Buying Guide Lenses

Vistek Buying Guide: LENSES
Lens Buying Guide
Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 1

Table of Contents
Introduction _______________________________________________________________ 3
Photography Style _________________________________________________________ 3
What is your budget? ___________________________________________________________________ 4
Lens Quality_______________________________________________________________ 4
Focal Length___________________________________________________________________________ 5
Film versus Digital ______________________________________________________________________ 5
Aperture Size __________________________________________________________________________ 6
Lens Specifications ________________________________________________________ 6
Nikon _________________________________________________________________________________ 7
Canon ________________________________________________________________________________ 8
Tamron _______________________________________________________________________________ 9
Sigma _______________________________________________________________________________ 10
Types of Lenses __________________________________________________________ 11
Standard _____________________________________________________________________________ 11
Zoom ________________________________________________________________________________ 11
Wide Angle ___________________________________________________________________________ 12
Telephoto ____________________________________________________________________________ 12
Macro _______________________________________________________________________________ 12
Specialty _____________________________________________________________________________ 13
Types of Photography _____________________________________________________ 13
Landscape ___________________________________________________________________________ 13
Wedding and Portraits__________________________________________________________________ 15
Product Photography __________________________________________________________________ 17
Sports _______________________________________________________________________________ 18
Love your Lens ___________________________________________________________ 19
Protection ____________________________________________________________________________ 19
Changing Lenses ______________________________________________________________________ 19
Cleaning _____________________________________________________________________________ 19
Storage ______________________________________________________________________________ 19

Introduction
...so you want to buy a lens?
Stepping into the world of lenses can be a daunting task, but we

have written this guide in hopes of making your buying decision
relatively easy. The first thing to remember is: Making a lens
selection is as personal as the style of the photographer. In other
words, what you buy must first of all satisfy you. Second, youll
get a chance to select from the wide variety of lenses available
today everything from fixed to zoom lenses, large telephotos,
and even specialty lenses like fisheye.
The vast array of lenses in today's market offers new

opportunities for photographers to expand their capabilities and
make the most use of their cameras. Understanding the
terminology and engineering of the lenses in today's market will
help you make a better decision in your camera and lens
purchasing.
...which lens is your perfect mate?

There is not a single lens that is absolutely perfect for every
lighting and photographic situation, which is why you shouldnt
limit yourself to just one. Standard lenses have a focal range of
35mm to 80mm, with the 50mm (standard on 35mm cameras)
being the most common. These lenses are fairly adequate in
most lighting situations and good for general purpose
photography. The added benefit of this range is its portability;
because theyre not big or heavy, standard lenses allow you to
travel lighter.
Photography Style
...what is your shooting style?
You may not be able to define your shooting style just yet. No problem. But you can start to do so by asking
yourself what kind of subjects you shoot the most.
Do you shoot indoors or outdoors? What are the lighting conditions you are normally shooting in?
Do you take close-ups and really pay attention to detail and texture? Are these subjects insects, flowers,
and collectibles? Are they product shots?
Do you take photographs of vast landscapes and subjects that are far off in the distance?
Are you an action photographer who takes photographs of fast-moving objects and subjects like sports?
Are you a wedding, event, or portrait photographer?
Do you take pictures of interiors and architecture?
Is the weight of a lens a consideration if you travel frequently or need to be on the move?
Do you prefer compact, convenient lenses; or those that are bulkier and offer better quality?
Thankfully, lenses are manufactured to meet the need of all these different types of shooting styles. Many
accessories, like filters, step up/down rings and extension tubes, are available to enhance these lenses so you
can take advantage of the full potential of your equipment.

...what is your budget?

Lenses cost money, and the more engineered and specialized they are, the more they cost. Determine which
style of photography is your priority and how many lenses you will require. Knowing your photographic needs is
the first step in choosing the right lens.
Under $400
Lenses in this range are usually labeled as multi-purpose lenses. They will probably have a focal length between
28mm to 200mm , with their largest f-stop being f/2.8 to f/5.6. You may find some Tele Converter lenses in this
category as well, but predominately it will be fixed lenses at 50mm and standard zoom lenses. A solid third party
lens manufacturer like Tamron offers great all-purpose lenses in this price range and will provide you with good
lens choices for adequate lighting conditions. However, these lenses may not serve you well under low lighting
situations where using a flash unit is prohibited. Nikon, Canon, and Pentax all make lenses in this range as well.
Lenses under $400
$400-$800
This range will encompass a large selection of lenses that begin to be more specific in application and include
additional engineering features that offer better quality images. You will notice that the zoom lenses will have a
smaller range and the introduction of wide angle, and macro lenses fall into this group. The fixed focal length
lenses in this group are further away from the 50mm size, allowing for wide angle and telephoto views. These
lenses may have special coatings to minimize internal reflections, aspherical lens elements, internal focusing, or
other elements offering a superior product.
Lenses under $400-$800
$800+
The sky is the limit! Entering the professional photographers price range will give you the option of purchasing
specialized lenses for specific lighting conditions and photographic situations. Premium lenses with large
apertures of at least f/2.8 allow for indoor, low light photography; while telephoto lenses of 300mm or more offer
you the ability to bring subjects in closer with optimum clarity and focus. Specialty lenses such as
shift/perspective lenses are available that enable you to shoot architecture without distortion.
Lenses $800 and over
LENS QUALITY
...how does the engineering affect the price?
The wide range of lens prices can be quite baffling considering the range runs from $120 to over $10,000!
Clearly, there is quite a difference in the engineering and quality of each lens. The more restrictive the zoom lens,
the more expensive a lens can be while the larger the range, the less expensive it becomes. Why is this so?
There are two major factors that come into play that determines the price of a lens; focal length and aperture.

