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5 Best Lenses For Interior Photography in 2023 (Reviewed)

There are two ways of starting with interior photography: real estate and interior design.

However, buying a lens is one of the most important things to do, not only in this type of photography; a camera without a lens is nothing!

In this article, you will find the best lens for interior photography! There are included five top picks! I tried to choose them based on the types of cameras you may own.

A Quick Look at My Favorite Interior Lenses

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Best for Small Spaces
Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH

Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH

8.6
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Best Shallow Depth of Field
Fujifilm XF10-24mmF4 R OIS WR

Fujifilm XF10-24mmF4 R OIS WR

8.5
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Best in Low Light
Sony SEL2470GM FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM

Sony SEL2470GM FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM

9.1
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Best for the Bokeh Effect
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED

8.8
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Best Focus Accuracy
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM

Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM

8.6
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Key Takeaways

  • Beginning a photographic career with interior photography is fantastic.
  • You only need a terrific camera and some suitable spectacular lenses for your camera to start capturing interior photos.
  • If you want my opinion, I would recommend the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS US lens since it has the current sharpest focus.
  • The Sony SEL2470GM FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM performs well in low light.
  • Since a photographer generally captures images of inside locations, interior photography is pretty straightforward.

The Top Five Best Lenses for Interior Photography

5. Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH – Best for Small Spaces

What I Like

  • Well build
  • Pretty sharp
  • Fast to focus on the GH4
  • No distortion

What I Don’t Like

  • It is not that wide-open

If you are in need of a lens for your Panasonic camera, it seems like this one that I chose does the job perfectly fine! It is a fisheye lens, which is a super wide-angle one, and the angle of view of it is 180°.

Measuring 1.02 x 2.48 inches and weighing 3.07 ounces, this lens is a great friend when it comes to the portability part. So, if you require a small lens for interior photography, check this one out.

The lens owns 7 elements added into 5 groups, and the most important ones stand two aspherical elements. It is an amazing multi-coated lens that fully reduces ghost and flare.

This lens is fixed based on its focal length. It works only at 20mm bringing to you a quite wide angle. The aperture works at f/1.7, and it is a great one when you need to capture more light. In combination with the rounded seven-blade diaphragm, you will notice that you can use an impressive bokeh effect.

The Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH has a very fast and accurate focus. Also, it can be easily used as a manual one too because it allows full manual override.

Compatibility – It works amazingly with Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus.

Why should you buy it?

If you own a Panasonic or an Olympus camera and need to capture interior photographs of smaller places, this lens is made for you. It brings everything you might need.

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4. Fujifilm XF10-24mmF4 R OIS WR – Best Shallow Depth of Field

What I Like

  • Sturdy build
  • Stabilized wide-angle optics
  • Quick autofocus
  • Dust and splash protection

What I Don’t Like

  • Pricey

This lens is a new launch from the Fujifilm brand. It is a wide-angle zoom lens and it brings to you a 110° and 61.2° angle of view.

As a whole, this lens measures 3.24 x 4 inches and weighs about 13.6 ounces. There’s a specialty that should be mentioned in this wide angle lens since it is a full resistant lens to dust and moisture, and the WR on its name stands for Weather Resistant! You can use it wherever and whenever you want.

The lens owns 14 elements in 10 groups, and there are included four aspherical elements and four Extra-Low Dispersion elements. The elements combined with the Super EBC Coating, do a great job when your picture may have chromatic aberration. They fully reduce it.

Here, we deal with a zoom lens that has a range of focal lengths. It starts at 10mm and goes on to 24mm. When it comes to the aperture, it works at f/4, and this one brings to you a shallower depth of field. The diaphragm of the aperture has seven blades.

The focus of this wide angle lens is driven by the famous Stepping Autofocus Motor. It drives the focus perfectly fine, and it is a very quick one both in videos and pictures.

Since WR means Weather Resistant, there’s OIS. It means that the lens owns an Optical Image Stabilization that fully corrects the shake and the blur cannot be seen in your pictures.

Compatibility – This wide angle lens works with any camera that takes Fujifilm X-mount lenses, especially Fujifilm cameras.

Why should you buy it?

