Author Topic: Lenses (Read 1955 times)

mr_roll · **on:** August 24, 2007, 17:36:59 PM

Lenses

on: August 24, 2007, 17:36:59 PM

I am looking into a new cameraq maybe in a few months, a still camera as my 1.3MP brick is a little old and crap.

But, I keep seeing SLRs and lenses, what can different size lenses achieve? Do they give a wider angle for shooting with?

With these lenses will the camera adapt to what youve there or will you have to adjust it yourself?

Mongoose · **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2007, 23:07:48 PM

Re:Lenses

Reply #1 on: August 24, 2007, 23:07:48 PM

an SLR camera body does one thing and one thing only

It records light.

Modern ones have a plethora of features designed to help you do this, but it all boils down to picking an aperture and shutter speed combination which results in the right amount of light falling on the detector (either film or a CCD/CMOS sensor).

The lens mounted on the camera collects and focuses the light to be recorded.

Leaving aside issues of lens quality (which is more or less you get what you pay for subject to the law of diminishing returns), a given lens is good for a certain job. Lenses have a number of parameters which determine what the lens is capable of:

Focal length: This determines the magnification applied to the image, and therefore the field of view (subject to the size of the sensor). It is generally measured in mm. Long focal lengths give high magnification to get in close to distant subjects, short ones give a wide field of view. On most DSLRs a 35mm lens gives a view similar to that which you see with your eyes. Generally the lens supplied with the camera is an 18-55mm zoom, giving a range from wide angle to short telephoto. For most people the next lens they buy will be a 50-200 to get some more reach.

Aperture: Lenses are usually labeled with their maximum aperture. This is given as a focal ratio, Diameter/focal length. It determines the maximum amount of light you can let in, and therefore how dark it can be before you have to resort to flashguns, tripods etc etc.

Minimum focus distance: If a lens is described as having "macro" function, this is really what its talking about. And its usually lying. A true macro lens can focus close enough to make an image on the detector the same size as the real object. Most cheap zooms marked "macro" are actually only able to manage 1/3rd life size at best.

Most DSLRs have automatic shooting modes similar to those on most compacts, particularly the entry level DSLRs, but if youre going to use a DSLR that way then save yourself some pennies and buy a bridge camera. They are smaller and more geared to automatic shooting.

DSLRs come into their own in the hands of someone willing to put in the time and effort to learn how to create the effects they want for themselves. For this reason you will notice that higher end DSLRs have fewer "scene modes". In fact my Pentax K10D has none at all, it is expected that a person using such a camera has reached the point where such modes just take up valuable dial space.

Serious · **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2007, 23:57:24 PM

Lenses

Reply #2 on: August 24, 2007, 23:57:24 PM

Quote from: mr_roll

I am looking into a new cameraq maybe in a few months, a still camera as my 1.3MP brick is a little old and crap.

A bit long in the tooth now.

Quote

But, I keep seeing SLRs and lenses, what can different size lenses achieve? Do they give a wider angle for shooting with?

Apart form what Mongoose has so eloquently said versatility, they allow you to do stuff that you wouldnt be able to with a single fixed lens. A zoom will give wider angle at one end and a narrow one at the other, how far this goes depends on the specific lens.

Quote

With these lenses will the camera adapt to what youve there or will you have to adjust it yourself?

Normally you can just adjust the zoom and let the camera decide everything else. Issues can arise in poor light or under artificial illumination but they tend to be fixable with software.

Modern lenses plug and play. Basically its mostly up to the photographer and their imagination.

You might want to consider a bridge camera, a camera with a superzoom lens permanently attached. I believe that there is a replacement for the Fuji F5600 now out and there is still the Canon and Panasonic alternatives. Big advantage is you dont have to change lenses, except that is a big disadvantage too.

mr_roll · **Reply #3 on:** August 25, 2007, 14:09:55 PM

Re:Lenses

Reply #3 on: August 25, 2007, 14:09:55 PM

Thanks guys! I think Ill have a look into Bridge cameras

mr_roll · **Reply #4 on:** August 25, 2007, 14:30:10 PM

Re:Lenses

Reply #4 on: August 25, 2007, 14:30:10 PM

From what you guys have said I think somthing like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-PANASONIC-DMC-FZ8-K-7-2MP-DIGITAL-CAMERA-48XZOOM_W0QQitemZ180151846307QQihZ008QQcategoryZ31388QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Would be good for me, Im not an expert at taking pictures and I dont think Id get to use a SLR to its full potential.

So thinking about buying myself one of these for my birthday in a few months time

What do you think?

