DSLR Guide:

Find Your Focal Length

Close Up or Far Away?
Before I get too far into my discussion of focal length, I'd like to provide you with a definition
of the term.
Focal length is measured in millimeters (mm) and it represents the distance from the optical
   
center of a lens to the digital camera sensor when the subject of the photo is in focus.
That's the textbook definition, but it really doesn't explain too much about why focal length is
useful.
Here's the plain-English translation:

 With a short focal length you have to be close to your subject for a close-up
 With a long focal length you can be far away and still get a close-up
 A zoom lens has a variable focal length
 A prime lens has a fixed focal length.

How do you decide which focal length lens you need? It all comes down to what you want to photograph.

Focal Length Scenario

Let's say that you have a short 50mm lens. In order to get a close-up of your friend you stand 5 feet away.
You switch to a long 200mm lens. Now you must stand farther away from your friend (say 15 feet) to capture the same
image.
Let's simplify further: you're taking a photo of a kitten. You use a lens with a short focal length because you can sit right
next to the kitten.
Now you're taking a photo of a Bengal tiger in the wild. Do you want to sit as close as you did to the kitten?
Unless you are a real thrill seeker, the answer is probably no.
For those of us who don't like to live on the edge, a lens with a long focal length will get us up close and personal with that
tiger even if we keep our distance.

Lens Types
Lenses specialize in specific focal lengths.
Let me put it this way: you won't find a do-it-all lens that covers the entire focal range from 11mm to 600mm. They don't
exist.
Instead, lenses are grouped into four primary categories based on their focal lengths:
Lens Type Focal Length
Wide Angle 28mm or lower

Standard Anything from 35mm to 85mm

Telephoto Anything from 100mm to 300mm

Super-Telephoto 300mm or higher

This is why the very first decision you should make when purchasing a new lens is what focal length (or focal range in the
case of zoom lenses) you'd like it to cover.
In the scenario above, I mentioned that you want a lens with a long focal length if you want to stand far away from your
subject but still get a close-up.
This is why lenses with different focal lengths have different uses in the world of photography. Let's add some additional
information to the focal length table:
Lens Type Focal Length Best Use

Wide Angle 28mm or lower Landscapes and Interiors

Standard Anything from 35mm to 85mm Portraits

Telephoto Anything from 100mm to 300mm Portraits and Sports

Super-Telephoto 300mm or higher Wildlife and Sports

That's the quick summary, but let's dig a bit deeper.

Wide Angle Lens Use

Wide angle lenses are ideal for photographers who want to capture all of the scenery in front of them.
These lenses can capture virtually everything that your eyes see in front of you - from the ground at your feet to that
mountain in the distance.
This is why they work well for landscape photographers who really want to draw the viewer into the photograph.
They also work well for anyone who photograph indoors a lot, since you don't have a lot of working room. Let's say you
want to photograph an entire room full of people - the only way to do it is to back into a corner and use the widest angle
lens you can get.
Wide angle lenses are not great for portraits because they distort facial features: the most noticeable problem is that they
make noses look HUGE which is not terribly flattering for your subject.
Standard Lens Use

Standard lenses are great for a wide range of photographic subjects, but excel at portraits.
Lenses in the 50mm to 75mm range create natural-looking portraits without the facial distortion that you get using a wide
angle lens.
While you can certainly use lenses in this range for landscapes, the resulting photo just won't have the same impact as it
might with a wider view.
Telephoto Lens Use

Telephoto lenses also work well for portraits but also cause some distortion: the longer the focal length of a lens, the more
it compresses the visual space.
This means that it's harder to tell the distance between objects when you use a telephoto lens. Telephoto photos just have
less depth and three-dimensionality than lenses with wider focal lengths.
What are they really good at? Getting you up close and personal with subjects that are far away.
This is why they are ideal for non-pro sporting events - you can stand on the sidelines, but still get a close-up of the game
winning goal.
Super-Telephoto Lens Use

These lenses are almost exclusively the domain of professional photographers, and are extremely expensive.
They are used by wildlife photographers, where getting up close is not an option.
They are also the lenses you see at any professional sporting event: those massive ones that require daily strength training
to tote around.
A super-telephoto lens really compresses visual space, and requires a lot of skill to use effectively.

