You need to be guided by the characteristics. We will tell you what the lens characteristics mean and which ones are especially important to pay attention to.
Focal length
The focal length determines what will fit in your frame. The shorter the focal length (for example, 18 mm), the wider the viewing angle and the more objects you can fit in the frame.
But, the distortion of perspective in the frame also depends on the focal length. At a short focal length, objects may become distorted. It is believed that the focal length that is closest to how a person sees the world is 50 mm.
Based on focal length, lenses are divided into the following types:
- Ultra wide angle- from 7 mm (circular fisheye) to 24 mm
- Lenses with these focal lengths greatly distort the image by “stretching” the perspective. Used for shooting in confined spaces and interiors and other situations where you need to cover the maximum angle of view. For example, 14mm is often used in landscape. Blurring the background is very difficult.
- Wide angle- from 24 to 35 mm
- Distortion here is noticeably less, as is the coverage angle. This range is considered convenient for street photography and genre. Also suitable for landscape photography and group portraits.
- Normal- from 35 to 85 mm.
- You can shoot full-length portraits and landscapes. Not suitable for shooting large portraits, as it distorts the proportions of the face.
- Long focal length (telephoto lenses)- from 85 mm
- Starting from 85 mm, there is virtually no perspective distortion. For a portrait, the ideal range is 85-135 mm. After 135 mm, the space shrinks, which also distorts the portrait.
Long focal length lenses are also used to shoot wildlife, sports and everything that is difficult to get close to. The higher the focal length, the more the background is blurred, all other things being equal.
- Starting from 85 mm, there is virtually no perspective distortion. For a portrait, the ideal range is 85-135 mm. After 135 mm, the space shrinks, which also distorts the portrait.
The distortion of facial proportions at different focal lengths is clearly shown below. Note that at 200mm the space is greatly compressed, again distorting the image of the face.
The example below shows how perspective shrinks at different focal lengths:
The focal length on the lens is indicated for a full-frame sensor. On other matrices, the image will simply be cropped and the focal length will be recalculated.
For example, if you have an APS-C matrix, your crop factor will be 1.5 - 1.6x. If the format is micro 4/3, then 2x.
Recalculating the focal length will make it clear how much you can “bring the object closer”. But the distortion will not go away and 50mm in terms of conversion will become almost a portrait focal length of 75mm, but with the same distortions.
Maximum aperture
This is the maximum possible aperture value for this lens. For zoom lenses, the range of the maximum possible aperture is often specified. For example, f/3.5-5.6 for a lens with a focal length of 18-105mm means that at 18mm the maximum aperture will be f/3.5, and at 105mm it will be f/5.6.
As you know, the smaller the aperture value, the shallower the depth of field and the more blurred the background. All lenses show maximum image quality at average aperture values of f/8 - f/11.
Aperture
This is an indicator of the maximum aperture of the lens and the quality of the optics. How less number f (for example f/1.4), the faster the lens.
High-aperture lenses use high-quality glass and special anti-reflective coatings that reduce reflections. Therefore, fast lenses are a priori considered to be of very high quality.
Manual and automatic focusing
Most lenses are available with autofocus. The exception is lenses from Carl Zeiss, Samyang and other third-party manufacturers that produce non-autofocus lenses.
Old lenses that can be found in the consignment departments of a photo store are also not autofocus. Non-autofocus lenses have their advantages. This is the price and individual design and bokeh.
Minimum focusing distance
Everything is simple here - this is the minimum distance to the subject required for the lens to focus. One important point is that this distance is measured from the camera matrix; this point is marked on the camera body.
Focus design
There are two types of lens focusing designs - external and internal. When focusing externally, some external parts of the lens may move (for example, move forward).
Internal focusing means that the external parts of the lens do not rotate when focusing. Accordingly, when shooting, you can safely hold onto the lens, as well as use a polarizing filter, since the front element of the lens does not rotate when focusing.
