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7Artisans will ‘soon’ announce a ~$200 50mm F0.95 lens for APS-C mirrorless camera systems

06 Aug

Chinese optics manufacturer 7Artisans is set to release a new 50mm F0.95 APS-C lens for EOS-M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds (MFT), Nikon Z and Sony E mount camera systems.

The fully-manual lens is expected to retail for around $ 200. It will feature a metal build and its optical design consists of seven elements in five groups, including two ultra-low dispersion elements. It’ll have a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7”), offer a de-clicked aperture, use a 13-blade aperture diaphragm, and have a 62mm front filter thread.

The lens will measure 67.5mm (2.7″) long and weigh 416g (14.7 oz). Below is a video review from YouTube channel InfoFotografi (with English subtitles):

Photo Rumors, an authorized 7Artisans reseller, says the lens will be be released ‘soon.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Camera Lens Specifications Explained: MM, VR, ED, HSM and the Rest

23 Jul

Camera lens specifications might sound like another language for beginner photographers or those interested in their first purchase of a camera kit. Most of the time people simply don’t know their meanings which is what leads them to make a bad decision when buying a lens. In this article I will define all the camera lens specifications you need to Continue Reading
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Want A Camera Lens Without Distortion? Check This Out

23 Jul

Do you want a camera lens without distortion? If you are like me, unwanted distortions in your photos really bother you. But what causes lens distortions and how can you prevent them? Is there anything you can do with your existing equipment or do you need to go out and buy new? Let me explain distortions and answer all these Continue Reading
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Megapixels, Sensor Size or Lens: What Matters Most?

23 Jul

It’s hard to compare apples to apples when you want to buy a camera. Product descriptions throw all these numbers at you, such as the number of megapixels and the sensor size, but you may not understand how each affects image quality. Plus, for interchangeable lens cameras, many people will tell you the lens is more important than the camera Continue Reading
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Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide

20 Jul

The post Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Andrew S. Gibson.

If you want to capture beautiful close-up images but don’t want to spend hundreds (or thousands) on a macro lens, then you’ve come to the right place.

Because in this article, I’m going to explain everything you need to know about reverse lens macro photography. It’s a simple technique that lets you turn a standard lens into a macro lens so you can capture photos like this:

In fact, if you already own a 50mm prime lens or a standard kit lens (in the 18-55mm focal length range), then the reverse lens macro technique is the least expensive way to capture magnified images.

So let’s dive right in, starting with the absolute basics:

What is reverse lens macro photography?

Reverse lens macro photography is a method of capturing highly magnified images using an interchangeable lens camera, a lens, and a cheap adapter. You turn your lens around so the rear element points outward, then use an adapter to attach the reversed lens to your camera body (or to another lens).

In other words: You take your lens. You flip it around. And you’ll be able to shoot at macro magnifications.

If you’ve never seen the reverse lens macro technique, it may seem a bit strange – after all, why does reversing a standard lens let you shoot at high magnifications?

But it really does work, and the diagram below shows why. In normal use, a 50mm lens focuses light from far away to create a much smaller image, one that fits onto film or a digital sensor (which is often around 35mm wide). Reverse the lens and the opposite occurs: the 50mm lens magnifies what it sees, giving near life-size reproduction:

diagram showing how reverse lens photography works

How to do reverse lens photography

There are two ways you can use the reverse lens macro technique:

1. Single lens reverse macro

This method involves reverse-mounting one lens to the front of your camera. First, purchase a reversing ring (also known as a reverse ring) like this one:

You can buy these adapters for cheap on Amazon. One side screws onto the end of your lens like a filter, while the other attaches to your lens mount. Here’s a reversing ring in action:

Note that the reverse macro technique works best if you use a lens with a manual aperture ring. That way, you can stop down to increase the zone of sharpness (which is very helpful because depth of field decreases as you get closer to your subject).

Unfortunately, if your reversed lens doesn’t have a manual aperture ring, you won’t be able to make any f-stop adjustments and you’ll be forced to work at your lens’s maximum aperture. But while this can be inconvenient, don’t let it stop you – you can use a reversed lens at its widest aperture to take some beautiful photos. You just have to get creative!

2. Twin lens reverse macro

This reverse lens macro technique is less popular but will get the job done. Instead of reverse-mounting one lens to your camera, you mount one lens normally, then reverse mount a second lens on the front of the first, like this:

twin lens reverse macro in action — I’ve attached a reversed 50mm lens to my 85mm prime lens. In this setup, the 85mm lens is called the *primary lens* and the reversed lens is called the *secondary lens*.

The actual mechanics are nearly identical to the single lens technique discussed above; simply purchase a coupler ring (shown below). Then use it to mount the second lens to the first.

macro coupler ring for twin lens photography

Now, when using the twin lens reverse macro technique, the reversed lens acts like a powerful close-up filter, except that it’s much stronger than any filter I’ve encountered. In fact, the twin lens technique offers two major benefits over the single lens technique:

It offers insanely close magnifications. Depending on the focal lengths you use, you can achieve up to 3x life-size reproduction. (That’s three times as close as most professional macro lenses!)
It increases your depth of field flexibility. You can leave the reversed lens open at its widest aperture, while stopping down the primary lens to increase depth of field (even if you don’t have a manual aperture ring).

Note that you can do this technique with essentially any lenses, though the longer the focal length, the more magnification you’ll achieve. What’s most important is that the filter thread sizes on the two lenses match – that way, you can buy a coupler ring that will easily join them together.

(If your lenses have different filter threads, you do have the option of purchasing a step-up ring in addition to your coupler ring, but this can be inconvenient.)

