Camera lenses are responsible for allowing light into the camera to form an image. This means that it affects the quality and quantity of light that gets into the camera sensor.
Depending on the quality of lenses used, the image quality will either be good or bad despite the camera body. This means that it is critical to decide on which camera lens you should buy.
Keep reading as we go through the various types of camera lenses and how to use them in photography.
Features Of Camera Lenses Used In Photography
Before we dive deep into the types of camera lenses, let us start off by the characteristics used to classify lenses.
Camera lens is made up of a series of glass plates (lens) that bring light to a fixed focal point. The glass plates are either shaped to concave (curved inward) or convex (curved outwards).
Depending on the quality and amount of lenses used, camera lenses are classified by focal length and maximum aperture.
Focal length is the distance between the point of convergence of your lens and the camera sensor. The distance is measured in millimetres (mm) and is indicated by a number on the lens body. When the focal length is shorter, the camera will capture a wider scene. On the other hand, a longer focal length tightens the shot.
Aperture makes one of the elements of the exposure triangle. To break it down for you, aperture is the opening in a lens through which light passes. It can be adjusted by widening it to allow more light or narrowed down to allow less light into the camera sensor. The widest a lens can open is referred to as the maximum aperture.
Maximum aperture is indicated on the lens using the f-numbers. An example is f1.4 or f2.8. The lower the f-number is, the wider the aperture will be. This means that the lens can allow more light into the camera thus a better low light performance. A wider aperture also translates to deeper depth of field. These abilities make lenses with wider maximum aperture more expensive than the ones with narrower maximum aperture.
Types Of Camera Lenses And How To Use Them
After going through the characteristics of camera lenses, it is evident that the focal length is a major factor. There are lenses that are good at capturing near objects, fairly further away and shooting far away objects. These lenses may either have a fixed focal length or have a variable focal length. Camera lenses with a variable focal length are known as zoom lenses while prime lenses are those with a fixed focal length.
Zoom Lenses
Zoom lens is a type of camera lens that has a range of focal lengths within the same lens. This gives a photographer flexibility to re-frame a scene without changing the physical position.
In general, zoom lenses appear to be bigger and heavier than prime lenses. This is because they contain more glass to help in flexibility.
Zoom lenses may also have a fixed aperture or variable aperture. A zoom lens with constant aperture has a single f-stop number indicated on the lens. On the other hand, a variable aperture zoom lens has two f-numbers with a dash (-) in between to indicate the range. Either of the varieties has its pros and cons depending on the purpose of the lens.
The main advantage of a zoom lens is that it can serve the photographer for more than one purpose. That is, a photographer can shoot from two focal ranges instead of interchanging different lenses.
On the downside, zoom lenses are not as sharp as prime lenses of a comparable price range. The aperture also does not go as low as in prime lenses thus you lose on bokeh and low light performance.
Prime Lenses
While zoom lenses have adjustable focal lengths, prime lenses have a fixed focal length. In simple terms, prime lenses have a single specified focal length. To change the framing of a scene, the photographer will be required to move either closer to the subject or further away. This makes the image appear larger or smaller respectively.
The easiest way to identify prime lenses is the absence of a zoom ring which is found in zoom lenses.
Due to fewer glass, prime lenses are smaller and lightweight making them more portable. In terms of image quality, prime lenses produce clear and sharp images. Having a lower aperture enables prime lenses to shoot better in low light conditions and also create a blurred background.
The most annoying part of using a prime lens as a photographer is the movement as you are framing your subject. If you opt to change the lens to a different focal length, you risk losing a shot when an event is ongoing.
Prime lenses are commonly used where the subject is stationary. Situations such as weddings, portraits and product photography are examples in which prime lenses are used.
All other types of lenses will fall under either prime lenses or zoom lenses. To make it easier for you to understand, we will focus on lenses with a fixed focal length (prime lenses).
Wide Angle Lenses
Wide angle lenses have a short focal length below 50mm on full frame or 35mm on APS-C format cameras. Photos captured using a wide angle lens have a large part of the scene covered within the frame.
Most of the subjects captured in a wide angle lens are in focus. There is however no bokeh effect.
The wide field of view makes this type of lens ideal for landscape photography and astrophotography. They are also preferred by vloggers who shoot within an arm distance away.
Standard (normal) Lenses
This is a type of camera lens whose focal length is longer than that of wide angle lenses. This could be anywhere between 35mm-85mm. They have a wide maximum aperture which enables them to perform well in low light and background blur effects.
Photos captured using standard lenses roughly match what a human eye can see. This makes them a general purpose lens which can be used to capture portraits or street photos.
Telephoto Lenses
Telephoto lenses are designed to photograph objects that are far away. Sometimes these objects are too tiny to be seen with our naked eyes.
Telephoto lenses have a focal range starting from 85mm and can go up to 800mm. These are the long lenses used by sports photographers and in wildlife photography.
They have great zooming capabilities at the expense of a narrow field of view. This provides very sharp images with a blurred background.
There are relatively small telephoto lenses but in most cases they are large and bulky. They are also very expensive.
Macro Lenses
While telephoto lenses are used to shoot distant objects macro lenses are used to shoot at extremely close range. Macro lenses have a minimum focusing distance of 12 inches or less making it look larger.
Macro lenses offer you the best detail in an image that money can buy. They are used in nature photography such as insects.
Note: A zoom lens will combine two types of lenses (such as standard and telephoto) and fit it into one lens.
What To Consider When Buying Lenses For Your Camera
Before you settle on any of the types of camera lenses, there are some factors you should consider.
These include;
Purpose: Ask yourself what type of images you want to capture. If you want to do portraits, pick a lens with a focal length that will serve you best.
Compatibility: Camera lens diameters differ from one lens to the other. For instance, Sony ZV-E10 is compatible to E-mount lenses only. Therefore when shopping for the best lenses for Sony ZV-E10 you should only buy the ones made for E-mount camera body.
Size and weight: Some will prefer huge and heavy lenses while others prefer small and lighter lenses. However you like your tea served is entirely up to you!
Cost: Budget is a major factor when it comes to buying camera gear. I encourage you to look at it in the perspective of the value you get, not the amount you are pouring.
