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Posts Tagged ‘Buyers’

Shopping for a lens? Our buyers guides list our top picks

25 Jun

Looking for a lens for your Canon or Nikon DSLR, or Fujifilm or Sony mirrorless camera? You’re in luck, as we have four buying guides to help you pick out the best lens for your shooting situation, whether it’s landscape, macro or travel.

Best lenses for Canon DSLRs

Best lenses for Fujifilm X-mount mirrorless

Best lenses for Sony mirrorlessOur Micro Four Thirds buying guide is currently in development and will be published in the new few weeks.


View all our buying guides

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon Z7 pre-order deliveries will be delayed for some buyers

30 Aug

Nikon Japan has issued an apology advising Nikon Z7 buyers that some pre-ordered deliveries will be delayed. The company plans to start delivering its newly announced full-frame mirrorless camera to early buyers in September, but Nikon says high demand for the model will result in some customers receiving their products at a later date.

The apology also warns that Nikon Z7 orders placed in the future may take some time to deliver, though Nikon didn’t offer specific timeframes; the 500mm F5.6 PF ED VR lens will also be impacted. A recent report published by Myzaker claims Nikon is producing 20,000 of its Z7 mirrorless cameras per month at a factory in Sendai, Japan.

We received the following comment from Nikon US:

“Interest in the Nikon Z series has been exceptional. We will work to fulfill customer demand as quickly as possible and will be shipping product as scheduled beginning September 27.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Buyer’s Guide: Canon EOS Rebel T7i (800D) vs EOS 77D vs EOS 80D

23 Feb

In February, Canon announced the EOS Rebel T7i (800D) and EOS 77D, adding two new choices to the company’s already confusing lineup. In this article we’ll break down what separates the T7i, 77D and the existing EOS 80D – and which is the best one for your needs.

Spec comparison

  Rebel T7i/800D EOS 77D EOS 80D
MSRP (body only) $ 749  $ 899 $ 1199
Sensor 24.2MP APS-C CMOS
Processor Digic 7 Digic 6
ISO range ISO 100-25600
(expands to 51200)
ISO 100-12800
(expands to 25600)
AF system  Dual Pixel + 45-pt all-cross-type
Shutter speed 30 – 1/4000 sec 30 – 1/8000 sec 
X-sync 1/200 sec 1/250 sec
LCD size/type 3″ fully-articulating (1.04M-dot) 
Viewfinder mag/coverage 0.82x / 95% 0.95x / 100%
(‘Intelligent’)
Control dials One Two
Max Continuous 6 fps  7 fps
Video 1920 x 1080 @ 60p/30p/24p
Mic jack No Yes
Headphone jack No Yes
Bluetooth Yes No
Battery life (CIPA) 600 shots 960 shots
Battery grip No Optional
Weather-sealing No Yes
Dimensions 131 x 100 x 76mm 131 x 100 x 76mm 139 x 105 x 79mm
Weight (CIPA) 532 g  540 g 730 g

In most respects, the 80D is the better of the three cameras, which is what you’d expect given its price premium. Let’s break it down into various areas for a closer look.

Body & Design

What really sets these three models apart are style and build quality. The EOS Rebel T7i is very much a Rebel. It’s compact, plastic and has a single control dial and small-ish optical viewfinder. The T7i, along with the other two cameras in this comparison, has a 3″ fully articulating touchscreen LCD.

The Rebel T7i’s top-plate controls are all located on the right side. The EOS 77D adds an LCD info display in the place of the mode dial, which moves to the left.
The optical viewfinder, LCD and most of the controls are the same on the T7i as they are on the 77D. The 77D adds a second control dial around the directional controller (with a lock switch) as well as an AF-On button for fans of back-button focus.

As you’d expect, the 80D is bigger and better in terms of build quality. The body is weather-sealed and the shutter is rated to 100,000 cycles (Canon doesn’t say how long the Rebel and 77D will last, but it’s probably safe to say ‘not as long’.) Its pentaprism ‘Intelligent Viewfinder’ has 100% coverage and the ability to overlay all kind of information on top of the scene, such as focus point layout, composition grids and an electronic level. The grip is larger and, unlike the other two models, a battery grip is an optional extra. The 80D also offers a headphone jack, in addition to the mic jack found on the other two models.

