Holy Trinity of Lenses: 3 Lenses Every Photographer Needs

Updated:
by David Em

Portraits Refined may earn a commission on purchases made from links on this page. For more information, read Affiliate Disclosure.

The Holy Trinity of Lenses refers to the three must-have lenses that can benefit any photographer. Learn what they are.

Photographer in a studio holding a camera next to lights, cameras, and lenses.
Photo courtesy of Canva.

Holy Trinity of lenses works for most photographers

Before diving into the Holy Trinity of lenses, it’s important to note that it’s excellent for most photographers, but not all.

Wildlife and aerial photography are two examples that won’t need the Trinity of lenses. It’s more of a nice to have.

Related: What’s a telephoto lens, and is it worth it?

If you’re a wildlife or aerial photographer, you can have the three lenses, but you may not use them as much as longer focal length lenses.

If you love general photography and want the ability to photograph different subjects, the Holy Trinity of lenses applies to you.

Related: Understanding shutter speed in photography

Each of the lenses is a zoom lens. While prime lenses are incredible, the Holy Trinity of lenses consists of zoom lenses because of their versatility.

With each lens, you get a wide range of focal lengths. It’s best if you could only have three lenses.

Photographer with text overlay.

With that said, the following are the three must-have lenses.

1. 16-35mm lens

Three 16-35mm camera lenses.
Photo courtesy of B&H.

First up is the 16-35mm zoom lens. The purpose is to have a wide-angle lens, which allows you to get close to a subject and show a wide field of view.

Related: Best camera brands in 2021

It’s excellent for capturing landscapes, wide-angle portraits, cars, nature, and anytime you want a fish-eye look.

Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Leica, and many other brands offer a 16-35mm lens.

You can also find similar lenses, such as the 17-40mm, 11-20mm, 14-24mm, and 16-28mm.

The following are excellent wide-angle zoom lenses from a variety of brands:

The exact one doesn’t matter. As long as you have a wide-angle zoom lens, you’ll have the first of the three essential lenses.

2. 24-70mm lens

Three 24-70mm lenses.
Photo courtesy of B&H.

The 24-70mm lens is often referred to as the best all-around lens. It covers wide-angle, standard, and short telephoto.

If you’re traveling and could only bring one lens, the 24-70mm is the one to choose. It’ll allow you to capture photos at a variety of focal lengths.

RelatedCanon EOS 90D review

Its versatility in the range is the most appealing aspect of the lens. Most types of photography can find good use for it.

The following are the best 24-70mm lenses from different brands:

With the 24-70mm lens, you can snap excellent portraits, landscapes, architecture, and anything you want to take a photo of throughout the day. It’s the perfect everyday lens.

Related: Panasonic Lumix GH5 II review

3. 70-200mm lens

Three 70-200mm camera lenses.
Photo courtesy of B&H.

The final lens in the Holy Trinity of lenses is the 70-200mm lens. It’s one of the most popular lenses among all types of photographers because it goes from a short to medium telephoto range.

The 70-200mm lens allows you to take close-up photos without being too close to the subject.

In portrait photography, the telephoto zoom lens works well because it captures a flattering and accurate depiction of your subject’s face.

Additionally, it offers excellent separation from the background. You can shoot with a smaller aperture and still have bokeh.

Aside from portrait photography, you can use it for landscapes, wildlife, events, and any other time you want or need to be further away.

The best 24-70mm lenses are as follows:

You’ll have a lot of long-distance versatility with the 70-200mm. It’s an essential lens, and it may quickly become a favorite.

F/2.8 or F/4 version?

With the Trinity of lenses, a maximum aperture of f/2.8 is ideal. However, there are f/4 versions, which are also cheaper.

The f/2.8 version is the best because it opens wide and allows a lot of light in, which means you can shoot during low-light conditions.

It also has a shallower depth of field, which gives you a smooth and blurry background.

Strive for the f/2.8 versions, but get the f/4 version if you can’t get f/2.8.

Extend your range with a teleconverter

To take your focal length range to the next level, use a teleconverter.

Related: How to find your camera’s shutter count

Typically, you’ll find teleconverters with a magnification factor of 1.4, 1.7, or 2 times.

They also cost around $400 or $500, which is cheaper than buying a new lens.

A 2X teleconverter can extend your 70-200mm lens all the way to 400mm. That means your Holy Trinity of lenses can have a range from 16mm to 400mm.

Related: Canon EF to Sony adapter guide

With three lenses and a teleconverter, that’s an amazing range. Plus, you can use it for any type of photography.

Be sure to get one that’s compatible with your camera and lens.

Create your Holy Trinity of lenses

The 16-35mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm is the standard Holy Trinity of lenses. However, you can create your own combination.

For example, a limitation of the Trinity of lenses is that the maximum aperture is f/2.8.

Related: What’s an interchangeable lens camera (ILC)?

As a portrait photographer, you may want something that opens wider, is faster, and produces sharper images.

For that, you’d need a prime lens with a large maximum aperture, such as f/1.8 or f/1.4.

If all you shoot are portraits, your Holy Trinity of lenses may be a 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm prime lens.

For wildlife photographers, the 70-200mm is potentially your shortest lens.

Related: How to develop an efficient photography workflow

Then, you can get another zoom lens, such as a 100-600mm and a 400mm or 800mm prime lens.

Regardless, you can customize the Trinity of lenses to fit your style of photography.

Conclusion

There are so many lenses on the market. Whether you’re new to photography or a seasoned professional, you have many options.

By having the Holy Trinity of lenses, you’ll have a wide range of focal lengths available.

Remember, it depends on the type of photography you do.

Overall, the 16-35mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm are the three most beneficial lenses you need to have in your kit.

Featured image courtesy of Canva.

About David Em

David Em.

David Em is the founder of Portraits Refined. He’s a published portrait photographer dedicated to helping photographers develop skills, capture incredible photos, and build successful businesses.

About Portraits Refined

Portraits Refined (PR) is a media company that publishes the latest expert-backed portrait photography tips, in-depth camera gear reviews, and advice to grow your photography business. Learn more about Portraits Refined