A lens is a tool used to bring light to a fixed focal point. For croppedframe cameras, this is roughly anything less than 24mm. The most common, and in many ways, versatile type is called the standard or normal zoom lens. Take a quick and informative first step into the world of lenses with canon expert, jon lorentz, as he offers insights related to the different types of lenses, helpful tips and more. The one thing you should consider is whether or not your camera needs lenses with a motor built into the lens. Normal wide angle telephoto zoom we will be discussing them in this order. The complete guide to canons lens terms digital camera world. Apr 06, 2016 dx cameras and lenses are smaller and lighter than their fx brothers, but the sensor in an fx camera can gather more light, and tends to perform better in low light. Knowing what types of lenses there are and what they do will help you choose the right lenses for the type of photography you want to pursue. Learn about camera lenses one of the biggest reasons people buy a more advanced camera is to have the option of changing lenses, or selecting a lens that helps their photography. Lenses that have a zoom ring that enables you to change the. The complete guide to canons lens terms digital camera. Learn about camera lenses a guide the digital process.
Understanding digital slr lens types and focal lengths dummies. Picking out a lens for a 35mm film camera was simple because 35mm lenses capture images as you see them. So, in a nutshell, bc you are shooting with a dx camera, dx lenses will work fine. This tutorial aims to improve understanding by providing an introductory overview of concepts relating to image quality, focal length. Beyond that, manufacturers seem to vary in their preferences as far as how they name nd filtersadding to the confusion.
Finely focused photography bks understanding dslr lenses. Beginners guide to nikkor lenses what digital camera. You can use both types of lens on both types of camera, but if you use a dx lens on an fx body the camera will automatically switch to dx crop mode at reduced resolution and use. Camera lens terms explained for beginner photographers. Well discuss camera lenses first because theyre the camera equipment you need for each and every shot, regardless of style. For fullframe lenses, 35mm and under is considered wide angle territory. Jul 14, 2017 this term indicates that the camera and lens can communicate electronically to drive the focusing system inside the lens and all ef lenses have their own focusing motors built into them. Everything you need to know about camera lenses photography. Youll learn not only which camera settings to use in different situations but also the reasons why. A beginners guide to learning about your dslr camera, lens. The best part is the very helpful graphics that make it easy to understand basic lens concepts. Focal length focal length is the distance in millimetres from the imaging surface film or sensor and the optical centre of the lens when it is focused at infinity.
All but the simplest cameras contain lenses which are actually comprised of several. The neutral density nd filter is one of those tools that should be in almost every photographers camera bag. Short and sweet tour of the terminology and techniques of contemporary digital slr camera lenses. Familiarize yourself with the unique characteristics of digital imagery. Oct 17, 2017 the basics of camera lenses explained, tips on how to choose a lens for video, and examples of what different focal lengths look like. Learn how to master techniques like lighting and composition to create great looking photos and pump up your artistry. Understanding the basics of camera lenses august, 2015 in photography, really cool lenses are those mysterious pieces of gear that everyone loves to talk about, but few have enough money to afford. Understanding camera lenses canon educational articles. When you zoom your lens in, youre zooming between 18mm and 55mm. Choosing the right lens for the task can become a complex tradeoff between cost, size, weight, lens speed and image quality. At their most basic, cameras are sealed boxes the camera body with a small hole the aperture that let light in to capture an image on a lightsensitive surface usually photographic film or a digital sensor. Understanding dslr lenses will painlessly provide help and insight into the often confusing and intimidating world of dslr camera lenses. Cameras may come in a lot of different shapes and sizes but the basic functions of all cameras are the same.
There is an inherent distorting quality to a camera lens, and you have to embrace that to get your vision properly captured on film or in the. A good lens allows you to get clear, focused shots while offering the flexibility to creatively frame your subjects. Nikon d series are older lenses still great though. There are also wideangle and telephoto zoom lenses. Shutter speed, aperture, and depth of field are universal concepts of photography. Lenses that lack zoom functionality like a portrait. If you are using a phone or other pocket camera, you will have a single lens built in, and maybe the option to stick accessories in front of it. A short lens, such as a 20mm, 24mm, or a 28mm, are focal lengths for wideangle lenses that take wideangle photos. Fredos full aperture, 5mm why are lenses so complex. When looking for a lens for your monorail or field camera our used large format lenses are the way to go.
A photographer shooting with a canon dslr in a street understanding the camera lens. Choose lenses that give greater control over perspective minimize image noise by understanding how digital sensors work get the exposure you want even in fog, mist, or haze. The basics of camera lenses explained, tips on how to choose a lens for video, and examples of what different focal lengths look like. Where zoom lenses have a variable focal length, prime lenses have a fixed focal length. Lenses, at the same time, are still labelled for 35mm film cameras, unless you buy a digitalspecific lens. Understanding digital slr lens types and focal lengths. Canon expert, jon lorentz, shows some examples of the amazing images you can capture with canon lenses, such as the 815mm lens.