Caring for the reversed lens

The reverse macro technique does leave the rear element of your reversed lens open to the elements, regardless of which method you use. So you should always work carefully to avoid scratching the exposed element.

If you have an extension tube, you can attach it to the back (now front) of the reversed lens, as I did in the photo above. This helps protect the rear element and also acts as a lens hood.

Also, because of the risks to the lens, I’d recommend using relatively cheap glass, like a 50mm f/1.8.

Image sharpness

The reversed lens technique gets you so close to your subject that it’s virtually impossible to handhold the camera. For the sharpest results, use a tripod to keep the camera steady and use a cable release to fire the shutter.

I find it best to use a reverse lens macro setup indoors, especially for delicate subjects like flowers. If you try it outside, the slightest breeze can move the flower and spoil the photo.

Of course, you can always embrace a blurry result and create some interesting abstract shots – but if your goal is to create magnified-yet-sharp photos, you’ll need to follow this advice closely.

If possible, stop down your primary lens to at least f/4. That way, you’ll get increased depth of field, and if you’re using the twin lens technique, it’ll help you avoid the softening that may happen when the first lens is at its widest aperture setting.

How to light reverse lens photography

As long as you don’t mind using a tripod and long shutter speeds to obtain the required exposure, natural light will work just fine.

However, flash is also an option. And you don’t need a specialized macro flash – I use a Canon Speedlite with a small softbox (though you’ll probably want to make sure you’re using an off-camera flash to avoid shadows cast by the lens).

A flash and a softbox were all I needed to take the photo featured above. Here’s a diagram of the setup:

flash setup for reverse macro photography

In general, I’d recommend you start with natural light, unless you’re relatively familiar with artificial lighting. That way, you can experiment with different lighting qualities and directions and you don’t have to worry about complex lighting techniques.

What lens should you use for reverse macro shooting?

I’ve used a 50mm prime lens for the photos featured throughout this article. And a nifty fifty is a great way to get started with reverse lens macro photography.

But don’t forget that you can try this out with just about any lens (though I do recommend using a cheaper option, just in case your lens gets damaged). Kit lenses like the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II (pictured above) work great.

Reverse lens macro photography: conclusion

Now that you’ve finished this article, you should be able to confidently create a macro photography setup (without spending lots of money on a dedicated macro lens).

Reverse lens macro photography is a lot of fun, so order your reverse ring and get shooting!

Now over to you:

Do you prefer the single lens reverse macro technique or the twin lens reverse macro technique? Do you have any tips for improved macro photography? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Andrew S. Gibson.

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Laowa unveils $499 14mm F4 Zero-D lens for EF, F mount camera systems

16 Jul

Venus Optics has announced the release of the Laowa 14mm F4 Zero-D lens for Canon and Nikon DSLR camera systems.

The lens is constructed of 13 elements in 10 elements, including two extra-low dispersion ale nets and two aspherical elements. Like other Laowa ‘Zero-D’ lenses, the lens features near-zero distortion, despite its wide angle of view.

It’s also the first lens to get what Venus Optics called a focusing scale adjustment system, which allows you to calibrate the infinity point of the lens to ensure it’s exactly at the infinity mark based on the specific camera model you’re using it on. Venus Optics has shared the below tutorial showing owners what the calibration process looks like:

The lens features an integrated CPU for electronic control of the aperture with Canon EF mount camera bodies and an aperture coupling for Nikon F mount camera bodies. Other features includ a minimum focusing distance of 14.5cm (5.7″), uses a five-blade aperture diaphragm and uses a 67mm front filter thread.

Below is a gallery of sample images, provided by Venus Optics from a range of photographers:

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As for measurements, the lens comes in at 72.5mm (2.85″) in diameter for both the EF and F mount versions. The Canon EF mount version measures 75mm (2.95″) long while the Nikon F mount version is 73mm (2.87″) long, while weighing 320g (11.3oz) and 360g (12.7oz), respectively.

The lens is available to order on Venus Optics’ website for $ 499.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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What Do the Numbers on Your Camera Lens Mean?

12 Jul

The post What Do the Numbers on Your Camera Lens Mean? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

Camera lenses include quite a few numbers – and many of these are often confusing or obscure, especially for beginners.

That’s why, in this article, I’m going to run through all the important camera lens numbers you’ll encounter. I’ll explain what the numbers actually mean, and I’ll also explain why they matter for your photography.

By the time you’re finished, you’ll be a lens number expert, and you’ll never find yourself confused by your lens markings again.

Let’s jump right in.

Common numbers on newer digital lenses

Depending on the age of your lens, you’ll run into different markings. In this section, I’ll discuss numbers frequently found on newer lenses (though note that many will apply to old lenses, as well!).

Focal length

Zoom lenses feature a zoom ring; twist it, and your lens will zoom in and out.

Next to this ring, you’ll generally find focal length numbers. For example, if your lens is a 70-200mm zoom like mine (below), you’ll see markings that span from 70mm to 200mm. I’m currently at around 100mm:

A lens will never display every focal length but will instead offer a few useful intervals, as you can see in the image above.

If you are using a prime or fixed lens, you won’t have a zoom ring. Your lens will simply indicate the focal length on its barrel, as you can see on my 85mm lens:

Maximum aperture

The maximum aperture is the largest aperture opening your lens is capable of achieving. Note that the larger the aperture opening, the smaller the f-number (so f/2.8 corresponds to a very wide aperture, while f/22 corresponds to a very small aperture).

Larger apertures like f/2.8 or even f/1.8 are highly desirable because they allow you to shoot in low-light conditions while maintaining a fast shutter speed. So the best lenses – and the most expensive lenses – tend to offer a very wide maximum aperture.

