Digital SLR Lens Reviews / Slr camera lens

A digital camera is such a camera that will take either video or still snaps digitally. It records the images digitally on a light-sensitive sensor. Some digital cameras can take still snaps as well as video and audio. The digital cameras have become very popular nowadays and more and more people are opting for rather than regular cameras.

Digital cameras are technologically much advanced and have many user-friendly features that are usually not found in regular cameras. One such very good feature is that it displays the image on the camera’s screen just after you catch it. Thus you can click and record millions and millions of pictures, keep the ones you want and discard the others. After the pictures or videos are recorded, you can edit the images and thus can be a virtual master of the background, people etc. Imagine the fun when you can change the background of a picture taken at your home to be changed to a Hawaiian beach, or changing the hair color of your sister to a wild pink and many other things. The choices are unlimited.

Nowadays digital cameras can be incorporated in many devices like PDAs or mobile phones or computers etc. Some astronomical devices like Hubble Space Telescope also use specialized digital cameras.

Digital camera technology has evolved from the similar technology that first recorded television images. It was in 1951 when the first video tape recorder was used to capture live images using television cameras. They converted the information in electrical impulses and saved the information on magnetic tape. It was actually due to NASA`s space technology that used digital images to capture photographs of surface of moon and advanced computer technology that led to major developments in digital photography.

Government was also using this technology in forms of spy camera and the time that being spy satellites and it contributed immensely in advancement of science of digital imaging. Soon private companies like Kodak, Sony etc were releasing professional digital cameras for ordinary people. Their strong marketing tactics worked and today digital cameras are found everywhere.

There are many varieties of digital camera and we will discuss some of them. Compact digital cameras are one of such varieties and are designed to be small as well as portable. The miniature versions are called subcompact cameras. Though they do not have much advanced features or excellent image quality but they are very simple to use and easy to carry around. Images are stored using Lossy compression in JPEG format. Such cameras are generally equipped with a low power, built-in flash usually sufficient for close subjects. Live preview is generally used for framing the photos. They are perfect for casual and home use.

Another type are Bridge cameras that are higher-end cameras. They resemble DSLRs and also share some advanced features with them but just like compact cameras, the photo framing is done with help of live preview and they also have small sized sensors. A Fuji film FinePix Bridge camera is also equipped with super zoom lenses that give you a chance to take very distant shots, though at the cost of image quality.

Another type is Digital single lens reflex cameras that are based on film SLRs or single-lens reflex cameras. These cameras are characterized by the presence of a mirror-reflex system. Other types include rangefinder and are generally used for film cameras, professional modular digital cameras that are assembled from different modular components and used for specific purposes. The common brands for such cameras include Mamiya and Hasselblad.

Author: Roberto Sedycias

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There are a lot of amateur as well as professional camera users who are shifting to digital models for much ease, convenience, and efficiency when taking initial pictures, taking more pictures after deleting some, and finally sharing photos to friends or storing them into the computer’s memory

Camera users are normally classified as hobbyists, novice, and professionals. To whichever category you belong, it is suggested that you ponder and accommodate the following basic information about digital cameras

1. Categories of a camera

Cameras can be grouped into:

a. Ultra compact – no flash mode

b. Prosumer or compact – for hobbyists

c. Digital SLR cameras – have lenses, tripod, and external flashes; for professionals

If you want to master the art of photography, it is suggested that you master using the third category. Models that fall under this category are priced for their resolution, among other things.

2. Mega pixels

Mega pixels can be classified into:

a. 3 mega pixels – for basic snapshots

b. Between 3 and 5 mega pixels – images have good print quality

c. Between 5 and 7 mega pixels – images can be easily manipulated; large print sizes can be made

3. Zoom

A camera’s zoom is normally categorized into two:

a. Optical zoom factor – what is distant appears closer by magnifying the light entering through the main lens

b. Digital zoom factor – magnifies the resulting image

Quality photographs depend mostly on the optical zoom factor.

4. Storage media

These are the some common storage formats:

a. Compact Flash (for compact and DSLRs)

b. Sony Memory Stick (compatible with other Sony appliances)

c. Smart Media

Storage sizes normally range from 64 K, which can store 3 dozen mega pixel images; 1G can store about 500 images with the same mega pixels

5. Carrying case

You should keep the camera and its accessories in place.