The controls on the 77D are quite similar to those on the 80D. The 80D has a larger viewfinder and no labels on its directional controller. It lacks the Wi-Fi button found on the 77D.
Again, the 77D closely resembles its big brother. The 80D has additional buttons, though, for AF, drive and metering.

The Guts

The Rebel T7i, EOS 77D and EOS 80D share the same 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor. However, the Rebel and 77D have Canon’s latest Digic 7 processor, compared to the Digic 6 on the 80D. Canon claims that the Digic 7 provides a full-stop improvement in JPEG high ISO noise levels compared to Digic 6, though comparing the Digic 7-powered EOS M5 against the 80D seems to contradict that. In addition, the native ISO range tops out at 25600 on Digic 7 vs 12800 on Digic 6. All three cameras can further expand their maximum ISO by a full stop. 

Canon says that the Digic 7 also improves subject-tracking performance, and when we reviewed the EOS M5 mirrorless camera, we found it to be a step above the EOS 80D. It’s probably a safe assumption that the Rebel T7i and EOS 77D will perform as well as the M5 when live view shooting.

Digics aside, all three cameras use the same Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, which we’ve found to be effective for both stills and video. They also share a 45-point, all-cross-type phase-detect system for shooting through the viewfinder as well as a 7560-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor that uses ‘Color Tracking’ to detect skin color and assist in focusing.

When shooting through the viewfinder on all three cameras you’ll get 45 all-cross-type points, with the center-point being dual-cross-type. Dual Pixel AF has phase-detect pixels built into the CMOS sensor, which allows for fast AF in live view and video. The phase-detect area covers 80% of the frame, as illustrated above.

Features

This is the area in which the three cameras start to diverge, though not dramatically. Let’s start at the bottom with the Rebel T7i/800D.

The T7i offers Full HD video capture at 60p, 30p and 24p, as well as the PAL equivalents at bit rates of up to 60Mbps. You get manual exposure control and Auto ISO while capturing video, though it’s not clear if the T7i will let you adjust exposure compensation in those situations (signs point to ‘yes’). Manual audio level controls are available, plus a wind filter.

You get to take advantage of Dual Pixel AF’s solid subject tracking performance and easy rack-focusing courtesy of the touchscreen display. There’s also a time-lapse movie mode and an HDR movie mode (shudder). Something that the Digic 7 allows for is 5-axis digital image stabilization, which is a feature the 80D’s Digic 6 does not support.

In terms of continuous shooting, the T7i can take up to 27 Raw, 23 Raw+JPEG or an unlimited number of JPEGs at 6 fps, assuming that you’re using a high-speed UHS-I card. Battery life sits at 600 shots per charge (CIPA standard).

And then there’s Wi-Fi, which is Canon’s most advanced system yet. You get the usual Wi-Fi connectivity using the Canon Connect app, as well as NFC for quick pairing with Android phones. What’s new is Bluetooth support, which not only makes pairing easy, but also maintains a constant connection so you can quickly turn your phone into a remote. When using the app with Bluetooth there’s a shutter release button for shooting, plus a four-way controller for playback. If you want full-on remote control with live view, the app will automatically switch over to Wi-Fi.

Canon’s new BR-E1 Bluetooth remote is compatible with the Rebel T7i/800D and the EOS 77D. Notice the W/T buttons, which can be used with the available PZ-E1 power zoom adapter (that only works with the EF-S 18-135mm PZ at this time).

Something new the T7i/800D brings to the table is Feature Assistant, which is very similar to the Guide feature on the Nikon D3000-series. When you rotate the mode dial, the LCD displays visual representations of what each mode does. Once you’ve selected a mode, you’ll get a slider that illustrates the effect of aperture or shutter speed adjustment. It’s pretty well-done for those who learn toward the beginner end of the spectrum. This feature is also available on the EOS 77D, though it’s hidden by default.

So what features do you gain by stepping up to the EOS 77D, aside from the physical ones? Not a whole lot. You gain interval and bulb timers and a few more custom controls (due to the extra physical buttons). Everything else, including burst rate and battery life, is identical.

