Choosing the right lens for your type of photography

06/10/11

Hi guys, I hope you all liked the new nostalgicExpressions logo!

Anyways, today i would like to touch upon a topic which many people have asked me several times and it has no particular answer.

A friend of mine asked me a couple of days back, which lens should I buy?

The first thing that should come to your mind when you search the market for lens is the "type of photography" YOU DO.
Yes, it depends on what are your interests! What do you do most with your camera? Click portraits? landscapes? wildlife? close-ups? Structure? What is it that fascinates you the most!

Well, having said that, there is a lens for each kind of photography. Its not that I am saying that a portrait lens can only click portraits and no landscapes, but what i am trying to convey here is that a portrait lens does what its designed to do the best. It captures faces perfectly!

Okay! So these are the following recommendations from my side :

1) If you like Freezing Expressions (Portrait Photography) :

I would suggest you go for a fast lens. A fast lens is the one which has a bigger aperture opening or you could say a smaller "f" number!
f/1.4 , f/1.8 and f/2.8
But let me warn you! these lens can burn your pocket because the elements required to make such a fast lens are very expensive.
You could go for f/1.4 or f/1.8 35mm / 50mm but these lens are prime lens. Prime lens are ones which have no capability to zoom. So if you buy these ones, you would have to physically move back and forth which can be very irritating at times.

If you have some money to spend and want the best results, go for the 24-70mm f/2.8. This piece of glass is marvelous! The pictures are crystal clear and the expressions come in sharp and crisp.

Also, fast lens allow more light to come in which could be an added advantage when you are indoors or shooting in low light conditions!

2) If you like to be close to nature (Landscape Photography) :

Landscapes can be interesting. Being close to nature and capturing all those small details which mesmerize you and send you in "nostalgia" !

Well, I would suggest you a wide angle lens for landscape photography!
By wide angle I mean anywhere between 12mm-24mm.
Wide angle lens have a wide scope of vision and therefore they take in more part of the subject in front of the glass, it gives a better perspective and sharp images!

Also, if you want to shoot buildings and structures, a wide angle lens can come in handy!

Okay these are the two main types of photography general people like you and me do! More professional photographers are into wildlife and macro(closeups).

If you don't want to spend a fortune on quality glass, don't worry. There are more lens for general use and some lens which you can use all the time and give you the perfect bokeh you want!

Personally, I love mid-range telephoto lens! like 18-105mm or 28-200mm or even 55-200mm.
These lens are also good for portraits because they are long and therefore narrower. Having a telephoto will also give you a good blur behind your subject! (Bookeh as we call it)

Choosing a lens is a tough part. I would also like to give you one last suggestion before I bid good-bye.
It does not matter if you use an expensive or the entry level DSLR. The Glass is the important part. Quality optics matter! So please guys invest in your lens! buy an entry level DSLR but buy good lens along! It will be good in the long run!


For now,
I have to go and catch up on some work.
Please email me if you like my work or if you have any questions. I will be pleased to answer them!

Cheers!
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