Photography Basics 3: Lens selection

Wow it has been a while since i have last posted. Finally got the chance at home today so faster post it! This week is a holiday week for me as i will be starting a new job next week. :)

Ok back to this topic. Oh by buying a dslr, it means that money has to be spent on buying lenses. Unlike conventional compact cameras which come with built in lenses, dslr does not have such luxury. Huh?? Dslr is so much more expensive as yet it doesnt comes with lenses??? Well, thats a fact. Think it in this way, by having the option to use whichever lenses to suit your needs aand achieve the photographic effects you desired, why not?


Lenses are widely classified into 2 main categories:

Primes - Essentially these are fixxed focal length lens. Fixed focal length simply means that it is NOT a zoom! Generally these lenses are lighter, better optical quality (because of fewer glass elements inside them) and faster (allows more light to enter e.g. f1.4, f1.2, still rem these terms?)

Zooms - I am sure i do not need to explain this right? Zoom lenses cover a range i.e. 16-35mm or 70-200mm. These lenses tends to be heavier, poorer in optical quality as compared to primes (however, nowadays, zooms is closing tthe gap with primes in this aspect), slower (doesnt allow as much light in as the primes).

Both Canon and Nikon offers a wide variety of primes and zooms to suit the needs of photographers. There is no hard and fast rule to say "i will only use primes" or "i will only use zooms". It really depends on individual needs. I have myself covered with zooms and primes.

My experience with buying lenses was initially i tend to buy zooms. Covering from 16mm all the way to 300mm... Wow, that is really very expensive back then! Total of 5 lenses! But after a while, once you kinda know what shots you like to take best, you will focus and keep only those you want. For me, i am left with a zoom 28-75mm (for street shots), 50mm (for portraits), 100mm (for macro) and my beloved 300mm (sports + birds). WHat if i need those lens which i do not have now? Well, there is always people online who lease lenses, you can easily loan from them for a small charge per day!