Moving up to the 80D mostly provides better performance and even more custom controls. Performance-wise, the max shutter speed rises to 1/8000 sec, the x-sync speed to 1/250 sec, and the burst rate to 7 fps. Battery life is rated at 960 shots per charge, and that’s without the optional grip.

Feature-wise you gain a lot more control over autofocus settings, and an AF micro-adjustment tool is also available. What are you missing out on by having a slightly older camera? Really it’s just Bluetooth and the 5-axis digital IS in movie mode (we can’t imagine your average 80D buyer using the Feature Assistant very often).

So which is best for you?

The difficult decision isn’t so much between the 77D and the 80D – the differences are pretty clear-cut. If you need something with much superior build quality, faster burst rates and more controls over autofocus, then it’s your choice. While the 80D’s live view subject tracking abilities may fall below that of the 77D (and T7i), image quality should be similar, despite Canon’s claims to the contrary.

The Rebel T7i / EOS 800D showing off its new UI.

The choice between the Rebel T7i/800D vs the 77D is where it’s a bit more challenging. Obviously, budget will be one thing any buyer will consider. If you’re pinching pennies then you’re probably going to choose the Rebel. If you’re willing to spend about $ 150 more, then we think that the EOS 77D is the better choice. It’s not any larger, the extra control dial saves a lot of hassle and the LCD info display is a nice touch. And, if you’re enthusiastic about video, having a mic jack will come in very handy.


If you’re trying to make this exact decision right now, or just want to propose alternatives, then head down to the comment section below. Let us know if we missed anything in this comparison, too!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Apple cuts adapter and card reader prices to appease new MacBook Pro buyers

05 Nov

When Apple announced its new MacBook Pro last week, Mac fans were up in arms about the removal of its HDMI port, SD card reader and MagSafe power connector (among other things.)  The new models have four Thunderbolt 3 ports (two on each side), and that’s it, thus requiring ‘dongles’ in order to use legacy connectors. SanDisk also produces an SD card reader (pictured) that plugs right into the side of the computer.

To help placate those who aren’t excited about spending nearly $ 120 just to get their SD card reader and HDMI port back, the company has cut prices of many USB-C and Thunderbolt adapters for a limited time.

  • USB-C to USB adapter: $ 19 to $ 9
  • Thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter: $ 49 to $ 29
  • USB-C to Lightning cables (1/2 meter): $ 25 to $ 19 / $ 35 to $ 29
  • Multiport adapter w/HDMI, USB and USB-C: $ 69 to $ 49
  • Multiport adapter w/VGA, USB and USB-C: $ 69 to $ 49
  • SanDisk USB-C SD card reader: $ 49 to $ 29

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Residential Rollercoaster: Buyers Ride Through House for Sale

18 Dec

[ By Steph in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

roller coaster ride 5

Perhaps ‘roller coaster ride’ isn’t the most desirable term that a seller would want potential buyers using to describe the property they’re showing, but in this case, it might not be such a bad thing. Dutch brokerage firm Verder Met Wonen literally takes prospective residents on a ride through the home on a specially-installed roller coaster in single-rider wooden cars.

output_qCwmeV

house rollercoaster 1

The ride starts in the driveway, descending into the basement and then hoisting viewers up the stairs to see the first level.  It then rises to the second floor, winds through the bedrooms and plummets out an upper window into the backyard.

house rollercoaster 2

house rollercoaster 3

house rollercoaster 4

A 90-second promotional clip gives us a glimpse at the journey, even if we can’t take it ourselves. No word on whether the stunt has helped the home’s chances of selling, and it’s certainly not giving prospective buyers a lot of time to mull over each space, but it’s certainly getting the firm some attention.

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[ By Steph in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

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Posted in Creativity

 

Art Buyer’s Bible

13 May

Art Buyers Bible - Picture Photographed By Jenny Brough & Edited By Chamorro

What started as a personal blog in 2008, a list of retouching and 3D animation studios that was used as an archive for personal learning and inspiration, has become an impressive collection of retouchers, illustrators and 3D artists and studios from across the globe. In 2013, Art Buyer’s Bible emerged when its owner and creator, Chris, decided to make something out of his list.

