Professional "Food" Photography - Best lens ?

Hi Guys and Gals,

I'm entering into a new and so far untouched zone for me. I've landed a contract that will see me doing more and more food shots. Slightly different from my mainstream wedding business, but a new challenge is as good as a change.

Question is, what lens is best suited to this sort of work?, and what do all you other food shooters use for a lens?. Feel free to also tell me how you're lighting the food you shoot, I'm guessing it's not using flash, but more portable high powered hand held camcorder style lights?

Thanks in advance for replying

Jim..

90/2.8 TS-E, no doubt. But, expensive and there is a long, slow learning curve.

I'll second that on the 90mm 2.8 TS/E. Amazing lens for any product shoot, and also great for most other things as well.

The first thing that came to mind was the EF 100mm f/2.8(L).

You could go with the TS-E 90mm f/2.8 but I have no experience with it. That said, gasrocks knows more than me so you should probably listen to him.

90mm seems a bit long for food, what what do I know.

themadman wrote in post #9591541
90mm seems a bit long for food, what what do I know.

It is long. But most shots you see in print are not shot from 2 feet away like a lot of people do at home. What the longer lenses provides is a narrower field of view... smaller shooting table required. Also the longer lenses provide a pleasing compression to the image elements. And a more narrow depth of field.

My vote is for the 60mm macro

Yeah I'd say macro or TS

I use a Tokina 100mm F/2.8 MACRO.

90 TS-E, or 45 TS-E plus a 1.4x or 2x converter.

Absolutely no doubt about that one. Learning how to use a little tilt for product shooting is quite easy (though not initially intuitive).

Rokkor 58/1.2 @ f/2

180L Macro got my vote...
Expensive but you can work at a comfortable distance handheld or with a tripod...

100 2.8 macro L or non L

I would think the new Canon 100L IS would be very good. Also of course the 90/2.8

Anyone have any blow-away quality images with the 90?

For serious food work I wouldn't even consider a non-tilt lens unless I was carrying half a dozen primes.