A photographic lens is used to focus the light onto film or a digital sensor. Many cameras have interchangeable lens systems, allowing the photographer to choose the type of lens to use.
3
votes
1answer
680 views
What causes longitudinal chromatic aberration on Nikon 50mm f/1.4D?
I have looked on my new 50mm lens photo (I have Nikon D90) and I see "purple fringing" around the unfocused objects (longitudinal chromatic aberration). What's is going on? Is it common for this lens ...
3
votes
1answer
346 views
Does maximum aperture change with focus distance with the Canon 60mm f/2.8 macro lens?
This site says
The Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens loses 1/2 stop at 1:5, 1 stop
at 1:3, 1.5 stops at 1:1.5 and 2 stops at 1:1 (lifesize).
Can anyone confirm that at 1:5 magnification, ...
3
votes
3answers
517 views
Choosing first lens for Nikon D-90 body
I'm looking to get a prime lens to go with the Nikon D-90 body. I'm looking at 50mm or 35mm and f/1.8 or f/1.4 and AF or AF-S. It appears that VR (Vibration Reduction) is not an option for any of ...
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votes
11answers
6k views
What Canon lenses do you suggest for wedding photography on a tight budget?
I am new to photography. I have Canon 1000d (with 18 -55 mm lens). My basic interest is wedding photography.
I am planning to get a prime and a telephoto lens. So, my dilemma is:
Should I go for ...
1
vote
3answers
187 views
Where should one go in terms of equipment for event shooting after a D7000 kit?
I'm still new at photography -- really, it is going to be a long while before I can get close to the potential out of the D7000 kit. However, Microsoft recently has been giving me the opportunity to ...
16
votes
3answers
1k views
What makes a Carl Zeiss lens so special in a smartphone?
There are smartphones on the market that have a focus towards photography. Some are equipped with a Carl Zeiss lens. I have looked into Wikipedia, which tells me that they are a brand who produces ...
15
votes
2answers
530 views
Do rounded edges on aperture blades improve image sharpness, and how?
In the description for the XF lenses for its new X-Pro system, Fujifilm crows:
The [XF lenses] all offer precise control over depth-of-field and deliver excellent out-of-focus bokeh thanks to the ...
13
votes
4answers
2k views
What's the difference between the Canon and Nikon lenses mounts?
I was wondering what, if any, are the technical differences between the two mounting systems. Does one auto focus faster? Can one hold more weight? Things along those lines that make them different.
...
12
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there a drawback in buying an imported (gray market) lens?
I am planning to buy a Nikon 55-200mm lens and I was checking prices at B&H and there is a $30 difference (almost 15% of cost) between "Imported" and "USA" lenses. What is the difference between ...
12
votes
5answers
267 views
Is it possible to adapt lens from one brand into another brand's body?
I'm thinking about buying my first DSLR (I have no experience) and was thinking about the lens brand issue. I'm thinking I should buy a Pentax Kx because of it's cost-effective value, but I'm ...
12
votes
8answers
3k views
How do I choose a macro lens for a Canon APS-C camera?
I have a Canon 40D and like taking macro shots sometimes, so I'm thinking of buying a macro lens. I'd also like the lens to double up as a portrait lens. I'm not a super serious photographer, so my ...
11
votes
4answers
949 views
Are there any Canon EF-S prime lenses or tele-zooms?
Canon is supposed to have introduced the EF-S system for the APS-C cameras to make smaller\lighter lenses and keep the costs low. However, most of their EF-S lenses are general purpose zooms in the ...
11
votes
4answers
608 views
What does 'Equivalent to 1.6x the focal length of the lens' mean?
In the specifications of Canon 550D, about the lens the following is mentioned
LENS
Lens Mount EF/EF-S
Focal Length Equivalent to 1.6x the focal length of the lens
Now this is really ...
11
votes
1answer
2k views
Does image quality of a lens depend on the camera used?
I recently bought a Canon 50mm f1.8 for my Canon 1000d. But, I find that the images are not as sharp as those I saw in the reviews or any other images taken using other cameras like the 550d and ...
11
votes
2answers
993 views
When I use FX lenses on a DX camera, does the focal length or minimum aperture change?
If I put a Nikkor 35mm f/2 FX lens on a DX camera, is it still 35mm f/2, or has the effective focal length or minimum aperture changed, because it is being used on a smaller format than what it was ...
10
votes
2answers
717 views
What is the benefit of an internal focus lens?
