What Digital Photography Lenses Do You Really Need?
The quality of the digital photography is the concern of many people
. Many people learn to use the various setting on their digital cameras and think that they can now take the best possible pictures. They forget that a digital camera can only apply the settings on the image it receives and the quality of the image depends on the lens used. It is easy to get confused over the huge number of different types of lenses available but to start with all you need are 4 - the rest can follow as your needs for even better photos increases.
When you buy a camera it will probably come with a standard general purpose lens fitted - one with a focal length of 35 - 70 mm. This is a point and shoot lens and will produce good photos in any conditions - but usually not great ones.
A medium telephone lens is very useful for photographing objects at a distance and is good useful for landscape, nature, sports and other kinds of photography where you want the image to appear as if you are close to what you are photographing. These lenses are also good for taking close up and portrait pictures as the object or person you are focusing on will be to be standing out from the background and this will add character to the photos. Experimenting with this kind of lens will show you how changing the perspective can change the whole tone and mood of a photo. Medium telephoto lenses are usually in the 85 - 135 mm focal length range.
If you are into real long range outdoor photography you will need a full telephoto lens. These lenses have a focal length in from 135 mm onwards, although 300 mm is the common maximum, and are your only option when you want to photograph distant objects and get a clear and sharp image. These lenses are also good for medium distance object where you want to focus on a specific part of the scene and make it stand out from the background.
The last of the four basic digital photography lenses is the wide angle lens with a focal length of less than 50 mm. This is the kinds of lens to use when you want a wide landscape or a panoramic shot of something like a range of mountains. Using this lens when taking pictures of a person or a group in an outdoor setting will make the object of focus stand out from the background and create a more dramatic effect.