Focal Length
The focal length determines the angle of view, magnification, or
perspective of your image, as well as the physical size of the lens
itself. A 50mm focal length is the most common and easiest to
make. For a 35mm full frame camera, it is the standard focal
length, meaning it is closest to the view of the human eye. Lenses
that are manufactured to be drastically smaller or larger than this
50mm mark tends to be more costly and more complex in design.
In simple terms, the longer the focal length the more narrow the
angle of view becomes, bringing distant objects and subjects closer.
Focal lengths shorter than 50mm will give you a wider field of view,
which is especially valuable in small spaces or when your subjects
are very close to you.
Quick Lesson on Film versus Digital

So what's the big difference between film cameras and digital
cameras? Apart from the obvious difference of capturing the image
by using film or using a memory card, the main difference is the size
of the film area or digital image sensor. A full frame 35mm film area
is 1 x 1.5. Most digital cameras have image sensors that have
much smaller dimensions than that.
Lets compare a standard 35mm film camera equipped with a 50mm The difference in size is astronomical between this
lens with an advanced, 8 megapixel compact camera. The compact Canon Telephoto 600mm and the Canon standard
50mm lens!
cameras image sensor is four times smaller than the full frame
35mm cameras film area. That translates into being four times
narrower than the film cameras film area. The more narrow the lens, the more narrow or magnified the view. In
this case it is four times narrower, therefore four times more magnified.
If the 35mm cameras 50mm normal lens were somehow placed on the smaller compact camera, the angle of
view would change drastically. Instead of the 50mm lens being a normal focal length, it would now transform
into the 35mm equivalent of a 200mm telephoto lens. Thats because the angle of view thats captured in the end
is determined by the focal length of the lens and the size of the image sensor of the camera its on.
With the advanced technology of lenses, the capability of using some film lenses on digital and vice versa is
possible. Not all lenses are swappable, some are designed for digital cameras only and some are specific to film.
In cases where you can switch your lens, you must keep in mind the image sensor of your cameras. If your
favourite film camera has a different image sensor size then your brand new digital SLR, chances are the angle of
view and/or magnification will change also.
Keep in mind that most DSLRs are smaller than 35mm film cameras, and that means lenses will automatically
transform into a longer focal length. There are several DSLR-specific lenses that are engineered to combat the
expanded focal length, allowing for better wide angle capabilities.

Aperture Size
The next major cost is related to the size of the aperture. The
smaller the f-stop number, the larger the lens size. Two lenses
with the same focal length can vary greatly in price, depending
on the aperture size of each lens.
Lenses with large apertures (small f-stop numbers like f/2.8 for
example) have bigger barrels and are usually heavier and more
expensive. Their advantage is that the larger apertures let in
more light, which allows for dim light photography with a faster
shutter speed or a lower ISO.
With the increasing sophistication of lens technology, there are

other elements besides aperture size that affect its price.
Features such as ED (extra low dispersion) offer superior
sharpness and corrects chromatic aberration. Some lenses
include special coatings that reduce reflections, flaring, ghosting
and other aberrations. Complex designs may include smoother
auto focusing and a more compact construction. All of these
Damien Hock factors can contribute to the price of a higher end lens.
MTF Chart
MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) is one of the measurements that evaluates a lens' performance, and it
contrast sensitivity at different spatial frequencies.
The horizontal axis is in millimeters and shows the distance from the center of the image toward the edges, and
contrast value (highest value is 1) is shown in the vertical axis.
The readings at 10 lines per millimeter measure the lens's contrast ability (red lines), repeating fine parallel lines
spaced at 30 lines per millimeter measure the lens' sharpness ability (green lines), when the aperture is wide
open.
Fine repeating line sets are created parallel to a diagonal line running from corner to corner of the frame, are
called Sagittal lines (S) and sets of repeating lines vertical to these lines are drawn, called Meridional (M) line
sets.
LENS SPECIFICATIONS

...what does it all mean?

