Different types of Camera Lenses; A Photography Perspective

Camera Types and their Lenses for different types of Photography

1. Types of Camera Lenses Dr. Tilak Ram Chandrakar Assistant Professor NFSU

2. A camera without a lens is useless to a photographer. The lens is what focuses light from what you see through the viewfinder into a tiny, (typically) 35mm spot on the back of your film, DSLR, or mirrorless camera. If lens remove from camera, the only kind of image can produce is white light. Consequently, a high- quality lens can help to capture great photos even with a cheap camera, while a low- quality lens can make the best camera mediocre and the resulting image quality, poor.

3. A lens is a tool used to bring light to a fixed focal point. In a film camera, the lens sends the light to the film strip, while in a digital camera (like DSLRs or mirrorless cameras) , the lens directs light to a digital sensor Camera lenses are made up of a series of glass plates that are convex (curved outward) or concave

4. All lenses filter and focus light so that it hits the sensor or film strip correctly. However, there are a variety of other factors that determine how a camera lens affects the look and quality of the final photo. Focal length is the measurement of distance (in millimeters) between the point of convergence of your lens and the sensor recording the image. The focal length range of a lens is expressed by a number, and that number tells you how much of the scene your camera will be able to capture. Smaller numbers have a wider angle of view and show more of the scene; larger numbers have a narrower angle of view and show less.

5. Aperture; I s how big the opening is that lets light in, expressed in f- stops. F- stops are counterintuitive, because the larger the number, the smaller the opening. For example, f/2.8 allows twice as much light into the camera as f4, and 16 times as much light as f11. Aperture affects the depth of field: larger openings create a shallower depth of field, while smaller openings make more of the image in focus.

6. Maximum Aperture . Lenses will list a maximum aperture on the barrel, indicating the maximum width a lens aperture can open. Typically, lenses with a wider maximum aperture cost a bit more. A lens with a wide maximum aperture is great for low light situations, so if you are considering night photography, it might be worth the investment. Depth of Field; Controlling the amount of the photo that is in focus is one of the photographer’s best tools to help draw the viewer’s eye where you want it. For example, landscapes are typically shot so that everything is in focus, so photographers will shoot at small apertures (e.g. f11 or f16). The depth of field varies with the type of lens, due to maximum aperture.

7. There are two basic categories of camera lenses: Prime lenses ; . Primes have a fixed lens focal length, making them faster and sharper. While prime lenses are less flexible due to the fixed focal length, they are also fast and lightweight, making them easy to travel . Zoom lenses ; . Zooms use a series of lenses to allow different focal lengths from a single lens, making them more flexible but not as fast. They contain more glass, which aids in their flexibility, but they also tend to be bigger and heavier than prime lenses.

8. Within both prime and zoom types of lenses, there are a variety of lenses, all with different focal lengths. Macro Lenses This type of camera lens is used to create very close- up, macro photographs. They have a unique design that allows them to produce sharp images at extremely close range. These lenses are great for nature photography, enabling you to capture an enormous amount of detail in one image.

9. Telephoto Lenses Telephoto lenses are a type of zoom lens with multiple focal points. These types of lenses are great for isolating a subject that is far away. However, such great magnification comes at the price of a narrower field of view. In the same way that you would use a telescope to look at stars and planets, a telephoto lens is used for focusing in on distant objects. Many sports photographers use telephoto lenses to provide a sense of intimacy with the subjects on the field (the players) while standing on the sidelines or in the bleachers. There are many different types of telephoto lenses, and some can be quite large, heavy, and expensive, so take some time in choosing the right telephoto lens.

10. Wide Angle Lenses A Wide angle lens  is one with a short focal length.  They provide an angle of view beyond that of a standard lens, allowing them to capture more of the scene in a single shot.  Extreme wide angle lenses are known as Fisheye Lense. Wide angle lenses are useful for photographing landscapes, cramped interiors, and other subjects which won't fit into a normal lens's field of view.  Fisheye lenses take this even further, and are popular for photographing action sports like skateboarding and surfing, where their inherent distortion gives photos a dynamic feel .

11. Standard Lenses A Standard lens  is one with a mid-range focal length, typically around 50mm.  They have an angle of view which is roughly the same as the angle that the human eye can comfortably view. Standard camera lenses usually have a fixed focal length and wide aperture. They are popular for a wide range of photography subjects, including landscapes, portraits, and candid shots.

12. Finally, there are a number of specialist camera lenses which cater for less common photography needs.  These include Tilt and Shift lenses for perspective control. Soft-focus lenses for portrait photography.  Infrared lenses for capturing light outside the normal spectrum. A specialist lens is used to produce some sort of special or creative effect, and so they have limited use in general photography.  However, they can be very useful if you need to photograph a particular subject in a particular way. Specialist camera

13. Many entry-level SLRs come bundled with one or two lenses. Often called "Starter" or "Kit" lenses . These are good for getting you up and running quickly but they are generally very cheap, slow lenses with poor image quality. A kit lens is great for getting to grips with your camera and figuring out what focal lengths you like using, but you should consider replacing it when your budget allows. Kit Lense

14. 16mm Lens Angle of View; Very Wide Description; Very wide view of the world, great for landscape photography Depth of Field; Everything’s is in focus, impossible to have a shallow depth of field Distortion of Space; Mark things seems farther away than they actually are, Exaggerates the size of anything very close to the camera.

15. 35mm Lens Angle of view : Wide Description : Roughly what a cell phone would capture. Great for street photography. Depth of field : Pretty much everything is in focus unless your subject is very close to the camera. Distortion of space : Less spatial distortion than a very wide lens, but it still makes things seem farther away than they actually are.

16. 50mm Lens Angle of view : Normal Description : Roughly the way the human eye sees the world. Good for just about any type of photography. Depth of field : Easy to have a shallow or deep depth of field, depending on aperture range. Distortion of space : Very little or none.

17. 85mm Lens Angle of view : Medium telephoto Description : Great for isolating a subject from the background. Good for portrait photography. Depth of field : Easy to get a shallow depth of field. Distortion of space : Makes things seem closer than they actually are.

18. 200mm Lens Angle of view : Telephoto Description : Ideal for picking out a distant subject, the way a telescope does. Good for compressing your subject and the background. Depth of field : Quite often has a shallow depth of field unless everything you’re shooting is quite far away. Distortion of space : Makes things seem significantly closer than they actually are

19. There are many things that determine the quality of your photography, and one of the most important is the lenses you use.  A good camera lens will capture sharp photos with plenty of detail and contrast, while a poor one can leave your images looking dull and blurry. When shopping for lenses, it's important to consider the types of subject you intend to shoot, the likely lighting conditions, and of course your budget.  There is no single lens that is perfect for every situation, so you'll need to balance the pros and cons of the various options and pick the best compromise. Conclusion

20. END