(Note that some zoom lenses have a variable maximum aperture, where the maximum aperture will change depending on the focal length; this is represented as a range of numbers, such as f/3.5-6.3.)

Now, pretty much every lens has the maximum aperture written somewhere on its body. You can usually find this information in one of two places (or perhaps even in both):

Right on the end of the lens barrel
On the front of the lens inside the filter ring area

In the photo below, you can see two different lenses: my Tamron 17-35mm and my Canon 85mm. On the Tamron, you should see “1:2.8-4,” and on the 85mm, you should see “1:1.8.”

What does this mean? It’s simple: the maximum aperture on the 85mm lens is f/1.8, and on the Tamron zoom, the maximum aperture changes from f/2.8 to f/4 as you zoom the lens. (At the lens’s widest, 17mm, I can open the aperture to f/2.8. But if I zoom all the way to 35mm, my maximum aperture becomes f/4.)

These variable maximum apertures are pretty common with kit lenses, and especially kit lenses with a large focal length range such as 28-300mm or 18-200mm.

Focusing range and distance scale

On some – but not all! – lenses, you will see a range of distances, usually marked in two scales, feet and meters. These lens numbers indicate the distance at which your lens is currently focused.

So at one end of the scale, you’ll find the infinity symbol, and at the other end, you’ll find the lens’s minimum focusing distance (i.e., the closest the lens can focus).

Check out the two lenses below. The distance scale on the 70-200mm (left) is under a cover, and you can see that the lens is focused somewhere between 10 meters and infinity. The distance scale on the 17-35mm (right) is on the lens’s focus ring, and you can see that the lens is focused quite close, at around 0.5 meters.

Note that, as you focus your lens, the distance scale will change to reflect your new point of focus.

Lens diameter (filter size)

Every lens has a diameter, the distance across the center of the lens. This diameter also corresponds to the filter size (if the filter’s diameter doesn’t match the lens diameter, it won’t properly screw onto the front of the lens).

You’ll find the lens diameter written on the end of your lens (often on the edge of the barrel), preceded by a symbol that looks like a zero with a strike through it:

So for the lens pictured above, the diameter is 77mm. And if I wanted to use a polarizing filter or a clear filter, I’d need to grab one with an equivalent diameter.

By the way, you can also find the lens diameter on the back of the lens cap, as displayed above.

Less common lens numbers (often seen on older, manual focus lenses)

Now that you’re familiar with all the common camera lens numbers, let’s take a look at some of the less common markings. These numbers are pretty rare on lenses designed for digital cameras, but you may come across them if you purchase older, manual focus glass.

Aperture ring

Most newer lenses set and control the aperture through the camera. But back in the days of film, you would set the shutter speed on your camera and the aperture on the lens (via an aperture ring).

So while newer lenses rarely include aperture rings, you’ll find them on plenty of older lenses. An aperture ring displays different aperture settings, like this:

And by rotating the ring, you widen or narrow the aperture.

Note that some modern lenses do include aperture rings; Fujifilm is known for this, as are other brands that offer manual focus lenses (e.g., Samyang).

Hyperfocal distance scale

A hyperfocal distance scale helps you determine the depth of field for a scene, given a particular focal length, point of focus, and aperture.

Most zoom lenses don’t offer hyperfocal distance scales (because depth of field varies with focal length). But if you have a prime lens – especially an older model – you may see an extra ring of numbers on the barrel, such as in the image below:

Note that, in the image, you can see three sets of numbers:

the distance scale
the hyperfocal distance scale
the aperture ring that actually sets the lens aperture

And this is by design. The hyperfocal distance scale uses the distance scale to display the expected depth of field. Here’s how it works:

First, focus your lens and set your aperture. Then look at the hyperfocal distance scale and find your chosen aperture on either side of the red line. Finally, look at the focusing distances that correspond to the apertures – these will be your near and far depth of field limit.

Make sense?

Camera lens numbers: final words

Well, that’s it for lens numbers! Hopefully, you now feel much more confident (and much less confused) when looking at your lens.

And if there are any lens numbers I missed, don’t worry – just share pictures in the comments below, and I’ll see what I can do to help out!

The post What Do the Numbers on Your Camera Lens Mean? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

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What you need to know before buying your first lens

27 Jun

Updated June 2021

A camera is nothing without a lens, and while the bundled ‘kit’ lenses sold with many interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) are good enough to get started, they’re quite limiting. If you want to explore the full potential of your camera – and your own creativity – you should consider adding another lens or two to your collection. But with a bewildering variety of lenses out there, how do you know which ones are right for you?

In this guide we’ll lead you step-by-step through the process of understanding the different kinds of lenses available, and choosing the right one for your needs.

Lenses and sensors

Lenses themselves know nothing of the sensor mounted behind them, but different sized sensors change the visual impact of the lens (specifically the focal length and aperture) on the final image.

Among interchangeable lens cameras today there are three commonly-used sensor sizes: Four Thirds, APS-C and full-frame. The examples given in the rest of this article are lenses designed for full-frame bodies but we’ll also discuss what impact sensor size will have.

How are lenses named?

Looking at the lens pages on manufacturers’ websites can be a little intimidating for a budding photographer. Lens names often include long lists of letters and numbers, which certainly sound impressive but can also be thoroughly confusing. Luckily you can safely ignore most of them to start off with, and concentrate mainly on just a few factors:

Focal length – this defines how wide or zoomed-in a view the lens provides
Aperture – expressed as ‘F’ or ‘f/’ this describes how much light the lens can gather and its ability to blur the image background
Image Stabilization – some lenses include optical stabilization units to counteract the blurring effects of hand shake
Format – describes the sensor size the lens is designed to work with
Lens mount – determines whether the lens will physically fit your camera

We’ll look into each of these in more detail below.