Manufacturers incorporate standard terminology when describing basic characteristics of their lenses, including
lens type (wide angle, zoom, etc.), focal length (50mm, 100mm, etc.) and f-stops (f/2.8, f/8, etc.). But what do all
the other acronyms stand for? Some manufacturers give their lenses brand names, but usually you will find that
they also list the camera's specifications in acronyms. Too often these acronyms are manufacturer-specific; in
addition, some of the features are exclusive to each manufacturer.
Nikon
Acronym Definition Function

AF AutoFocus The camera lens focuses the image of a selected part of the picture or subject. Most
camera bodies allow you to set exact focus spots for you lens to focus on.
ED Extra-low Dispersion Glass Offers superior sharpness and colour correction by minimizing chromatic aberration.
ED glass has all the benefits of calcium fluorite-based glass without the fragility. Nikon
has developed several types of ED glass suitable for the various lenses they produce.
SIC Super Integrated Coating Multi-layer lens coating that helps reduce ghost and flare to a negligible level
enhancing the performance of its optical lens elements. This coating minimizes
reflections in the wider wavelength range and superior colour balance and
reproduction.
N Nano Crystal Coat Anti-reflective coating that originated in the development of NSR series (Nikon Step
and Repeat) semiconductor manufacturing devices. Virtually eliminates internal lens
element reflections across a wide range of wavelengths, and is particularly effective in
reducing ghost and flare peculiar to ultra-wide angle lenses. Nano Crystal Coat
employs multiple layers of extra-low refractive index coating, which features ultra fine
crystallized particles of nano size (one nanometer equals one millionth of a mm).
ASF Aspherical Lens Elements Aspherical lenses virtually eliminate the problem of coma and other types of lens
aberration even when used at the widest aperture. They are particularly useful in
correcting the distortion in wide angle lenses. In addition, use of aspherical lenses
contributes to a lighter and smaller lens design. Nikon employs three types of
aspherical lens elements.
Precision-ground aspherical lens elements are the finest expression of lenscrafting
art, demanding extremely rigorous production standards.
Hybrid lenses are made of a special plastic moulded onto optical glass.
Moulded glass aspherical lenses are manufactured by moulding a unique type of
optical glass using a special metal die technique.
CRC Close-Range Correction System Provides superior picture quality at close focusing distances and increases the
focusing range. With CRC, the lens elements are configured in a floating element
design wherein each lens group moves independently to achieve focusing. This
ensures superior lens performance even when shooting at close distances. The CRC
system is used in fisheye, wide angle, Micro, and selected medium telephoto Nikkors
IF Internal Focusing Lenses that can focus without changing its size. All internal optical movement is
limited to the interior of the non-extending lens barrel. This allows for a more compact,
lightweight construction as well as a closer focusing distance. In addition, a smaller and
lighter focusing lens group is employed to ensure faster focusing. The IF system is
featured in most Nikkor telephoto and selected Nikkor zoom lenses.
RF Rear Focusing Lens elements are divided into specific lens groups, with only the rear lens group
moving for focusing. This makes auto-focusing operation smoother and faster.
DC AF DC-Nikkor Lens AF DC-Nikkors feature exclusive Nikon Defocus-image Control technology. This allows
photographers to control the degree of spherical aberration in the foreground or
background by rotating the lens DC ring. This will create a rounded out-of-focus blur
that is ideal for portrait photography.
D Distance Information D-type and G-type Nikkors relay subject-to-camera distance information to AF Nikon
camera bodies. This then makes possible advances like 3D Matrix Metering and 3D
Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash.
SWM (AF-S) Silent Wave Motor SWM which converts traveling waves into rotational energy to focus the optics. This
enables high-speed auto-focusing thats extremely accurate and super quiet.
M/A M/A Mode Allows switching from auto-focus to manual operation with virtually no time lag even
during AF servo operation and regardless of AF mode in use.


VR Vibration Reduction Minimizes image blur caused by camera shake, and offers the equivalent of shooting at
a shutter speed three stops (eight times) faster.* It allows handheld shooting at dusk, at
night, and even in poorly lit interiors. The lens VR system also detects automatically
when the photographer pans no special mode is required.
DX DX Nikkor Compact and lightweight DX Nikkor lenses featuring a smaller image circle are
specially designed and optimized for Nikon D2-series, D1-series, D200, D80, D100,
D70s/D70 and D50 digital SLR cameras. These are ideal options for landscape
photographers and others who need to shoot expansive scenes with Nikon DX-Format
digital SLRs.
See all Nikon Lenses
Canon

EF-S Lenses for Digital SLRs with APS Developed for the digitalSLR cameras with a sensor chip smaller than a full frame
sized sensor chips (35mm equivalent), these lenses are especially designed to sit closer to the sensor to
enable wider field of views. The special coatings on these lenses help reduce ghosting
and chromatic aberrations.
IS Image Stabilizer Makes hand held photography possible in more low-light situations. IS lenses have a
special of lens elements that automatically shifts its position, thereby compensating for
the shake and stabilizing the image. This compensation effectively adds up to three
shutter speed steps to your hand held shooting capability depending on the IS lens.
Canons IS lenses are perfect for low light, or situations where a tripod is not
convenient.
USM Ultrasonic Motor The Ultrasonic Motor spins the lens motor with ultrasonic oscillation energy. Instead of
a large, noisy drive-train system, electronic vibrations created by piezoelectric ceramic
elements power the mechanical action of the lens, providing constant torque, with
virtually instantaneous stops and starts. USM lenses are both faster and quieter than
conventional motor driven autofocus systems, and draw minimal power from the
camera, draining very little battery power.
Canon makes two types of Ultrasonic lenses. Ring-type USM-equipped lenses, found
in large aperture and super-telephoto designs, allow manual focusing without switching
out of the auto mode. Micro USM designs bring the performance benefits of Canons
USM technology to a wide assortment of affordable EF Lenses.
DO Diffractive Optics Higher performance and more compact than those with traditional refractive designs.
Canons multilayer diffractive elements work together with conventional glass optics to
cancel the effects of dispersion and minimize or eliminate chromatic aberration.
In addition to chromatic aberration correction, this technology also results in smaller

