Ready to Upgrade? What to Consider Before Buying a New Camera Lens (2024)

Most entry-level mirrorless cameras include a basic starter lens, also called a kit lens. Regardless of brand, these kit zooms tend to share some features. Most start at a moderately wide angle and extend to a short telephoto view. They also typically use narrow, variable-aperture optics to keep the size and price down.

Kit lenses typically add about $100 to the cost of a camera, so they are good value for creators who are just starting out. But if you get the photo bug and want to use your camera for more than occasional snapshots, you're sure to outgrow it before too long.

So, what lens should you get next? Like many questions related to photography, the answer depends. Are you happy with the coverage you have now but want better performance in dim light? Do you want a wider angle to capture broad vistas? A telephoto for sports or wildlife? A background-blurring prime for portraits and extreme low light? A macro to capture tiny objects? The decision tree is overwhelming, but we're here to lend some advice, along with some recommendations for the crop-sensor Canon RF-S, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z DX, and Sony E camera systems.

A Better Standard Zoom

If you are content with the angles that your starter zoom covers or just want a bit more telephoto punch for portraits, you should just upgrade to a better version. That's assuming you're starting with a zoom like the Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3, Fuji 15-45mm F3.5-5.6, Nikon Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3, Olympus 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6, or Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6.

Kit lenses like the Canon RF-S 18-45mm that I used to snap this photo deliver good results with ample light but aren't great in dim conditions and don't readily blur backgrounds like F2.8 zooms (Credit: Jim Fisher)

There are two ways to go: Get a zoom with f/2.8 optics and similar coverage to what you have now, or look at one with an f/4 design and more zoom power. Remember that a smaller f-stop number means that a lens gathers more light. An f/2.8 lens is a good choice if you frequently use your camera indoors in typical home lighting or want to capture slightly soft backgrounds to isolate subjects.

The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 uses bright optics and covers a useful standard range; it's available for Fuji and Sony APS-C cameras, while a Canon RF version is due later in 2024 (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Upgrade options vary by system, but we've listed some of our top recommendations below. Some lenses are available for multiple mounts, including the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary, so make sure to get the right version for your camera. You should also target lenses made for your camera's sensor size because of the crop factor compared with full-frame (1.5x for APS-C, 2x for Micro Four Thirds). In short, you need a wider focal length on these systems to get an equivalently wide angle. The Sigma 18-50mm, for instance, equates to a 27-75mm zoom for full-frame systems. Meanwhile, a full-frame 24-70mm standard zoom starts a little too tight (36mm) for landscapes and interiors on APS-C bodies. You will also end up spending more and carrying a heavier lens than you need.

Most mounts are brand-specific, but Micro Four Thirds camera from OM/Olympus and Panasonic support lenses from either brand. Just make sure to get one in the Micro Four Thirds mount since Panasonic also makes incompatible, full-frame lenses.

If you get a wide-aperture zoom like the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 you can snap photos with a blurred background and get better photos in dim light versus a kit zoom (Credit: Jim Fisher)

An f/4 zoom is a fine option if you like taking photos outside under the sun. With both f/2.8 and f/4 lenses, you can close down the iris and get less light for a scene, something you need to do to get more of the world in focus or to intentionally blur motion with a longer shutter speed. Just note that there are fewer f/4 zooms for APS-C systems.

You can also choose an all-in-one zoom. These lenses don't typically gather any more light than a kit lens but zoom in further so you can cover more angles. They're a good fit for outdoor photographers who want to take photos of landscapes and wildlife without having to swap lenses. All-in-one zooms are also handy for when you don't want to carry a ton of photo gear. The Tamron 18-300mm is the best one for APS-C sensors, but it's available for just Fuji X and Sony E cameras.

Blur Backgrounds With a Fast Prime

If you're pretty content with what your starter zoom gives you for day-to-day photography but find it disappointing for those times when you want to make images in very dim light or take photos with the blurred-background bokeh look, a fast prime is a good option.

The Sigma 23mm F1.4 Contemporary provides great picture quality and value for Fuji X and Sony E cameras; a Canon RF version is coming later this year (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Prime lenses cover a fixed focal length, so you need to pick the angle that best suits your photography. But how do you do that? One simple way is to look at the images you've taken with your zoom lens and figure out which focal length you use most often or the one that's most common among your best photos. This is easy to do if you edit in a workflow application like Adobe Lightroom Classic; its metadata breakdown tool shows images by focal length.

