When you own one of the best cameras for photos and videos, you’ll naturally want to pair it up with one of the best lenses for astrophotography or one of the best zoom lenses. Conversely, even if you own a basic entry-level camera, investing in the best glass you can afford can often be a more economical upgrade than a new camera.

What’s more, having the best lenses means you will want to keep them when the time eventually comes to make a camera upgrade. So, the lenses in this guide will, of course, in many cases, depend on the lens mounts available and whether they’re compatible with your camera, but what they all share in common is that they’re perfect for capturing photos and videos.

Being the best lenses overall, we have a wide selection of lens types available, ranging from long telephotos perfect for capturing the moon, fast primes for optimal night sky exposures, alongside ultra-wide-angle zooms and even a fisheye lens for capturing the widest field of view possible. You might also want to invest in one of the best star trackers to further improve your ability to capture the night sky for the best results possible.

Best telephoto zoom

The Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens is an attractively priced long telephoto zoom that can be used with Z-series cameras using the FTZ II adaptor.

Best wide-angle zoom

With an equivalent focal range of 24-82.5mm, the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G is a must-have standard zoom for Sony E-Mount APS-C cameras.

Best ultra-wide zoom

If you’re looking for a top-quality ultra-wide-angle zoom for your full-frame Sony E-Mount camera, look no further than the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master.

Best wide-angle prime

The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Art is an incredibly fast ultra-wide-angle prime with excellent build quality, but it’s large and heavy.

Best 85mm

The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM is an incredible lens offering exceptional image quality, but it's also quite large, heavy and expensive.

Best fisheye

The Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM is an EF-Mount lens offering great image quality and an impressive 8-15mm fisheye perspective.

The Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G is a highly versatile zoom lens that could easily spend the majority of time attached to your APS-C Sony E-Mount camera. It’s a fantastic lens for travel due to its small and lightweight design, while the maximum f/2.8 aperture offers both creative and technical advantages, as we explained in our Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G

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