I have done nothing but increase. These costs have followed Moore’s Law, describing how electric technology becomes smaller and more efficient. While this is true for most technology, this doesn’t necessarily mean that camera lenses have become smaller or cheaper in exchange for functionality. Lenses are still quite large and have the same millimeter-by-millimeter pattern of the decades before. The difference is that the technology that makes lenses smaller and compact is now more expensive. Not only that, but mass production of cameras has also increased, which means more cameras are being manufactured each year with improved lens technology included.
Types of Camera Lenses
Camera lenses come in many shapes, sizes and applications. Here are the main types available in the market:
Macro Lenses
These lenses are designed to take extreme close-ups of the subject. While they can be used for other tasks, their primary purpose is to capture details like textures and lines that would otherwise be too small to see with the naked eye. Graphic designers often use them to format their images exactly how they want them.
Wide-Angle Lenses
Wide-angle lenses help capture more area in the shot. They’re typically used in outdoor scenes, such as landscapes and cityscapes.
Standard Lenses
These are the most common lenses and can be used for a wide range of purposes. While they’re not as helpful as other types, they come in handy when you need to take a medium shot from a distance or close-up. They have an angle of view more significant than 45 degrees but less than 90 degrees.
Telephoto Lenses
Telephoto lenses have an angle of view smaller than 45 degrees but greater than zero. They’re helpful for subjects too far away to capture with the naked eye. This includes objects from far away, like mountains, animals in the wild, or things up in the sky.
Wide-Angle Zoom Lenses
Zoom lenses allow users to zoom in and out on their subject without having to change the perspective of their shot. They typically provide an angle of view between 35 to 70 degrees.
Specialty Lenses
Examples are the fisheye lens, tilt-shift lens, and infrared lens. Those are lenses used for dramatic and special effects.
You should buy essential equipment first if you plan to invest in a professional camera system. But it would help if you also thought about buying specialty lenses when the camera is set up for the job at hand.
What Factors to Consider When Buying a Camera Lens
Before you can decide if a lens is worth buying or not, you first have to think about what you will use it for. Here are the factors to consider:
Size
Your first concern is probably the size of the lens. You don’t need a super-sized lens for most purposes as they become impractical when they are too large. Lenses come in different sizes and lengths and depend on your shooting style. When you’re focusing on something at a distance, you’ll need a long lens. You can also use wide-angle lenses for the same purpose. Or you might be interested in shooting objects linked to a particular scale, like insects or architectural details. In this case, you’ll want to invest in a macro lens.
Resolution
The resolution of your camera will help determine how much detail your lens can capture. This isn’t a concern for objects that are far away since their size is too large for the camera to resolve the details. But it can be important for close-ups to ensure that you get enough detail in your shot.
Focal Length
Some camera lenses provide a range of focal lengths that can be adjusted on the fly. This is good for taking 360-degree wide-angle shots, but it can also be good for focusing on the visual impact of objects in your viewfinder. The longer the focal length, the less depth of field you’ll have, and the more things blur out in the background. Generally, you want to go with a lens with a focal length between 35 and 70 mm, so your subject will remain focused throughout your photo.
Autofocus
This refers to how your camera can focus on a particular object. The higher the number, the faster the lens can track subjects. Even though it might seem like a minor issue, it’s not uncommon to have a problem with autofocus when shooting in low light conditions, such as at night. Your camera may have trouble tracking objects that are moving erratically or too far away to be considered in focus. In such conditions, autofocus can be a lifesaver.
Image Stabilization
Some lenses provide image stabilization. This is an excellent feature for cameras that shoot videos and photos on the go. It will allow you to get more stable shots without worrying about your subject moving out of focus. This feature is usually provided in lenses that are longer than 70 mm, while short-range lenses don’t provide it because they don’t need it as much.