Focal Length Examples

I'm a visual learner, so here are some examples that should help you really understand focal length.
 WIDE ANGLE
Focal Length: 28mm

STANDARD
Focal Length: 75mm

TELEPHOTO
Focal Length: 200mm

SUPER-TELEPHOTO
I don't own a super-telephoto lens, so I don't have any good examples.
Don't worry, I've got you covered.
Scotch Macaskill runs a web site called Wildlife Pictures Online with some exceptional
examples of wildlife photos taken with super-telephoto lenses.
I recommend that you take a look at his site, not just for the great photos, but also
for the detailed information about taking wildlife photos on African safaris.

What's Next?
Before you move on to the next section, have in mind the type of focal length you'd like in your lens.
Even if you don't have an exact range, rely on the knowledge of what you want to photograph. Here are some examples
to get you thinking:

 Landscapes — Wide Angle — 10 to 28mm

 Architecture — Wide Angle — 18 to 28mm
 Flowers — Standard — 75 to 100mm
 Portraits — Standard — 50 to 100mm
 Sports — Telephoto — 200 to 300mm
 Birds — Super-Telephoto — 400 to 600mm

Why is this important?

If you can decide right here and now that you really want to take great landscape shots, then you won't have to evaluate
every single lens out there.
Just focus on the Wide Angle lenses, which will make the following steps significantly easier.

Lens Hunt Example

In order to demonstrate my 6-step process to finding the best digital SLR lens, I'll use a concrete example to help you out.
Chris has just purchased his first digital SLR camera: a Nikon D40 with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.
The kit lens works well for landscapes and portraits, but Chris really wants to take photos of his son's little league games.
Since he wants to get close to the action, Chris decides to go looking for a Telephoto lens with a Nikon mount.
Chris starts his search for a digital SLR lens by adding these two items to his wishlist:

 Lens mount: Nikon

 Lens focal length: Telephoto

In the next section he'll add even more.

Prime and Zoom Lenses

One Focal Length or Many?
The second step on your path toward finding an SLR lens is to decide between prime
and zoom lenses.
Each one has distinct advantages over the other, and your choice in the end will be a    
matter of weighing the value of the lens against its cost.
Since you've already made up your mind about what focal length you'd like, choosing
between prime and zoom is further narrowing the field of digital SLR lens options.
What's a Prime Lens?
A prime lens has a fixed focal length.
The focal length of the lens is set to one number and cannot be changed. If you want to change your angle of view when
using a prime lens, you must physically move the camera back and forth.
If you want to use several different focal lengths, then you'll need a variety of prime lenses.
If you enjoy taking photos at 28mm, 100mm and 300mm you'll need 3 lenses, one for each focal length.
So why would anyone want multiple prime lenses when a couple of zooms could cover the same range?
They're High Quality
Ask any professional photographer about the benefit of a prime lens and the answer will be the same: it takes clearer
photos.
Since they don't have a lot of moving parts like zooms, the glass inside of a prime lens is very precise.
In the early days of zoom lenses, there was a big difference in quality. Today a high-end zoom can capture images that
have the same quality as a prime.
But there is a difference in cost. If you want to get a zoom lens that performs as well as a prime, you're going to spend a
lot of money.
They Don't Weigh a Lot
Advantage number two: prime lenses are pretty light.
An 80mm to 200mm zoom lens can add a lot of weight to a digital SLR camera that is already bulky to begin with.
If you want a digital SLR camera with maximum portability, just attach a really nice 50mm lens to it and go on your way.
Small prime lenses paired with small sized digital SLR cameras are the perfect tool for the digital SLR photographer on the
go.
They Aren't Expensive
Here's the best part: you don't have to break the bank to get a superior lens for your digital SLR camera.
Since they have been around for so long, and since their construction is simpler (remember, no moving parts) you can get a
great prime lens for a fraction of the cost of even a basic zoom.
You can also get reasonably priced prime lenses with wide apertures that let in a lot of light. These are the perfect lenses for
photographers who want to photograph in low light without using the flash.

What's a Zoom Lens?