6. Tripod

Tripod can be used when setting the timer mode on and keeping the focus stable.

7. Lenses and Filters

There are digital cameras that allow additional lenses to be attached to the main lens, or the lenses can be completely interchangeable. Lenses can be categorized as follows:

a. Macro lens – allows you to get closer to objects like insects and flowers

b. Wide-angle lens – used for capturing landmarks, and large and wide sceneries

c. Telephoto lens – allows longer zooms that let you get close to objects that are rather unsafe

Filters, on the other hand are used to:

a. Soften the effect of the image

b. Provide blurring on the edges for portraits that have sensitive moods

c. Add light flares for the image to be more dramatic

d. To reduce glare so that pictures appear more saturated, crisp, and vivid.

Here are some basic strategies on how to capture an image:

1. Holding the camera

You should hold the camera steadily and keep your spare fingers from interfering with the lens. This skill usually takes a few practices.

2. Focusing

To keep the camera from shuddering, it is better to half-press the camera until you are able to lock your view on the focus before completely pressing the button of the shutter. You may also use a tripod for better focusing.

3. Previewing

Take and retake pictures if necessary after previewing them in your LCD screen.

4. Archiving

Keep an album of your best photographs so that you can refer to them as you keep on working your way to being great photographers.

Once you have mastered using your simple compact and especially digitals SLR cameras, you can surely capture photos using other cameras with great ease and perfection. That is a guarantee!

Author: Kevina

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Modern day world is full of technologies, which are helpful to users in various contexts. With rapid technological enhancement, many modern sophisticated devices have evolved, which are enriched with latest technologies. One of such modern and extremely advance device is Digital SLR camera, which are compact cameras of high picture quality. Now people are more modern and want better quality camera which can offer them excellent photographs.

The digital single lens reflex camera is comes with more improved and advance technology and provide the image of superior class. With these superb cameras one can capture interesting pictures without missing out any important shot. These are well equipped with excellent quality flash options to enhance the image quality. There comes no problem of light factor with these amazing digital cameras as they are compact highly advance camera of latest techniques. This is the only camera which is able to click images of wonderful quality even without any use of flash facility.
SLR camera is best for those people who want to enhance their photographic skills and love to capture images from different lenses. These effective cameras are able to let users to provide a properly focused image with a dimmed background to get a different look of the picture. This fantastic camera also allows users with a super fast and effective shot to shot time in which a user can capture an excellent multi shots at a same time.

The ability to change lens to a telescoping lens means the user can zoom in on objects that are further away without disturbing the subject by moving closer. This camera consists of different types of lenses which make easy to photographer to see tiny objects through macro lenses of high quality. The Digital SLR Cameras are regarded best for people who want to do digital photography. However, its size is large than other cameras but they are easy handling devices with simple functioning. Their bulkiness has no bad effect on users and picture quality. The SLR cameras are the best available photography equipment which can capture images in the best way. These high qualities of SLR camera have made them extremely popular and superior devices for better photography experience.

Author: Alden Jerry

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My top 20 key questions to ask yourself when buying a digital camera.

1. How many “megapixels” /resolution?

Once and for all, at least to me, you have to get the highest resolution your money can buy at the time you buy. Period.

2. Who made the lens?

Most cameras will give you an idea where the lens was made just by looking at the front of the lens. Know if the lens of your camera came from a reputable company like Leica, Zeiss, Canon, Etc… Lens quality is one of the most important factors you should consider especially if you’re going to use it for commercial, technical or scientific purposes.

3. Will I need interchangeable lenses? How many are available for my specific camera in mind?

Having the option of interchangeable lenses gives you the freedom to experiment with different kinds of focal lengths. Although some P&S (point and shoot) cameras can rival DSLR’s with a generous zoom range for a non interchangeable lens system.

Also note the number of lenses available for use with your specific camera because of flexibility reasons. You can practically cover the entire “zoom range” with interchangeable lenses versus modest zoom ranges on non interchangeable lens systems or P&S cameras.

4. Does it have a zoom capability? What’s the range?

Almost all applications that I listed above will need some form of zooming in (telephoto) or out (wide angle), especially if you don’t have the space to move around the object you are shooting.

For Landscape shots, wide angle shots are very common and appealing while zooming in on the details serves as a break and complements the wide angle shots.