Focal length

The first number used to describe a lens is its focal length; in combination with the camera’s sensor size, this defines the angle of view covered by the lens, with smaller ‘mm’ numbers indicating a wider angle or more ‘zoomed out’ view. Zoom lenses are named using two numbers which indicate the extremes of the range, for example 24-70mm for a typical kit zoom lens. Fixed focal length lenses which don’t zoom (also known as ‘prime’ lenses) just have a single number (e.g. 50mm).

Here, we can see this lens’ key specifications expressed in terms of its focal length span (‘zoom range’) which is 18-35mm, and its minimum aperture range, which is F3.5 at 18mm, and F4.5 at 35mm.

The image below shows how the angle of view varies with focal length. In this instance it shows the effect of these lenses mounted on a full-frame camera. The same focal length lenses, mounted on a smaller, APS-C sensor would give a narrower, more cropped-in angle of view, and an even narrower coverage if mounted on a Micro Four Thirds format camera.

The effect is as is as though you’ve ‘zoomed’ the lens, but instead you’ve only magnified a smaller portion of its projected image. As a result, the focal lengths that are useful on one sensor format will differ from those that you’d use for the same purpose on another sensor.

Illustration showing the coverage given by a series of popular focal lengths. These are shown for a full-frame sensor; each would cover a smaller area if used with an APS-C or Four Thirds sensor.

Lens type	35mm ‘full-frame’	APS-C / DX	Four Thirds
Ultra wide angle	24mm and wider	16mm and wider	12mm and wider
Wide angle	28mm	18mm	14mm
Standard (Normal)	50mm	30mm	25mm
Telephoto	80mm and longer	55mm and longer	42mm and longer

For the sake of convenient comparison, lenses are often referred to by their ’35mm equivalent’ focal length; for example a 18-55mm kit lens for APS-C may be described as a 28-90mm equivalent. This means simply that an 18-55mm lens on an APS-C format camera covers the same angle of view as a 28-90mm lens does on a full-frame camera.

Aperture

The aperture specification of a lens describes how much light it is capable of gathering. Aperture simply means ‘hole’; in this context, the hole that lets light pass through the lens and onto your camera’s sensor.

Lens apertures can be expressed in several different ways, with F4, f/4, 1:4 all meaning the same thing. Confusingly, a smaller number means the lens has a larger maximum aperture – a bigger hole – and therefore can gather more light; an F2.8 lens collects twice as much light as an F4, for example.

‘Whole stop’ Aperture values
F1.4	F2.0	F2.8	F4.0	F5.6	F8.0	F11	F16

This table lists the common aperture values that are one ‘stop’ apart: each value lets in twice as much light as the one to its right.

A lens with a larger maximum aperture allows you to shoot in lower light, and (for example) take pictures indoors without using flash. Wide apertures also give decreased depth of field (i.e. how much of the picture in front of and behind the focus point appears sharp), which is an important aspect of creative photography.

Longer lenses give less depth of field for the same aperture, when focused at the same distance. And, because you need a shorter focal length to get the same image framing on an APS-C or Micro Four Thirds camera, you’d need a larger aperture if you want to achieve the shallow depth of field you’d get on a full-frame camera.

A large aperture such as F1.4 gives a shallow depth of field, blurring backgrounds and foregrounds to isolate a subject in a picture. The 24mm F1.4 used to take this picture also allows you to shoot indoors in low light without having to resort to flash.

It’s worth noting that lenses are usually described by their maximum aperture value. When you see an aperture range written on the side of a lens (e.g. F3.5-5.6), those are the maximum aperture values at the wide and long ends of its zoom range, respectively. You can usually reduce the size of the aperture if you need more of your image to be in focus.

Image stabilization

Image stabilization increases the amount of sharp images you get by correcting vibration caused (usually) by natural hand-shake when shooting without a tripod.

In-body stabilization (where the camera’s sensor moves to counteract accidental movement) is increasingly common, but many lenses offer their own stabilization mechanisms to compensate for shake. In-lens stabilization is especially effective when using long telephoto lenses, where in-body stabilization is generally not as effective. Many cameras can use in-lens stabilization in conjunction with their in-body systems, to provide a greater degree of correction.

Image stabilization systems reduce the blur caused by camera shake, allowing sharp pictures to be taken even in low light, at long focal lengths or at high magnifications.

If you own a camera that doesn’t have stabilization built into the body, you’ll probably want to consider buying stabilized lenses, especially when it comes to telephotos.

The various lens manufacturers all call lens-based optical image stabilization by different names, with corresponding initials in the lens names, so here’s what you need to look out for when buying:

Canon – Image Stabilization (IS)
Fujifilm and Panasonic – Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
Nikon – Vibration Reduction (VR)
Sony – Optical Steady Shot (OSS)
Sigma – Optical Stabilization (OS)
Tamron – Vibration Control (VC)

Format coverage

Having said that sensor format has a significant impact on the way lenses behave, it’s also worth considering that some lenses only work on certain sensor formats. In several instances, camera makers use the same mount for their APS-C and full-frame cameras. In most of these situations, full-frame lenses will work on the smaller APS-C models, but APS-C lenses end up restricting full-frame cameras to a cropped APS-C mode.

Some photographers start with an APS-C camera and then buy full-frame compatible lenses for it, to lower the amount of money they have to spend if they later buy a full-frame camera that uses the same mount. In general, we’d advise buying lenses that suit your needs now, rather than ones that may better suit a camera you don’t yet own.

