Photography Q&A Part II

The second most popular question I’m asked is what lens should I buy?

And – again – my response isn’t cut and dry – it’s a discussion question. And even professional photographers ask each other this question, trust me. Good glass is an investment, and you want to make sure you’re making the right investment.

My answer to this question is always another question: “What do you want to use it for? What and where do you plan to shoot?” There is no perfect lens – that will work best in every possible situation. We all have our favorites, but there isn’t ONE best lens.

Let me first explain a little about lenses:

When you look at lenses, there’s always a number after it – 1.2, 1.4, 1.8, 2.8, 3.5, 4.0 and so forth. This is the widest maximum aperture number (also known as f-stops). And the smaller the number, the “faster” the lens. And by “fast,” it means the lens (at its’ widest) will let in a lot of light and allow you a fast shutter speed. So a “fast” lens.

In case I sound like Charlie Brown’s schoolteacher, I’ll explain a little about aperture. I always demonstrate aperture to friends this way:

1. Look across the room and open your eyes REALLY wide. First off, they might hurt because opening your eyes wide lets in a lot of light. But you also notice that you can maybe see things clearly that are right in front of you – but the stuff on the far wall? Not so much. This is the equivalent of a WIDE aperture, or a low number (I know, mentally you think it should be the opposite, right?). A lens with a wide aperture lets in a lot of light and gives you a very shallow Depth-of-Field. Meaning what’s close to you is in focus, and everything else isn’t. You’ve noticed how many of my shots have subjects nice and clear, with the background all blurry (we call that bokeh)? Wide apertures = low aperture numbers.

2. Now squint your eyes and look. Comfy eyes because there’s not a lot of light getting in, right? And you can probably see everything between here and the wall. This is the equivalent of a stopped-down aperture, or a high number (5.6, f11, etc.). I only use high apertures if I’m shooting a big group.

Make sense?

Faster lenses = more glass = wider apertures = $$$$. Do you need fast lenses? That depends. Which brings us back to the original question.

• If you plan to shoot inside where it’s dark: Yes. If you don’t want to invest a lot of money, I recommend a 50mm 1.8 lens. They’re relatively cheap (around $100) because they’re typically made of plastic. But if you don’t plan to put your lens thru the ringer, it’s a great lens to start with.

• If you plan to shoot outside: No. You’ll have plenty of light and don’t need a really fast lens.

• If you want portrait-like shots: Maybe. To get great bokeh (blurred background and shallow dof), you need to either use a wide aperture – OR – if you have a zoom lens, you can back up pretty far from your subject and zoom in on them.

• If you have trouble with shutter shake? Yes. Faster shutter speeds will help with this.

Should you buy a camera with a kit lens? That depends. It seems like most kit lenses used to start at 5.6, which (to me) makes them useless. Slow, can’t use them indoors, long depth-of-field. Blech. But it seems the camera manufacturers are getting a little better. I still feel the best thing is to buy a camera body only and add lenses.

I have several lenses, and I’ve invested in each one for specific purposes. I will say that I’m a fan of prime (non-zoom) lenses. Which means I have to move, because my lens doesn’t. I just find them to be sharper and faster to focus. Others prefer zooms. Again, personal preference.

Here is my kit:

• 50mm 1.2. VERY fast prime (non-zoom) 50mm lens that I use for newborn and indoor sessions. Do I shoot at 1.2? No. Could I have gotten by with the 1.4? Probably.

• 24-70 2.8. Fast wide-angle zoom lens. I use this lens for wide-angle indoor shots (parents on the bed with their baby, nurseries, etc.). If there WAS such a thing as an all-around perfect lens, this might be it. But it’s heavy. If you put it on a Digital Rebel, it’s going to be a bit lopsided and shutter-shake is a possibility. My 5D + grip is heavy enough to offset it. Quite a few photographers only use this lens.

• 135 2.0. Fast prime (non-zoom) portrait lens. This is the lens I use exclusively outdoors and it is by far my favorite lens of all those I own.

• 100mm 2.8 macro. Fast prime (non-zoom) macro lens. Macro lenses let you focus from a close distance, making this lens perfect for baby eyelashes and feet and noses. Which is what I bought it for.

When I shot Nikon, my kit included the 50mm 1.4 (which I still have) and the 17-55 2.8

So. What lens should you get? I honestly can’t answer that without knowing what you want to shoot, and where. If you’re considering a lens, I can recommend a great review site: www.fredmiranda.com. Click on reviews, look for the lens you’re considering and away you go.

I hope this was helpful!