This Fujifilm lens will be one of the greatest to use, especially for its 110° and 61.2° angle of view! If you are not satisfied with the angles on different lenses, I am sure this lens will fulfill your needs in the greatest way possible.

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3. Sony SEL2470GM FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM – Best in Low Light

What I Like

  • Extremely sharp
  • Sturdy build
  • Weather-sealed design
  • Wide aperture

What I Don’t Like

  • Expensive
  • Noticeable distortion

Sony, as a brand, stands as one of the best ones, and the cameras from Sony are used in different types of photography. Well, as the third lens in this article, I’ve chosen a Sony lens! It is a standard zoom lens that is used in interior photography. Its angle of view is 84° and 34°.

This lens, based on its dimensions, is a bit bigger than the other ones mentioned above. It measures 5.3 x 3.4 inches and it is obviously heavier by weighing 3 pounds. To make it up the lens has a dust and moisture-resistant construction!

Moving on, to the optical construction, the lens has 18 elements, in 13 groups. The elements include one XA element, two aspherical elements, one ED element, and one Super ED element. Amazing elements that are combined with the amazing Nano AR Coating. This coating reduces the difference in refractive index. That between the glass and air.

This lens is also a zoom one. It works with a focal length that starts at 24mm and goes on to 70mm. The aperture is the most commonly used, almost in all types of photography, and that is f/2.8. The diaphragm, differing from the ones above, owns nine blades.

There’s a little bit more to talk about the focus of this lens. It works via the Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave AF Motor and also, what should be mentioned is that on the lens you can find a Focus Hold Button and an AF and MF Switch. You can easily choose between them. Definitely one of the best zoom lenses you should add to your collection.

Compatibility – Works with all E-mount series of Sony cameras.

Why should you buy it?

This zoom lens from Sony will allow you to capture different interior photos, as its angles are 84° and 34°. Besides that, it has a great aperture of f/2.8, which is great for many types of photography.

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2. Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED – Best for the Bokeh Effect

What I Like

  • Lightweight
  • Compact
  • Wide aperture
  • Affordable

What I Don’t Like

  • No optical stabilization

Everybody has heard of Nikon cameras that come from the great Nikon brand, and their cameras are some of the most famous ones worldwide. Besides having amazing cameras, Nikon brings to the market some amazing lenses as well. The Nikorr lenses! This lens is again a wide-angle one.

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED wide angle lens measures 2.83 x 2.83 inches and weighs about 10.8 ounces. Now, this wide angle lens is not resistant, but still, keeping in mind the fact that the lens is required for interior photos, I don’t think you should worry too much. 

The elements that this lens owns are 11 in number and they are divided into 8 groups. In there you can find one Extra-Low Dispersion element and one aspherical element. With those elements, comes Nikon’s Super Integrated Lens Coating, which does a perfect job reducing the chromatic aberration that may occur by the dispersion of light.

The lens is not zoomable, meaning that it has a fixed focal length. It works at 35mm only, and it is more than great for interior photos. As long as the aperture is concerned, this wide angle lens works at f/1.8 and the diaphragm of it has seven blades. What deserves to be mentioned is that this lens brings to you a perfect and pleasing bokeh effect.

When it comes to the focus, this wide angle lens works with the Silent Wave Motor AF System. Just by its name, this system tells us that the focus is quite silent, and it has an amazing performance. 

Compatibility – This Nikorr lens works perfectly with Nikon DSLR cameras in general.

Why should you buy it?

You probably once have used a bokeh effect, and you should know that this lens provides you with the best of it. During interior photography, you can capture many pictures using this lens’s great bokeh effect.

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1. Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM – Best Focus Accuracy

What I Like

  • Well built
  • Strong image quality
  • Full-frame coverage
  • Fluorine lens coating

What I Don’t Like

  • Pricey

Cannot finish this article without mentioning a Canon lens. This lens is also a wide-angle one, but that is not surprising because you already know that wide-angle lenses are great when it comes to interior photos. The angle of view of this lens is 108° – 63°. 

The full body of this wide angle lens measures 4.45 x 3.27 inches and the weight is 1.36 pounds. It is also a very strong lens that can withstand almost everything because it has a weather-sealed construction. 