Thread diameter for filter
This characteristic is indicated on the lens and shows what diameter filters can be used with this lens.
Weight
Typically, lens weight varies from 400 to 800 grams. There are, of course, lighter 50mm primes weighing 200 grams and heavier telephotos weighing 1500 grams.
Weight itself does not matter. But all other things being equal, it is better to choose a lighter lens. Experience shows that at the end of an active shooting day, even a man gets tired of holding a camera with a heavy lens. Well, the girl, you know, will get even more tired.
It is also more convenient to hold a camera with a lighter lens with one hand, for example, when your other hand is occupied with an external flash.
Image stabilization system
The stabilizer compensates for minor vibrations when shooting and allows you to get sharp shots. This is true for shooting in low light, when the shutter speed becomes short, as well as when shooting at long focal lengths - 100mm or more.
Lenses with a stabilizer are more expensive, but when choosing a primary lens, it is advisable to choose a model with a stabilizer.
If you have a stabilizer built into your camera, then, as a rule, the effect of the joint work of two stabilizers is enhanced.
Lens resolution
You will not find this characteristic in the description of the lens in the store. But you must understand what it is and what it is needed for.
Resolution reflects the detail of the image conveyed by the lens. Measured in the number of lines a lens can project per millimeter of sensor (or film). Accordingly, the more lines, the more detailed image you will get.
This parameter is relevant for matrices with a resolution of 40 megapixels and higher. Almost all relatively modern lenses are suitable for less.
Drawing
This is what they say about the picture that is obtained with this or that lens. Each lens has its own image and it can only be described by subjective sensations - sharp/not sharp, loose, etc. The bokeh of the lenses also differs.
bokeh
This is a pattern created by the lens in the out-of-focus area. The wider the aperture is, the stronger the bokeh. Each lens model has its own individual bokeh.
Lens called optical device, which projects an image onto a flat surface. All lenses consist of a set of lenses, and some models also have mirrors. All optical elements are assembled into a single system, which is placed inside the frame.
Lenses can be classified by anglereview or by focal length:
Ultra Wide Angle Lenses — The focal length of such lenses is less than the shortest side of the frame. Moreover, the viewing angle of such a lens is quite large. Usually it is more than 100°.
Wide angle lens or short-focus - The focal length of such a lens is less than the wide side of the frame - it is 24-35 mm. It is designed for filming limited space. Its viewing angle is 60-100°.
Normal lens — With such a lens, the focal length can be equated to the diagonal of the frame. For 35 mm film, such a lens can be considered an optical device with a focal length of 50 mm, but in theory it should be 43 mm. The viewing angle is approximately 45°. It is generally accepted that the perspective conveyed by such a lens is closest to the normal one perceived by the human eye.
Portrait lens — There is no exact definition of a portrait lens. Its focal length ranges from one to three frame diagonals and is 50–130 mm with a viewing angle of 18–45°.
Telephoto lens(long lens). Its focal length significantly exceeds the frame diagonal. It has a low viewing angle and is used for photographing distant objects.
Today, modern zoom lenses are widespread. They are also called cinema lenses or zoom lenses from English Zoom.
If anyone has not read the article, I strongly recommend that you read it, because the topic of today’s article will have something in common with the previous one. For everyone else, I will repeat the summary once again. There are three types of cameras: compact, mirrorless and DSLR. Compact ones are the simplest, and mirror ones are the most advanced. The practical conclusion of the article was that for more or less serious photography, you should opt for mirrorless and DSLR cameras.
Today we will talk about the device of the camera. As in any business, you need to understand the principle of operation of your tool for confident management. It is not necessary to know the device thoroughly, but you need to understand the main components and operating principle. This will allow you to look at the camera from a different perspective - not as a black box with an input signal in the form of light and an output in the form of a finished image, but as a device in which you understand and understand where the light goes next and how the final result is obtained. We won’t touch on compact cameras, but rather talk about DSLR and mirrorless cameras.
