Sunday, February 22, 2009

Buying A Lens For Your Digital SLR

By David Wilson

So, you've got yourself a nice new DSLR. That's cool. Pretty soon, though, you're going to start thinking about buying some new lenses for your camera. After all, being able to swap out lenses is one of the biggest reasons to get a DSLR in the first place.

So, you're getting some lenses, but which ones? It really depends on a lot of different factors. What kinds of things do you want to photograph? What do you want to spend? You'll have to be thinking about all of these things.

Let's say you're just an average user. Your camera probably came with a decent, versatile zoom lens. You probably want your next lens purchase to fill in a gap left by this zoom lens. Like to take wildlife or sports pictures? Then you'll need a fast telephoto lens. Like to do landscapes? Then a wide angle zoom (or fixed) lens might be in your future.

Another issue you will come across is the debate about prime (fixed focal length) vs. zoom lenses. Fixed focal lengths lenses are considerable cheaper, sharper, and faster than zoom lenses. However, zooms are extremely convenient because they cover a broad range of focal lengths. It's all about finding the one the works for you.

If you do a lot of low light work, like concerts, you'll need some fast lenses. Unfortunately, fast lenses come at a huge cost premium. They are also really heavy and bulky because of all the extra glass. Still, though, they are a great item for any photographer to own.

One way I've found to save a ton of money on high quality lenses is to buy old manual focus versions. There is some amazing glass out there that will still mount on modern autofocus DSLR bodies. Of course you'll be loosing a lot of features, but it might just be worth it for you.

So, you can see that there are many, many different options for getting a lens for your new DSLR. Just be sure that you figure out what you're looking for, and you should be able to find some awesome lenses that will greatly enhance your photographic experience.

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