For weddings and events, you need a zoom because there will be times where you are limited by the shooting space and you will have a difficult time moving around. Its a good thing to know that you can do all sorts of framing without even moving from your position.

A nice zoom will give you the efficiency and versatility in your photography, so my suggestion is to go for the longest range you can get (usually from a 7X to a 10X for Point and Shoots).

Also note the speed of zooming in or out as this will be a factor if you’re shooting events like weddings. You will fail to capture that “decisive moment” on a mediocre zoom speed.

5. Does it have the provision to capture raw images?

Many photographers will say you’ll need this digital camera feature if you want to have big prints from your pictures. Although this is correct, the main reason why you will want this is because of the benefit it will give you…pure total control of your pictures… from exposure, color, metadata, hdr and a lot more.

6. Can I attach an external flash?

Having an external flash capability will give you the power and creative freedom to light your subjects any which way you like.

You can connect your digital camera to all sorts of lighting equipment thus giving you more options and versatility. This comes in the form of a hotshoe or a PC-Sync socket.

If your digital camera doesn’t have this feature, there is still hope because accessories called flash slaves are being sold by third party companies in different flavors that will also do the same job more or less.

7. Does it have a tripod socket?

Some of the most beautiful landscape pictures that I’ve seen are undoubtedly made with a tripod, so this is a must have if you are planning to do this kind of photography.

The “available light shots” in a wedding, still life and product shots, studio and fine art shots … all need a tripod for successful execution… so guess what happens if you don’t have a tripod socket?… You cannot effectively use a tripod!

8. Does it have automatic and manual focusing?

It will not be evident at first why you’ll need this especially if you’re just starting out in photography. But if you’re like me… A total control freak when it comes to cameras… and you really want to express your creative side, this is definitely a must have.

9. Can you attach filters to it? and what filter size?

Creative expression through special effects is just one of the many reasons that makes photography fun and interesting, and experimenting with filters is one creative pursuit you should try with your photography especially if you’re a beginner.

Always remember to ask if the particular digital camera you are eyeing for can handle filters and ask for the filter size. (To save you from buying the right filter with the wrong filter size) Please note that most Digital SLRs should be able to to handle filters as most lenses that come with it have a filter thread built into the lens.

Most P&S (point and shoot) digital cameras normally doesn’t have a filter thread built-in and might need special accessories to accomplish this so you should check to know for sure.

Again, there are many third party accessories that you could buy to adapt filters to your P&S digital cameras that don’t have this provisions. I’ll discuss all about this in a future post so watch for it. (Or subscribe to my announcement list (feed via email) so you’ll know when it’s up.

10. Can I upgrade the firmware?

The good thing about some digital camera manufacturers is that they keep on improving their digital cameras even after they sold it to you… this comes in the form of a firmware upgrade.

Usually this involves an improvement on one or many features of a camera. Be sure that the digital camera you’re planning to buy has an easy way of upgrading its firmware. This comes in the form of either an easy download via the manufacturer’s website (find it and bookmark it now) or a FREE CDROM.

Another caveat - be sure to consider if a downgrade is also possible or available with your digital camera… Why is there a need a downgrade you ask?… Because, you may want to reinstall an earlier firmware… just in case you don’t like the results from a firmware upgrade.

Occasionally there’s a feature that will be removed by the upgrade that you failed to read about and you decided that you just want to keep that feature instead of a bunch of trivial upgrades from the new firmware. (Yes, I personally experienced this.)

11. Are there extra goodies or software that come with it?

Some people ignore the fact that you can save a lot of money just by doing a simple arithmetic. Did you know that you could actually get your digital camera for a lot less if you study the deals and offers on the marketplace?

If you buy a digital camera and it comes with software that you can really use… like photoshop, elements, or any other image editing software for that matter, then you already saved some money you would otherwise spend. Some dealers will throw in lots of extras… If you just simply ask.

Always try to ask for these things that you’ll end up buying anyway if you don’t - like camera bags, extra lenses, extra batteries, memory cards, tripod, lens cleaners etc. Trust me… you will end up buying these things if you don’t ask for it on the deal. What have you got to lose? Simply ASK. Would you believe that I effectively lowered one of my camera purchase cost by as much as 30%? Ask away.