Today, ArtBuyersBible.com assists professionals and businesses to connect and network with advertising agencies and photographers to collaborate and serve as a pool of inspiration for young artists. FashionPhotographyBlog.com caught up with Chris from Art Buyer’s Bible to talk about his experience as a former freelance retoucher and his brainchild website.

Art Buyers Bible - Picture Photographed By Valerio Trabanco & Edited By Fernando Arrais

When I asked Chris about his take on the appeal of retouching as a creative art form he replied that “There are a lot of different things that are good with retouching. For starters, it’s often a very fun and creative process to retouch images. People tell you what they are after but it’s up to you to get there. It is really rewarding when you manage to visualize what the client is looking for – when you can help get an image to go all the way; but I also have to say that Photoshop is 90% of what makes it so great. It’s such a fantastic application – maybe needless to say, but still.”

I was intrigued about how the self-starting freelance retoucher first got involved and what led him on to choose a career in photo retouching, he answered “My dad worked as an art director, so when I was growing up we always had the latest Apple computer at home, with the latest applications. Nowadays, everyone has the latest stuff, but back then (1994-96) it was not same. Many families had computers, but they were mostly used for games or word processors. I learned the overall basics at that time, but most of all I got a head start which drew me to go to a media program in high school.

ArtBuyersBible.com presents Blutsbrueder by Matthias Zenter & Franz Steiner

After school, my cousin got me into a market department of a large fashion company and after working there for a while as an art director’s assistant, I met a fashion photographer who took a lot of pictures for the fashion company. He had a quite small company at that time, but he was hiring several photographers and retouchers as they were growing. And that sounded very fun, so I started working for him. I worked there for about 4 years and it was then I really started my retouching career. Some of the senior retouchers at the company believed in me and helped me develop. They were a big inspiration. After that, I started my own company, together with another retoucher and a photographer.”

Art Buyers Bible - Picture CGI except model & edited by Glowfrog

From professional retoucher to website creator, I asked Chris how did the origins of Art Buyer’s Bible came to be, he explained “I have gotten all my inspiration from looking at other artists’ and studios’ work. Keeping watch on the big studios around the world always drew me in to create the same great work as they did. And while looking around to find other retouchers and great images I found a lot of studios. So I started collecting all of them on a blog. After a while, the list of studios was over a 100. So I decided to do something more of it and created the site. There are now over 200 studios and artist listed on Art Buyer´s Bible.”

The website offers something unique to the industry, according to Chris, “Art Buyer´s Bible has the best list of post-production studios on the web. There are endless of inspiration for both newbies and professionals. I also think we have done a really good job creating the directory overview. You can easily see what and where the great work is coming from.”

Add an ImageArt Buyers Bible - Picture Photographed By Frieke Janssens & Edited By Livingroom

When asked about what’s on the horizon for the site and if there are any future plans to include photographers, Chris gave this answer “My future plan is to give advertising agencies personal help with finding collaborators… Since it all started with me looking for inspiration for my own work, I mainly searched for retouch studios. I’ve been thinking about if I should add photographers too. Maybe,  but not in any near future. There are also so many, so then I have to think of a good way of sorting them. We’ll see.”

For people who are looking to do their own retouching, Chris recommends the following: “You need a computer with Photoshop and a big bunch of inspiration, which you can find at ArtBuyersBible.com :). Pretty soon you will also need a Wacom tablet.”

If you would like more information about Art Buyer’s Bible you can visit the website at ArtBuyersBible.com or email info@artbuyersbible.com


PHOTO CREDITS:

Picture 1: Monica Chamorro, Photo: Jenny Brough
Picture 2: Fernando Arrais, Photo: Valerio Trabanco
Picture 3: BlutsBrueder, Photographer: Matthias Zenter, Retoucher: Franz Steiner
Picture 4: Glowfrog, 100%CGI except model
Picture 5 – The Livingroom, Photo: Frieke Janssens


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A Buyer’s Guide to Canon Normal and Telephoto Lenses

03 Mar
Canon 400mm lens

Canon EF 400mm f2.8L IS II USM lens

Andrew S. Gibson is the author of Understanding Lenses Part II: A Guide to Canon Normal & Telephoto Lenses, on 40% now at Snapndeals for a limited time only.

