LENSES

The lens could be considered as the most important part on a camera, it controls everything you see and capture. With an old school SLR lens you would have to rely on your own eye to focus on your subject using a focus ring, compact cameras use auto focus (doing the work for you) and modern DSLR lenses will give you the option of auto focus or doing it yourself!

The focal length of a lens controls how much of a scene you can see, the smaller the focal length the more of a scene you can see, ideal for landscape photography, the smaller the focal length the wider the view and the smaller your subject will become, the higher the focal length the more “zoomed in” or larger your subject will appear. Focal lengths are measured in millimetres and is the distance between the lens and the sensor.

There are several lens types, usually defined by focal length:​

Fisheye lens (8-24mm) – used for panoramic shots and create a really wide angle, can be used to “distort” close up shots.

Wide angel lens (24-35mm) - great for landscapes.

Prime lens (usually 35-135mm) – portrait work and general photography

Macro lens (50-200mm) – used for close up and macro shots

Telephoto lens (100-600mm) – predominantly sports and wildlife work

Super telephoto (400-2000mm) – action and super sports shots

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length (eg 50mm), general speaking have a wider aperture, the fixed focal length means YOU have to get closer or further away from your subject to alter composition and can help you achieve a shallow depth of field. Zoom lenses that have a variable focal length (eg 30-700mm) and can help you get closer to your sublect when it physically isn’t possible (sports and wildlife photography.

Lenses also let you control the aperture which is the size of the opening in the front of the lens, this helps you control the depth of field – the amount of your subject that’s in focus (refer to exposure triangle in technical aspects and depth of field photoshoot).