Photography enthusiasts often make the transition from 'point-and-shoot' to DSLR, but then they stop right there because moving onwards requires an understanding of lenses. So, here we will help you understand the lens jargon and give you a crash course on different types of lenses and their functionality.
Lenses are defined by their focal length and f-stop. Focal length denotes the distance between the center of the lens and the camera's sensor. A lens with short focal length shows a wide angle view of the scene, while a lens with longer focal length allows you to focus on distant objects. Focal length is measured in terms of millimeters. So, if you come across a lens marked 18-50 mm - it means that the lens has a variable focal length in the range of 18 mm to 50 mm.
F-stop is a number that denotes the aperture or the diameter of the lens. In reality, it is the ratio between the lens's diameter and its focal length. So, a lens with an f-stop of 2.0 is better than a lens with an f-stop of 5.6, because the 2.0 lens has a wider aperture so it permits more light and captures crisper images.
When you go shopping for lenses you'll get all types of lenses such as: prime lens, zoom lens, telephoto lens and so on. So, let's understand the function of various lens categories.
Prime Lens : Prime lenses are fixed focus lenses. So, if you have a 35 mm and 85 mm prime lens, you'll be able to capture sceneries with the 35 mm lens while the 85 mm lens will let you capture portraits of people from a distance.
Zoom Lens : These have variable focal length which allows you to magnify a distant object with a turn of a dial. These lenses make life convenient as you can capture a wide angle view of a landscape and then zoom-in on a distant tree without the hassle of changing lenses. The problem with zoom lens is that at lower-end of its focal range it shoots at low f-stop, but the f-stop increases as you zoom-in. Recall the definition of f-stop - it is the ratio between the lens's diameter and its focal length. So, less is good when it comes to f-stop, since a lens with higher f-stop value permits less light and takes darker and grainier shots.
Wide-angle telephoto lens : These are used to capture wide-angle images of distant object or landscape. The minimum focal length of a telephoto lens is 100 mm and it may go as high as 300 mm.
Macro lens : If you are interested in close-ups of nearby objects then you need macro lenses. Macro lenses are excellent for photographing objects like flowers, leaves and insects.
This was all about lenses, we sincerely hope that after reading this you'll be inspired to add some exciting lenses to your photography kit.
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Orignal From: How To Choose The Right Lens For Your DSLR
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