In addition, the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 Art lens has nine elements in 7 groups, all designed to capture even the smallest details.

The most significant thing about the lens is its new design, which uses two double-sided aspherical lenses.

If you are looking for a lens to capture everything you can see when you are out on location, this is pretty much the best option for you.

Features of the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 HSM Art Lens

Not only does it provide 155.4 degrees of view, but the zoom ring also provides an extra-wide rotation angle of almost 180 degrees, giving you much freedom to focus on any part that you want to.

It also features HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) for smooth, quiet autofocusing essential for taking photos in real-life situations.

The Sigma 12-24mm lens is available for different camera systems; Canon EF and Nikon F Mounts. Further, it is a wide-angle to a medium telephoto lens with full-frame coverage and an impressive maximum aperture of f/4.

The lens is well-built with a solid build construction that ensures durability while used as a professional tool. Most importantly, it is supplied with an advanced coating that helps to reduce and control the flare and ghosting for clear images.

The straight focusing ring is excellent for manually focusing on any part you want in an image. In addition, it’s also smooth when moving from one focal point to another.

Why Do I Recommend the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 HSM Art Lens for Real Estate Photography?

The Sigma 12-24mm f/4 HSM Art lens can be used in various photography situations. This is why I recommend it; because it is excellent for real estate photography and other types of photography as well.

This lens will work well with any photographer, even beginners because the lens can capture everything in a room or an entire property from one angle.

It’s a great lens for real estate photography because it can get a lot of detail in one shot.

The lens is wide enough to take photos of rooms and entire buildings with great depth while still getting close-up details of furniture and other objects in the room.

Moreover, it’s also fast enough to take photos in dim light conditions so that you can capture every room as clearly as possible.

The lens is also optically stabilized to ensure that your photos are of high quality when you use them.

Most photographers want good quality photos, and the Sigma 12-24mm can deliver that.

Now, this lens guarantees you to capture just about everything and take photos without any blurred or out-of-focus parts in images. The ability to focus on things quickly with the autofocus is also essential as well.

Whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, you will figure out why this lens is excellent for you once you have used it.

Worthy Mention Lens for Real Estate Photography – Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM

What is the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens?

This lens has the chance to become one of the best real estate lenses available on today’s market.

It is a wide-angle to a medium telephoto zoom lens with a high aperture range (f/2.8 on the wide setting) to ensure you can capture photos without needing additional lighting.

The sign of a great lens is the ability to take photos in dim light conditions without needing additional lighting.

Features of the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

The lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, which allows you to capture the correct exposure for pictures in dim light conditions.

Focal length is also essential for real estate photography. High-quality photos have been taken with focal lengths that capture a lot of detail from each shot.

The lens will give you all the coverage you need for your indoor real estate shoot. Therefore, you will not have to fuss with the tilt-shift absurdity, nor will you need to change lenses either.

The lens also has a minimum focusing distance of 11 inches. Consequently, making it very easy to capture photos from areas farther away.

You won’t have any problems shooting photos of far-off objects such as the ceiling or walls in your home while taking pictures of windows and other vertical elements.

The lens features a four-stop Image Stabilizer system, which minimizes the appearance of camera shake. Therefore, you can rest assured you will have sharper photos when shooting handheld.

Why Do I Recommend the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens for Real Estate Photography?

The Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens has a large zoom range that allows you to capture photos from almost any indoor real estate listing.

Further, the wide f/2.8 aperture allows for dim light conditions so that you can take photos without the need for additional lighting.

This is important because it means you will not have to worry about the amount of light in your room or building. It will allow you to concentrate on capturing amazing real estate photos fully.

The IS (Image Stabilization) technology will provide you with some extra help in reducing the appearance of camera shake. Therefore, you can rest assured that your photos will be more stable, sharper, and clearer even if you are holding the camera with one hand.

The lens is not very expensive; it is priced in the lower mid-range. It is still a great lens worth owning, especially if you plan on taking a lot of shots both inside and outside for your real estate photography business.

The lens is also very compact. As a result, it is easy to carry around, and it fits in a small camera bag easily.

This lens is definitely a good choice, especially for real estate photography beginners.

It has an affordable price, and it’s also very easy to use, which means even people who are new to photography will have no trouble using it right away.

Using this lens will help your Instagram feed be more lively with your pictures. As well as get exposure for your business in the same manner.

Final Thoughts on the Best Lens for Real Estate Photography

I hope this detailed review will guide you to select the best lens for real estate photography.

The best lens for real estate photography can be challenging to pin down. It depends on your needs, as well as your preferences. Therefore, make sure you consider the type of lens, aperture, focal length, and price before you settle down on a particular lens.

Remember that bokeh is not everything. Sometimes, a blurry background can be too distracting in real estate images of homes, making the subject appear distant from the viewers.

However, do not forget that the best lens for real estate photography is a tool to help you finish your job in the best manner possible. Therefore, it should be used to help you, and not the other way round.

Which is your pick for the best lens for real estate photography? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!