How To Buy Zoom Lens

Check how the lens type affects zoom capabilities.

How to buy zoom lens. For example if you know that a 70 200mm f 2 8 lens should be very sharp at f 5 6 at all focal lengths stop the lens down to f 5 6 and take some pictures at different focal. Zoom lenses have become almost ubiquitous over the past few years and at first sight buying a lens which is restricted to a single angle of view might seem pointless. Thanks to the crop factor on dslrs you don t need too much zooming power. You need to bring just one zoom lens instead of two to three prime lenses that covers the full range of focal. A prime lens is generally a solid choice as it can be customized for a variety of photo types and is generally the most versatile.

If you re buying a zoom lens be sure that the lens zooms easily and without interference. But if you re buying a lens for close up photography a macro prime that gives a. However if you re taking very specific types of photos pick a lens type that will provide the right zoom for your needs. Compared to zooms they tend to be smaller and lighter have faster maximum apertures and give sharper images. Zoom lenses and even some prime lenses with a macro badge give a greater magnification of around 0 5x.

While a loose zoom action won t impact picture quality it s an annoying thing to have to constantly remember and work with. Zoom lens if you want to grab action photos a telephoto lens in the 100mm to 300mm range is your best bet. Also make sure that it doesn t telescope itself out on its own. A prime lens has a fixed focal length so you have to bring additional lenses of different focal lengths for various shooting ranges. The kit lens your dslr or interchangeable lens mirrorless camera came with is probably an example of a standard zoom lens covering a focal range of around 35 70 mm.

In point and shoot cameras it s more common for manufacturers to advertise the zoom rating of a lens 10x 40x etc whereas dslr and mirrorless lenses will be advertised by their focal. A good zoom can help make sure you get the shot even with a fast moving subject. Ones with better. Before you buy the lens make sure to check out its reviews first to see at which apertures and focal lengths the lens performs the best and the worst.