Dental Photography has become more and more important as time passes. And nowadays, considering the fact that we live in a world of photography, in a way, dental photography has become quite important. Why though? Why is dental photography so important? Well, I would only say one thing; It is one of the best ways to show people what your job is and how you are doing it!
Buying a camera has become somehow easier, but still, things become a little bit overwhelming when it comes to lenses, right? Lenses in dental photography are an important issue, even though it may sound a little bit weird. You definitely need lenses that would help you show the smallest details on a picture that you are taking. But which types of lenses are the best for dental photography? Regarding the field of taking pictures of teeth, with teeth, it is more obvious that you are taking a picture in a person’s mouth! That said, the best lenses that you could use are those with a focal length range from 80-105mm or even more.
Below you will find the best lens for dental photography so that you can choose between them in order to take the best pictures that you have ever imagined.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Most Durable  | 10 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Macro  | 9 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Wide-Angle  | 8.6 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Most Versatile  | 8.5 | Check Price On Amazon |
Let’s get quickly to the lenses!
The Top Four Best Lenses for Dental Photography
4. Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM – Most Durable
Canon is a brand that is very well-known worldwide. That is because this brand brings the most impressive cameras that you might think of! Well, those cameras definitely need some of the best lenses! Here goes the famous Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM lens; which is known as one of the best telephoto lenses all around.
When it comes to the design of this lens, on just a first look it assures stability and sturdiness, because it has a quite strong body. And it is indeed. It is a strong lens that could work pretty well in any weather condition. It has a full weather-sealed construction. As we are at the construction of the lens, it is important to know that this Canon lens owns 17 elements divided into 12 groups. On the front part of the lens is attached the famous Fluorine Coating which fully repels dust or water drops. The full-body measures 4.6 x 3.3 x 3.3 inches and weighs for about 28 ounces (793 grams).
The aperture in this lens is a 10-blade circular one that can totally help you during dental photography because it provides very soft and beautiful backgrounds. However, the aperture is a constant of f/4, and constant in this case means that it is fully independent of the focal length and its functions work fully alone. Since I mentioned the focal length, on this lens we deal with a focal length that works from 24mm up to 105mm. It is quite important, in this case, because as mentioned above, for dental photography they should work on up to 10mm. The focus on the other hand is more than accurate! It is driver by the Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System, and it is very fast and quiet at the same time.
The Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM on its name owns a very special thing. It is the IS; meaning that the lens features image stabilization so that you shouldn’t worry about shake or blur. works at 4 stops of shake correction and your dental photography will be sharper than you ever thought!
Pros
- Resistant
- Well Build Quality
- Accurate Focus
- Image Stabilization
Cons
- A bit Big and Heavy for Some
- Expensive
3. Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED – Best Macro
From Canon, I would like to move into another very famous brand in the world of cameras, and photography in general, and that one is definitely Nikon! The lens that I chose from them is the Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, an amazing telephoto macro lens. Even though it is in the same category as the first one mentioned, it differs because this one is a fixed lens; meaning that it doesn’t allow you to zoom in or out!
The dimensions of this lens measure 4.57 x 3.27 x 3.27 inches and its weight stay almost the same as the one already mentioned above, this one weighs 27 ounces (789 grams). On this lens’ build are also included different types of very strong materials which make the lens a long-lasting one, still, you should consider the fact that this one is not weather-sealed. You should definitely be careful while in usage. Therefore, despite that, the lens is packed with one extra-low dispersion element as well as it includes a nanocrystal coating. These two things that I mentioned are included in the front part of the lens, and combined together they don’t allow any reflection, ghosting, or flare. The other elements that are included are full 14 in number and they are separated into 12 groups.
The aperture on this Nikon lens is a 9-blade circular as well, and on this one, it helps you capture an amazing picture with the bokeh effect. As some of you may already know, the bokeh effect is kind of a technology that fully blurs the background and it is only the subject shown better, and clearer. The aperture, in general, works at f/2.8. In the beginning, I already mentioned that this lens is a fixed one. That means that the lens works on a fixed focal length; which is 105mm. The focus that this lens owns works via the Silent Wave Motor AF System, which just as the name supplies, works in the most silent way possible, and also it is very fast.
Differing from the Canon lens that I mentioned, this one owns a VR image stabilization. VR is mentioned as a vibration reduction technology. Overall, it means that in those dental pictures that you are about to take, there will be no blur included.
Pros
- Nano Crystal Coating
- Great Bokeh Effect
- Super Silent Focus
- May be Considered Affordable
Cons
- Not Resistant to Dust or Moisture
- The VR Technology may not work Properly
2. Sony SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS – Best Wide-Angle
Sony is amazingly known for its wide-angle telephoto lens, and Sony SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS is definitely one of the best ones. But why wide-angle? Would it help with dental photography? Of course, it will! Wide-angle lenses increase the horizontal scope, while telephoto ones work amazingly with their focus. On this one, you will have these two things combined in a perfect form!
