Back to Back Issues Page | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Digital SLR Guide Newsletter - All About Lenses December 11, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Read the latest issue online at
https://www.digital-slr-guide.com/dslr-news.html or read back issues If someone you know has forwarded you this newsletter and you've enjoyed it, subscribe now to receive the next issue when it's published.
DSLR News - December 2011
In This Issue
As promised in the last issue, this one is all about lenses.
Once you've spent a lot of money on a great digital SLR, it's important to find the best lens to go with it.
I'll take a bit of your time at the beginning to describe some basic principles of lenses then I'll dive right in and provide you with some links and information about great lenses from the different manufacturers.
Stay Updated!The Digital SLR Guide is also on Facebook. If you're on Facebook, drop on by to get updates about new digital SLR cameras and photo tips.Lenses - an Overview
The lens that you choose is almost more important than the camera that you attach it to.
There are two reasons for this:
For every picture you take with your camera, light must pass through your lens first. It's the lens that is responsible for creating a sharp focused image on the camera's sensor.
If the quality of the glass inside the lens is poor your images won't look as sharp and vibrant even if you're using the best digital SLR.
When you're comparing lenses, price may be a deciding factor. But beware of very low-price lenses: the glass in them is cheap, and therefore will not create images that are as sharp.
Now, this doesn't apply 100% of the time. Every so often, you'll compare two lenses with different prices where the cheaper lens has the same optical quality as the more expensive one. Reading customer reviews should help you decide if this is the case.
Just realize going into your lens purchase that often the more expensive the lens, the higher the optical quality.
The second reason lenses are so important is because they determine how your camera will "see" the world.
For example, a very wide-angle lens will not allow you to take closeups of subjects that are far away — for this, you'll need a telephoto.
On the flip side, you may find that your telephoto lens is no good for portraits because you have to stand too far away from your subject.
There are four main types of lenses: wide angle, standard, telephoto and extreme telephoto.
Here's what they're typically used for:
How can you tell the lens type? The focal length gives it away. Lenses with longer focal lengths have more telephoto range. The focal length of a lens is measured in millimeters and is often expressed as two numbers for lenses that have variable focal lengths.
Once you know the types of pictures you want to take with your camera, then you can pick the right lens. Want to capture scenic mountain views and waves crashing on the shore? You'll need a wide angle for that.
Those more interested in safaris should consider telephoto or extreme telephoto lenses. Want to take photos from the sidelines of your children's soccer games and still get decent results? Go for a telephoto instead of a standard lens and you'll get MUCH better pictures.
Beginner Digital SLR Lessons
Maximum Aperture
Now that you have a handle on focal length, let's take a quick moment to talk about the maximum aperture of a lens.
The aperture is the size of the opening in the lens that lets light pass through, and apertures are measured in f-stops.
An f-stop of 2.8 represents a very WIDE aperture while an f-stop of 22 is a NARROW aperture.
Now, every lens ever made can use narrow apertures like f/11 or f/16, but not all lenses can open up to the same width (the maximum aperture of the lens).
Some lenses will be able to open up to f/2.8 to let in a lot of light while others will only open to f/4.
You'll be able to tell the maximum aperture of any lens by reading its name - the maximum aperture number is always included. If there are two numbers, this means the max aperture changes as you zoom the lens. If there is only one number, the maximum aperture is always the same regardless of how much you zoom.
The main reason to get a lens with a very wide maximum aperture is if you constantly take pictures of fast-moving subjects in very dim light.
In this case, you need a wide max aperture because this translates into a fast shutter speed - something you'll need if you don't want all your photos to look blurry.
For example, if you want to take lots of pictures of indoor sporting events - basketball, volleyball, etc. - then you'll not only need a telephoto lens (so that you can take closeups even from the stands) you'll also need a lens with a wide max aperture to capture all the action.
Lens Options
Lenses made by camera manufacturers like Canon and Nikon only work 100% on camera bodies that bear the same name.
Modern lenses have electronic contacts that let them communicate with the camera body. This electronic link allows information to pass between camera and lens like the autofocus, aperture value and exposure settings.
In addition to lenses made by the camera manufacturers, you can also purchase lenses from companies that ONLY make lenses that fit a variety of cameras.
These third-party lens manufacturers include Sigma, Tamron and Tokina.
If Tamron makes a lens, they will fabricate several different models that are compatible with the different camera brands. It's essentially the same lens, just with a different size lens mount (the part of the lens that connects to the camera body).
Lenses made by these third party companies are often less expensive than first-party lenses and many have the same - if not better - optical quality than first-party alternatives.
In the sections below where I provide lens recommendations for each camera manufacturer, I'll also list a few high-quality third-party lens options.
Intermediate Digital SLR Lessons
Canon Lenses
Nikon Lenses
Olympus Lenses
Pentax Lenses
Sony Lenses
Photo Links
Photo Contests
Other Photography Sites
Great Photo Blogs
In Conclusion
It's been an interesting year for digital SLR cameras, with less than the typical number of new models introduced.
I suspect that the camera manufacturers are reacting to the economic downturn and slowing down the release of new models accordingly.
In the end, this is good news for consumers who are faced with less options to consider. It's now easier than it was a few years ago to find a great digital SLR camera that can take any type of picture you want.
I hope that everyone reading this newsletter has a happy and safe holiday season, and you'll be hearing from me again next year!
--Chris Roberts, Your Digital SLR Guide
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Back to Back Issues Page |