12. Is there Local Support in your area?

Finding the answer to this one will give you a great benefit in the long run. Wouldn’t you sleep better at night because you feel that extra security - that in case there is something wrong with your digital camera, you can bring it in for repair at a moments notice?

Not knowing when your camera will be repaired (or if it even arrived at a distant repair facility) is one of the worst feelings a photographer can have especially if you’re in the middle of a photoshoot or project.

13. What type of warranty does it have? Worldwide / Countrywide?

If you travel a lot its good to know that a countrywide or even better - a worldwide warranty can get your camera fixed wherever you are. Always bring the warranty card and glue it on your camera bag.

14. Does it have the ability to take video and audio?

I know, most DSLRs don’t have this function. But some non interchangeable lens DSLRs have it. This is a very useful feature to have if you’re on a project or photoshoot and want to document or record a procedure, a moment, or an idea that you would otherwise have trouble remembering or even writing. It’s always a good idea to bring a P&S camera backup that have this function.

The things that you could do with audio and videoclips on a photoshoot are only limited by your imagination… interviews, documentation, funny quips, training procedures, bloopers, etc..

15. Does it have a manual white balance?

White balance is one of the most interesting aspects of digital cameras. Its fun and fascinating to work with. Having this option puts the photography fun-o-meter way way up. In future posts, I will be discussing white balance in detail so be sure to stay tuned.

16. How sensitive is it to infrared?

If you’re planning to make infrared pictures or enter the exciting world of Infrared fine art photography then you’ll want to know if your digital camera can do it.

TIP: There is a simple way to test how sensitive your digital camera is to infrared using a very common device - a TV remote control. For P&S, you can aim the remote control towards the lens and gauge how bright the LED from remote is. This should give you an idea how sensitive your digital camera is to infrared. For DSLRs you will need to take shots of the LED and experiment a little or you can simply research or google the particular camera model you have in mind for other people’s experiences and thoughts about it.

17. How high is the ISO sensitivity? Is it manually adjustable?

ISO sensitivity is a term referring to the sensitivity of film to light. In the digital camera world, it refers to the sensitivity of the electronic sensor in your digital camera in relation to the ISO standard used for film.

The higher the ISO sensitivity of your camera the faster or better it can record a specific amount of light.

High ISO sensitivity is useful for taking better pictures in dark settings… such as inside a church or at night. The higher the ISO setting, the more details you can capture of a dark scene.

One caveat - take note of the amount of noise a particular camera exhibits at higher ISOs. Some people like it and some don’t. Again, don’t be afraid to ask or do research on the noise characteristics of your camera model in mind to see if this is the right choice for you.

18. How high or low can you set the shutterspeed? What are the minimum and maximum aperture settings?

Shutterspeed and aperture settings are the basic mechanisms that drive your camera and controls the amount of light that is exposed by the film or image sensor.

You use high shutterspeeds in action shots and to prevent camera shake, and you use low shutterspeeds for movement effects and bulb or long exposures. You can check for these figures on the websites that I gave you in part 1. You can see it in the technical specifications for a particular camera.

A bulb or “T” function is a nice feature to have because you can take exposures for virtually very long periods of time. Another feature to have is if your camera has a remote control to use this bulb or “T” mode. This gives you the capability to take pictures without holding your camera and adding to the “camera shake”.

With the subject of apertures, a small one (small aperture opening) lets you have a wider depth of field so your shots are sharp from near to far versus a large aperture (big aperture opening) where your shots have a narrow depth of field and appear “selectively focused”.

19. Does it have some form of an image stabilizer?

New cameras coming out as we speak often have this feature. Simply put, an image stabilizer is some form of a mechanism built into the lens or the camera body (depending on the manufacturer and their implementation) that basically prevents you from getting blurred pictures when taking pictures in low light or you are using a long or telephoto lens. Having this feature can mean the difference between a blurry picture (aka no picture!) to a usable one.

20. How close can it focus? Macro abilities?

The closer your camera can focus… the bigger the picture of an object you can take in relation to the image dimensions of the final photo… and the bigger the picture of the object… the more detail you can get. If you want to take pictures of small objects such as flowers and fine details then this is a must-have.

That’s it. Whew.