With so many lenses to choose from, it’s little wonder that photographers become confused about which option is the best. In this article I’m going to take a look at some of Canon’s best or most interesting normal and telephoto lenses, to give you a head start when it comes to understanding just what Canon offers in this part of their lens range.

But first, let’s take a quick look at the state of Canon’s lens line-up. I have no inside knowledge about which lenses Canon may introduce this year, but I do see a couple of emerging trends.

Trends in Lenses

The first is that Canon is not afraid to take an old lens and update it with a newer version. Good recent examples are the new EF 24mm and 28mm f/2.8 IS USM lenses. Both replaced older versions and included an Image Stabilizer (IS) which the previous models didn’t have.

The second trend is that newer lenses tend to be more expensive than the ones they replace. This is reasonable, as the newer lenses are better quality. If a new lens comes out and it seems expensive, you can be patient and wait a year or so for the price to drop if you don’t need it urgently. The two wide-angle lenses mentioned above have dropped in price by over 30% since their release.

That does mean it is possible that Canon will replace some of their aging normal and telephoto lenses in the near future. If you’re thinking about buying one and are worried about this, it’s up to you to decide how badly you need the current version. While the rumour websites like to speculate about forthcoming lenses, and are sometimes accurate, you never really know what will happen as Canon keep the details of new releases under wraps until the official day of release.

A good example of this is the EF 50mm f/1.4 lens. Some rumours sites are saying this is due for an update. But if this is true, and how far in the future it will happen, no-one really knows. Plus the replacement is likely to be more expensive than the current 50mm f/1.4 lens (but it may have IS). In the end, it’s up to you, but my advice is don’t spend too long waiting for new lenses – you could be waiting a long time.

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM – the beast!

Canon 200-400mm zoom

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x– only about $ 12,000 USD!

Let’s start off with this beast. It’s fun to speculate who would buy such an expensive lens. A professional sports photographer? Agencies like Getty or Reuters? This L series, super telephoto zoom, comes with a built in 1.4x extender (the only Canon lens to do so), a four stop Image Stabilizer, and a fixed f/4 aperture throughout the zoom range. It weighs over three and half kilos (7.9 pounds), but is not Canon’s heaviest lens. That honour belongs to the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens (below), which weighs four and half kilos (9.9 pounds) and is another option for those of you with $ 13,000 to spend on new glass.

Canon 800mm lens

Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM

Canon 40mm pancake lens

Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens

At the other end of the scale is one of Canon’s lightest, smallest and least expensive lenses. This 40mm pancake lens delivers excellent image quality, and excellent value for money. However it doesn’t have IS or a distance scale on the lens, features which may be important to some people.

How does this lens give such excellent quality for such a low price? It contains just six optical elements that measure little more than a centimetre across (0.4″). They are cheaper to manufacture than the larger elements found in Canon’s other lenses, and the result is a lower price.

This focal length is a short telephoto on an APS-C camera or a normal lens on a full-frame camera.

Canon 50mm f1.4 USM

Canon 50mm f1.4 lens

EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Canon users aren’t lacking for choice when it comes to 50mm lenses. Canon makes four models, including the 50mm f/1.8, the 50mm f/1.2L and 50mm f/2.5 macro. But my favourite is the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. It’s a third of the price of the more expensive L series 50mm lens, but has better autofocus and smoother bokeh than the f/1.8.

50mm lenses make great portrait lenses on APS-C cameras and deliver value for money in terms of image quality and versatility. You can use a 50mm lens with extension tubes or close-up lenses for close-up photography, or with a reversing ring on a longer lens for macro photography.

Read more about 50mm lens in my article Nifty Fifties – Why I Love 50mm Prime Lenses.

Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM

Canon 85mm lens

Another of my favourite lenses is the 85mm f/1.8. It’s an ideal portrait lens for owners of full-frame cameras. It’s also great for close-up photography with the addition of a 500D close-up lens. It’s a shame it doesn’t have IS, but that would push the price up. If you have deep pockets you can also consider the EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens, but bear in mind the wide f/1.2 aperture means it has a large front element (to let in the more light) and that makes the lens heavier and slower to autofocus.

Read more about this lens in my article How a Humble 85mm Lens Became My Favourite.

