Tip #31: Lenses

In the "biz" lenses are called glass, because the best of them are made with glass optical elements. Lenses are the eyes of your camera -- the better the eyes, the better the images. Your investment in good glass should be a primary consideration, when you make your purchases. Of course, good glass does not come cheap.

There are wide angle lenses, some so wide they are called fish-eye; there are telephoto lenses; there are zoom lenses and primes. Here's a quick definition for each:

1. Wide-angle lenses have a wide angle of view and short focal lengths (35mm and shorter) -- think landscapes.


2. Fish-eye lenses are for extreme wide angle shots (8 - 16mm). They often result in images that cover more than 180 degrees of view and, without adjustment in post processing, have a spherical feel about them.


3. Telephoto lenses magnify the subject, bringing the photographer closer without disturbing the subject ( > 50mm focal lengths) -- think wildlife photography.


4. Zoom lenses have the capability of changing the focal length via mechanical adjustment (e.g. 28 - 300mm) -- think of many lenses combined into one. The capability allows the photog to have great flexibility in how an image is composed. Over the years the quality of zoom lenses has improved to the point that fewer lenses are needed in the camera bag.


5. Prime lenses are lenses with only one focal length. Because they have fixed focal lengths, prime lenses are the sharpest lenses available.

There are hundreds of reviews on different lenses across the Internet. One of my favorite reviewers is Ken Rockwell. Check him out.

Note: Lenses used to shoot portraits are often in the 85mm to 120mm range -- facial features look good and the background bokeh, controlled with wide aperture settings, can be very nice.

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Tip #5: Camera Controls

Right out of the box most cameras are set to AUTO. This is so most of us can charge a battery, insert a memory card, and start taking pictures. You may get a few good pictures, but none will really jump out at you. Why? Well the reason is, AUTO could have been labeled AVERAGE, because that's what the camera does. It averages most settngs for the ambient conditions. AUTO even activates the on-camera flash, if it thinks it is necessary. Your camera may have other presets for different scenes, e.g. portrait, landscape, flower, night-time portrait, etc. These scene modes are actually sets of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings for different ambient conditions. If you have a DSLR, you probably also have the modes, P, A, S, and M.

P is program mode, meaning you may adjust a setting and the others will be calculated. By default flash is usually turned off in this mode. This mode is a good one, if you are out walking around in changing light conditions.

A is aperture priority. You set the aperture and the shutter speed is calculated for you. Flash is off, unless you specifically turn it on.

S is shutter priority. You set the shutter speed and the aperture is calculated for you. Flash is off, unless you turn it on.

M is manual. Here, you get to set aperture and shutter speed. In any of these modes ISO can be automatic or manually set, depending on how your camera is set up.

Ninety percent of my shooting is done in A-mode, so I can control the depth of field -- I like a nice bokeh (out of focus area behind my subject). Another small percentage is shot in S-mode, so I can freeze the action at 1/1000 of a second or faster. The balance is shot in manual mode. If you are shooting in AUTO, then my tip is to try some of the other modes. Experiment a little. You may like the results.


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