Architectural and Interior Photography Cameras and Lenses do I use.
Very often I am asked about the gear and equipment that I use for my architectural and interior design photography.
This is the place to state that architectural photography is a technicality-oriented and experience-based niche, and the gear plays a very minor part. At the end of the day, I can photograph almost all of my portfolio photos with any camera and lens.
So here is the breakdown of my architectural and interior design photography gear list:
Table of Contents
Architectural Photography Cameras
When it comes to upscale commercial photography work that goes for billboard and print, I find myself in need of high-resolution cameras.
Allowing the client to have a variety of advertising and printing options is crucial for commercial-level architectural photography.
I personally use the Canon R5 Mark II and Canon R5 as backup, which are considered studio camera pro-level. I used the Canon 5Ds for the past 8 years, and it served me well and could have served me a few more years, but with other studio needs, it was time to move on.
Although 70% of my time I shoot on medium resolution (24MP), I need a camera that can accommodate higher resolution for large-scale prints, billboards, and sometimes cropping the photos to better fit different layouts.
Canon R5 Mark II
Canon R5 MarkII and Other Models
If you aren’t exclusively working as a commercial photographer that relies on large-scale prints, I would highly recommend getting the newer and cheaper models out there. Cameras like the Sony A1 II, Fuji GFX 100S, and Nikon Z8 are excellent choices for architectural photography. While the market is flooded with new models boasting video features, still photographers can often stick with cameras they’ve had for several years if they’re delivering the needed results.
Personal note: Before we jump into “high-end” mid-range cameras and other nice names that photographers and camera manufacturers love, any professional or semi-professional cameras made after 2020 will give you excellent results. Bottom line: I sometimes use my old Canon 5DS, which is a professional camera manufactured about 8 years ago, and the final results are amazing. So, don’t go crazy with the gear (your clients don’t care).
While there are great improvements in picture quality and noise reduction on the Canon R5 Mark II, we mostly work on low-ISO, and your clients can’t really follow the difference.
For all you Nikon, Sony, Pentax, and Fuji lovers, any camera above 25MP would do the trick. For me, Canon’s ability to shoot with native Tilt-Shift lenses that are not available in many other camera brands is a huge plus, but an adapter would do the job.
Using adapters on cameras to have the availability of using TS lenses may reduce the final quality and also create some technical problems which I don’t have the time to mess around with in commercial shoots, but those are getting much better over the years.
Dual Cards for Photography Backup
The dual cards in your camera are crucial for backup when working with any client and obviously for high-end clients.
I typically set both cards to store my RAW files simultaneously, keeping the SD card always in the camera and taking out only the CF Express card for downloading the photos, making sure I always have a backup on camera as well.
I do not delete my 128GB SD card until it’s completely full so I can have about 3-4 photoshoots without deleting the card.
It is also important to replace cards every 2-3 years to minimize the risk of cards failing.
Why don’t you use 512GB cards? what was right 20 years ago is still right today, you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Tilt-Shift (TS) Lenses for Architecture Photography
When it comes to lenses, there are two categories in my view: architectural lenses and all the rest.
Tilt-Shift lenses give you the availability to shift the lens left, right, up, and down, allowing me to move the camera perspective without moving your camera.
It comes in handy when photographing buildings to minimize distortion and avoid any skewing and cropping in post-production, which ultimately reduces the file resolution and quality.
The Tilt-Shift is very useful when you need to photograph buildings from a lower perspective, avoid mirrors, or don’t have a straight angle.
The Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift is a budget-friendly option worth considering. Additionally, Canon is rumored to release a new 17 Tilt Shift lens for RF in 2026.
Lenses for Architecture and Interior Photography
Canon 17 TSE: Great for photographing small spaces and high-rise buildings when you can’t go backward and capture the whole building. It’s always been my second go-to lens. The only disadvantage is its front element, which is not flat like other lenses. The sphere has a bump and it does not get covered by a sunlight hood, meaning you might have flares more easily that you need to block with a screen or hand if possible.
Canon 24 TSE II: My main lens, it gives a closeup look for interiors and large spaces and pushes you to find creative angles rather than shoot wide “side to side.” The biggest strength of the Tilt-Shift lenses is that it helps you avoid the distortion you get when using a wide-angle lens and the ability to shift up, down, right, or left without moving the camera to capture images in proportions. Note: Tilt-Shift lenses are manual focus only in most cases.
Canon 24-70 II RF: A versatile lens for commercial and lifestyle shots, doubling as a backup for my Tilt-Shift lenses. It is also great for closeup and detail shots. Using a telephoto lens to photograph the details will create more product-focused photos.
Canon 16-35, 14-35, and 17-40: Ultra-wide lenses with distortion; use them carefully. If you need to use any of the ultra-wide lenses, I would recommend zooming in to 24mm at a minimum and photographing only straightforward with them.
Rule of thumb: Use whatever lens you want, ideally not wider than 24mm (unless you use Tilt-Shift) to avoid distortion. While you can fix distortion in post-production (Photoshop), we try to get everything right from the beginning.
Architectural Lenses for Nikon, Fuji, and Sony
Canon holds the most common and used lenses in the industry, so you would need to find a lens adapter from EF to your manufacturer mount.
Each manufacturer has their equivalent lenses for Canon’s legacy 16-35, 13-35, 17-40, and prime lenses. Third-party lenses like the Laowa offer different mounting options, saving you from needing a lens adapter.
Camera Remote and Client Review
To capture the images from my camera and to be able to present them to the client via “producer monitor” and also to control the production, I use Cam Ranger II and iPad Pro 11″. The Cam Ranger allows me to photograph from my mobile phone, iPad, or computer for many different scenarios.
Photographing on my mobile is used for light painting or when I need to run between the camera and the lighting.
I can set up for the client a preview via iPad or computer, letting the client feel a part of the production and sit in a secure location and review the shoots.
The Cam Ranger allows for a great 300m distance on direct “eye-level”.
You are probably asking yourself where are all the new fancy mirrorless cameras, new RF lenses, and other gadgets and perks.
Being a good photographer means mastering the major keys of our industry: light, composition, and post-production. There is no need for equipment that is not noticeable to the eye when checking the final results.
You can view more articles like Must have cameras and lenses for architectural photographers , and CamRanger for Photographers in our studio blog.