lenses, with no compromise in quality. Canon has also developed a new Triple-layer
type DO lens using a new three layer diffractive grating resulting in high image quality
with high levels of resolution and contrast that rival the L-series lenses.
L L Series Lens Professional line of Canon lenses identifiable by a bold red ring around the outer
barrel, these lenses are distinctive in their performance through use of optical
technologies like Ultralow Dispersion UD-glass, Fluorite and Aspherical elements and
Super Spectra Coating.
Fluorite / UD Elements
Ultra-low Dispersion glass to minimize colour fringing or chromatic aberration. The
design of UD glass provides outstanding contrast and sharpness and minimizes the
splitting of colors as they pass through the elements, resulting in cleaner color
throughout the image.
Even more effective at suppressing chromatic aberration are Fluorite elements used in
high-end supertelephoto lenses. A single Fluorite element has the corrective power of


two UD-glass elements, giving these L-series lenses their spectacular performance
and relatively compact design.
Aspherical Elements
Aspherical optics also help to correct curvilinear distortion as one would find in ultra
wide-angle lenses. They have an extremely precise variable curvature of one or both
sides allowing for more compact and lighter lens designs.
EF EF Mount Fully electronic mount system that has none of the shock, operational noise, abrasion,
play, lubrication requirements, slow response, diminished precision caused by lever
operation, or design restrictions related to linkage mechanisms used to transfer data. A
lens operation self-test system, using the lens built-in microcomputer, can even warn
of malfunctions through the cameras LCD readout to help ensure high reliability. The
EF mount allows for high-speed focus, precise aperture control and preview, automatic
compensation with lens extenders.
TS-E Tilt Shift Lens TS-E lenses are capable of tilt and shift movements, which greatly expand picture-
taking possibilities. Tilt movements alter the angle of the plane of focus between the
lens and film plane, making broad depth-of-field possible even at large apertures or
vice versa; shift movements move the lens optical axis in parallel, allowing the
photographer to change, or correct the perspective of their photograph at almost any
angle.
See all Canon Lenses
Tamron

SP Super Performance Lens Offers superior sharpness and colour correction by minimizing chromatic aberration.
ED glass has all the benefits of calcium fluorite-based glass without the fragility.
DI Digitally Integrated (lenses for Film Di design is the designation Tamron puts on lenses featuring optical systems designed
and Digital SLR Cameras) to meet the performance characteristics of Digital SLR cameras currently on the
market.
DII Lenses for Digital SLRs only Di-II inherits all of the optical benefits of the Di design. Di-II lenses are made for
exclusive use on digital cameras with image sensors 24mm x 16mm and smaller and
are not intended for use on full-frame D-SLRs or film cameras.
IF Internal Focusing Lenses that can focus without changing its size. All internal optical movement is
limited to the interior of the non-extending lens barrel. This allows for a more compact,
lightweight construction as well as a closer focusing distance. In addition, a smaller and
lighter focusing lens group is employed to ensure faster focusing.
ASL Aspherical Offers advantages in compensating for spherical aberrations and distortion for higher
image quality as well as in making the lens compact and lightweight by reducing the
number of lens elements in the optical system.
LD Low Dispersion Realizes high image quality by minimizing sharpness fall off due to chromatic
aberration inherent in close focusing at the telephoto end in lenses of conventional
optical design
AD Anomalous Dispersion Special optical glass material that delivers a remarkably large partial dispersion ratio
relative to a specific different wavelength zone. Effective compensation of on-axis


chromatic aberration for telephoto lenses, or lateral chromatic aberrations often
associated with conventional wide angle lenses.
XR Extra Refractive Index Glass Glass having a high refractive index that provides remarkable advantages in making
the overall length of the optical system shorter thereby making the lens compact
See all Tamron Lenses
Sigma

ASP Aspherical Lenses The aspherical lens complex allows freedom of design, improved performance, a
reduced number of component lenses and a compact size.
These lenses provide high optical performance while maintaining a compact size. For
example, the 12-24 mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASPHERICAL lens widens the range of wide-
angle lenses, and it provides distortion-free images with image reproduction
performance equivalent to that of a single focal length lens. Aspherical lenses allow the
production of high-quality images from compact, lightweight telephoto zoom lenses.
APO APO Lens In order to attain the highest quality images, the APO lens has been made using
special low-dispersion (SLD) glass and is designed to minimize color aberration.
SIGMA's APO zoom lenses minimize color aberration. As the refractive index of glass
depends on the wavelength of light, color aberration occurs when different colors form
images at different points. This problem often occurs with telephoto lenses, but the
Special Low-Dispersion (SLD) glass and
Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) used in SIGMA's APO lenses helps to