A zoom lens has a variable focal length.
These are the most common types of lenses available for digital SLR cameras today. In fact, the standard lens packaged
with many new digital SLRs is an 18-55mm zoom.
It makes sense: the flexibility offered by these lenses is very appealing to photographers who are just starting out with an
SLR.
Flexibility is the key selling point of all zoom lenses. Unlike primes, they tend to be expensive, heavy and don't always use
the highest-quality glass.
They offset all of these disadvantages by allowing you to stand in one spot and get exactly the composition you want.
Zoom Designation
Since a prime lens doesn't change its focal length, it can be described using one focal length number (i.e. 50mm).
But zooms cover a range of focal lengths, so any zoom you look at will always reference two numbers: the wide angle
setting and the telephoto setting.
For example, a 28-135mm zoom can be described like this:

 Wide angle setting: 28mm

  Telephoto setting: 135mm

The greater the difference between these two number, the more powerful the zoom.
Zoom power indicates how much focal range a particlular lens can cover.
For example, a 28-300mm zoom is said to be more powerful than a 28-135mm zoom. The 28-300mm covers a wider range
from wide angle to telephoto.
Zoom Specialties
In Step 1 of this digital SLR lens guide, I mentioned that there are 4 primary classes of lenses: wide angle, standard,
telephoto and super-telephoto.
Turns out the zoom lenses also fall into similar groups:
Zoom Class Range Example

Wide Angle to Wide Angle 10mm to 28mm Pentax 12-24mm

Wide Angle to Telephoto 28mm to 300mm Canon 28-135mm

Telephoto to Telephoto 100mm to 600mm Nikon 70-200mm

Super Zoom 18mm to 300mm Tamron 28-300

While the last category (Super Zoom) might seem like the obvious choice here (put one lens on your camera and never take
it off!) the super-zooms do not yet have the same optical quality as the specialty zooms.
While a super zoom is a good lens to get started with (since it gives you a wide range of photographic opportunities) once
you discover what you love to photograph, then I recommend getting a specialty zoom that just covers the range you use
the most.

Lens Hunt Example

In Step 1, I introduced you to Chris, who's looking for a good lens to photograph his son's little league games.
Chris owns a Nikon and has decided that he wants a Telephoto lens.
Because the action at a little league game can move around a lot, he opts for a telephoto zoom, because this will give him
more freedom to zoom in and out from the sidelines and capture all the action.
His digital SLR lens wish list now looks like this:

 Lens mount: Nikon

 Lens focal length: Telephoto
 Lens type: Telephoto to Telephoto Zoom

Up next: maximum aperture.

The Importance of Maximum Aperture

Your Low-Light Companion    
The maximum aperture of the lens you choose can have a significant impact on the
types of photos you can take with your digital SLR camera.
However, you have to make sure that you don't get carried away and get a lens with a
wider maximum aperture than you need.
Why? Because the wider the lens gets, the more it costs (and I'm not talking nickles
and dimes here).
Since maximum aperture is directly related to aperture, let's talk about that one first.

Aperture
Imagine that you're standing inside a dark room with a circular window. There's a crank inside the room that lets you adjust
the size of the window to let in more or less light.
If you crank the window wide open tons of light spills into the room, and if you narrow it down then only a small beam gets
in.
The aperture of your lens works exactly the same way: it's a circular opening in the lens, and you have control over the size
of the opening.
There is a standard scale for aperture numbers, and it looks like this:

1.4 2.0 2.8 4.0 5.6 8.0 11 16 22 32

This scale has completely confused many beginning photographers. That's because the numbers are the inverse of what
you'd expect:

 Smaller Aperture Number (2.8) = Wider Aperture = More Light

 Larger Aperture Number (22) = Narrower Aperture = Less Light

And here's a graphic that shows the relationship between the opening of the lens and the aperture number:

See? As the numbers get bigger, the opening gets smaller.

It's important to really understand this inverse relationship before you tackle maximum aperture.

Maximum Aperture
All lens apertures can be narrowed as much as you want. For example, every lens on the market today - regardless of
manufacturer - can be set to f/16.
The reverse is not true - every lens on the market CANNOT be opened up to f/1.4.
The limit to how wide a lens can be opened is called the maximum aperture.
For example, lens A might have a maximum aperture of f/2.8 while lens B will have a maximum aperture of f/4. While both
lenses can be set to an aperture of f/8 (narrower than the maximum setting) the f/4 lens cannot be opened up to f/2.8.
Bottom line: a lens with a wider maximum aperture lets in more light.
What are the benefits of lenses with wide maximum apertures? There are a three.