Adobe Lightroom Classic includes a tool to filter photos based on focal length (Credit: Adobe/PCMag)

You might also simply pick a focal length based on the type of photos you take. If you lean toward wider compositions, pick a wider prime. A 16mm APS-C or 12mm Micro Four Thirds lens covers a wide standard view, about the same as the main lens on a smartphone. It's tougher to isolate subjects with this type of lens, but it's a good option if you like to snap cityscapes or environmental portraits with a sense of your subject's surroundings.

With a lens like the Sigma 23mm F1.4 Contemporary, you can snap interior photos at a lower ISO and experiment with a shallow depth of field too (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Going a little tighter, look at a lens around 23mm (APS-C) or 17mm (Micro Four Thirds) to snap photos at a moderately wide angle. Many creators prefer this focal length for documentary-style images, street photography, and small group portraits. They represent the middle focal length of most starter zooms.

Snap Portraits With a Standard or Short Tele Prime

Next up is a standard-angle lens, around 30-35mm on APS-C or 25mm on Micro Four Thirds. Back in the dim, dark days of manual focus film photography, a standard (also called normal) prime was the de facto starter lens for SLR cameras. These lenses are perfect for single-person portraits, pet photography, and other scenes where you want to separate a subject from the background.

The Nikkor Z 40mm F2 is a good lens for portraits on an APS-C sensor camera; I used it to snap a photo of a corgi puppy along with the Nikon Z fc camera (Credit: Jim Fisher)

If you love making portraits, it's worth getting a prime in the 50-85mm range. These lenses are ideal for single subjects and provide more background blur than shorter focal length primes, as well as allow you to put enough distance between the camera and subject to get flattering headshots that don't distort a person's features. They're more of a specialty tool than a wide, moderate, or standard-angle prime.

Look for a prime in this range with anywhere from an f/1.2-f/2 maximum aperture to enjoy a shallow depth of field with soft backgrounds. You might have to buy a full-frame lens to go on your APS-C camera to find the focal length you want on some systems, but that's OK in this instance. After all, you can still use these lenses if you upgrade to a full-frame camera down the line, assuming you stick with the same brand and lens mount. Just understand that you end up with a wider angle of coverage when you use the same lens on a larger-sensor camera. On the other hand, bright primes for APS-C cameras tend to cost less and are typically smaller than full-frame versions.

Don't Back Yourself Into a Corner: Wide-Angle Zooms

Do you think your kit zoom just doesn't see enough of the world? Consider adding a wide-angle zoom. These lenses are ideal for architecture, cityscapes, interiors, and landscapes, as well as self-recorded vlogs.

The Olympus 8-25mm covers a wide to standard range and works with Micro Four Thirds cameras (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Some systems offer a low-cost option that covers wide angles with a similar aperture and picture quality as a kit zoom, even though they are rarely (if ever) available as a bundled option. Still, if you just want the occasional wide grab and don't want to spend a ton of money, lenses like the Canon RF-S 10-18mm and Nikon Z DX 12-28mm are competent and inexpensive optics.

You almost certainly want to get a lens that's made for APS-C or Micro Four Thirds since full-frame alternatives are often bulky and prohibitively expensive. For example, the full-frame Canon RF 10-20mm F4 costs $2,300, versus just $330 for the RF-S 10-18mm. Either way, if you use a Canon EOS R50 or R10, it's worth waiting until later this year to buy a Sigma 10-18mm F2.8; it's not yet available for Canon but is a better lens than the RF-S 10-18mm.

You can create more interesting compositions and get more of the world in view with a wide-angle zoom; I took this shot with the Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 at 10mm on a Sony a6700 camera body (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Some systems offer more wide zoom options than others, but these are our favorites for the major players. You might also consider a prime lens that covers a wide angle, but I recommend a zoom, especially for general use. There's a far larger difference in angle of view from focal length to focal length for wide-angle lenses compared with telephoto lenses, so the ability to zoom is very convenient.