Since the build quality is clear, let’s see what the optical construction includes. Well, this lens has 16 elements divided into 12 groups. In there, you will find two Ultra-Low Dispersion elements and three aspherical elements. The lens owns two types of coatings. It is the Super Spectra Coating; used to eliminate ghosting and flare. Also, Fluorine Coating; is used to repel dust and water.

This lens, as mentioned is wide-angle, but also it is a zoom lens. That’s all based on the focal length that works from 16mm to 35mm. The aperture is the famous f/4, which brings a shallower depth of field, just as in the first lens mentioned above. The diaphragm of the aperture is rounded, and it includes 9 blades.

The focus is the part where this lens fully shines! We deal with a Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System, which is one of the greatest systems that Canon uses on its lenses and it does the job perfectly fine. The focus is more than accurate! It is perfect in many ways!

Besides the great focus, this lens also owns the amazing Optical Image Stabilizer which fully reduces the blur that may be appeared by shaky hands or movement in general. 

Compatibility – The Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens is compatible with all Canon DSLR cameras that accept EF-mount lenses.

Why should you buy it?

Focusing on a picture is the key to taking a perfect picture! Well, this lens from Canon knows how to do so, and it is one of the greatest purchases you can make.

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FAQ About the Best Lens for Interior Photography

What is interior photography?

Just by its name, this type of photography tells us that photographers take pictures of indoor spaces in general. As mentioned at the beginning, you can shoot interior photographs, for real estate and interior design. Both are important, but interior design is more fun!

If you are into interior and real estate photography, i’d also recommend you look at my 3D camera recommendations.

What is the best focal length for interior photography?

The lenses that I mentioned above all include small numbers of focal lengths. That’s the answer basically. The best focal length when it comes to interior photography stands between 16mm and 35mm.

Should i buy a tilt shift lens?

Tilt shift lenses are usually much more expensive than normal wide angle lenses.

Do you need to get one of the best tilt shift lenses instead? Well, if you have the money for it, why not?

Which camera is the best for interior photography?

As mentioned, interior photography is considered real estate photography and if you already chose a camera for real estate photography and you need one for interior photography in general these five cameras work perfectly:

Canon 5D Mark IV
Nikon D850
Sony A7 III
Fujifilm X-T20
Panasonic LUMIX G9

Buying Guide

As in all lenses for any type of photography, there are some things that you should consider before choosing the best lens for photographing interiers! Those things include:

Focal Length

As you all know, the focal length is one of the most important things that should be known about a lens! It tells us the angle of view, and also it shows us how much of a scene will be captured in that particular photo. As mentioned above, the greatest focal length that should be used in interior photos is between 16mm and 35mm.

Aperture

The aperture is another thing that should be taken care of when choosing a lens, and that’s in general. The aperture shows the depth of field on a photograph! It is the opening of the lens diaphragm, (that owns blades) and through it, the light passes and goes into the camera sensor. The aperture should definitely be higher when used in interior photos.

Focus

Without a focus on a picture, we cannot really understand what the photographer is trying to show and is trying to tell! There are different types of focusing systems and perfect autofocus should be accurate, fast, and silent! 

Elements and Coatings

The elements are the glass pieces that have to do with the light bending, in many specific ways. A coating is basically a treatment that is done to the lenses.

When the elements and the coating of the particular lens are combined, they all help you bring sharper pictures since they help with the improvement of the quality of a picture.

Final Words

Interior photography even though for some people may sound fun, it is not the easiest thing to do! This type of photography requires some things that should be known and most importantly is what type of lens to use, with any camera that you own.

That’s why in this article I’ve added different lenses, from different brands, that work with different cameras! Based on that, basically on your camera, you can choose which is the best lens for interior photography.

I really hope that this article will help you choose the lens, so you can immediately start taking the best pictures!

Further Reading

I already mentioned above real estate photography, but I’ve also prepared an article regarding some amazing lenses for real estate photography, and let me mention here that they work better than you can imagine!

However, if you are not into interior photography, but instead love to capture pictures of buildings in general, you can find prominent cameras for architecture photography.

Enjoy the lens that you chose as the best lens for interior photography!