When it comes to dslr photography sometimes things can get a slight complicated, this is especially true when it comes to manufacture the first buy after your kit lens. Do you choose a zoom lens, a wide angle lens, a prime lens or even a fixed aperture lens? Well don't worry yourself to much because this report is here to help you.
[b]Lens[/b]Zoom Vs Prime
A zoom lens will allow the photographer to zoom which isn't to surprising. The advantage of a zoom lens is the ability to zoom in and out on your subject to originate the perfect composition. Zoom lenses are favoured by most photographers because of this function, however zoom lenses usually have higher f-stops than prime lenses, and this means that they usually leave less light into a photo which will affect the shutter speed being used.
A prime lens on the other hand doesn't allow you to zoom at all, your slight to one focal length. You may think this sounds rubbish, however there are many advantages to using a prime lens over a zoom. First of all prime lenses usually have lower aperture values and some of them go right down to f1.2 this means that a lot of light can enter the camera lens this is especially beneficial for low light situations.
Fixed aperture or non fixed
The f stop numbers were briefly discussed above, but just in case you didn't understand let me expound in a slight more detail. The lower the F-stop the more light can get into your camera while the higher the f stop the least number of light can enter, both ranges have their uses.
Some lenses for example the canon 70-200mm 2.8 has a fixed value of 2.8 through its whole zoom range, this means that a constant aperture can be achieved through out. This is very beneficial when shooting studio photography for the uncomplicated reason that the aperture controls the power of the flash, if the aperture of the lens was to turn for example the canon 18-55mm 3.5 to 5.6 then the force of the flash would enduringly turn giving you inconsistent results. If you can afford a lens with a constant aperture get it.
Image Stabilisation
Some lenses and some camera bodies such as the Sony Alpha A350 have built in image stabilisation. Image stabilisation allows you to a distinct degree to shoot at lower shutter speeds without motion blur. Image Stabilisation is beneficial in distinct situations but it can also be a waste of money. If your shooting fast fascinating images then chances are you won't need image stabilisation, the same applies if you use a tripod.
Different focal lengths
There are also focal lengths that you will need to take into account when purchasing a new lens. If you shoot nightclub photography or wildlife photography then chances are you will need something wider than 50mm. So below I will expound the best type of lens for distinct situations.
Wide angle lenses
As discussed above wide angle lenses are mostly used for landscape photography but they can also be used for nightclub photography where there's not too much room to move around. If money is no object then the Canon 16-35mm 2.8 lens is an perfect selection which retails for colse to £1200. however if money is an object then the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 lens is an perfect alternative. The Tamron lacks the build ability of the canon and also the autofocus speed, however I personally own this lens and the image ability is excellent. The Tamron can be picked up online for colse to £300-£400.
Medium Range lenses
A medium range is not too short and not too long; it's in the middle, hence the name medium. Medium range lenses are perfect for portraits, model shoots and even wedding photography. The best lens in this range is the Canon 24-70 2.8 which is a favourite lens among many expert photographers. The canon 24-70 is an perfect lens that has an perfect build quality, however the lens is very heavy and is very expensive, however if your reasoning of shooting weddings then this is a must have bit of kit.
An perfect alternative is the sigma 24-70 2.8. The sigma offers the same focal length while being a lot cheaper. The image ability one again on the sigma is excellent, however some owners have experienced focusing problems, this can be fixed by sigma but it is worth mentioning just in case you do get this lens.
Telephoto Zooms
If you're seeing to shoot wildlife, sports or even glamour photography then a telephoto lens is something you will want to invest in. Ordinarily these types of lenses are very high-priced but when we are talking about photography most things are. If money is no object then you will want to get the canon 70-200mm 2.8 telephoto lens.
The canon 70-200 2.8 is an high-priced lens used by most pro photographers, it offers an impressive autofocus ideas and perfect build ability but once again this lens is pretty heavy. If you don't need the quickness of the 2.8 then you could go for the canon 70-200mm f4 lens. This lens isn't as heavy and creates sharper images in my opinion than the 2.8.
If both of the above lenses are too high-priced then a good alternative is the sigma 70-200 2.8 lens, it's a fast lens with perfect image ability and is more affordable than the above two lenses.
Other lenses
There are many other types of lenses which contain macro, tilt and shift, fish eye and many more; however as a beginner you will more than likely only be interested in the lens types mentioned above.
Choosing your lens
Overall selecting a lens doesn't have to be a difficult experience. To help you choose naturally think of what you will be using your camera for, will it be for wildlife pictures, sports, portraits or even close up photography, and this can then help you choose the required lens. If you can afford a fixed aperture lens then go for it, I would also suggest getting the lowest aperture that you can afford, not only will this leave in more light but it will also give your images the blurry background result that you see on most expert photographs.
How to select Your First Dslr Lens - A Newbie Guide
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