Lens mounts

Each camera maker uses its own proprietary lens mount, meaning that lenses can’t be swapped across brands; a Canon lens won’t fit on a Nikon body, for example, and you’ll cause damage to both lens and camera if you try. The two exceptions are Micro Four Thirds, which was developed jointly by Panasonic and Olympus, and L-mount, a full-frame collaboration between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma.

Most companies are now focusing their efforts on their Mirrorless camera mounts, so this is where the newest and most advanced lenses are emerging. Many DSLR-mount lenses can be adapted to work on the mirrorless cameras made by the same brand (older designs are less likely to offer a full range of functions) but lenses for mirrorless cameras cannot be used on DSLRs.

	Mount	Mount type	Sensor formats	Notes
Canon	EF	DSLR	• Full-frame
	EF-S	DSLR	• APS-C	Canon EF-S lenses cannot be mounted on full-frame DSLRs but other brands’ EF-mount APS-C lenses can.
	EF-M	Mirrorless	• APS-C	EF and EF-S lenses can be adapted to work on EF-M cameras
	RF	Mirrorless	• Full-frame	Most EF-mount lenses work well on RF mount via an EF/RF adapter.
Four Thirds • Olympus • Panasonic	Micro Four Thirds	Mirrorless	• Four Thirds
Fujifilm	X	Mirrorless	• APS-C
L-Mount Alliance • Leica • Panasonic • Sigma	L	Mirrorless	• Full-frame • APS-C (TL)	Only Leica has made TL-mount (APS-C) cameras and lenses.
Nikon	F	DSLR	• Full-frame • APS-C (DX)	F-mount was modernized over many decades but only relatively modern ‘AF-S’ designs offer AF when adapted onto Z-mount cameras
Nikon	Z	Mirrorless	• Full-frame • APS-C (DX)
Pentax	K	DSLR	• Full-frame (FA) • APS-C (DA)	As with Nikon, there are variants of the K mount, but most lenses work with the latest DSLRs
Sony	E	Mirrorless	• Full-frame (FE) • APS-C (E)	Other lens makers use ‘E’ for both APS-C and full-frame lenses, so it’s worth checking which format they cover

A number of third party manufacturers, including Tamron, Tokina and Sigma make lenses for other makers’ lens mounts, with the older DSLR mounts benefiting from the widest support. Sony allows some third-parties to make lenses for its mirrorless E-mount system but Nikon and Canon have, so far, been protective of their new Z and RF mounts, meaning there are fewer third-party options available.

Zoom vs. Prime

Zoom lenses have become almost ubiquitous over the past few years, and at first sight buying a lens which is restricted to a single angle of view might seem pointless. But prime lenses still have some very real advantages; compared to zooms they tend to be smaller and lighter, have faster maximum apertures, and give sharper, cleaner images. These factors make them extremely useful for specific purposes, for example low light shooting or blurred-background portraiture where a large maximum aperture is advantageous.

Almost counterintuitively, the restrictive nature of using a single focal length can encourage creativity by forcing you to visualize your composition before you shoot. Shooting with primes forces you to think more about what you want to include and exclude from your photo and also makes you consider where you’re standing, and the impact this has on perspective in your image. For instance, a long focal length, shot from a distance can compress your subject and the background, whereas a wide-angle lens placed near your subject will exaggerate the distance between it and the surroundings.

Fixed focal length ‘prime’ lenses are often much smaller and lighter than zooms covering the same angle of view. This is Nikon’s Z-mount 35mm F1.8 lens alongside its standard 24-70mm F2.8 zoom – the size advantage is obvious.

Some popular lens types

Standard zoom

A standard zoom is a general-purpose lens that covers a range of focal lengths from wide-angle to moderate telephoto. The most obvious example is the kit lens that came with your camera (generally something like an 18-50mm for APS-C or a 24-70mm for full-frame). It offers versatility but can become limiting when you find yourself wanting to get more creative. The kit lens can be upgraded to an optic with more range or a faster F2.8 maximum aperture, with better optical performance, like the Canon RF 24-70mm shown F2.8 below.

Most manufacturers offer general-purpose upgrades to their kit lenses with expanded zoom ranges suitable for a wide range of subjects, such as this Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8.

Telephoto zoom

Often the second lens that photographers buy, a telephoto zoom effectively allows you to ‘get closer’ to your subject by enlarging it within the frame. It’s therefore useful for photographing such things as sports, wildlife, distant nature scenes, or children running around playing. By narrowing your field of view, a long lens can have the effect of compressing your subject and background, often making it appear as though the background is magnified and closer to your subject.

Telephoto zooms such as this Nikon Z 70-200mm F2.8 S allow you to zoom in on your subjects and compress them against the background.

Superzoom

Superzooms are all-in-one lenses which cover a full range of focal lengths from a moderate wide-angle to long telephoto. In one package they combine the range of the kit zoom that came with the camera, plus that of a telephoto zoom, and therefore make perfect general purpose travel lenses. The technical image quality is often not quite as good as two separate lenses, and the maximum aperture tends to be small (a higher F-number), meaning worse low light performance and less ability to achieve shallow depth of field. However, for many users this is more than made up for by their convenience.

Superzoom lenses such as the Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD encompass a wide range focal lengths from wide-angle to telephoto, in a relatively compact single lens.

Wide-angle zoom

A wide-angle zoom extends the angle of view out beyond that captured with the standard zoom, allowing you to capture broad sweeping vistas or architectural wonders. It’s therefore a popular choice for landscapes, cityscapes, architecture, interior shots, and night- and astro-photography.

Wide zooms such as the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 pictured here let you fit more in the frame.