1 – Natural Light Photos

No flash with a max aperture of f/2.8

A digital SLR camera sensor needs light to create an image.
There are two ways that it can get the light that it needs: it can keep the shutter open for a long period of time or open the
aperture as wide as possible.
Let's say that you hate taking photos with flash, because you know how washed out they look.
You're indoors and your camera tells you that with your aperture set to f/4, your shutter speed will have to be 1/30 of a
second. That's not going to be fast enough to take a shot of your child rampaging in the living room.
You're going to have to use the flash, or get the kid to sit VERY still.
If you had a lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 (which lets in double the amount of light of f/4) then you can use a
shutter speed of 1/90, which means that you can get clear photos without the flash.

2 – Fast Shutter Speeds

A fast shutter prevents motion blur

You're taking photos on an overcast day of a flower in the backyard. A strong breeze is blowing, and that flower is moving
all over the place.
You set the aperture on your lens as wide as it can go (let's say f/5.6), and check the shutter speed. The camera tells you
that you can use a shutter speed of 1/125 of a second.
That's not fast enough to get a clear photo of the flower. You're stuck.
If you had a lens with a wider maximum aperture you could get the shot. With a wider aperture (say f/2.8) your shutter
speed could be 1/500 of a second.
Since the wide aperture lets in so much light, the shutter doesn't have to stay open as long.

3 – Reduced Depth of Field

Wide aperture = shallow depth of field

Lenses with wide maximum apertures have shallow depth of field.
Without getting into a discussion on depth of field (that could take awhile), I will just refer to the photographic example at
right.
This shot was taken with a lens set to f/3.2. Notice that the background is completely out of focus even though the ball in
the foreground is clear?
This is shallow depth of field.
Nature and portrait photographers use this all the time to reduce the impact of a busy background.
If you have a lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6, you can't reduce the depth of field as much as you can with a wider
aperture.

How to Tell the Maximum Aperture of a Lens

If you've been comparison shopping for lenses, you've probably had to wade through a whole lot of numbers.
For example:

 50mm f/1.8
 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3

The first set of numbers represent the focal length or focal length range.
But it's the second set of numbers we're most interested in right now: these indicate the maximum aperture of the lens.
Remember, there's really no point in marking the MINIMUM aperture on the lens, because that's pretty much the same for
all lenses.
Wait one second though...in some of these examples there are two numbers instead of one - what's up with that?

Constant Maximum Aperture

The maximum aperture of a prime lens is straightforward: there's only one.
But with some zoom lenses, there can be TWO maximum apertures.
Example: you've got a standard kit lens that came with your digital camera and it's an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom. The
reason that there are two numbers is because your zoom lens has a variable maximum aperture:

 At 18mm the maximum aperture is f/3.5

 At 55mm the maximum aperture narrows to f/5.6
Somewhere in the middle of the zoom range (30mm) you'll get a maximum aperture number somewhere in the middle -
say, f/4.
Zoom lenses like this are a real problem for professional photographers who control their cameras manually. This is because
with a variable max aperture zoom, exposure settings constantly change as you zoom in and out.
The good news: there are plenty of zoom lenses with constant maximum apertures.
On these lenses, the maximum aperture is the same, regardless of how much the lens is zoomed. How can you tell which
lenses have constant maximum apertures?
The answer is simple: if you see a zoom lens with only ONE aperture number then it has a constant maximum aperture.
Example: 28-70mm f/2.8 (2.8 is the max aperture at both 28mm and 70mm and everywhere in between)

So What Max Aperture Do You Need?

