Project 52

Understanding your Camera Lens

Understanding your Camera Lens

What lenses I need to buy? Is camera kit lens is enough? Do I need all those lenses? This are some questions I heard from some people who wants to enter in photography hobby.

Being one of a senior member in one of Photography Club here in Dubai United Arab Emirates I was assigned in Abu Dhabi to give a lecture about Lenses or Camera Lenses. So I share my knowledge in a simplest way I know.

As I practice my photography skills I give my concentration on events and photojournalism, which in my own opinion requires more skills/knowledge in maximizing the use of camera lenses. Not just having a camera will going to get the best pictures we wanted. Most of us who take photos are amateurs in the art world, but with the right equipment our photography can be elevated to a new height. Lenses are important especially when you settle on a medium you will train in. Most photographers choose one area of photography to specialize in. There are many types of lenses, the standard, telephoto, wide angle, zoom and panoramic lenses.

What is Lens?
 A basic component of a camera that takes the light that enters the camera and focus it on single point to form a sharp image.
 The Most important part of the camera. Lens is like human eye without it you cannot capture/see good images.

Most cameras have a lens, even the point and shoot type. Often when you purchase a camera package or kit they will come with standard kit lens with it. All SLR Camera have interchangeable lenses while all compact and point & shoot camera has lens fixed in the camera body that you cannot change or replace. You do not have to stick with the same brand of lenses as your cameras since a lot of brand is available just make sure that it is fits in your camera body.

What is the Basic Function of the Lens?
 Focuses the light rays to produce a sharp image on the film.
 Admits a larger amount of light, permitting proper exposure in a small fraction of a second.

What are the basic parts of the Lens?

 Aperture Ring – system expresses to control the diameter of the opening. From where the f-value/aperture or in simpler terms the f-number. Rule of thumb the smaller number the bigger opening, the bigger number the smaller opening. See illustration below.

 Focal length indicator – an indicator system used to measure of how long and strongly converges (focuses) or diverges (defocuses) the subject. A system with a shorter focal length has greater/wider optical view than one with a long focal length that gives narrow optical view.

 Lens Barrel – the biggest part of the lens that holds all the elements.

 Focus ring – used to focus the subject in manual focusing.
 Distance Scale – to measure the minimum and maximum focusing distance capabilities of the lens.

 Optical Glass/Lenses – is a glass in camera lens that focuses light into the camera body and onto the film. Inside the lens body, there are several other optical lenses that further refine the image. These lenses are sometimes called “elements”.

Two Types of Lens:

 Fix Lens – Lens with fixed focal length. e.i. 20mm, 35mm, 50mm, 105mm, 135mm and so on.

 Zoom lens – Lens with variable focal length. Zoom Lenses permits to change focal length without changing lenses. e.i. 14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 28-300mm and so on.

Advantage and Disadvantages of Fixed and Zoom Lens:

advantages and disadvantages

Photography also relies on the photographer’s skill and eye. Lenses are just a part of the photography world when you start to study the art. If you have any questions on lenses the best places to find answers are your local photography shop and professional photographers in your neighborhood.