The "IF" in Pentax DA★ 200mm f/2.8 ED (IF) SDM stands for "Internal Focus". I know what this means: the lens doesn't change in size as I focus. (And it's true; it doesn't.) What's the point of this, ...
10
votes
4answers
925 views
How wide can a lens be before it begins to produce distortion?
Some lenses will produce distortion near a photo's edges (lines that should be straight begin to curve). Fisheye lenses definitely do this, and some ultra-wide lenses will do this too. I like wide ...
10
votes
4answers
503 views
How compatible are my old Nikon lenses
I'm looking at buying a new SLR body. I have an old film Nikon entry-level SLR (about ten years old) with a kit lens. If I buy a Nikon body, how likely is it that my old lens will work on it? Would I ...
9
votes
1answer
351 views
Can anyone identify this lens?
I read once, in a book, about a lens that was an "inverse fisheye". Basically a hemispherical mirror mounted at one end of a glass tube.
I can't remember what it was called, nor can I find any ...
9
votes
6answers
941 views
What should I do to avoid switching lenses?
I'm thinking of buying a telephoto lens for my Canon 550D (3x zoom isn't very helpful), but I won't be able to do very good macro shots with it. Since I do a lot of both, I would be switching lenses ...
8
votes
6answers
296 views
Aside from sharpness & speed, what are the benefits to photo composition\optical quality provided by premium lenses over their cheaper counterpart?
I have gone through quite a few lens reviews and questions on this site that recommend expensive lenses over their cheaper counterparts. From what I've seen in the reviews, there is a marked ...
8
votes
3answers
237 views
What is good equipment to buy/hire for a generalist photographer, new to event photography?
I'll soon be covering an event, and my existing lens set isn't necessarily ideal for low-light people photography.
As with many events, this may be both indoors and outside, and runs throughout the ...
7
votes
3answers
330 views
What are ED elements?
I find that some lenses are indicated with the letters "ED", referring to some special type of lens element. What are ED elements, and what advantages do they bring?
Note that this question isn't ...
7
votes
5answers
665 views
How much different are the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 stabilized (VC) and non-stabilized versions?
I have seen these 2 lenses being suggested by many people across the site as general purpose zooms and an upgrade to the typical 18-55mm kit lenses. The price difference seems to be around $200 (~INR ...
7
votes
3answers
626 views
Is pincushion or barrel distortion really all that bad in a lens?
Given that software can pretty trivially fix pincushion and barrel distortion patterns if you're shooting in RAW (Lightroom did the right thing just by knowing what lens I used with the given EXIF ...
7
votes
4answers
372 views
How can I find the right lens cap for my lens?
I own a Nikon D3000 Camera with the AF-S 18-55mm VR Kit Lens. Last week I lost the lens cap and now I want to buy a new one.
But when I went to this online store, I got confused with the different ...
7
votes
4answers
393 views
Were lenses for film designed to focus different colors at different depths, and what does that mean for digital?
I was reading the book Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: The Ultimate Workshop by Martin Evening & Jeff Schewe (Focal Press. 2011) and read this paragraph about film lenses and DSLRs:
… ...
7
votes
6answers
214 views
Is it technically possible to build a camera body to correct for lens defects?
Most lenses tend to be expensive because the lens needs to be very complicated in order to correct for various optical effects (aberration, etc). Is it possible to build a sensor and processor ...
7
votes
7answers
409 views
How come some 3rd-party lenses cost more than those from the manufacturer?
I was trying to save some cash on a 50mm f/1.4 for my Nikon d7000. I see the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 costs almost $400 USD. I thought a 3rd-party lens would be cheaper so I checked out the equivalent Sigma ...
7
votes
3answers
239 views
Does it make sense getting any of these “extra” lens packages?
I see many extra lenses on bestbuy.com sold with the Nikon D7000 I am interested in buying.
Are any worth it? Are they any good? And, since they bundle them, is the price better then buying the ...
7
votes
5answers
766 views
Are third-party alternatives to the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 worth the price savings?
Has anyone used the 3rd party 70-200 lenses?
Are you happy with the quality, or do you wish you had saved up for longer and got the Canon?
6
votes
1answer
87 views
What is Power Focus on a Canon lens?
A few of the most recent Canon telephoto lenses a feature called "Power Focus" or PF. What is the purpose of the setting and does it benefit photography at all?
I have found the following lenses ...
6
votes
1answer
185 views
When focusing at max zoom, focus is lost after zooming out. Is that normal?
On my Canon kit lens, I could completely zoom in, focus on the object and then zoom out to take the picture with the object still in focus.