SLR camera design
Globally, a camera consists of two parts: a camera (also called the body) and a lens. The carcass looks like this:
Carcass - front view
Carcass - top view
And this is what the camera looks like complete with a lens:
Now let's look at the schematic image of the camera. The diagram will show the structure of the camera “in cross-section” from the same angle as in the last image. The numbers on the diagram indicate the main components that we will consider.
After adjusting all the settings, framing and focusing, the photographer presses the shutter button. At the same time, the mirror rises and the stream of light falls on main element camera - matrix.
As you can see, the mirror rises and shutter 1 opens. The shutter in DSLRs is mechanical and determines the time during which light will enter matrix 2. This time is called shutter speed. It is also called the matrix exposure time. Key shutter characteristics: shutter lag and shutter speed. Shutter lag determines how quickly the shutter curtains open after you press the shutter button - the lower the lag, the more likely it is that that car rushing past you that you're trying to capture will be in focus, not blurred, and framed the way you did when using the viewfinder. For DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, the shutter lag is small and is measured in ms (milliseconds). The shutter speed determines the minimum amount of time the shutter will be open - i.e. minimum shutter speed. On budget cameras and mid-level cameras, the minimum shutter speed is 1/4000 s, on expensive ones (mostly full-frame) – 1/8000 s. When the mirror is raised, light does not enter either the focusing system or the pentaprism through the focusing screen, but directly onto the sensor through the open shutter. When you take a picture with a SLR camera and look through the viewfinder all the time, then after pressing the shutter you will temporarily see black spot, not an image. This time is determined by the shutter speed. If you set the shutter speed to 5 seconds, for example, then after pressing the shutter button you will see a black spot for 5 seconds. After the matrix is exposed, the mirror returns to its original position and light again enters the viewfinder. IT IS IMPORTANT! As you can see, there are two main elements that regulate the flow of light entering the sensor. This is aperture 2 (see previous diagram), which determines the amount of light transmitted, and the shutter, which regulates shutter speed - the time it takes for light to hit the matrix. These concepts are at the heart of photography. Their variations achieve different effects and it is important to understand their physical meaning.
Camera matrix 2 is a microcircuit with photosensitive elements (photodiodes) that react to light. In front of the matrix there is a light filter, which is responsible for obtaining a color image. Two important characteristics of the matrix are its size and signal-to-noise ratio. The higher both are, the better. We will talk more about photomatrices in a separate article, because... this is a very broad topic.
From the matrix, the image goes to the ADC (analog-to-digital converter), from there to the processor, processed (or not processed if shooting in RAW) and saved to a memory card.
More to important details DSLRs can be classified as aperture repeaters. The fact is that focusing is done with the aperture fully open (as far as possible is determined by the design of the lens). By setting a closed aperture in the settings, the photographer does not see changes in the viewfinder. In particular, the depth of field remains constant. To see what the output frame will be like, you can press the button, the aperture will close to the set value and you will see the changes before pressing the shutter button. An aperture repeater is installed on most DSLRs, but few people use it: beginners often don’t know about it or don’t understand its purpose, while experienced photographers know approximately what the depth of field will be in certain conditions and it’s easier for them to take a test shot and, if necessary, change the settings .
Mirrorless camera design
Let's immediately look at the diagram and discuss in detail.
Mirrorless cameras are much simpler than DSLRs and are essentially their simplified version. They don't have a mirror and complex system phase focusing, and a different type of viewfinder is installed.
The light flux enters through the lens onto matrix 1. Naturally, the light passes through the diaphragm in the lens. It is not indicated on the diagram, but I think, by analogy with DSLRs, you guessed where it is located, because the lenses of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are practically the same in design (except in size, bayonet mount and number of lenses). Moreover, most lenses from DSLRs can be installed on mirrorless cameras via adapters. Mirrorless cameras do not have a shutter (more precisely, it is electronic), so the shutter speed is adjusted by the time during which the matrix is turned on (receives photons). As for the matrix size, it corresponds to Micro 4/3 or APS-C format. The second is used more often and fully corresponds to matrices built into DSLRs from the budget to the advanced amateur segment. Now full-frame mirrorless cameras have begun to appear. I think that in the future the number of FF (Full Frame) mirrorless cameras will increase.
