How to Choose Camera Lenses?
A good camera is judged by its image quality. Although the photographing angle, lighting and other factors play a role in the image quality, the lens plays the most important part. Without a good lens, it is difficult to get the perfect image. DSLR cameras have a single lens system while other types of digital cameras make use of more than one lens. No matter what the type of camera is, the lens directs light towards a reflex mirror which reflects a portion this light. The reflected light is then detected by inbuilt sensors and captured as an image. In case the lens fails to focus the subject properly, it can lead to blurring, chromatic aberrations, uneven image brightness or improper contrast, leading to a bad photograph. So the image quality depends on the ability of the lens to focus and capture light. A good lens is necessary for a perfect photograph and a few important things must be kept in focus while choosing one.
Focal Length: The focal length of a lens determines the sharpness of the image. Different types of photographs require different focal length for a better image. The focal length of a lens depends upon the lens angle. Wider the lens angle, shorter is its focal length. The focal length also determines the zooming ability of the camera. Two major types of lens are wide-angle lens and telephoto lens. A 75 mm lens is ideal for portrait photography, 300 mm lens is best for wildlife photography and a 28-52 mm lens is ideal for smoke photography.
Zoom: The level of zoom is determined by the focal length. Different lens based on zooming ability are available in the market. Wide-angle zooms can capture faraway objects and allow the user to capture more in the image. However, these zooms cause a little of distortion. Some of the most popular zooms are 17-35 mm, 10-20mm and 12-24 mm ranges.
Telephoto zoom allow the user to view objects closer are ideal for wildlife photography. Telephoto zooms range between 150-500 mm and can be divided into sub groups as medium telephoto usually less than 300mm and super telephoto zoom which is greater than 300 mm.
Super zoom or hyper-zoom have exceptional great focal lengths and can range up to 700mm. However, these have a lot of drawbacks as compared to the other types. One of the major troubles with super zoom is the high level of distortion and other optical aberrations.
Aperture: Aperture is what dictates the amount of light that travels through the lens and reaches the inbuilt sensors. Wider the aperture, greater is the amount of light that reaches the sensors. Thus aperture size determines what the type of lens you choose for a specific lighting condition. Aperture size also determines the focal plane. A narrow aperture allows you to focus sharply on both the object and the background, while a wider aperture allows you to concentrate on the object of interest alone by leaving out or blurring the background.
A number of different lenses are available in the market based on focal length, aperture width and zooming ability. Choose an ideal lens based on your photography interests and needs. Also consider the size, weight, speed and price of the lens before deciding upon a lens.
Focal Length: The focal length of a lens determines the sharpness of the image. Different types of photographs require different focal length for a better image. The focal length of a lens depends upon the lens angle. Wider the lens angle, shorter is its focal length. The focal length also determines the zooming ability of the camera. Two major types of lens are wide-angle lens and telephoto lens. A 75 mm lens is ideal for portrait photography, 300 mm lens is best for wildlife photography and a 28-52 mm lens is ideal for smoke photography.
Zoom: The level of zoom is determined by the focal length. Different lens based on zooming ability are available in the market. Wide-angle zooms can capture faraway objects and allow the user to capture more in the image. However, these zooms cause a little of distortion. Some of the most popular zooms are 17-35 mm, 10-20mm and 12-24 mm ranges.
Telephoto zoom allow the user to view objects closer are ideal for wildlife photography. Telephoto zooms range between 150-500 mm and can be divided into sub groups as medium telephoto usually less than 300mm and super telephoto zoom which is greater than 300 mm.
Super zoom or hyper-zoom have exceptional great focal lengths and can range up to 700mm. However, these have a lot of drawbacks as compared to the other types. One of the major troubles with super zoom is the high level of distortion and other optical aberrations.
Aperture: Aperture is what dictates the amount of light that travels through the lens and reaches the inbuilt sensors. Wider the aperture, greater is the amount of light that reaches the sensors. Thus aperture size determines what the type of lens you choose for a specific lighting condition. Aperture size also determines the focal plane. A narrow aperture allows you to focus sharply on both the object and the background, while a wider aperture allows you to concentrate on the object of interest alone by leaving out or blurring the background.
A number of different lenses are available in the market based on focal length, aperture width and zooming ability. Choose an ideal lens based on your photography interests and needs. Also consider the size, weight, speed and price of the lens before deciding upon a lens.
Source...