Now I have a Sigma 18-200mm (with a Canon 600D) and that ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
Is it difficult to focus on 1.4F prime lens, and if it is how to counter that?
Does difficulty in focusing have anything to do with 1.4F (Nikon G)?
Will it be still difficult if I use manual focus?
Is auto focus too slow?
Is there a way to counter it?
This example photo (from ...
6
votes
6answers
1k views
Is it important that the Canon 1DX isn't specified to autofocus with lenses slower than f/5.6? [closed]
Seeking the lens market AND the related info WRT Canon 1D X, I found some things which seems concerning:
1st, a note from Canon's Chuck Westerfall (see here) saying:
“AF is unavailable on the ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Will a lens with a low aperture value give me better portrait photos?
I want to take pictures of people from 5-20 feet away. I attend lots of group events and am free to walk around and snap photos.
I just purchased a Canon t3i and it comes with a 18-55mm kit lens. The ...
6
votes
1answer
576 views
Canon 70-200/2.8 IS (mk1) VS 70-200/4 IS
Currently debating which of these lens to get. The f/4 does have the advantage of being lighter, and there have been reviews that it's sharper than the f/2.8 wide open or with both at f/4.
Rather ...
6
votes
2answers
601 views
Pentax to Canon Adapter
My dad has an old Sears KS-2 + 50mm f/1.7, which from a bit of research seems to use a Pentax K-mount.
I've looked around a bit and found a Pentax to Canon adapter, which says it supports ...
6
votes
4answers
943 views
Where can I get an extension tube for micro-four-thirds lenses?
There doesn't seem to be any extension tube set listed on the m4/3 section of the Four Thirds website. Olympus makes the EX-25 extension tube but it's for regular Four Thirds lenses.
I would like to ...
6
votes
4answers
3k views
Which lens is sharper? The Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 or the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8?
Specifically:
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro (not the previous non-macro version. HSM is only on Nikon fit)
Vs.
Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 SP XR Di II LD VC Lens (not the cheaper one without vibration ...
6
votes
0answers
277 views
How do I avoid getting any chromatic aberration in my photographs?
Another question is how to correct it (suggested in proposals), but
... are there ways of avoiding it in the first place?
5
votes
1answer
212 views
Why are so many kit-lenses parfocal if it's an expensive feature?
According to this answer, parfocal lenses (lenses that can zoom in/out without losing focus) are relatively rare and more expensive.
However, the original poster's kit-lens is parfocal. ...
5
votes
4answers
287 views
What's the difference between vignetting and pinhole?
Sometimes people say that a lens has bad vignetting but it looks very similar to the effect of pinhole (darkened edges).
What's the difference?
If someone asked to have a vignetting effect (in PP) ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Why is my Nikon d3100 with 18/55 lens suddenly fuzzy?
I was taking some inside pictures with my Nikon D3100 and 18/55 lens when, all of a sudden, the lens started to work funny -- the more I zoomed in on the subject, the fuzzier the picture looked in the ...
5
votes
2answers
440 views
What does “N stops” mean when describing an image stabilizer?
If you ever purchased any lens with IS then you have heard this term like "3 Stop Stabilization" or "4 Stop Stabilization". Now, I am familiar with this Stop for ISO and Aperture. But this I don't ...
5
votes
1answer
285 views
Colored powder in a lens: will it need a cleaning?
I was taking photos of people playing Holi. Some of the powdered colour landed on the lens of my Canon Powershot S95, and in the groove of the flash housing. By lens, I mean the cylindrical part that ...
5
votes
5answers
366 views
What is needed for a photoshoot in a concert?
I have been invited to take some photos from an ensemble in a conservatory. I do photography a lot, but mostly outdoors and this is going to be my first experience.
I have a Canon 50D with 2 lenses: ...
5
votes
2answers
357 views
Is it worth buying cheap lens attachments for my camera?
I'm considering buying a fisheye/wide-angle modifier. The brand-name modifier costs around £150 for a single wide-angle modifier which also requires an adapter ring. I've also seen, on ebay, kits ...
4
votes
1answer
104 views
Is Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X macro lens good for photos other than close-up macro shots?
Does this lens do a good job for photos other than close-up macro shots? For example, does it make sense to use this lens for outdoor family portrait photography? What are some other common uses for ...
4
votes
5answers
282 views
Should I prefer versatility or a longer focal length for wildlife photography?
I'm having a hard time deciding which lens I should add to my bag. I currently have the 600D + 18-135 kit lens. I wanted to get a telephoto for my next lens, and I have two options to choose from for ...