In the diagram, number 2 indicates the processor, which receives the information received by the matrix.
Under the number 3 is a screen on which the image is displayed in real time (Live View mode). Unlike DSLRs, this is not difficult to do in mirrorless cameras, because the light flow is not blocked by the mirror, but flows freely onto the matrix.
In general, everything looks just great - complex structural mechanical elements (mirror, focusing sensors, focusing screen, pentaprism, shutter) have been removed. This made production much easier and cheaper, reduced the size and weight of the devices, but also created a lot of other problems. I hope you remember them from the section on mirrorless cameras in the article about. If not, then now we will discuss them, simultaneously examining what technical features caused by these shortcomings.
The first major problem is the viewfinder. Since the light hits the matrix directly and is not reflected anywhere, we cannot see the image directly. We see only what gets onto the matrix, then is incomprehensibly converted in the processor and displayed on an incomprehensible screen. Those. There are many errors in the system. Moreover, each element has its own delays and we do not see the image right away, which is unpleasant when shooting dynamic scenes (due to the constantly improving characteristics of processors, viewfinder screens and matrices, this is not so critical, but it still happens). The image is displayed on the electronic viewfinder, which has a high resolution, but which still cannot be compared with the resolution of the eye. Electronic viewfinders tend to become blind in bright light due to limited brightness and contrast. But it is more than likely that in the future this problem will be overcome and a pure image passed through a series of mirrors will go into oblivion just like “correct film photography.”
The second problem arose due to the lack of phase detection autofocus sensors. Instead, a contrast method is used, which determines by contour what should be in focus and what should not. In this case, the objective lenses move a certain distance, the contrast of the scene is determined, the lenses move again and again the contrast is determined. And so on until maximum contrast is reached and the camera focuses. This takes too much time and is less accurate than a phase system. But at the same time, contrast autofocus is a software function and does not take up extra space. Nowadays they have already learned to integrate phase sensors into mirrorless matrices, creating hybrid autofocus. In terms of speed, it is comparable to the autofocus system of DSLRs, but so far it is installed only in selected expensive models. I think this problem will also be solved in the future.
The third problem is low autonomy due to the fact that it is stuffed with electronics that are constantly working. If the photographer is working with the camera, then all this time the light enters the matrix, is constantly processed by the processor and displayed on the screen or electronic viewfinder with high speed updates - the photographer must see what is happening in real time, and not in recordings. By the way, the latter (I’m talking about the viewfinder) also consumes energy, and not a little, because its resolution is high and brightness and contrast should be at the same level. I note that with increasing pixel density, i.e. when their size decreases with the same power consumption, brightness and contrast inevitably decrease. Therefore, to power high-quality screens with high resolution a lot of energy is wasted. Compared to DSLRs, the number of frames that can be taken on a single battery charge is several times less. For now, this problem is critical, because it will not be possible to significantly reduce energy consumption, and we cannot count on a breakthrough in batteries. At least that's the problem for a long time exists on the market of laptops, tablets and smartphones and its solution has not been successful.
The fourth issue presents both an advantage and a disadvantage. It's about about camera ergonomics. Due to the removal of “unnecessary elements” of mirror origin, the dimensions have decreased. But they are trying to position mirrorless cameras as a replacement for DSLRs, and the size of the matrices confirms this. Accordingly, the lenses used are not the most small size. A small mirrorless camera, similar to a digital compact, simply disappears from view when using a telephoto lens (a lens with a long focal length that brings objects very close). Also, many controls are hidden in the menu. In DSLRs they are placed on the body in the form of buttons. And it’s simply more pleasant to work with a device that fits well in your hand, doesn’t tend to slip out, and in which you can quickly change settings by touch without thinking. But camera size is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, a large size has the advantages described above, and on the other hand, a small camera fits into any pocket, you can take it with you more often and people pay less attention to it.
