As we have seen in a previous article, the choice of camera is important...but the choice of your lens is even more important.

Your choice will depend on the type of photos you want to take...whether they are travel photos, family photos or  photos of landscapes, sports, animals or portraits...or a bit of all of this at the same time.

There are several criteria to take into account whether you have a Nikon, Canon or other branded camera...

But before talking about these criteria...Be aware that a quality lens often costs much more than your camera.

Branded lenses are of high quality but are often quite expensive...there is the possibility of choosing from lens manufacturers such as Sigma or Tamron...you just have to remember to choose the mounts adapted to your camera (Nikon , Cannon....)

Let's come to the selection criteria:

    -  1/What are the differences between a fixed focal length or zoom lens?

        Fixed focal length                           

      Higher quality                    

      Cheaper                            

      Lighter                             

      Larger opening

          Zoom

      Large focal range

      Flexibility (zoom)

      Heavier

    - 2/Focal length: (fixed or zoom)

This length is expressed in millimeters (mm) as you can see in the photo above

On a fixed focal length lens... for example, you can read "50mm" or "135mm"...etc.

On a lens with a "zoom" focal length...for example, you can read "18-105mm" or "70-200mm"...etc.  

There are 3 categories of focal length:

    - Wide angle: from 10 to 24mm

    - Standard: from 18 to 80mm

    - Telephoto: 100 to 400mm or more

The smaller the value (example 17mm), the greater the angle and vice versa (300mm) allows you to zoom but decreases the viewing angle

Wide-angle focal lengths are used more for landscape photos... the idea being to have the widest angle possible in order to "embrace" the landscape in front of our eyes.

Standard focal lengths are used for portraits or just about any type of subject. Your SLR probably came with a  18-55mm lens...A great classic from our SLR camera suppliers. The quality of these lenses is not always there but is sufficient for beginners. For information the human eye is equivalent to a 35mm.

Telephoto focal lengths  are used for sports or animal photos...they allow you to take photos by bringing you closer to your subject without disturbing it.

A last somewhat special category, macro lenses. These prime lenses have a reproduction ratio of 1:1 and a focal length in principle between 80 and 115mm. It must be listed on the technical sheet of your lens  "ratio"1:1".

    - 3/Aperture f/number: (depth of field)

The aperture of a lens is the amount of light it enters your body, this value is indicated by an f/number as in the photo above.

The larger the aperture, the smaller the depth of field. Ideal for a photo (macro or portrait) to obtain a background blur also called bokeh, it is possible to choose an aperture of diaphragm between f/1.4 and f/5.6
Conversely, the smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field. Perfect for taking a landscape photo. It is possible to opt for an aperture between f/8 and f/16.

For example, you can see the following values on your objectives

    50mm f/1.8 (fixed focal length) or 15-55 f/3.5-5.6 (zoom)

The aperture value is part of the "exposure triangle" in photography that allows you to adjust your camera and exit automatic mode...but we'll talk about this subject another time (aperture/ISO/speed)

In summary, what are the criteria to take into account when choosing a lens:

    - Type of photo (landscape, portrait, macro...)

    - The focal length in mm (fixed or zoom)

    - Aperture f/number (depth of field)

    - Stabilizer or not (reduces motion blur)

As you can see, choosing the right lens for your photography practice is not easy. You will have understood that your favorite subjects will influence your choices. The more you progress in photography, the more you will be demanding on the quality of your lenses... So to start, start with the 18-55mm supplied with your SLR and then you can move on to another lens as soon as you have defined your desires.  

Good pictures to all

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