Macro lens

‘Macro’ is used to describe a lens with extreme close-focusing ability, which allows you to take photographs of small objects such as insects or flowers. Some zoom lenses use ‘macro’ in their name to indicate closer-than-usual focusing ability, but true macro lenses tend to have fixed focal lengths. In general, the longer the focal length, the further away you can be from your subject. (Nikon calls these lenses ‘Micro’ or ‘MC’ lenses instead, which is technically more accurate.)

Macro lenses like the Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro allow you to shoot closeups in fine detail.

Fast prime lens

Fast prime lenses come in all focal lengths, from wide angle to ultra-telephoto, but what they share in common is the ability to capture a lot of light, blur backgrounds and offer high optical quality.

We’ve traditionally found 35mm (or the equivalent 23mm or 17mm on APS-C or Four Third sensors) to be a pretty good do-everything focal length, in terms of not being too wide or too zoomed-in. An F1.8 maximum aperture can give shallow depth of field and lets you work in low light without the need for flash, while remaining compact and lightweight. Wider-angle and longer focal length primes are also available, as are lenses with even faster maximum apertures (F1.4 and brighter) that typically offer higher quality optics, let you work in lower light and give even shallower depth-of-field to help isolate your subject.

A ‘fast’ prime, such as this Canon 35mm F1.8, can let you shoot in low light without flash, while isolating your subject against a blurred background. They are also typically smaller than zoom lenses.

Other lens features

There are a few other aspects of build and operation which you may wish to consider when buying a lens:

Autofocus

Autofocus performance can vary significantly between lenses, and autofocus performance can make a huge difference between capturing the perfect moment at a sports event or social occasion and having a frustrating photographic experience.

Mirrorless camera systems are still relatively new, and there’s a subtle interplay of optical design and focus motor that effects performance. For instance the ring-type ultrasonic motors that were great for focusing on DSLRs aren’t as well suited to focusing on mirrorless cameras, particularly for the smooth, subtle movements required for video autofocus. As such, it’s difficult to make generalizations, so it’s worth checking reviews of the lens you’re planning to buy.

Electronic manual focus (‘focus by wire’)

Many modern lenses have no physical connection between the focus ring and the focusing lens elements, as was the case in older SLR and DSLR lenses. Many cameras use this to provide speed-sensitive manual focus, where a quick turn of the focus ring results in a bigger focus jump than a slow movement. This lets you jump quickly to the part of the focus range you want, but can be awkward if you’re trying to manual focus while shooting video.

To get round this, some cameras offer a ‘linear’ focus response mode, where the focus always moves by the same amount in response to how much you turn the focus ring: letting you practice and anticipate the amount by which you need to turn the ring.

Manual focus lenses

Although modern autofocus is excellent, there is still a huge number of manual focus lenses on the market. These include designs optimized for shooting video and traditional, high-quality designs, through to unusual, specialist lenses that would be near-impossible to make autofocus along with the creations of small companies without the experience (or access to lens mount protocols) to manufacture AF lenses.

Ultra-wide angle lenses, tilt-shift lenses and some very expensive lenses designed to be mechanically simple but optically excellent are out there, and are worth considering.

Build quality and weather sealing

Premium lenses often include weather sealing. This can extend from an o-ring around the mount through to a series of seals at every joint, as with this Panasonic lens.

As a general rule, the more expensive a lens is, the better built it is likely to be. The kit lenses that come with cameras tend to rather lightweight and plastic in construction. If you spend a bit more, you can get something more durable. Some lenses incorporate environmental seals against dust and water; in general this tends to be towards the top end of the price spectrum, but Pentax and Olympus in particular offer a decent range of mid-priced sealed lenses.

System addict…

One last word. When choosing a camera system to invest in, it’s important to appreciate that the lens has just as great an impact on the image quality as the camera. Lenses tend to last longer than cameras too, becoming obsolete less quickly than bodies, so it can be worth spending a little bit extra to get the quality or flexibility you really want. But, while DSLR systems are much more extensive, most new lens development is focused on Mirrorless cameras, so these may prove more future-proof.

Bear in mind that most mirrorless lens systems are still only a few years old, so they may be missing the type of lens you want, for now. That said, the system with most options isn’t inherently any better than a smaller system that includes all the lenses you need.

Even if you don’t have a very specific application that needs specialized lenses (or other accessories) in mind, it’s worth doing some research before committing to one system or another. Oh, and once bitten by the lens buying bug, many enthusiasts find it hard to stop; you have been warned…

Glossary

Angle of view – Describe the view offered by a lens, measured as the angle between the furthest extremes of the lens’s coverage. If this is confusing, imagine the view in front of you as a semicircle of 180 degrees: a ‘wide-angle’ lens can see a bigger segment of the semicircle than a ‘long’ (telephoto) one.

Depth of field – This describes how much of the scene in front and behind the point of focus appears acceptably sharp. An image with shallow depth of field leaves the background (and foreground) appearing blurry and out-of-focus. An image with deep depth of field contains a greater amount (depth) of sharp detail.

Fast / slow lens – An informal way of describing a lens’ aperture in terms of its relation to exposure time. ‘Fast’ lenses have large maximum apertures (low F-numbers), which allow the use of shorter, ‘faster’ shutter speeds. ‘Slow’ lenses have smaller maximum apertures, and typically require longer, ‘slower’ shutter speeds.

Focal length – Expressed in millimeters, focal length describes the angle of view of a lens. Telephoto lenses have a long focal length, and wide-angle lenses have a short focal length. The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view and the more zoomed-in it appears.