Canon 70-200mm zooms

Canon 70-200mm zoom lens

EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM

Canon has four 70-200mm zoom L series lenses. Two of these have maximum f/4 apertures and cost less. The other two have maximum f/2.8 apertures. For each aperture setting there is both a non-IS and an IS model. This gives you plenty of choice, for what is a very versatile focal length. The EF 70-200mm f/4L USM lens is Canon’s cheapest L series lens and a great option for anyone wanting to experience L series quality on a low budget. The EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM (above) is the most expensive and comes with a collar so you can mount it on a tripod.

Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

Canon 70-300mm zoom lens

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM UD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

If 200mm isn’t long enough for you then Canon’s trio of 70-300mm zooms may appeal. The only drawback of these lenses is the variable aperture, but it’s hard to avoid this along such a long focal length range. The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM is the most recent model, but also the most expensive. The EF 70-300mm f4/-5.6 IS USM lens is the least expensive and ideal for those on a tight budget.

The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DO IS USM lens is an interesting alternative. DO stands for Diffractive Optics. The construction of the lens elements in DO lenses means they are smaller and lighter than their non-DO equivalents, making this a good option for photographers concerned with size and weight. In every other respect DO lenses are equivalent to L series lenses. Will Canon make more DO lenses in the future? I hope so, because they are a great idea. The only other DO lens in Canon’s range is the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM.

Hopefully that has given you a good overview of some of Canon’s more notable normal and telephoto lenses. It’s impossible to include every model, let alone those made by other manufacturers, but that’s where you come in. What normal or telephoto lenses have you purchased? How have they performed and what would you recommend? Let us know in the comments.


Understanding Lenses Part II: A Guide to Canon Normal & Telephoto Lenses

Understanding Lenses ebookMy ebook Understanding Lenses Part II will teach you how to get the most out of Canon’s normal and telephoto lenses. It contains a buying guide, takes a deep look at aperture and bokeh, and shows you how to focus accurately with telephoto lenses. It’s offered for a special price now on 40% off at Snapndeals for a limited time only.

The post A Buyer’s Guide to Canon Normal and Telephoto Lenses by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Buyers Guide – Prime Lenses vs Zoom Lenses

16 Feb
Canon 8-15mm fisheye lens

Canon’s 8-15mm f4L fisheye is an unusual lens, the only fisheye zoom that I know of. Most fisheye lenses are primes.

Following on from my article A Concise Guide to Choosing a New Lens I thought it would be interesting to go a little deeper into the question of whether to buy a prime lens or a zoom.

First, the definitions:

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length. There is no zoom ring and no way to magnify the subject other than moving closer. There are two settings to adjust: aperture (often handled by the camera) and focusing distance.

Zoom lenses have a variable focal length. There are three settings to adjust: aperture, focusing distance and focal length.

Both primes and zooms have benefits. I’m not going to try and persuade you one way or the other. Rather, the goal is to explore the benefits of both to help you decide which is the best for you.

Benefits of prime lenses

Image quality

Generally speaking, prime lenses have better image quality. It is easier to make a lens with good optical performance at a single focal length than it is to make one that performs well through the entire range of a zoom lens. This is especially true with wide-angle lenses where zooms tend to suffer from barrel distortion at the shortest focal lengths. With longer focal lengths (ie. 50mm plus), there is less difference in the performance between zooms and primes.

Barrel distortion

This photo shows the barrel distortion of an 18-135mm zoom lens set to 18mm. The curved lines in the frame should be straight.

Size and weight

Prime lenses tend to be smaller and lighter than zooms covering the same focal length range. This isn’t true all the time, high end primes are bigger because they have wider maximum apertures, which need larger lens elements to let the light in. Anyone who has used Canon’s 85mm f/1.2L prime lens knows what I mean – it’s a monster.

Don’t forget that the size and weight advantage is quickly lost if you end up buying two or more primes to cover the same focal range as a zoom. But if your aim is to use your camera with a single, lightweight lens then primes are the way to go.

An advantage of smaller lenses is that they are less obtrusive for portrait and street photography. It’s interesting how lens size affects the dynamics of a portrait shoot. In my experience models, even experienced ones, are much more relaxed in front of the camera when I use a smaller lens.