Do you really have to go over all these questions?… Of course not, but even if you only study and ponder on half of them…and take the time… I promise you that one thing will surely happen…

You’ll be…

a lot smarter!

than when you first started asking these questions… ergo you’ll be in a better position to decide what digital camera to buy… Because you are now armed with the most powerful tool anybody can have

the power of information!

In any case, I hope you find as much value in these questions as many of my friends have and be able to get the camera of your dreams.

Enjoy!

Author: aldrin garcia

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This is the first in a series of articles that will highlight individual products by presenting reviews, by the people who bought them and are actually using them daily. We will present the reviews of three similar items and give you a general overview of each, as well as, the approximate street price. We are not by any means endorsing any specific item. The products are being chosen from current Hot Products or Top Sellers.

Today’s Topic: Small Compact Point & Shoot Digital Cameras.

Canon PowerShot SD1000 7.1 Megapixel Digital Camera
Street price around $170.00

Pros: Compact, Bright LCD, Comfortable controls, Good value for the money, user friendly, durable, good quality pictures,

Cons: Cannot adjust the speed fast enough for low light pictures.
Does not come with a case. Small Memory card.

Biggest complaint seems to be that Canon should have included a 1 or 2gb SD card. It comes with a 32MB memory card. With cards being so inexpensive it would not have made an appreciable difference in the cost and would have probably made this a true “5″ rating.

A buyer from Philadelphia, PA 6/8/07
“In the past I’ve owned a Canon SD400, 500, 600, 630, and Rebel xti. The SD1000 is a good value for what you get. Only thing I don’t like about the Canon SD series is that the optical/digital zoom isn’t that great, but for the price, it’s a good deal. Especially now that SD1000 is 7.1 mp. The SD1000 has more of a box look compared to other cameras in the SD series but still nice, with a large LCD screen. Overall good camera.”

A buyer from Beavercreek, Ohio 5.26.07
“The camera is easy to use, takes great pics and is very user friendly. there are many options that you can set so it may take some time to get very familiar with all the functionality…but well worth the price.”

Fujifilm FinePix A800 8.3 Megapixel Digital Camera
Street price around $140.00

Pros: Quality compares to the higher rated Fujifilm F31fd. Easy to use. Comes with 1gb memory and carrying case. Good for a beginer.

Cons: No viewfinder. Low light shooting could be better, Slow lag time. Not the best for fast shooting.

Buyer: D7t3, 8/10/07
“Impressive photos from a cheap camera (130USD). Basically equivalent quality to the highly-rated Fujifilm F31fd, only it has 8 megapixels (not 6). Noise reduction eats away at edges and details, but overall a great performance unsurpassed by other compacts. Startup, lens zoom, autofocus, and image review zoom especially are s-l-o-w. Not the best for fast shooting.”

Buyer: kurupt71, 6/20/07
“It’s a great camera for this price if you’re going to be outdoors in the daylight, no complaints from me except the use at night. Video far better than what I excpected, not a bad camera at all.”

Sony Cyber-shot W55 Digital Camera, 7.2 Megapixels
Street price around $150.00 - $180.00

Pros: Excellent Macro feature. Has a viewfinder.* Sturdy. Long battery life.

Cons: You have to buy a memory card. Low light/indoor pictures could be better.

*Although it has a viewfinder which is a plus, unfortunately it is not that accurate for close ups.

Buyer: karasmith 8/29/07
“The Sony DSC-W55 is truly a gem in the sub-$200 class of digital cameras! It outperforms many cameras that cost quite as much especially it’s macro function which is mind blowing. You can just about put the lens on top of an object, focus in, and shoot and capture every single tiny little detail to perfect precision!…”

Buyer: arkramer71 12/13/07
“This camera is great compared to the one I purchased 3 years ago for about $100 more. It takes decent pictures and is a Sony so you have brand-name reliability. The down side is having to buy a memory card if you want to take more than a few pictures at a time with the internal memory…”

Prices on digital cameras have come down considerably while the quality has improved. It wasn’t too long ago that a 2-3 megapixel camera was the norm.
Now 7-8 is about average.

Selecting the right camera for you is dependent upon what you want out of the camera. If you just want to shoot family, or, vacation snap shots you probably cannot go wrong with any of these. However, if you into much more sophisticated photography, then you should probably consider SLR type cameras.

