6 key points that you should know before buying a camera lens
Professional photographers naturally use DSLR cameras or mirrorless cameras, and in both cases they have no choice but to buy lenses. Usually, along with the camera itself, a normal lens is also provided, which is more suitable for normal applications. Therefore, if you want to shoot in different fields or take more creative photos, you should invest in high-quality lenses.
We should note that even if your DSLR or mirrorless camera is not very professional, upgrading the lens can improve the quality of your photos. to improve significantly. But if you have no experience in this field and you are confused due to the large number of options, in this article we will discuss 6 simple and key points that you should pay attention to when buying a lens.
- What is a wide lens and Is it worth buying?
Zoom or prime lens?
Newbie photographers looking to buy a camera lens usually have to ask themselves whether a zoom lens or a prime lens is better for them. Naturally, there are other types of lenses such as wide lenses with variable focal length, which are mostly not used by novice photographers. A prime lens uses a fixed focal length, but a zoom lens can provide the photographer with different focal lengths. The zoom lens allows the photographer to stay in place and instead increase and decrease the focal distance, but on the other hand, if using a prime lens, the photographer must move frequently to capture better photos.
Considering that prime lenses usually have a larger focal length, they can provide faster recording speed. Therefore, these types of lenses are considered a better option for photography in low-light environments. At the same time, we should mention the shallow depth of field and better bokeh mode in the photos taken with the prime lens. In general, it can be said that prime lenses can record better quality photos than zoom lenses, although this is a general rule and does not apply to all lenses.
Zoom lenses have more elements that can change the focal length. and as a result, due to this issue, they provide less clarity at some focal distances.
Focal distance
After you have chosen the type of lens to buy, now is the time to pay attention to its focal length. If you want an all-round prime lens for travel, portraits, and shooting stills, then it's better to buy a 50mm lens, which is also very popular. Although it is possible to buy an expensive 50mm lens, you can also buy an inexpensive model that provides good quality for many users. Among zoom lenses, superzoom lenses have a focal length of, for example, 18 200 mm and 120-24 mm have many fans that can be used as wide and zoom lenses. These types of lenses leave the photographer's hands open for photography in different conditions and therefore have many fans.
On the other hand, we should mention sports photographers and wildlife photographers who bought lenses with a focal length of more than 200 mm. they do. Wide lenses, for example 10-20 and 14-24 mm, are mainly used for landscape photography or architectural photography.
Aperture
The aperture of the lens that comes with the camera may not matter much to novice photographers, but as the field of photography progresses, you have no choice but to pay attention. You do not have this characteristic. Therefore, after buying a lens, probably the first thing you should pay attention to is the aperture number of the desired lens. In general, the larger the aperture of the lens, the higher the price because this issue is directly related to the performance of the lens. A lens that takes advantage of these specifications can record better photos in low-light environments and provide you with an attractive matte background. Zoom cameras usually have less to say in terms of aperture, but some naturally expensive zoom lenses even offer an aperture of F/2.8. In addition to the high price, these types of zoom lenses are also very heavy.
In addition, if you want to buy a zoom lens for your camera, you should pay attention to whether the aperture is fixed or variable. If using a lens of, for example, 200-500 mm with a fixed aperture of F/5.6, this aperture can be used at different focal distances. But on the other hand, if the aperture of a 150-600 mm lens is F/5-6.3, this means that according to the focal length used, you cannot go from a distance Use a fixed focus.
In this case, we have to say that zoom lenses with a fixed aperture are very expensive, and that's why many photographers go to use variable aperture lenses.
Camera lens Compatibility
From Among the types of professional cameras, we can mention crop sensor, full frame, micro four thirds and mirrorless cameras. That's why you need to find a lens compatible with your camera to get the most out of it. As you probably know, the lenses produced for Canon, for example, are different from the lenses suitable for Sony cameras, for which, of course, interfaces are sold. But in general, it is better to buy a suitable lens at the very beginning so that you don't need to use the interface.
In the meantime, we should note that a lens that is produced for a camera with a crop sensor, for example, is not very suitable for the camera. It does not have a full-frame sensor. Naturally, it is better not to use a lens made for a full-frame camera with a camera with a crop sensor. Of course, if you do this, you won't end up with low-quality and very bad photos, but in general, it's better to be aware of these differences so that you can use the lenses and cameras in the best way.
Shakeproof
To capture clear photos of moving subjects You need to increase the shutter speed. But naturally, in some circumstances, it is not possible to do such a thing. But if the camera lens has a proper image stabilization, even with a lower shutter speed, you can let more light reach the camera sensor and, as a result, take better photos. All of them work the same. Of course, if you are using a mirrorless camera, your camera probably has a sensor stabilizer that can fill the gap of the lens stabilizer well.
Camera lens accessories
When you want to buy a camera lens, you need to budget for its accessories like adapter, filter , hood and other such items as well. To choose a filter, you should naturally pay attention to the size of the desired lens. Also, if the purchased lens has a high weight and a large size, you should see if the camera tripod can support this added weight or not.
Conclusion
As you can see, buying a new lens is not a difficult task and the main challenge for many photographers is the high price of the camera lens, especially considering the decrease in purchasing power in Iran. But finally, we must emphasize that buying the right lens can give your camera a new lease of life. In simple words, a lens is the eye of the camera, and by buying the right camera lens, you can capture much more attractive photos in different situations.
- What is a pancake lens and is it worth buying?
Source: MakeUseOf