Snap Photos of Wildlife and Sports: The Telezoom

A telezoom lens is useful if you're interested in capturing scenes where you can't get close to the action. As such, it's the type of lens to get if you want to take photos of team sports from the sidelines or stands, spend a day at the zoo, or head out on the trail to observe animals. There's less chance of being gored by a bison if you use a long lens to snap its picture compared with your smartphone.

The Fuji XF 70-300mm is a perfect lens for creators interested in taking telephoto pictures (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Sometimes, you have the option of getting a camera with a telezoom in a two-lens kit. These are usually similar in aperture range to the standard zoom, just with a focal length in the 50-250mm ballpark. Since you're most likely to use a long lens during the day, these are a good value. They are plenty long enough to snap photos of your kid's little league game, backyard critters, and animals at the zoo.

If you have a keen interest in taking photos of creatures in the wild, it's worth upgrading to a zoom that reaches 400mm. For birds specifically, a 600mm focal length is quite useful. If you use a Micro Four Thirds camera, you can get away with a shorter lens for these applications due to the smaller sensor size. These types of telezooms tend to be larger and more expensive than kitted options, but are necessary for creators who really enjoy taking photos of creatures in nature.

The Tamron 150-500mm provides enough reach for birds on APS-C cameras; I got this shot of a hummingbird perched on a branch with it and the Fuji X-S20 camera (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Some telezooms are made for crop-sensor cameras, but it's okay to buy a full-frame lens in this category, too. There's not much technical penalty to do so, and if you want a really long focal length, it's often your only option.

Make Tiny Subjects Big: Macro

If you want to take pictures of really small subjects—think flowers, insects, jewelry, and others with intricate detail on a small scale—you need a macro lens. Macro lenses typically combine standard to mid-telephoto focal lengths with extremely close focus to project an image of a small subject at life-size or better onto an image sensor. When you see a lens listed as a 1:1 macro, it means that, when focused as close as possible, the lens projects objects at actual life-size onto the sensor. Given that APS-C sensors are roughly 18 by 24mm in size, this means you can get photos of very small objects with exquisite detail.

The Nikon Z MC 50mm F2.8 is a full-frame macro lens, but works well on APS-C Nikon cameras too (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Some primes even support 1.2:1 macro, which means a subject appears at a larger size than in reality. Conversely, a 1:2 macro lens is capable of half-size projection. The latter are often less expensive than 1:1 lenses but also less common.

There's nothing better for flower photography than a macro lens; this image was taken with the Fuji XF 30mm (Credit: Jim Fisher)

You might not need to go for a dedicated macro prime if you pick a standard zoom with a decent close focus rating. For example, the Tamron 18-300mm, available for Fuji and Sony cameras, focuses close enough for 1:2 reproduction. An all-in-one zoom like the Tamron isn't a perfect solution for every photographer, however.

The lenses above are all mid-priced options and, with the exception of the Canon RF 35mm, omit optical stabilization. As such, you might notice some jumpiness in your viewfinder when handholding your camera and focusing very close. This is expected since the effects of camera shake are magnified at very close focus distances. In-body image stabilization doesn't kick in until the camera actually takes the photo, so you might want to grab a tripod for macro shots.

I used the Flashpoint MF12 kit to balance the foreground and background light, as well as to add some sculpted highlights, to this product photo taken with a Sigma 105mm Macro Art prime (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Lighting is another real concern for macro shots: The closer you focus on a subject, the less depth of field a lens captures. Make sure to use a small f-stop (f/11-16) to get more of a small slice of your subject in focus. Doing so invariably cuts your light, so a flash is typically in order. Even if your camera has one built-in, it's not in the correct position for macro photos. The best practice is to put a macro flash directly in front of the lens (not above it) to avoid shadows and properly illuminate a subject. If you're willing to spend more money, an on-lens flash like the Flashpoint ML-150 II ($89) works well, so long as you are comfortable learning how to operate it manually. I haven't tested the ML-150 II, but I regularly use the Flashpoint MF12 kit to take product photos for my camera reviews with great results. The MF12 is more expensive ($249) and requires a wireless commander (not included) to work, but a little more convenient since it includes automatic through-the-lens (TTL) power control.

More Lens Picks for Each System

If none of our suggestions here work for you, make sure to check out our comprehensive lens buying guides. Click through to see our top-rated glass for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, L-Mount Alliance, Leica M rangefinder, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z, Pentax K, and Sony E systems.