Which Lens?
Posted on June 10, 2008
Filed Under Buying Tips |
With so many different types of lens on offer, this summary should help you decide what it is you need to buy.
Standard zooms - Quite often supplied with your camera, the standard zoom will offer a focal length range from a basic 35mm to almost telephoto such as 80mm. This range is ideal for day-to-day use and is quite often compact in size.
Telephoto zooms - One of the most popular second lenses, the telephoto zooms offer longer focal lengths that will take you in a lot closer to the subject. Focal lengths normally start where the standard lens stops, so around 80-100mm is quite a common range. The extent of the zooms vary, but as a guideline you can expect to reach 300-400mm at the far end of a telephoto zoom, meaning that the subject can be up to eight times larger in the viewfinder than at the short end of the zoom. Telephoto lenses are great for both sports and candid portrait photography.
Wide-angle zooms - Many camera manufacturers now favour supplying a wide-angle zoom lens instead of a standard zoom as the kit lens. Wide-angle zooms give a bigger field of view that allows you to get more of the subject in the frame. These lenses can be basic 28-80m focal lengths, which are not a great improvement on a standard zoom, or they can be more specialist lenses with true wide-angle like 11-22mm where the angle is far wider than your normal vision.
Superzooms - If you are looking for an all-in-one solution so you need only ever take one lens out with you, then a superzoom may be the answer. Covering the range of both a standard zoom and a telephoto zoom in one lens does have its disadvantages as these lenses are often bigger, heavier, with limited aperture ranges. However, you can expect to cover some big focal length ranges like 28-300mm.
Macro lenses - If your look towards close-up work then a dedicated macro lens must have a home in your kit. These lenses have the ability to focus very close to the subject for great detailed images.
If you are in the market for a lens dont forget to have a look at Argos Digital Cameras for some great deals.
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