The answer to this question depends a lot on where and when you want to take photos.
If you have a knack for pulling out your camera in the dimmest lighting conditions, then you're going to need a lens with an
extremely wide maximum aperture.
If - on the other hand - you only take photos in broad daylight, then a wide maximum aperture isn't as crucial.
Zoom lenses with constant maximum apertures are a HUGE benefit to photographers who want to take more manual control
over their SLRs, but not as useful tho those who keep their cameras in AUTO mode.
The following quick chart should give you a ballpark sense of the maximum aperture that's best for the lighting conditions:
Lighting Max Aperture Rationale

Indoors f/1.4 - f/2.8 If you want to take photos indoors without a flash, you need to get a
lens with a very wide maximum aperture to let in plenty of light

Overcast f/2.8 - f/3.5 Overcast days are especially challenging for sports photographers,
who need to use fast shutter speeds to freeze motion

Shade f/3.5 - f/5.6 Shade is not as dim as a cloudy day and you have a bit more leeway
when it comes to the maximum aperture

Daylight Any In broad daylight it really doesn't matter what the max aperture of
the lens is - you probably won't be using it because it lets in too much
light and over-exposes the image

Please also realize that the maximum aperture you need is directly related to the speed of your subject matter. Remember
that benefit #2 of a wide maximum aperture is faster shutter speeds?
If your photos succeed or fail based on having a fast shutter speed (so that they don't all turn out blurry) then you're going
to want to find a lens with a nice wide max aperture to help you get blazing-fast shutter speeds regardless of the amount of
natural light.

Lens Hunt Example

In Step 1, I introduced you to Chris, who's looking for a good lens to photograph his son's little league games.
Chris is building his digital SLR lens wish list one feature at a time.
He has already decided that he wants a telephoto zoom lens that he can attach to his Nikon digital SLR camera.
Based on his understanding of maximum aperture, he makes two additional decisions: first, he wants a wide maximum
aperture so that he can freeze motion regardless of how sunny it is outside. Second, he wants a lens with a constant
maximum aperture, so that his exposure settings aren't changing around all the time.
Here's how his wish list looks now:
  Lens mount: Nikon
 Lens focal length: Telephoto
 Lens type: Telephoto to Telephoto Zoom
 Maximum aperture: f/2.8 - f/3.5
 Zoom aperture: Constant

Chris is getting closer to identifying his ideal lens. Just a few more steps to go...

First vs Third Party Lenses

Is One Superior to the Other?
When it comes to first vs third party lenses for digital SLR cameras, there's usually a
tradeoff: price vs. quality.
Many of the third party lenses are not as expensive as those made by camera    
manufacturers and when it comes to lenses you do get what you pay for.
However, many of the third party lens companies have recently produced exceptional
lenses that aren't matched by any similar first party companies.
This makes them a tempting alternative for those who don't want to spend a week's salary on a camera lens.

First and Third Party Defined

Before I get too much futher into this analysis, I figured it would be good to clarify the different players involved.
When I talk about first party lenses, I am referring to lenses made by the camera companies themselves: Canon, Nikon,
Pentax, Olympus and Sony (a.k.a. Konica Minolta).
A couple of important points:

1. First party lenses are NOT interchangeable with cameras from different manufacturers: a Canon lens will not attach
to a Pentax camera and vice versa.
2. The lenses are interchangeable with different camera models from the same manufacturer: a single Canon lens will
work with every Canon digital SLR camera.

When it comes to third party lenses, there are really only three major players: Sigma, Tamron and Tokina.
The third party lenses don't play by quite the same rules as the first party lenses. The same third party lens can be attached
to cameras from different manufacturers, so long as the lens mount is correct.
For example, the Tamron 28-70mm f/2.8 zoom comes with a Canon mount (to attach to all Canon digital SLRs) and a Nikon
mount (to attach to all Nikon digital SLRs).
However, once you've bought a lens with a specific mount type it won't attach to cameras that don't share the same lens
mounting system (so you can't swap your Tamron lens with a Canon mount out for a Nikon mount at a later date).

First Party Advantages

When the battle is waged between first and third party lenses, the first party lenses have the advantage on two fronts:

1. Quality - the build quality of first party lenses (especially those made by Canon and Nikon) is part of the reason
whey many professional photographers don't use anything else.
2. Compatibility - since all modern lenses are electronic, it makes sense that the camera manufacturers are the one
who can make lenses that are most compatible with their cameras.

