Can you count all the times when you were tortured matter what digital camera lens you should choose? The dilemma, or more reliable Canon or cheaper Tamron? This article will try to help you choose the best lens, for people, beginners in digital SLR photography.
In order to simplify and narrow down your search, we prepared a few basic questions to be answered by finding the right lens would be much easier:
- What kind of system do you use?
- What focal length do you need?
- What is the maximum aperture you need?
- Is it necessary the ability to change the focal length?
OK, but the beginning of what it means to be clarified key terms, thus:
focal
Focal length comparison.
In short, this is a lens characteristic describing how much the lens can bring in or zoom out.
The larger the focal length – the image can strongly attract the lens, and the smaller – natural view attracts less. This characteristic is expressed in millimeters. Always the name of the camera lens is somehow figures and after marking millimeters – mm, such as the Canon 50mm, Canon 100mm, and so on. Those numbers represent the lens focal length.
Single-lens focal length changes, the other – fixed. If a fixed focal length, the lens will be the name of only one focal length value.
If the focus changes, there will be two values, such as 17 – 85mm, 17- 50mm, and the like.
The first meaning refers to what is the minimum focal length of the lens, and the second – most – define, what is the maximum focal length, of the lens.
Variable focal length lenses are also known as “Zoom ” and fixed – “FIXED”.
Digital camera lens aperture
Roughly speaking, the lens aperture is a hole through which the lens of the camera to light. The bigger hole is, the more light enters the digital camera (you can take pictures in low light conditions).
The lens aperture by a number after the letter f, such as f/1,2 or f/5,6. The number after the letter f the smaller the aperture wider and often – better lens. Yes, this is the bag, but the way it is – the number after the letter f less – better.
The most common digital camera lenses have written the name of the two maximum apertures (just like the focal length) – one with a minimum focal length, and the other – maximum. The focal length (zoom lens) lower in the lens can get more light (the light goes wider flow), and the maximum aperture can be increased. Two aperture lens as indicated by the title, and the focal length – over the dash, such as f/3,5-5,6 or f/4-5; 6. Two apertures have interchangeable lenses with a focal length. Fixed focal length lenses have a single aperture.
Do not mess up – the maximum aperture is not a minimum – do not think that a lens with f/1,8 can not change your aperture to narrower, like f/8. Every lens aperture can be reduced by up to f/22 or even more that’s why minimal aperture is never marked – virtually all lenses are the same.
Focus area
Humanly terms, the depth of the background image except Merge focused object. This can be called a unique feature of SLR cameras, as the other cameras (excluding hybrid cameras like the Sony NEX -5) image sensor is too small to create significant depth in the photo.
Located in the north zone in the background brightness of the light is transformed into the so-called bokeh – the colored balls that you see in a given frequency of portrait photography.
Influenced by the depth of field of the lens aperture, focal length, and the camera’s image sensor. The larger the aperture, the greater the focal length and the larger the image sensor camera – the saturation zone will no narrower.
What kind of system do you use?
It is logical – the name is very important because the Canon lens can not be used with Nikon or Pentax digital camera. It is true that the so-called third-party digital camera lenses (Sigma, Samyang, Tamron, and so on) made for all systems – each lens has released several versions of the form to suit everyone for the most popular cameras.
What focal length do you need?
This is usually the most important factor in choosing a lens as the focal length of the lens’s main characteristic, clearly describing the use of the range of the camera lens.
Thus, according to the focal length of the lens divided into:
- Wide-angle – up to 28mm.
- Standard – from 28mm to 85mm.
- Telephoto lens – from 85mm up to 300mm.
- Super – telephoto – from 300mm.
Each lens type is most appropriate in any particular field of photography:
- Wide – interior, architecture, landscapes.
- Standard – portraits plants.
- Telephoto – portraits, plants, macro, and sport.
- Super – telephoto lenses – sports and wildlife.
Briefly, for each lens type:
Wide camera lense
Covers the extreme view, much like the human eye, and some type of fisheye lenses cover even more.
Invaluable for interior shots – they do not need help to get into the most remote corner of the room in order to reach a clear photograph of everything in the room.
These lens photographs were taken in the most especially for the viewer to be covered extensively videos.
Wide-angle lenses usually distort the image, especially when shooting at close range.
Artistic photography – it can be a plus, but for a clear and undistorted view, these digital camera lenses will not work.
Video Distortion is evil in portrait photography, so wide-angle lenses are not a good choice.
Often expensive – not cheap alternatives, mostly all the wide-angle lenses costing £ 500 ~ 1000
Standard camera lens.
The most versatile type of lens.
Suitable shoot both landscapes and portraits, or plants.
50mm and 85mm are the most popular focal length portrait photography, as well as with such a focal length portrait photo obtained undistorted, natural, and squashed.
Telephoto camera lens.
Sometimes used for portrait photography, but rarely for several reasons:
The larger the focal length, the fewer perceived distances between objects in scale.
Large focal length digital camera lenses are darker – have a narrower aperture.
The larger the focal length, the less space there is in the frame.
Best shoot something is when it is not possible to access the vicinity.
Adequate and amateur sports photography.
Often used as a macro lens when shooting a variety of insects, because you can shoot from a distance, do not reach the vicinity, which is usually an insect flies or runs away.