compensate for color aberration, thereby allowing them to produce of sharp images.
OS OS (Optical Stabilizer) Function This function utilizes a built-in mechanism that compensates for camera shake. It
dramatically expands photographic possibilities by alleviating camera movement when
shooting by hand held camera.
Developed with Sigma's own technology, the OS (Optical Stabilizer) function uses two
sensors inside the lens to detect both vertical and horizontal movement of the camera.
This function, which works by moving an optical image stabilizing lens group, to
effectively compensate for camera shake, helps to set our lenses apart from the rest.
To handle all types of shooting conditions, the system has two optical stabilizer modes.
Mode 1 determines camera shake in vertical and horizontal panning and compensates
for image blurring. It is therefore effective for taking general photography or for
shooting landscapes and other static subjects. Mode 2 detects vertical camera shake
and compensates for blurring. It is effective for panning the camera to photograph
moving subjects such as motor sports.
CONV. APO Teleconverter EX These lenses can be used with the APO Teleconverter EX. It can increase the focal
length and will interface with the camera's AE (automatic exposure) function.
EX EX Lens The exterior of this lens is EX-finished to denote the superior build and optical quality,
and to enhance its appearance.
HSM Hyper-Sonic Motor These lenses use a motor driven by ultrasonic waves to provide a quiet, highspeed AF.
IF Inner Focus To ensure stability in focusing, this lens moves the inner lens group or groups without
changing the lens' physical length.
RF Rear Focus These lenses are equipped with a system that moves the rear lens group for highspeed
, silent focusing.
Conventional focusing has normally been performed by moving either all lens groups
as a fixed unit or only the first lens group. AF cameras are now widely used, even for
close-up photography. Consequently, demand has arisen for a focusing system that
will keep the length of the lens unchanged while showing little fluctuation of aberration.
In response to this demand, SIGMA has developed a new inner focus system that
moves two lens groups inside the telephoto and telephoto MACRO lenses. This system


has floating elements that substantially improve the close-up capability of the lens. The
super wide angle lens having a large front-lens uses a rear focusing system to move
the rear-lens apparatus and enhance the floating effect, and the18-125 mm F3.5- 5.6
DC lens uses an inner focusing system to move the secondary lens apparatus. SIGMA
has also succeeded in attaining a minimum shooting distance of 19.7 inches/0.5 m
throughout the entire zoom range of this lens. The rear focus system ensures high-
speed focusing with the APO 135-400 mm F4.5-5.6 DG and APO 170-500 mm F5-6.3
DG telephoto zoom lenses.
DG for Digital DG Lens The most suitable lenses for 35mm film single-lens reflex cameras, as well as for digital
SLR cameras. Sigma's development of the DG (Digital) range of lenses has
concentrated on the correction of distortion and aberrations. Magnification of chromatic
aberration is particularly conspicuous with digital cameras. The optical designs and
cutting-edge technology incorporated by Sigma eliminate flare and ghosting from te
image sensor and create excellent color balance. Vignetting is minimized whilst
marginal illumination is ensured. These high performance lenses are equally suited for
digital and analogue cameras.
DC for Digital DC Lens These are special lenses designed so that the image circle matches the smaller size of
the image sensor of most digital SLR cameras. Their specialized design gives these
lenses the ideal properties for digital cameras, the compact and lightweight
construction is an added bonus!
See all Sigma Lenses
TYPES OF LENSES
...what kind of lenses are there?
Now we get to the fun stuff! Lenses are typically grouped into categories that share the same attributes. These
are standard, zoom, wide angle, telephoto, macro, and specialty lenses. Each type of lens is manufactured to
fulfill certain uses. These can range from multi-purpose to specific applications, like telephotos lenses for nature
or sports photography.
Standard
As the name implies, these lenses are marketed as multi-purpose and are usually included in camera kits. With a
focal length range of 28mm to 80mm and a popular fixed range of 50mm (for full frame 35mm cameras), these
lenses have maximum f-stop size ranging from f/2.8 to f/5.6. Standard lenses are great for ideal lighting
conditions, traveling, and general photography, theyre not suitable for trickier conditions like low lighting or fast
movement.
Standard Lenses
Zoom
It makes little sense to purchase several fixed focal length lenses; your collection would be massive and
expensive, not to mention very heavy to carry! , Instead, zoom lenses are a smart alternative. Obviously, zoom
lenses are designed to cover a range of focal lengths to accommodate a wide variety of shooting without having
to change the lens.
Some small tradeoffs go along with using a zoom lens. For example, although they can cover a range of focal
lengths and can be set at in between lengths like 33mm or 165mm, they are usually not as fast as fixed focal
length lenses.
Clearly, their advantages far outweigh any potential disadvantages. Theyre more portable and convenient; and
they allow you to shoot distant subjects and bring them closer to you.
Higher end zoom lenses offer a maximum aperture that remain constant through the focal length range, while less
costly ones change their aperture through the range, resulting in a more compact lens.
Zoom Lenses