The Canon 40mm f2.8 pancake is about as small and light as you can get. Pancake lenses are the ultimate in unobtrusive lenses.

The Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens is about as small and light as you can get. Pancake lenses are the ultimate in unobtrusive lenses.

Wide maximum apertures

The wider maximum apertures of prime lenses are useful for taking photos in low light or for creating beautiful bokeh. They also let more light into the lens, giving you a brighter image on cameras with optical viewfinders. However, if you have a camera with good high ISO performance you may not be so bothered about the advantages of using primes in low light.

Portrait

You can only take portraits like this one that have very little depth of field with prime lenses. Shot at f/1.8 with an 85mm lens.

Value for money

Prime lenses often give really good value for money, especially at the lower end of the price range. Most manufacturers have inexpensive prime lenses in their range that give superb image quality, much better than you would get from a zoom lens costing the same.

Benefits of zoom lenses

There was a time when the quality of zoom lenses was so poor that most photographers didn’t use them. Thankfully, things have changed and they have become more popular as the quality has improved. These are the main benefits of zoom lenses:

Convenience

The main benefit of zooms is the convenience arising from covering a range of focal lengths in one lens. This can save you time (swapping lenses) and money (being cheaper to buy one zoom than two or more primes). Zooms are useful as walkabout lenses, or if you are working in dusty or damp conditions where you don’t really want to take the lens off the camera.

With so many benefits, are there any disadvantages? Unfortunately the answer is yes. Here are some things to bear in mind:

The trade-offs for convenience are image quality and size. Zooms tend to be bigger than primes, and if you want one that has good image quality throughout the entire focal length range then you will need to spend some money. One tip is to go for lenses that cover a shorter focal length range, such as a 24-70mm rather than 18-200mm.

Nikon kit lens

A kit lens with variable maximum aperture. Avoid these types of zooms if you can.

Another thing to watch out for on cheaper zoom lenses is variable aperture. An example: an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5 at the 18mm end but only f/5.6 at 55mm. This makes it harder to work in manual mode (what if you have the aperture set to f/4 at 18mm and then zoom in to 55mm?) and is a general hassle all-round. Pay a bit more and get a fixed aperture zoom.

Saves you having to move

While some people will tell you that a benefit of prime lenses is that they make you zoom with your feet (ie. move closer to or further from the subject to change the composition) there are times when this isn’t possible. You may be at a sporting event, and unable to get any closer to the athletes involved. Or you may be standing near the edge of a cliff taking a landscape photo, unable to move further forward because you would fall off. Zoom lenses are invaluable in situations such as these.

Landscape photo

I took this photo standing near the edge of a cliff. I couldn’t move any further forwards, but was able to frame the image precisely using a 17-40mm zoom lens.

Your view

Now it’s your turn. What lenses do you prefer to use – zooms or primes? Have you bought any lenses recently and why did you decide to buy them? I’m looking forward to reading what you have to say.


Understanding Lenses ebook bundle

Understanding Lenses ebooks

My ebooks Understanding Lenses Part I and Understanding Lenses Part II will help Canon EOS owners decide what lenses to buy for their cameras. They are both filled with lots of tips to getting the most out of your Canon lenses. Click the links to learn more.

The post Buyers Guide – Prime Lenses vs Zoom Lenses by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Buyers’ Guide: Best DSLRs and ILCs for under $1000

29 Jun

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Good-quality DSLRs and interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) typically provide plenty of manual controls, comfortable ergonomics, and support a legacy of lenses for years to come. But Old or new, getting hold of a quality digital camera still requires you to put down a decent chunk of change. In this article we’re going to look at ten of the best DSLRs and ILCs available for under $ 1,000. We’ve included current cameras that we really like, and last-generation bargains, too. Click through for a link to the full article.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Buyers’ Guide: Enthusiast Raw-shooting compact cameras

16 Dec

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Just published: Raw-shooting compact camera roundup. The ranks of photographers’ compacts have been swelled by the arrival of cameras such as Canon’s G12, the Nikon P7100 and Fujifilm X10, so we’ve spent time with all of the latest offerings and prepared a roundup of where they stand in comparison to the existing models. Are the old favorites still the best? Read-on to find out.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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