Author: Alex Armen

Digital SLR Lens Reviews

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As digital photography becomes more popular, the images become better quality, and cameras become more affordable it’s no surprise that sales of digital cameras are exploding.

There are many different types of digital cameras to choose from and the one you choose what have a lot to do with what you plan on using the camera for.

Types of digital cameras

There are three basic types of cameras and this is the same whether you are shooting film or digital media. These three types are: point and shoot cameras, prosumer cameras and professional quality SLR cameras.

1. Point and shoot cameras operate fully automatically. These cameras pretty much do everything for you from choosing the correct exposure to whether a flash is needed.

2. Prosumer Cameras. These cameras are just a step up from the regular point she cameras in that they allow the photographer to have more options over control. These cameras often have various exposure modes which allow the photographer to have some control over the exposure.

3. Professional cameras allow a photographer to actually look through the lens. These are called single lens reflex cameras. What you see is what you get. You have full control over the exposure with these cameras but you can also shoot in full automatic mode or using various exposure modes.

Resolution

No matter what type of digital camera you decide to buy you’ll need to make the decision about the resolution of the camera.

If you’ve ever shopped at one of the large electronics superstores you most certainly have had the opportunity of discussing digital cameras with their salespeople. They will usually lead you to believe that the most important thing when choosing a digital camera has to do with pixels. While this is important it is not the end all of digital image quality. Pixels are tiny squares that make up an image. Obviously the more squares are pixels the more detailed image will be.

Most of the digital cameras today produce images with at least 4 million pixels. Four megapixel images will produce up to 8×10 prints which look very nice. Most people do not make prints larger than 8×10 so these cameras should work fine.

Try different cameras before you choose

Did you know that you could take a memory card into the store with you and place in the camera you are looking at and take a few sample pictures? You can then take these pictures home to compare on your computer or make prints. Various cameras have very different image qualities even though they may have the same number of pixels. This is why it’s important to compare.

Digital cameras are changing and improving faster than you can imagine. Every few months there will likely be one that is better at a cheaper price and you paid. Don’t worry about it. If you take the time to choose a good digital camera you’ll be making quality photographs that you and your family will enjoy for many years to come.

Author: Robert Michael

-- Digital SLR Lens Reviews

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Slowly, but surely, the worth of the fixed focal length lens (or prime lens) to the non-professional photographer is being eroded by the increasing perfection of zoom lens technology. The days when you packed your camera bag with trusty 28mm, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, and even 180mm lenses are rapidly disappearing. Why bother when you can simply reach for something like Nikon’s all-purpose Nikkor 18-200mm DX VR zoom lens and know that you have both flexibility and optical speed at your fingertips?

The truth is that, while the range of focal lengths may be increasing within a single zoom lens, no all-purpose lens is ever likely to perform at the level of eqivalent prime lenses for its full range of focal lengths.

Zooms are engineered with a good deal more glass than is found in a prime lens, and because of this they “swallow” more light than the corresponding lens of the same focal length. Unless you are photographing under very bright light, the required increased shutter duration time of a zoom may make the difference between a good image, and one that is ruined by camera lens wobble.

Even so, there is a lot to be said for carrying one lens, and leaving it attached to your camera, rather than carrying five separate lenses and having to miss photo opportunities that arise while you are changing lenses.

But thinking about fixed focal length lenses can be instructive. When we plunge into photography with a zoom lens, the effortless continuum of focal lengths is apt to blur the distinction between photographs captured at different focal lengths. Historically this just wasn’t a problem. Economy demanded that the lenses you purchased were quite distinct, focal length wise, and so an appreciation of their individual characteristics came easy.

50mm
It used to be the case that the kit lens for a 35mm SLR was generally a 50mm focal length lens. The 50mm lens reproduces a field of view that approximates normal vision, with an angle of coverage of around 50 degrees. But this is also partly the reason that the 50mm lens gets only a fraction of the respect it deserves. Because when we look at the scene captured by a 50mm image, we are not going to see something that we could not have seen with our own eyes. This means there are no optical effects to draw us into the image, so the subject material must be strong enough to command our attention.