Please don't take this to mean that third party lenses fall apart in a week or aren't compatible with the major digital SLR
cameras.
They are - but if you were to evaluate the exact same lens type from a first vs third party company, the first party lens
should come out on top.
Since these types of tests are usually only done in a lab, it should be hard for the average consumer to tell the quality
difference between a first and third party lens.

Third Party Advantages

Not to be left out of the game, third party lenses come with some advantages of their own:

1. More Options - camera manufacturers can't make a lens to suit every need, which is why the third party
companies are able to step in and fill the gaps.
2. Lower Prices - in order to be competitive with the big camera companies, many third party lenses don't cost as
much as the first party alternatives.

Think of the third party lenses as off-brand merchandise - they're like that generic box of cereal at your local grocery store.
Since the third party companies don't have to advertise quite as much as the big players (they're only selling lenses not
cameras), they pass the savings on to you.
The quality of third party lenses has also improved, so many of them are now indistinguishable from a similar first party
lens.
The most significant drawback to third party lenses is that they favor the two leading manufacturers: Canon and Nikon. If
your digital SLR is made by Pentax, Olympus or Sony, it will be much easier to find a first party lens.

Which One To Choose?

While it's important to know the difference between first vs third party lenses, it should not be a make-or-break decision for
you right now.
Here's the best advice I can give: wait until you've completed your digital SLR lens wish list.
At the very end of this process, when you have a complete picture of the lens you would like to have, see what's available.
If a third party lens is a closer match to your ideal lens than a first party, then I would recommend you buy the third party
lens without hesitation.
However, if there is a first party lens that is also a strong contender, then compare the two side-by-side, keeping in mind
some of the advantages that I mentioned above.

Lens Hunt Example

Way back in step 1 of this digital SLR lens guide, I introduced you to Chris, who is looking for a good lens to photograph his
son's little league games.
Chris is putting together a digital SLR lens wish list - a complete picture of his ideal lens.
When it comes to first vs third party lenses, he decides that he really doesn't care one way or the other, and just wants to
find the lens that is the closest match to his wish list.
This means that his list now looks like this:

 Lens mount: Nikon

 Lens focal length: Telephoto
 Lens type: Telephoto to Telephoto Zoom
 Maximum aperture: f/2.8 - f/3.5
 Zoom aperture: Constant
 First vs Third party: Undecided

Chris must now decide what "bonus" features he'd like the lens to have before he's ready to make a purchase.

Digital SLR Lens Features

Little Extras That Improve Your Photos
Before you make a final decision about a lens, it helps to be familiar with all of the
extra digital SLR lens features.
Think of it like this: when you buy a new car, you can just get something that will let    
you drive from point A to point B.
That's the basic approach...but you can also deck out your new ride with a sunroof,
power windows, heated seats, alloy rims and a grab-bag of other enhancements.
While these extra features aren't really essential, they certainly add to your enjoyment every time you get behind the
wheel.
These "extra" digital SLR lens features aren't all that different.

Digital SLR Lens "Extras"

Here's the complete list of bonus features that manufacturers pack into modern digital SLR lenses:

 Silent autofocus
 Full-time manual focus
 Non-rotating front element
 Crop reduction
 Superior optics
 Image stabilization
 Internal zoom
I'll discuss each one in turn: what it's good for, and why it's a feature that you might like to have on your lens.

Silent Autofocus
When some lenses focus, they make a grinding noise like a bad transmission.
If you enjoy taking discreet photos or don't want your subjects to be aware that you've got a camera aimed at them, this
type of focus will give you away every time.
Some lenses come with silent autofocus systems.
Common names for this include Ultra-Sonic Motor (USM) and Hyper-Sonic Focus (HSF). All that these really means is the
lens is dead quiet when it is focusing.
Quiet focus is also an essential tool for wildlife photographers, where a skittish deer would be alerted to your presence with
the autofocus motor grinding away.

Full-Time Manual Focus

This feature is less essential, more nice to have.
On most lenses, if you want to switch from autofocus to manual focus you have to flick a switch on the lens.
Want to go back to autofocus? Flick the switch.
There are a special set of lenses that feature full-time manual focus. This means that even if the autofocus for the lens is
engaged, you can still focus manually to make fine-tuned adjustments.
Since autofocus systems don't always get it right, having the ability to focus manually all the time is helpful.