Wide Angle
Need a wide angle of view? Wide angle lenses are ideal for
capturing large subject areas whether it is landscapes,
nature, outdoor scenes, or large groups. Any lens with a
focal length much smaller than 50mm is considered a wide
angle lens. Its design also allows for larger views in tight
spaces. That makes it great for not cutting off important
subject matter when increasing the distance between
yourself and the subject is impossible.
Another benefit of wide angle lenses is that they are great

for accentuating the foreground keeping it super sharp. At
the same time, wide angle lenses make the background
seem much further away. A prominent foreground set
against a receding background often results in a very
pleasing effect. Compared to a standard lens, wide angles
have a better depth of field and clarity. 24mm and 28mm
are the most common focal lengths.
Wide Angle Lenses
Telephoto
Essentially the exact opposite of wide angle lenses, telephoto lenses bring far off objects and subjects into close
view. In general, focal lengths that are greater than 50mm are considered to be telephoto lenses. 70-120mm are
deemed short telephotos or portrait lenses, 135-210mm as normal telephotos and 300mm or more as ultra or
extreme telephoto lenses. Telephoto lenses narrow the angle of view (increasing magnification) and therefore are
ideal for long distance shooting. These lenses are ideal for sporting events, nature/animal photography, and far
off landscapes like mountains. There are fixed and zoom focal lengths available in the telephoto category.
Telephoto Lenses
Macro
Macro lenses are important to photographers who tend to shoot
close-ups. Thats because, although theyre quite similar to
standard lenses in most ways, macro lenses are engineered to
focus at much shorter distances. Most often used in nature
photography, these lenses magnify small objects like insects
and flowers and captures immense detail and clarity. Other
applications of a macro lens are in scientific photography and
product photography. Youll find that macro lenses can also act
as a standard lens.

These lenses tend to have a higher f-stop number (which allows in less light) and therefore are not always ideal in
low lighting situations. For subjects that are sensitive to movement (insects and animals, for example), macro
lenses with longer focal lengths can be used.
Macro Lenses
Specialty
Specialty lenses have a distinct characteristic that distinguishes
itself from other lenses. Take the fisheye lens, for example. An
extreme wide angle lens, the fisheye has an average angle of view
of a full 180 degrees. Covering this wide angle of view has its
downside; the image ends up being distorted with the center
bulging out towards you and the edges pushed back. This convex
distortion is widely used in extreme sports such as skateboarding
and snowboarding, as it captures not only the boards but the rider
as well.
Fisheye Lenses
A shift/perspective lens is predominantly used in architectural

photography. Shooting tall structures often requires that the
camera be tilted to capture the entire subject in the frame. This
leads to the structure distorting, appearing as if it was leaning. A
shift/perspective lens is designed with mechanisms enabling you to
adjust the front elements of the lens allowing you to shoot the
subject with your untilted camera.
Tilt/Shift Lenses
Tele Converters are a clever means of extending your focal length

with your current lens. For professional lenses, it mounts in
between your camera body and the lens, and in cameras where the
lens is permanently attached to the camera, there are tele
Edward Stemp
converters that attach to the front of the lens.
Typical magnification sizes are 2x and 1.4x, with Nikon having a third 1.7x option. For example, if you have a
200mm lens, by adding a 2x tele converter, the focal length increases to 400mm lens. This provides a great
alternative to purchasing another lens, since a tele converter is less expensive and generally more compact and
lighter weight than its lens counterpart. However converters reduce the amount of light and therefore can make
focusing a little harder. Also, a 1.4x tele converter can make you lose one f-stop of lens speed; they also reduce
overall image quality to a degree. Nevertheless, with the right lens and converter combination, it is possible to
achieve very good results.
Tele-Converters
TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY
...what kind of photographer are you?
There are more kinds of photographers than we could possibly list here, but weve compiled a short list of the
most common types and include suggested lenses and accessories you might want to consider.
Landscape Photography
Everyone loves a good landscape photograph. Thats why its worth exploring what equipment considerations
are important to a scenic photographer. Weight is one, and it may contribute to the types of lenses you are willing
to purchase. Chances are you will have to travel a distance to take your landscape photographs, so you should
ask yourself: would you prefer a single zoom lens to cover a range of focal lengths or a fixed lens that achieves
greater clarity but is restricted to a single focal length?

For stunning landscape shots with a focus on the foreground, a wide angle
lens with a 20mm to 35mm focal length would be ideal. Keep in mind that
wide angle lenses do tend to make the foreground dominate the
photograph, as it will be disproportionately large compared to the
background.
Sweeping landscape shots and subjects that are far off in the distance
require entirely different lenses. Telephoto lenses come in varying focal
lengths and are ideal for capturing mountains and scenery that are far off in
the distance. If nature photography is what you prefer, youll find a
telephoto makes capturing animals easy, since you and your equipment will
not interrupt their natural movement.
Have you ever considered the accessories that can help improve colour,
intensity and exposure of your outdoor photography? On a bright sunny
day, the colours of your scene may be vibrant and intense, but may require
some help prevent overexposure. They can also help if you want to shoot
extra control. Neutral density filters reduce the amount of light without
changing the colour. The benefit is that they come in a wide range of
densities and can using a certain f/stop or shutter speed and you need to
Chris Peura darken an over bright scene.
Photographs of water may show unwanted reflections; by adding a polarizing filter, you can eliminate those
reflections (an impossible task on digital editing software) as well as improve the colour and contrast of your
image.
Colour-enhancing filters may help intensify your orange and red colours in the fall or cool down images of
waterfalls and lakes. The sky is the limit with the many filters that are readily available.
Filters
Assuming that you equipment. will be outside as a landscape photographer, you may want to consider investing
in some weather protection gear for your Some lenses are built to be water-resistant and there are a variety of
covers, bags, and carrying cases that can help you protect your investment.
Bags and Cases