Despite the fact that the 50mm kit lens has been replaced with an optical zoom lens (usually in the range of 28-80mm these days) the 50mm lens has a lot going for it. For one thing it’s generally very fast. My 50mm kit lens (picked up decades ago) is an f/1.4 Nikkor. By dialing up to the largest aperture you can get away with not using a flash when taking indoor photographs in natural lighting. This means that your shots will look more natural, and have a depth to them that washed-out images captured with flash simply cannot match. You’ll also be able to shoot fast. The equivalent focal length on a zoom might be two, or even three, stops slower.

If you will be using your camera mostly to record family shots, and you will be shooting indoors a good fraction of the time, you might want to take a serious look at picking up a 50mm f/1.8, or even an f/1.4 if you have the money to spend. To read a fine essay on the under-appreciation of the 50mm lens, I recommend The Forgotten Lens by Gary Voth.

28mm
Open up a book on photojournalism and you’ll discover a slew of images captured with wide angle lenses like the 28mm prime lens. Wide angle prime lenses have a remarkable pronounced curvature on the front lens element which helps to pull in light from all around the edges of a scene. This has two main consequences.

The first is that a much larger portion of the scene before you is captured. Extremely short focal length primes, like the 8mm, are known as fisheye lenses because the angle of coverage exceeds 180 degrees. Everything in front of the camera ends up in the image!

The second consequence is that cramming more of the scene into the image distorts the image to some degree. Straight lines in the real world, like the horizon and the edges of walls, become curved. Most of the time this is acceptable, because capturing the entire scene is the most important consideration.

Using a wide angle prime like the 28mm becomes necessary when you try to capture images in confined spaces. To shoot all of the board members in the annual meeting while they sit at the conference table, and to get all of the table plus the room around it into focus, requires a wide angle lens. The other situation that calls for a wide angle arises when you find yourself trying to photograph a very large object that won’t quite fit into the frame. If you were taking a picture of someone standing at the base of the Eiffel Tower, using a wide angle will help you fill the frame with both the subject and the tower.

85mm to 105mm
I have mentioned how useful the 50mm prime lens is for doing portraiture. However, the lens most often mentioned in connection with portrait shots is the 85mm prime, usually with an f/1.8 maximum aperture, or the even faster f/1.2

The 85mm is sometimes referred to as a short telephoto. Unless your aim is to capture just the upper torso of your subject, or simply their face when closer in, you will need to back off to capture your subject from head to foot. This means that you can often take unobtrusive and spontaneous portrait shots simply by being in the vicinity of your subject as they go about their activities.

But the real strength of the 85mm, or even the 105mm, prime, lies with the ability of the lens to get in tight and emphasize the features of the subject’s face. The background in these shots is not the least important, and by opening up to the maximum aperture you will be able to throw the background completely out of focus. Focusing becomes critical in this situation, so concentrate on the subject’s eyes which can never be unsharp in acceptable portraiture shots.

180mm
There will always be times when you cannot get close to the scene that you want to photograph. This is where telephoto lenses come in handy. Medium telephoto range like that provided by the 180mm prime is useful for photographing local sports events, where you can approach the edge of the field.

Prime telephotos capture only a small portion of the scene before you, so in order to pull in enough light that you can see the scene properly, the size of the lens has to grow. In other words, your 180mm lens is going to weigh you down a little. For this reason, even if you are photographing at maximum aperture, it is a good idea to use a monopod to steady your shot. Hand holding a telephoto quickly becomes not only a chore, but a great way to lessen the likelihood of a sharp image. This is where the addition of vibration reduction technology to the lens (or image stabilization, as it is also known), can be very advantageous (but extremely costly for telephotos).

Like the short telephotos discussed already, focusing becomes even more critical here. Unless your subject remains relatively still, or your lens is capable of rapid auto focusing, some real amount of practice is required before you can consistently shoot great action shots with a telephoto. On the other hand, the results are worth it.

So to wrap up, I have summarized the characteristics and uses of several different focal length lenses. Try to keep these characteristics in mind if you are shooting with a zoom that covers some, or all, of the focal lengths discussed here. If you think about your shots in terms of these different focal length characteristics you’ll be better able to harness them to improve your photography.

To help you select a suitable digital camera to get started with, I have put together an article for you about how to find the right Beginner Digital Camera.

Whether you need a simple point-and-shoot model, or a more complex digital SLR model, you will find the answers, and greatly discounted digital camera offers, at http://www.bestdigitalcameradiscounts.com/

Author: Stephen Carter

--- Digital SLR Lens Reviews

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