Long / wide lens – A way of describing the field of view offered by a lens. Long lenses are more zoomed-in, while wide lenses are zoomed-out and capture a wider angle of view.

Micro Four Thirds – A mirrorless system founded by Panasonic and Olympus, based around a 17.3 x 13mm sensor (224 sqmm) format known as Four Thirds. The system allows some very compact camera/lens packages, particularly for very long telephoto lenses. This system includes some high-end video cameras.

APS-C – A common sensor format used by interchangeable lens camera manufacturers. APS-C format sensors measure around 24 x 15mm (~360 sqmm), and this format offers a balance of image quality, size and price in between Four Thirds and ‘full-frame.’

Full-frame – A sensor format the same size as a frame of 35mm film – the dominant film format of the 20th and early 21st Centuries. Measures 36 x 24mm (864 sqmm), giving a significant image quality benefit compared to smaller formats, but resulting in larger, more expensive camera/lens combinations. Despite the name, sensor larger formats do exist, in sizes known collectively as ‘medium format’.

Prime lens – A lens with a fixed focal length, which cannot zoom in or out. A technical term not to be confused with Amazon Prime.

Zoom lens – A lens whose field of view (described in terms of focal length) can be adjusted, allowing you to zoom-in or out on a subject, to achieve a different composition without changing your position.

35mm / full-frame equivalent – A way of understanding the characteristics of a lens when used on a non-full-frame camera by relating it to the 35mm film format that’s familiar to many photographers. Most commonly used in reference to focal length: e.g a 28mm lens on an APS-C camera is equivalent to a 42mm lens on a full-frame camera.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Can Camera Lenses Go Bad? Camera Lens Shelf Life Explained

14 Jun

Can a camera lens go bad over a period of time? What is the life of a camera lens? These are the questions that linger in your mind if you have multiple lenses in your kit. If you are on a budget, you might be looking at buying used camera lenses. In this case you also need to know what Continue Reading
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Full frame mirrorless lens guide 2021

14 Jun

The move to mirrorless by some of the industry’s biggest players puts the focus on their new lens lineups.

Updated June 11 2021 | Originally published April 2020

In this article, we’re going to have a look at Canon, Nikon, Sony and Panasonic/Leica/Sigma full-frame mirrorless systems to see what they offer and where they might yet go. After all, In our look at ~$ 2000 full frame mirrorless cameras, we said that choosing between them is as much about buying into a lens system as anything else.

This article isn’t a question of ‘which range is biggest,’ it’s to help show which lineups have the lenses you might need for your photography.

As well as the lenses currently available, we’ll consider the degree of support provided by third-party lens makers and briefly discuss some of the technologies involved.

The lens charts in this article were updated and now reflect the high-end, autofocus lens options for each system as of June 2021.

Sony E-mount

When it comes to full-frame lenses for mirrorless, Sony has the biggest head start. Sony introduced its full-frame ‘FE’ range alongside the original a7, back in late 2013, and already had several years experience of making APS-C E-mount lenses by that point.

Sony has also taken the unusual move of allowing third-party lens makers access to its lens mount specifications and communication protocol. This has allowed companies such as Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and Zeiss to expand the range of available lenses for Sony photographers. In the case of Sigma, these include existing DSLR optical designs as well as new, dedicated optical formulations for mirrorless, denoted ‘DG DN’.


Primes	Zooms	All

Diagram covers autofocus primes and high-end zooms in the 14-200mm range. Lineups correct as of June 2021.

In addition to covering most of these bases, Sony has had time to add specialist lenses, such as 600mm F4, 400mm F2.8, 100-400mm and 200-600mm telephoto options, equivalents to which aren’t currently available for other systems.

Starting earlier has given Sony time to provide a wider range of lenses, including less obvious options such as the 135mm F1.8 GM

Sony says that the years it’s spent making large lenses for mirrorless camera has allowed it to develop expertise in the types of motors best suited for full-frame mirrorless lenses (the need to drive lenses smoothly for video, as well as quickly means the requirements aren’t the same as for DSLRs). However, while it’s true that Sony’s adoption of technologies such as linear motors and piezoelectric drive provides its more recent lenses with impressively fast, smooth focusing, be aware that some of the company’s earlier lenses don’t always show this same performance.

Canon RF-mount

Canon’s RF lens lineup thus far has shown a distinct focus on the needs of professional users, with many of its first lenses belonging to the premium ‘L’ range.

Canon hasn’t opened up its lens mount to other makers, so there’s limited third-party support available at the moment. If the RF mount gains anything like the popularity that the EF mount did, it’s extremely likely that other companies will find a way to offer autofocus lenses, but widespread third-party support for RF may be some years away.


Primes	Zooms	All

Diagram covers autofocus primes and high-end zooms in the 14-200mm range. Lineups correct as of June 2021.

In addition to these lenses (and the variable aperture ‘kit’ and travel zooms you might expect), Canon has also introduced two interesting and comparatively affordable F11 telephoto prime lenses covering 600mm and 800mm. These use diffractive optics to keep the size and weight down.

Canon currently uses a variety of motors in its RF lenses: primarily using the company’s fast, smooth ‘Nano USM’ technology or the ring-type USM motors that underpin most of its high-end DSLR lenses. The ring-type motors appear to work pretty well with Canon’s dual pixel AF system but aren’t always the smoothest or fastest, especially given that they tend to be used in the lenses with large, heavy lens elements that need to be moved. We’ve been impressed by the Nano USM lenses, though.

The RF 35mm F1.8, meanwhile, uses a small stepper motor, which makes it noticeably slower and noisier to focus than the best of Canon’s other mirrorless lenses.