As for the fifth problem, it is related to optics. There are currently many mounts (types of lens mounts for cameras). There are an order of magnitude fewer lenses made for them than for the mounts of the main DSLR systems. The problem is solved by installing adapters, with which you can use absolute majority SLR lenses. Sorry for the pun)
Compact camera design
As for compacts, they have a lot of limitations, the main one of which is the small size of the matrix. This does not allow you to get a picture with low noise, high dynamic range, high-quality blurring of the background and imposes a lot of other restrictions. Next up is the autofocus system. If DSLRs and mirrorless cameras use phase and contrast types of autofocus, which are classified as a passive type of focusing, since they do not emit anything, then compacts use active autofocus. The camera emits a pulse of infrared light, which bounces off the object and back into the camera. The travel time of this pulse determines the distance to the object. This system is very slow and does not work over significant distances.
Compacts use non-replaceable low-quality optics. A wide range of accessories is not available for them, as for their older brothers. Sighting occurs in Live View mode on the display or through the viewfinder. The latter is ordinary glass, not very good quality, is not connected to the camera's optical system, resulting in incorrect framing. This is especially noticeable when shooting nearby objects. The operating time of compacts on a single charge is short, the body is small and its ergonomics are much worse than those of mirrorless cameras. The number of available settings is limited and they are hidden deep in the menu.
If we talk about the design of compacts, then it is simple and is a simplified mirrorless camera. It has a smaller and worse matrix, a different type of autofocus, no normal viewfinder, no ability to replace lenses, low battery life and ill-conceived ergonomics.
Conclusion
We briefly looked at the design of cameras various types. I think now you have a general idea about internal structure cameras This topic is very broad, but to understand and control the processes that occur when shooting with certain cameras at different settings and with different optics, I think the above information will be enough. In the future, we will still talk about individual essential elements: matrix, autofocus systems and lenses. For now, let's leave it at that.
Lenses: classification, characteristics, areas of use
The vast majority of beginning photographers buy their first DSLR with a standard so-called “kit” lens. It is good only for the first time; as skill increases, the capabilities of the “whale” cease to satisfy even the most undemanding photographer. The question arises: what to buy instead? To answer this, you need to understand what types of lenses there are, for what purposes they are used, and what affects their price.
Focal lengths
The main criterion for dividing lenses by type, as well as the most important characteristic of any lens, is the focal length. It depends on it whether this lens is used for photo hunting, portrait photography or, say, landscape photography. The focal length is measured in millimeters, but this is a somewhat arbitrary value.
Since film times, lenses with a focal length of 50 mm have been considered standard. In those days, lenses with variable focal lengths were not very common, many photographers had only a fifty-kopeck lens, and framed the picture with their feet, moving closer and further from the subject. 50mm is an average value: neither wide nor narrow. To visualize it clearly, close one eye. What you see second is approximately the angle of view of a 50mm lens.
Lenses with a focal length in the range of 70-150 mm are considered to be portrait lenses. Let’s make a reservation that a portrait can be photographed with any lens (although it can turn out to be very specific), but these distances are the classics of portraiture: at focal lengths of less than 70 mm, wide-angle distortion is possible, and at focal lengths of more than 150 mm, the photographer will need to move away from the model too far.
Fisheye portraits are very special
Lenses with focal lengths greater than 150 mm are called telephoto lenses. This is an optic for those who want to shoot from afar with high magnification. There are different types of televisions: 200 mm, 300 mm, and even 1000 mm. As the range increases, the dimensions, weight and price increase.