Super – telephoto camera lens.
Typically, only professional photographers attribute.
In order to make good use of the extremely large focal length, you need to have a lot of experience and abilities.
These are the huge digital camera lenses that need a separate stand because their weight is usually around 2 ~ 3 kg or more.
There are extremely expensive.
Used for sports and wildlife photography.
So, decide what you promise to take pictures of, and select one of the types of lenses, then we will move to the next column. Of course, there is a universal camera lens with a focal length range that can be 24mm – 300mm, but these lenses are generally not of high quality. Two separate lenses – one standard and the other tele – far better to carry out the work, and all-purpose lens suitable unless travel, when to change the “glass” is not the time.
What is the maximum aperture you need?
The most important thing is not to choose a lens with a wide aperture than you need. Why? Thus you have to know how to use a wide aperture, you also have to pay more money for it. A little more detail, what brings a wide aperture?
Let’s in more light into the camera. The camera image sensor catches the light and it turns the photo. The less light comes in, the slower shutter speed, need to use, to get a bright picture. The larger the aperture, the shorter can be exposure time.
For example, you take your dog to the room, but after all, it is very agile! Need that picture not blurred and do not want to use the flash because it makes pictures flat. Your lens maximum aperture of f/5.6 and the camera shows that, given the aperture and ISO 800, you can only shoot 1/30s shutter, which does not in order, to get a neat and not blurred picture, because of these agile dogs! However, when using a camera lens with f/2.8 aperture, can shoot 1/125s maintenance, which is definitely enough for orderly photography extracted.
Another example: the setting of the sun, taking pictures outside a skateboarder. Do you want to clean yourself, because you are using the ISO 100th Your camera’s maximum aperture of f/4, and in such conditions, the camera’s image sensor will only receive enough light at 1/125s maintenance? Meanwhile, skateboarders doing tricks skateboards spins so fast, but I would like to take a not blurred. With a lens with a maximum f/2 aperture that can safely shoot 1/500s shutter, you more than enough to perpetuate any sports games!
Creates a narrow depth of field.
A narrow zone of sharpness is an integral part of portrait photography, portrait photography emphasizes the subject and best makes the background blurred.
The most common camera lens, with a wide aperture, in portrait known for its ability to merge the background of distinguishing subject.
So what aperture you need? The outline is much more difficult than deciding what focal length you require. I will try to help a little with the following list:
A picture in the room.
Required aperture f / 1,2 – f / 2.8
To take pictures of the room without the flash, it is necessary to allow the digital camera to catch more light you without a wide aperture do practically impossible.
A picture is taken outdoors, cloudy day.
Required aperture f/2,8 – f/3.5
Generally, a cloudy day is really dark, which requires a wide aperture. Also in order to shoot the sport should take this into account, as not always during the race the sun shining overhead.
A picture is taken outdoors in the shade or in well-lit rooms.
Required aperture f/3,5 – f/5.6
This one is more friendly terms, the aperture can be narrower. Of course, the fact that the pictures are taken in the shade means that in general, the day is clear.
A picture is taken outdoors on a clear day.
Required aperture does not matter.
On a clear day is enough light to take pictures even with f/8 aperture shutter speeds.
It is also worth noting that in order to shoot portraits usually need to use at least f/2.8 aperture (and the best – even f/1.8 or larger – depends on your idea), as it will be a nicely blurred background highlighting the focused subject, what your portraits make even more attractive to the eye.
Is it necessary the ability to change the focal length?
Why is this question asked? Due to the fact that the market is an objective and a fixed focal length lens, which is usually superior to the “zoom” a few things:
First of all – the price. Fixed focal length lenses are always much cheaper than similar specification variables. Granted – no need to construct the focal mechanism of the exchange, all of whom got lens design becomes much simpler and therefore saves money.
Another thing – quality. Fixed focal length camera lenses are almost always far more acute, their photographs were taken in a much clearer and cleaner.
Why? As already mentioned above – there is no lens focal length conversion mechanism, that is – there are so many moving parts, causing the lens to strengthen significantly better performance.
Of course, you can now buy and variable focal length lens, the image quality would be the same as the so-called “FIXED”, but their prices are very high.
The wide aperture. There is a lot of fixed focal length camera lenses with aperture f/1.8 or even larger, and they cost comparison, really small. Of course, there is also “zoom” with the target, but they asked for a lot of money.
It is worth noting that the fixed focal length camera lens weighs significantly less. Zoom can often weigh more than all of the cameras (especially if the digital camera is a lower class and is lighter). Meanwhile, a fixed weight rarely exceeds 500g.
As you can see – some pluses. In reality, the only “FIXED” drawback is that they are … “FIXED” – their focal length is fixed and does not change, so you should not zooming lens in the swirling rings while jogging
So our advice is: if there is no necessary requirement “Zoom” without question should be “FIXED “. Of course, if you plan to shoot full of action and movement activities, “FIXED” not for you, but if you are interested in portrait photography, or just want a nice family photo, without a doubt, choose “FIXED”.
The truth is, it should be noted that the objective of their arsenal alone “FIXED” no means advisable to have. You must have purchased any of the standard focal length Zoom camera lense that when needed, you can take a wider range of conditions.
The Properties of Camera Lenses explained