Choose lenses that give greater control over perspective minimize image noise by understanding how digital sensors work get the exposure you want even in fog, mist, or haze improve handheld shots by mastering shutter speed and autofocus use tripods, lens filters, and flash to enhance image capture. A camera lens focal length the distance from the lens most focused image to the camera s sensor itself is written in millimeters. As a result, crop sensor cameras give lenses a longer effective focal length, much like i described my 50mm lens acting like an 80mm lens when i use it on my crop sensor camera body. Now that you understand how exposure and digital data work, the next most important thing is choosing the appropriate lens to control how the image appears. The figure below gives a pictorial representation of the inside the lens. Choosing the best digital photography book can help you choose the best digital camera. Learn the core concepts and techniques you need to know to take better photos, from choosing the best lens for your stylistic goals to selecting the right camera settings for selection from understanding photography book. The mm stands for millimeter, and this is the distance between your cameras sensor, and the point of convergence in the lens. You can use ef lenses on all canon eos dslr bodies, and you can also use these on canons range eos m series of mirrorless cameras via the efeos m adapter. These lenses have a focal length less than the diagonal size of the camera sensor.
Understanding camera lenses can help add more creative control to digital photography. Check out my top 3 cheap canon lens recommendations here. A camera without a lens is useless to a photographer. A camera is an optical instrument used to record images.
Unlock your creative vision and your cameras full potential with over 90 nikkor lenseseach optimized to deliver stunning results across a variety of applications. Straight forward information that is clear and concise. Sometimes marketed under the samyang brand, vivitar also makes several specialty lenses such as fish eye lens and ultra telephotos. This term indicates that the camera and lens can communicate electronically to drive the focusing system inside the lens and all ef lenses have their own focusing motors built into them.
For example, most digital camera lenses have a tough time taking a closeup shot when set for a wide angle. For example, the kit lens that came with my first camera is an 1855mm zoom. Topics covered include zoom lenses, prime lenses, wide angle, mid. A great camera is only as good as the lens youve chosen. Official nikon photography books and dvds offer lessons and tutorials to help you improve your photography skills. As you get to know your lenses, and understand the effect of focal length and aperture on the. Trending price is based on prices over last 90 days. For example, canon crop sensor cameras have a magnification of 1. To make understanding focal length more difficult, the same focal. An illustrated guidebook finely focused photography books 3. Normal lens this lens is called normal because it has little if. Just know this lens designers and creators are amazingly smart.
Save on canon canon ef camera lenses trending price is based on prices over last 90 days. Learn to make the most of whats in your camera bag. Wideangle lenses specialize in taking landscapes and cityscape photos where the subjects are large and often. Apr 24, 2017 choosing the best digital photography book can help you choose the best digital camera. Lenses are an important part of digital slr photography. Its not so easy to send light where it should go source. Best canon dslr lenses for beginners compare top lenses. The ability to change lenses is one of the greatest strengths of the dslr camera but lens selection requires some insight.
Optimization free parameters lens curvature, width, position, type of glass some can be fixed, other vary with focal length, focus e. A camera lens also known as photographic lens or photographic objective is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically there is no major difference in principle between a lens used for a still camera. The pictured book in the thumbnail is an outstanding book if you want to understand classic lenses and their designs and evolutions. The lens is what focuses light from what you see through the viewfinder into a tiny. It would have been nice to have read this book before buying my camera. Used camera lenses while view cameras take time to set up, the right view camera lenses with sufficient image circle for tilt and shift movements allow a degree of focus manipulation and perspective control unmatched by other formats.
However, nd filters are mysterious to some, and many folks just dont understand how, where, and when to use them. This video teaches how to understand everything about camera lenses, which can be very difficult starting out. Cameras have various mechanisms to control how the light falls onto the lightsensitive surface. Lenses and depth of field university of california, irvine. I can shoot wideangle shots at 18mm, short telephoto shots at 55mm, and everything in between. The series 1 line of lenses was one of the early attempts of third party popular lens makers to compete directly with camera brand lenses, and they succeeded very well. How mirrorless cameras are revolutionizing lens design.
A camera lens is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body. Focal length focal length is the distance in millimetres from the imaging surface film or sensor and the optical centre of. Different camera manufacturers have different focal length multipliers. Selecting a new camera lens requires time and research because you have to consider several factors. Camera lenses are made up of a series of glass plates that are convex curved outward or concave curved inward. The creative use of the lens gives photography its expressive qualities they shape the way you see the world through the viewfinder. My name is phil monson, and welcome to my course, camera lens fundamentals.
Book 3 of 9 in the finely focused photography books series. A history of the photographic lens by rudolf kingslake. The book is well organized and the author does not assume the reader has any experience beyond reading the first book in this series. Numbers and letters on lenses what does 1855mm mean. To make understanding focal length more difficult, the same focal length lens gives different views on cameras. In many cases, they really are the most important piece of camera equipment you can buy. A camera lens is a combination of different types of glasses concave, convex, concavoconvex, etc, arranged in different groups to give the sharpness of content across the image. Lenses that have a zoom ring that enables you to change the focal length are called zoom lenses. Topics include bit depth, bayer sensors, and histograms. Theres a lot of information to digest, but lenses are worth learning. Hopefully this article gave you a good understanding of lenses how they work and what to look for when you buy one. Understanding how your lens works allows you to make informed decisions on how to shoot in a variety of situations. In a film camera, the lens sends the light to the film strip, while in a digital camera like dslrs or mirrorless cameras, the lens directs light to a digital sensor. Next to the camera body, camera lenses are the second most important part of your camera.
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