Wedding and Portrait Photography

Capturing the joy of someones wedding day could require a number of different lenses, depending on your style
of photography and the conditions at the locations. A single day could involve challenging outdoor shooting,
portraits, indoor low-lighting, fast subjects, distant shooting and even close-ups. In addition, the increasingly
popular documentary style or lifestyle photography may dictate lens and accessory choices, since it enables the
photographer to capture candid moments on the wedding day when guests are at their most natural.
Outdoor
On a bright, sunny day you will be fortunate to have great lighting without the worry of rain! Use a wide angle lens
(ultra-wide for large group) if you are doing portraits outside. Be sure to bring a reflector as it will fill in shadows
and provide more even lighting of your subjects. Although white and silver are the standard colours for reflectors,
there are special ones that are warming (gold or pinkish) that enhance skin tones. If it is too sunny, neutral
density filters will help by reducing the amount of light without changing the colour. These filters come in a wide
range of densities and can help prevent overexposure.
Wide Angle Lenses
Reflectors
Neutral Density Filters
Indoor/Low Lighting
This can be the most difficult shooting situation for wedding photographers. To eliminate blur and underexposed
images, a fast lens is essential. A lens with a f-stop lower than 2.8 is ideal for capturing the wedding party
walking down the aisle and guests who are milling about. Keeping your camera on a sturdy tripod at the
ceremony will not only reduce blur but will produce super sharp images. Again, a wide angle lens is great for
close quarters as you will be able to capture a wider field of view than a standard lens.
Fast Wide Angle Lenses
If you are permitted to use a flash during the ceremony and reception, you can add accessories like a Lightsphere
to your flash to create softer shadows and studio-like lighting images in dark lighting scenarios. This is ideal for
hand-held shooting, while a full lighting system would be ideal for portrait photography.
Flashes
Lightsphere
Lighting Systems

Portraits
If your client requests portraits, a tripod is a must to ensure crisp images.
Remember your final print and picture frame dimensions because it is
inevitable that some of your images will be cropped to a certain degree.
Allow enough empty space around the subject(s) to ensure important
parts of your image are not cropped off during printing.
Tripods
A short telephoto lens is ideal for head and shoulder portraits. The
telephoto allows you to stand farther back from the subject (you would
need to be much closer in distance with a wide angle) and, as a result,
the subject can be more relaxed and comfortable without a lens too close
to their face. It will provide a natural perspective and enough depth of
field to make the face sharp and clear.
Short Telephoto Lenses
Special warming filters can be added to your lens that are specially
designed for enhancing skin tones. Even special softening or soft focus
filters allows you to add a dreamy effect that is very popular in wedding
photos.
Asif Akbar
For formal portraits, set up your studio lighting in a secluded space away from the reception so there is less
distraction; that way your shoot will run smoother and youll make better images.
Warming Filters
Diffusing Filters
General
Zoom lenses will make it easier for you shoot hand held as you will be able to capture the wedding party and their
guests in all their spontaneity. For informal images, like guests dancing and socializing to the reception line, a
zoom lens is ideal since you can change your focal length at will without having to change the lens every time.
Standard Zoom Lenses
Wide Angle Zoom Lenses
Telephoto Zoom Lenses
For speeches and cutting the cake, a fixed lens can be used in order to capture the sharpest image. Since you
will be standing a fixed distance, a zoom lens is not required.
Fixed Lenses
Other accessories to aid in your shoot can include brackets that provide a comfortable weight balance between
your camera and flash and sturdy cases to protect your equipment in high traffic areas.

Product Photography
Lighting is the biggest challenge a product photographer can face, so
choosing the proper studio lighting and lenses is essential to capturing
catalogue-quality images for your clients. Depending on the product,
reflective materials can create troublesome stray light, and hotspots.
Also, very light objects can be underexposed and appear washed out.
How do you capture clear materials like glass and plastic?
Focusing
Its important to ensure that the product is completely in focus. After all,
the product is the hero of the photograph and your images must
represent the item as it would be viewed by the human eye. It is
recommended that you manually focus your camera/lens instead of
using the auto focus function (if applicable). Most digital cameras
capture large objects beautifully but have trouble getting precise focus
of smaller objects. Setting your camera to spot focus mode will give
you more control on what parts of the frame the lens is focusing on.
Lighting
A large variety of studio lighting is useful for product
photography. These include softboxes, strobe lighting,
reflection umbrellas and more. That said, creating a custom
studio for your needs is easy. Its even easier of you use a
self-contained studio the kind that is designed for small
product photography and with lighting and diffusion already
arranged in one unit.
Shooting Tables and Boxes
Details
Capturing texture and details may be essential to your photography and you can choose a macro lens to ensure
crisp, detailed photographs. Use a tripod and a shutter release to avoid camera shake. Tricky items that are
made out of reflective materials can be shot in contained lighting structures (a Cubelite, for example). This gives
you maximum control over the lighting. Placing your product on different coloured base will help enhance the
products colour instead of washing it out. If you want to achieve a more three dimensional look (shooting the
object on an angle), consider using a shift/tilt lens as it will provide you better depth of field and control over it.
Tilt/Shift Lenses

