Photo Tutor

Prime Lenses Vs Zoom Lenses

I’ve talked about camera lenses in the past but if a budding photographer looks to upgrade a lens the choices seem endless.

Point and shoot cameras come equipped with a zoom lens permanently attached so I’m really talking about DSLR cameras.

A zoom lens lets the photographer choose different focal lengths, from wide angle to telephoto. DSLR cameras also come with some type of zoom lens or several as a kit to cover a wide variety of focal lengths.

• Zoom lenses have the advantage of allowing the photographer to get closer to a subject without physically moving.

• They also enable the photographer a better chance of getting the shot because the photographer can compose and shoot without changing lenses.

• There is also less chance of getting dust on the sensor from constantly changing lenses.

When zoom lenses first came onto the market they were heavy and the quality of the images they produced could not compare to a fixed focal length (prime) lens. The quality has improved greatly because of computer design but there is usually a fall off of image quality as the lens is zoomed to longer focal lengths.

Back in the day serious photographers had a variety of fixed focal length lenses (prime lenses) in their camera bag that were very sharp.

They included a few fast (large maximum aperture) prime lenses: a wide angle lens (20-28mm), a normal 50mm lens, a portrait lens (80-105mm), and a longer lens (180-200mm) that could be used as a head and shoulders portrait lens or for sports and wildlife photography.

So why should a person carry all these different lenses when one or two zoom lenses could easily cover all the focal lengths and even the intermediary ones too?

• There are images that you simply cannot capture with a zoom lens.

• Prime lenses let in much more light than a zoom lens.

• Whereas a zoom may have a maximum aperture of say f 3.5-f 5.6, prime lenses have a maximum more like f1.4-f 2.

Aperture settings (along with focal length and distance to the subject) control what appears sharp in a photograph. By controlling what is sharp, the photographer can guide the viewer’s eyes to important parts of the image.

When you use these lenses at their widest apertures it allows a photographer to isolate a subject from the foreground and background because at these apertures depth of field is very shallow.
By using selective focusing this narrow depth of field allows for only a narrow area in the image to be sharp.

In a portrait it is very important to isolate the subject from its surroundings. If you look at ads in magazines you will see how selective focusing and narrow depth of field are used to isolate the product name or some point of interest in the ad. Your eye naturally moves to the sharpest part of an image.

The portrait above was taken with my 180mm 2.8 lens set at 2.8

There are other advantages to using prime lenses.

• When you are able to let more light into the camera for exposure there is less of a need to raise your ISO and by doing so introduce noise into your image. 

 

• Most prime lenses have depth of field scales on them so you can calculate what in your image will be in focus.  I use these scales all the time with my scenic images because I want everything in the image to be in focus.  It really bugs me when someone shows me an image where the foreground is out of focus or the background is soft because the depth of field was not great enough to encompass both the foreground and background in the image. 

Camera Lenses Explained

     I’m always window shopping on ebay, looking for some great deals on lenses.  If I had unlimited funds I’d tell you what lenses I’d like to have; they are written on a board over my desk.  I’ve researched what I need for the kind of photography I do, but I find most people don’t know what to look for when looking for a lens for their camera. 

What do all the numbers and letters mean on the description of the lens?

     The advantage of having a DSLR (a camera with interchangeable lenses) is the ability of using different lenses specific to the different types of photography that one does.  Living where we do there is little chance we’d ever really get to see the latest lens that has come out.  We have to read reviews of people who have tested out what we’re interested in.  Still, it is important to have some basic knowledge of lenses in order to be an informed consumer.

So It's Time To Buy A New Camera

    As the weather becomes more comfortable to venture outdoors, the grass is green, and the flowers are blossoming everywhere, some of us are starting to get the photo bug.  If our current camera is not quite up to our expectations or we lag behind in the technology it might be time to think of upgrading.  With so many different types of cameras, features, and prices how can one know that they are getting what they want and need?
     The first question to ask yourself is what kind of pictures do I like to take?  If you currently use your cell phone and are satisfied with it then stop reading.  If you don’t see yourself having the time or desire to learn much about photography and your images consist of snapshots then most point and shoot cameras that were made in the last few years will be fine.  Try to get one with a built in flash, which will help in low light situations, and one that will take a short movie, for recording stupid things your teenager does that you can use against them later.  These cameras usually take excellent photographs but the file format (jpeg) used to record the images doesn’t process well with image software.  Also remember that they are made to take average types of images.  You probably won’t be able to safely zoom up close to that grizzly in the park or focus as close to that flower as you like.  These cameras may have limited options for creativity but everything is set up to safeguard against most camera shooting mistakes and for general shooting they produce excellent images.  These cameras cost $150-$350 and, for the price, are way better than anything made five years ago.
     If the lag time in shooting with point and shoot cameras is starting to bug you and you have started taking your camera off “auto” to gain more control over your images then a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera might be your choice.  These cameras have removable lenses so you can use