Crop factor
In the film era there were no problems, since all devices worked with a certain film size (the most popular was 24x36 mm). Today, most digital matrices are cropped, that is, having a size smaller than 24x36 mm. On such devices, lenses begin to work somewhat differently. Formally, the focal length and all the distortions associated with it remain, but the viewing angle of the lens narrows. This is easy to visualize if you cut off half the frame at the edges in a graphics editor.
Considering that each camera has its own crop factor, everyone would have been confused long ago if optical manufacturers had not agreed to label lenses as focal lengths in terms of full-length cameras. This allows you to standardize focal lengths, but in order to recalculate the values for your camera, the photographer needs to know the crop factor. It's easy to remember. For cropped DSLRs Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Samsung, as well as mirrorless cameras from Samsung and Sony, it is 1.5, for Canon xxxxD, xxxD, xxD series devices, as well as 7D - 1.6, for Canon xD series - 1.3 , mirrorless and DSLR Olympus and Panasonic - 2. It is by these numbers that you need to multiply the numbers written on the lens. Owners of full-format cameras like Canon 5D or Nikon D700 do not need to multiply anything - their crop factor is equal to one.
Fix or zoom
Structurally, all lenses can be divided into 2 types: with a fixed focal length and with a variable one. Or, simply put, primes and zooms. The features of both categories are clear from the names: fixed lenses do not have the ability to zoom out or zoom in on the image, while zooms do have it. Using lenses with a fixed or variable focal length is one of the fiercest photo holivars. Each approach has its pros and cons, and there is no right answer.
Fixes are very compact...
On the fixed side, the most important plus is the image quality. A fixed image will always be better than a zoom of a similar price category, and there is nothing surprising about this - the laws of physics. At the same time, fixes are lighter, more compact and cheaper. However, in terms of ease of use, zooms are much preferable. Where the owner of a prime lens moves from place to place or hysterically places another lens on the device, the owner of a zoom will simply change the focal length with the ring on the lens and take a shot.
The issue of quality is not so critical. There are zooms that give a picture no worse than primes, they just cost more. Convenience comes at a price. Although the economic issue is also not obvious. Zooms are more expensive, but can cover focal lengths that would require multiple primes. And this can continue indefinitely.
...and zooms are bulky
In general, the problem of choosing between zooms and primes can be solved this way. If you shoot dynamic subjects (reportage, sports, travel photography), then lenses with variable focal lengths are much better suited for you. For all other types of shooting, you can use primes. The most pragmatic photographers usually have both types of glass in their cases.
Note also that the type of lens does not affect its functionality in any way. If the lens has a focal length of 400 mm, then it is a telephoto, whether fixed or zoom.
Maximum aperture
How far the lens aperture can open is called aperture ratio. This is an important parameter of any lens. There are no different opinions here - the higher the aperture, the better the lens. With it, you can blur the background more, shoot at dusk, and increase the shutter speed to avoid blurring. There is only one problem with aperture: increasing it significantly increases the price of the lens. For example, a lens with a focal length of 50 mm and aperture ratio of 1.8 costs about 5 thousand rubles, while a 50/1.4 lens costs 11-12 thousand rubles. Of course, they differ not only in aperture, but the difference in price is more than twofold.
Aperture is indicated by the aperture number - the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of the lens light hole. The aperture number has an inverse relationship, that is, the lower it is, the more the aperture can physically open. Lenses with an aperture of 2.8 and wider are usually called “light”, lenses with an aperture of 3.5 and narrower are called “dark”.
Canon 50/1.2
There is one more nuance: a “light” lens will always be heavier and larger than its “dark” counterpart. Aperture is another plus for fixed focal length lenses. Due to their simplicity and cheapness, they are usually faster than zooms. If for zooms an aperture of 2.8 is the limit above which even top-end “glasses” cannot jump, then primes often come with a relative aperture of 1.8, 1.4 and even 1.2.