The materials that are combined in order to make this lens perfect, are plastic and metal. Even though plastic may sound a bit weird, when it comes to durability, it is the metal included that makes this lens one of the most durable ones. On the construction of this lens are packed 16 elements in 12 groups. It also owns two ED elements and three aspherical elements. When it comes to size and weight, this lens measures 4.33 x 3.07 x 3.07 inches and weighs 15.04 ounces (426 grams). In addition to the front part of the lens, it doesn’t own any type of coating, but instead, you can use a lens hood so that it can reduce the flare that may occur during dental photography.
As long as aperture is concerned, in this lens, you deal with a 7-blade circular aperture; which again helps you create a clear, and smooth bokeh effect. The aperture is constant on this one too meaning that it doesn’t own an aperture ring in order to be controlled, and it works with a depth of field on f/4. However, even though the aperture is fixed, the focal length is fully adjustable and it works from 18mm up to 105mm. Differing from the lenses that are already mentioned above, this one owns an internal focus; meaning that it is shifted only by moving the inner lens group. The focus works at a very high speed, and it works pretty well, not only with dental photography but even with fast-moving subjects.
At the name of this lens is clearly noticed the OSS! It means Optical SteadyShot, which is the most precise image stabilization in lenses, and on this one, it works better than on any other lens. It works also pretty well if you choose to use this lens for video.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Great Bokeh Effect Included
- High-Speed Internal Focus
- Perfect OSS Image Stabilization
Cons
- A bit Bulky
- No Coating Included
1. Tamron 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 VC USD – Most Versatile
Tamron lenses are known for the sharpness of pictures that they provide! Almost all Tamron lenses come with a good value, considering the price tag, are well built, in general, and also they own a great capacity of autofocusing. The Tamron 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 VC USD is an amazing telephoto zoom lens that owns an enormous range of focal lengths.
Moving on to the looks of the design of this lens, it measures 7.8 x 3.4 x 3.4 inches and weighs 39.2 ounces (1 kg), which is indeed heavy. However, to make it up for the weight, Tamron brought this lens with an immersive ability of resistance. It is fully resistant to water (any moisture) and dust in general. It owns Fluorine coatings in the front part as well, meaning that the lens can be quite easily cleaned. The lens is packed with 17 elements divided into 11 groups; based on the construction. There are also included three low dispersion elements which help in order to reduce the chromatic aberration (colour distortion), and also the eBAND coating that fully reduces flare and ghosting.
The aperture is a 9-blade circular one, but still, in this lens, you cannot find the best bokeh effect; it is there but it isn’t perfect in a way. Therefore, the aperture is one of a kind! It works in a range of f/4.5 and f/6.3 just as it is seen in the name of it. The focal length is also something that Tamron is very proud of! It works with an immersive range that starts from 100mm and moves on to 400mm. It is definitely ideal if you need to zoom in or out while taking dental photography. Based on the focal length, the focus is also something that this lens shines! It is driven by the UltraSonic Silent Drive Autofocus System, and let me say that it is very precise and fast, bringing to you an immersive outstanding performance.
There is also included an image stabilization feature. It is again the VC (vibration correction) that reduces the shake or blur, and on this one, it definitely works better than on the other one mentioned above.
Pros
- Super Resistant
- Fluorine Coating + eBand
- Amazing Aperture Range
- Great Focal Length
- Outstanding Focus
Cons
- A Bit Expensive
- Bokeh Effect can be Better
Buying Guide
Buying or purchasing a camera is not the easiest thing to do but still, it is one of the most important steps. However, even though you already own one, it is not already enough! Considering this article, I would like to show you a buying guide, on the best lenses for dental photography; meaning some things that you should consider:
Aperture
The aperture is always one of the most important things that you should consider when purchasing a lens. That’s why in every article that I wrote for lenses you can find details about the aperture of a particular lens. In this case, we deal with an interesting type of photography because you are basically taking photography of a person’s teeth and the aperture is important in order to allow you to capture whatever depth of field you want.
Focal Length
Here goes the other most important thing that you should consider, the focal length! At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that the best lenses for dental photography should own an approximate focal length of 80-105mm, and all the lenses I chose have a focal length based on this fact. Always consider searching and reading more about the focal length of a particular lens.
Focus
In this case, even though it may sound funny we are taking pictures in a mouth! In dark places, such as the mouth, sometimes you may need to be focused on only a particular thing. That’s why the focus stands as one of the most important things in this category.
Price
Well, what can be said about the price? It is not only one of the most important things, but it is the most important overall! Choosing the best lenses for dental photography requires a lot of research. It is better to have a price in mind so that you can choose better and wiser as well.
Final Words
Coming at the end of this article, I tried to choose the best lenses for dental photography, so that I can cut the chase for you and help you choose easier. I tried to make a mixture of different brands so that you can choose based on your preferences and of course based on the type of camera that you use. I really hope it will help you!
Further Reading
If you liked what you read in this article and you are more interested to find a camera for this type of photography, give a look at our article The Best Cameras For Dentists & Dental Photography
However, if you don’t really are into dental photography, but need lenses for different things, I would recommend you to have a look at our lenses related articles such as The 7 Best Lenses For Outdoor Portraits in 2022 Best Lenses For Astrophotography or even The Best Lenses For Boudoir Photography
Camera Tester & Reviewer
I spend most of my time taking photos & videos of everything in sight. Yes, I am a stock photographer and I’ve probably taken more than 700,000 photos so far.