Nikon Z-mount

Like Canon, Nikon has not yet opened up the Z-mount to third-parties, which currently limits your autofocus choices to Nikon’s own lenses.

However, Nikon’s initial build-out strategy looks very different from Canon’s: Rather than starting with exotica, Nikon has provided a range of comparatively affordable/portable F1.8 primes, alongside a set of F2.8 and F4 zooms.


Primes	Zooms	All

Diagram covers autofocus primes and high-end zooms in the 14-200mm range. Lineups correct as of June 2021.

In terms of focus motors, Nikon seems to primarily be relying on the use of small stepper motors for its lenses so far, which offer decent performance but don’t appear to match linear motors or Canon’s Nano USM technologies for either speed or smoothness. Twin focus groups help to give accurate focus even close-up, in some of Nikon’s zoom lenses, which can also improve on the often modest speeds of single-motor designs.

L-mount: Panasonic, Leica and Sigma

Panasonic, along with Sigma, has aligned itself with Leica by adopting the ‘L’ mount for its full-frame mirrorless cameras. This instantly gives it access to an established lens range (though, like Sony’s, one that is built around a mount originally focused on APS-C). Sigma’s inclusion in the alliance should ensure a wide range of third-party L-mount lenses become available: it’s built L-mount versions of many of its designed-for-DSLR primes and is also introducing ‘DG DN’ lenses designed specifically for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

All Panasonic cameras so far have been based around the company’s Depth-from-Defocus (DFD) AF system and Leica uses a system whose description sounds remarkably similar. We’re told all the lenses in the L-mount are compatible with DFD but that they aren’t all necessarily optimized for it, in terms of AF drive or how quickly the lenses communicate with camera bodies. For now we wouldn’t expect the same consistency across native L-mount lenses that we’ve seen from the single-maker systems, but we’d expect the three partners to be working to maximize compatibility.


Primes	Zooms	All

Diagram covers autofocus primes and high-end zooms in the 14-200mm range. Lineups correct as of June 2021.

Panasonic’s lenses primarily make use of linear focus motors, but use a combination of linear and stepping motors for lenses such as the 50mm F1.4 and its 70-200s that require more glass to be moved around. Sigma’s lenses vary, and we’d expect better performance from its made-for-mirrorless DG DN lenses than from the older DSLR optics.

DSLR lens support

If you already own a selection of DSLR-mount lenses, then you’ll find that with the right accessories, you can mount them on any of these camera bodies. Since the mirrorless mounts are all shallower, this leaves plenty of room to put an adapter between the lens and body. The performance you get will vary, though.

Canon frequently bundles one of its EF-to-RF adaptors with its RF-mount cameras, and it makes three variants (a simple pass-through tube, another with a control ring around it and a third that lets you drop a choice of filter between the lens and the camera). The dual pixel AF system, combined with Canon’s knowledge of its communication protocol means EF lens users will get probably the best adapted lens experience when using Canon RF-mount bodies. In general we’ve had roughly DSLR-level performance from the EF lenses we’ve adapted but it’s not necessarily true for every lens.

Unsurprisingly, you tend to get the best adapted performance if you use DSLR lenses on the same brands’ mirrorless bodies. Don’t assume you’ll always get DSLR levels of performance, though.

Various companies also make EF-to-E adaptors, allowing EF-mount lenses to be used on Sony bodies. And, while not quite as consistent as Canon-on-Canon pairings, we’ve had good experiences with this combination, though generally only with shorter focal lengths. Meanwhile, Sigma makes the MC-21 adapter for using EF lenses with L-mount bodies but, without phase detection AF in most of those cameras, continuous AF is not available.

Nikon also offers kits that include its ‘FTZ’ F-to-Z mount adaptor with some of its camera bodies. This provides a decent level of support for existing lenses but does not contain a focus drive motor, so can only autofocus lenses with their own motors (AF-S, AF-P and AF-I lenses and their third-party equivalents). F-to-E adapters are available, but performance can vary, lens-to-lens, making it more of a gamble.

Sony also makes several adapters for using A-mount lenses on E-mount cameras. The latest, LA-EA5 adapter includes a focus motor to focus older lenses designed to be driven from the camera body, but this function only works with select high-end Sony cameras.

As you’d probably expect, then, older lenses tend to work most reliably with the cameras made by the same brand. However, they can be used on other systems, so depending on how extensive your existing lens collection is, you may find you can make do with lowered performance, rather than having to sell-up and start again, if you don’t want to remain bound to the whims of the maker of your DSLR.

Summary

As you’d expect, Sony’s nearly five-year head start and openness towards third-party makers has let it build up a significant advantage over its rivals, but all four mounts are already starting to see key holes in their respective lineups being filled.

In the long run, it’s likely that all four systems will be extended to offer a range of mid-range, as well as high-end primes and zooms, but it’s pretty clear that initially, Nikon and Canon are focusing on different sets of users.

Third-party support provides more options in young lens systems. There’s even more to be gained when makers of cameras and lenses become partners in a system, as has happened with the L-mount.

Nikon and Canon’s decisions to keep their mounts closed to competitors means they can control the consistency of experience for their users (with less risk of a third-party lens offering sub-standard AF speed or smoothness, for instance), but with the downside that you’re entirely dependent on that company’s development priorities and pricing, unless you’re happy to take your chances with simple manual focus or reverse-engineered options.

It’s the third-party makers and their ability and willingness to produce fully-compatible lenses that will be interesting to watch. The adoption rate of Sony E-mount cameras and the availability of the lens protocols is likely to mean most future third-party lenses will be designed around this mount. But with Sigma already joining the L-mount Alliance, other systems are starting to benefit from extra input.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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