Special Lenses
There are several categories of lenses for specialized types of photography. They have the same focal length and aperture as regular glass, but have additional capabilities. The most popular example is macro lenses. Their feature is a short focusing distance and a large image scale. To photograph little bug Ordinary lenses cannot cover the entire frame. But macro glass can perform the functions of conventional lenses. Depending on the focal length, the “makrushnik” will turn into a telephoto or portrait camera. However, it is irrational to buy them exclusively for “non-core” purposes: macro lenses are more expensive than regular ones.
There is a special class of shift and tilt lenses. These are “glasses” that can either move (shift) or tilt (tilt) from the optical axis, and sometimes they combine both “chips”. The first ones are used for shooting architecture and other technology and are good because they allow you to get rid of geometric distortions. The latter are used to obtain a sharp image of objects that are not perpendicular to the lens axis. This is true for macro photography. As a bonus, a tilt lens has a very specific bokeh (background blur), which cannot be replicated in graphic editors and is actively used in artistic photography. The effect is popular - in photographs taken with this lens, objects look like small toys photographed at life size. These lenses are not just expensive, but very expensive, and therefore are quite rare.
This is how a tilt lens shoots
There are lenses like Lensbaby. They are used for creative and artistic shots. As you can guess from the name, they are suitable for photographing children. In the pictures taken with this type of lens, only the central part is sharp, and the edges are very blurred. Such lenses are not suitable for everyday shooting, because the effect quickly becomes boring, but for periodic shooting they are fine. Moreover, Lensbaby is relatively inexpensive.
Price
As we noted above, there are a lot of parameters that directly affect the price of lenses. The larger the zoom, aperture and dial additional features- the more expensive the optics. Even focal lengths affect the price. The cheapest “glass” is with a focal length of 50 mm; the further away from this value, the more expensive. But the price is also influenced by other parameters that you need to know in order to navigate your choice.
Series
There are amateur lenses, there are professional ones, and it is not always possible to judge that they belong to a higher class by technical specifications. Professional ones are more expensive not only because they have a wider aperture or a larger zoom (although this is usually also the case) - they use higher quality glass, a more advanced optical design, better dust and moisture protection, and the design uses more durable metal rather than plastic. Some manufacturers indicate their professional series in the labeling (for example, Canon adds the letter L, and Sigma - EX), others do not, you need to figure it out yourself or ask the consultants in the store.
Canon marks professional lenses with the letter L and a red stripe
Brand
Optics are manufactured by both camera manufacturers (Canon, Nikon and others) and third-party companies (Tokina, Tamron and others). “Branded” lenses have better characteristics than “glasses” from other manufacturers, but they are also more expensive. For comparison: the top Nikon 24-70/2.8 zoom costs about 42 thousand rubles, while the Sigma 24-70/2.8 costs 18-20 thousand. Whether the difference in quality is worth the double overpayment, each photographer decides for himself.
Format
Different lenses are designed to work with full-format or cropped matrices. Cropping in itself does not make the optics better or worse, but to make such a lens you need less glass, plastic and metal, so they cost less. If you have a cropped camera, then using such lenses will help you save money. You can often find out about the crop of a lens by its markings. Canon “calls” such optics EF-S (full-format ones have the designation EF), Nikon adds the abbreviation DX (full-format ones don’t have it). It’s worth considering that full-frame optics can be used on a cropped camera, but vice versa – not.
Stabilizer
Canon and Nikon, unlike other companies, do not build image stabilizers into their devices, but install them in the lenses. But not everything. The presence of a stabilizer can increase the price of a lens by 1.5-2 times, but whether it is needed or not is up to the photographer to decide.
Greetings, dear guest of my site. Today, a little boring theory from the world of photography. Let's talk about something without which no photograph can be created - about lenses. For a beginner, this may be a boring topic, but avid amateur and professional photographers can talk tirelessly for hours about lenses and their characteristics. Many beginner photographers, when buying their first SLR camera, do not know which lens to take as the first one and are looking for universal options for all occasions. I will tell you about the classification of lenses and their purpose. Once you become familiar with the classification of lenses, choosing the lens that best suits you will not be difficult, so read the article to the end and you will become an expert in camera optics.