Sports Photography
Capturing an athlete in action requires super-fast, super-steady lenses.
At professional sport events, photographers are so far away from the
field that they use large telephoto lenses on tripods to get their shots.
Ultra telephoto lenses can capture subjects far off in the distance and
bring them in closer. Using a focal length of 200mm or great is ideal. A
super fast lens is essential for capturing movement without blur. An f-
stop of 2.8mm or lower is helpful to capture your subjects as they run
across the field.
Fast Telephoto Lenses
Ultra Telephoto Lenses
An extreme wide angle is great for capturing overview shots of the field
or to show several players in action. Because sports photography is so
fast paced, it might be necessary to set up more than one camera at
once to cover the entire field in a split second.
Wide Angle Lenses
Remember to always have extra batteries and cameras on hand; the event will not pause for you, so be prepared!
Sport photographers take several hundred photographs at any one event. Thats why you should ensure you have
enough digital media storage to handle heavy shooting, since you will not have time to download your digital
photos onto an external hard drive.
Camera Batteries
Memory Cards

LOVE YOUR LENS

...how do you clean and maintain it?
If you've invested lots of time, energy, and money on your lenses, it is absolutely essential that you take care of
them. Here are some very simple every day steps you can take to ensure your lens last and a few careful
maintenance routines you can adopt.
Protection
The first and simplest step is to always ensure the lens cap and rear lens cap are on the lens when its not in use.
Protecting the lens with a hard plastic covering will ensure it won't be scratched and minimizes the amount of dust
that can gather. Buy replacement caps immediately if you lose one or if one breaks!
Lens Caps
An inexpensive and essential accessory you must add to your lens is a UV filter. These filters are designed to
block out the ultraviolet light which can cause a bluish cast on your photos. As an important added benefit, the UV
filter also protects the lens from dirt and finger marks. Since the UV filter does not affect the brightness or colour
of your image, you should leave it on permanently to avoid physical damage to your lens.
UV Filters
UV Haze Filters
Changing Lenses
This should be done very quickly! To avoid getting dust in the body, angle your lens slightly down when removing
it. Ensure that your cameras power is turned off to avoid the static charges that attract dust. And replace rear
lens caps immediately to avoid scratches.
Cleaning
Fingerprints are a lens' worst enemy! Finger marks can lead to a loss in sharpness and reduces image quality
but, luckily, these can be removed. Use lint-free photographic tissues and corresponding lens cleaning fluid. Be
sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. You may well be instructed to wipe only once and then flip over
your tissue/cloth and use a clean side to re-wipe if necessary.
You should carry a lens cleaning kit with you to every shoot. To remove loose dirt prior to cleaning, use a blower
brush first. Tiny little particles can scratch your lens, so blowing them off gently - prior to using a lens cloth - is
ideal.
Cleaning Products
Storage
Besides keeping the front and rear caps on when not in use, invest in a sturdy case to hold your lenses and
equipment. There are many readily available that feature padded inserts and plenty of pockets to store
accessories like batteries, memory cards, and extra filters. Choose from a soft case with ballistic nylon or a hard
case that is waterproof with rubber seals. Consider the conditions you shoot in as you make your decision. Will it
be outdoors in the snow or rain? Or indoors in a high traffic area? Youll find that several cases on the market
are equipped with casters to allow you to wheel your equipment from place to place.
During your shoot, there are special sleeves and covers you can purchase to protect your lens and body from the
elements. Some of these products are form-fitting. For example, Camera Armor is a silicon-based product that
fits over your camera allowing full functionality of your controls but provides waterproof protection.
Bags and Cases
Camera Armor

Happy shooting!

Buying Guide Lenses

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Vistek Buying Guide: LENSES

Lens Buying Guide

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 1

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 2

Stepping into the world of lenses can be a daunting task, but we

The vast array of lenses in today's market offers new

...which lens is your perfect mate?

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 3

...what is your budget?

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 4

Quick Lesson on Film versus Digital

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 5

With the increasing sophistication of lens technology, there are

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 6

...what does it all mean?

Acronym Definition Function

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 7

Acronym Definition Function

Acronym Definition Function

In addition to chromatic aberration correction, this technology also results in smaller

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 8

Acronym Definition Function

Acronym Definition Function

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Acronym Definition Function

Acronym Definition Function

Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) used in SIGMA's APO lenses helps to

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 10

Acronym Definition Function

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 11

Another benefit of wide angle lenses is that they are great

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 12

A shift/perspective lens is predominantly used in architectural

Tele Converters are a clever means of extending your focal length

Copyright Vistek Ltd. 2007 13

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Wedding and Portrait Photography

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LOVE YOUR LENS

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