Serious · **Reply #5 on:** August 25, 2007, 18:56:31 PM

Re:Lenses

Reply #5 on: August 25, 2007, 18:56:31 PM

That would do you very nicely TBH. I have the earlier FZ20 and another member has an FZ50 - although IIRC his wife uses that.

I was going to upgrade but decided against it and to wait until next year, there isnt that much that can beat mine and it wouldnt be worth it.

mr_roll · **Reply #6 on:** August 25, 2007, 22:03:32 PM

Re:Lenses

Reply #6 on: August 25, 2007, 22:03:32 PM

Cheers my dears, Ill keep an eye on the prices nearing my birthday

What other cameras, from other manufacturers should I be looking for do you think? Or are all of them along those lines and that good for that amount of money?

Mongoose · **Reply #7 on:** August 26, 2007, 10:52:42 AM

Re:Lenses

Reply #7 on: August 26, 2007, 10:52:42 AM

that lumix looks nice,

watch out for zoom claims, they can be a bit misleading. What you are looking for is OPTICAL zoom, digital zoom is meaningless as you can do better by cropping and resizing in Photoshop later. That is a 12x zoom camera, not 48 as they say (not knocking it, 12x is as much as youre likely to get, just saying).

Bigger zoom is not always better, a cheapo long zoom will give pants quality. Again that one is at least designed by the mighty Leica, so you wont do much better for lens quality, just worth looking out for in other brands.

The weakness of the Panasonic cameras is the noise they get on the sensors, and latterly the excessive noise reduction which they apply to combat this.

I dont know a lot about the individual bridge cameras, but with lenses that long you will want some sort of image stabilisation. Panasonic and Canon both have good IS systems, if you consider anyone else and plan on using the long end of the zoom hand held you should make sure it has some sort of optical image stabilisation. Like zoom, Optical IS >> digital IS.

mr_roll · **Reply #8 on:** August 26, 2007, 11:07:35 AM

Re:Lenses

Reply #8 on: August 26, 2007, 11:07:35 AM

Thats been really helpful! thanks

jamieL · **Reply #9 on:** August 26, 2007, 22:47:46 PM

Re:Lenses

Reply #9 on: August 26, 2007, 22:47:46 PM

Sorry to hi-jack.. But its regarding lenses!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190145799244&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:uk

What you reckon? A load of rubbish?

Also, Ive been looking at this lens attachment.. It seems really cool if it works. Any idea what theyre like/if they work/if theyre worth risking £40 on?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290154228807&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019

Serious · **Reply #10 on:** August 27, 2007, 12:42:03 PM

Re:Lenses

Reply #10 on: August 27, 2007, 12:42:03 PM

On the kit: depends on what you are looking for, sigma are one of the best known alternative lens makers but its best to look up a review of the specific lenses by using google or yahoo. If you just have the body then it might be useful as a starter kit and you can see if you need anything else. If you have a kit lens then that covers the area of one of these, making it much less of a bargain. I would still look up some reviews first.

On the wide angle adaptor: they are not giving you a full picture, if you look at the photos of the church one has been deformed in the top left corner, this is the fisheye effect and should be in all of the corners at least. TBH if you are just trying it out then depending on manufacturer they are adequate but this kind of lens is of limited use.

I have a telephoto version which works with my FZ-20 giving 2.2X magnification which I couldnt get any other way.

M3ta7h3ad · **Reply #11 on:** August 27, 2007, 13:02:53 PM

Lenses

Reply #11 on: August 27, 2007, 13:02:53 PM

Serious has it right.

I have both a wide angle, and a telephoto convertor for my fuji.

Wide-angle mines only 0.72... can give you fish eye perspective. You can get away with a little, but depending on the quality of the lens it can also cause CA, and generally just make the quality of your photos crap.

I went with Raynox as a provider purely because they have some good rep with regards to their kit. But there were Olympus versions of the same thing if I wanted to spend a little more.

I would avoid unbranded EBAY stuff as well you just dont know what youre getting.

Mongoose · **Reply #12 on:** August 27, 2007, 15:21:14 PM

Re:Lenses

Reply #12 on: August 27, 2007, 15:21:14 PM

the 28-70 is a pretty cheap one and not very useful on a DSLR due to the 1.6x crop factor.

The 70-300 is the non-APO version and as such is the bottom of the range long zoom. Its not very good.

Assuming you have the 18-55 kit lens, Id get the Sigma 70-300 APO Macro on its own (roughly the same price as that kit). That is a lens with a very good reputation for value for money.

With lenses, you get what you pay for. Unless I specifically know a lens bucks the trend, I would always try and go for a mid range model to get decent quality and acceptable price.

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Author Topic: Lenses (Read 1955 times)