1. Classification of lenses by type of bayonet mount.
The type of bayonet mount is the very first criterion for choosing lenses. As you probably already guessed, the bayonet mount is the means by which the lens is attached to the camera.
Nikon F - mount for all Nikon DSLRs.
Nikon 1 – Bynet of Nikon lenses for the Nikon1 mirrorless system
Canon EF /Canon EF-S – Canon DSLR mount. EF - lenses for full frame, EF-S - lenses for cropped cameras. They have the same bayonet mount.
CanonEOSM – mount for Canon mirrorless cameras.
MinoltaA – This mount is used by Sony. For DSLR cameras
E - mount - Also used by Sony, but for new compact mirrorless cameras with a shorter flange distance.
2. Classification of lenses by focal length
Based on focal lengths, lenses are classified into 3 categories:
2.1. wide angle lenses.
They are also called “fish eyes”. They have a very wide angle of coverage and allow you to shoot various scenes at close range. The focal length of such lenses is up to 35mm
Purpose: Landscape photography, architectural photography, interior photography, convenient for shooting.
2.2. Regular or standard lenses.
These lenses have a smaller field of view. These are the most commonly used focal lengths: 35-70mm
Purpose: Most often used for shooting general and medium plans.
2.3. Long focal length lenses or telephotos.
- 2.3.1 Portrait lenses The name speaks for itself 70-135mm The division is very arbitrary, but it is at these focal lengths that the least image distortion occurs
Purpose: shooting portraits.
- 2.3.2 Tele lenses These lenses have a narrow field of view, but can be used to shoot from a great distance. 70mm or more
Purpose: Shooting from long distances, shooting wild animals in their habitat, detective spy lens
3. Fix or zoom lens.
You all probably know what it is zoom lenses. The vast majority of digital cameras on the market today have zoom lenses. The convenience and versatility of zoom lenses lies in the fact that they have a variable focal length. This is convenient because you can crop the photo before shooting, bring the subject closer or further away by changing the focal length of the lens.
It would seem that you bought yourself a couple of zoom lenses and this will be enough for all occasions, however, due to their versatility, it is technically difficult and expensive to make a large aperture on a zoom lens, so zoom lenses are relatively dark compared to prime lenses.
Prime lenses have a constant focal length, and it doesn't change. It would seem that this is inconvenient, but all prime lenses have high aperture.
Sometimes the gain in aperture can be 3-4 stops, which allows you to shoot in low light without zooming and at the same time use acceptable values without fear of movement.
4. Optical image stabilizer
Lenses are also divided by the presence or absence of an optical image stabilizer.
Lenses without a stabilizer, everything is simple and clear with them. They DO NOT contain stabilizer. These are the vast majority of fixed lenses, rare models of fixed lenses are found with image stabilization, and then these are telephoto lenses.
Most often, an optical stabilizer is installed on zoom lenses. Especially for lenses with long focal lengths.
Purpose: the image stabilizer allows you to compensate for hand shake, camera shake from shutter release, and prevents camera micro-vibrations when shooting at long shutter speeds. Good image stabilizers allow you to compensate up to 4 stops of exposure.
Photographers follow the rule: shutter speed is equal to 1/lens focal length. That is, if you shoot with a 200mm telephoto lens, the shutter speed should be no longer than 1/200 of a second, and if you shoot with a cropped camera, it’s better to multiply it by the crop factor. On crop it turns out no longer than 1/300 of a second. If you use, for example, a shutter speed of 1/100, then there is a high probability of movement in the frame. This is where image stabilizer comes to the rescue. The image stabilizer allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds and eliminates the possibility of movement in the photo.
Summarizing.
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With respect, Roman.