Non-Rotating Front Element

On some lenses, the front of the lens rotates when you focus.
If you put a piece of tape at the top of your lens and then focused on your subject, the tape would not longer be at the top.
So the front spins around. Big deal.
It is a big deal if you are a landscape photographer trying to use a polarizing filter on your lens.
A polarizing filter changes the light entering the lens depending upon how it is oriented. Let's say that you set your
polarizing filter just how you want it.
Now you focus, and the polarizer spins around. It is no longer capturing the same image as before, so now you have to re-
set it.
In fact, you'll have to re-set it every time you focus. See the problem here?
If you know for sure that you're going to take landscape photos with your digital SLR, you're probably going to want to use
a polarizing filter at some point.
Make sure that the lens you get has a non-rotating front element.

Crop Reduction
Are you familiar with digital SLR crop factor?
Some lenses are designed to reduce this crop factor. While they cannot eliminate it completely, they can adjust for it.
Essentially, the lens is designed so that the back (the part that attaches to the camera) is closer to the digital SLR sensor.
Since the back of the lens is closer to the sensor, it reduces the amount that the small-sized sensor crops out of the image.
There is one big drawback to this type of lens: it won't work with a film SLR camera. If you're never going back to film
again, then lenses like these won't limit you one bit.

Superior Optics
Not all lens optics are created equal.
Some lenses are designed with special optics that adjust for distortion, reduce flare and stray light from entering the lens
and are designed to produce images with maximum clarity.
These lenses all come with different names, but the bottom line is exceptional optics inside the lens.
For example, Canon's pro optics are branded with an "L" while Nikon used the term "ED".
The easiest way to tell is by price. Any one of these lenses is going to cost significantly more than a lens without the
superior optics.

Image Stabilization
A select group of lenses include image stabilization (also called vibration reduction).
The stabilization helps when you are holding the camera in your hands and taking photos at slow shutter speeds.
Typically, this would result in a blurry photo, but with an image stabilization lens you can get clear shots. The stabilization
corrects for the fact that the lens is shaking around.
This is especially helpful on lenses with long focal lengths (100mm or greater) since camera shake is magnified at long focal
lengths.
You are going to pay a huge premium for an image-stabilized lens, but if you take a lot of photos in low-light conditions and
don't want to attach the camera to a tripod all the time, this is the way to go.

Note: Image-stabilized lenses are NOT necessary with digital SLR cameras that include built-in anti-shake.

Internal Zoom
Last but not least (you still with me?) are lenses with internal zooms.
This really is a specialty feature, but it can make a difference. If you have a zoom lens with an external zoom, the length of
the lens changes as you zoom from wide angle to telephoto.
With an internal zoom, the length of the lens is always a constant.
This is helpful for 3 reasons: first, internal zooms tend to be smoother and faster than their external counterparts.
Second, an internal zoom does not affect the balance of the camera. If you have your digital SLR attached to a tripod and
use an external zoom, the changing length of the zoom changes the center of gravity of the camera.
Finally, external zooms can "slide". This means that if you are pointing the camera toward the ground, the lens will zoom in
unless you are holding onto the zoom ring.
Internal zooms stay put no matter which way they are pointing.

The World's Most Expensive Digital SLR Lens

Each one of these features will add to the price of your lens:

 Long focal length

 Wide maximum aperture
 Silent autofocus
 Full-time manual focus
 Non-rotating front element
 Crop reduction
 Superior optics
 Image stabilization
 Internal zoom

So what's the most expensive lens you can buy?

Something like this might be close:
A 200mm to 600mm f2.8 maximum aperture zoom lens with silent autofocus, full-time manual focus, a non-rotating front
element, crop reduction, superior optics, image stabilization and internal zoom.
Do lenses like this exist? They certainly do...but they also cost about half the price of that new car I mentioned at the top of
this article.
Lens Hunt Example
Way back in step 1 of this digital SLR lens guide, I introduced you to Chris, who is looking for a good lens to photograph his
son's little league games.
Our intrepid lens-finder is almost at the end here, and puts the finishing touches on his digital SLR lens wish list.
Here's the rationale: Chris decides that silent autofocus is not important - he'll be taking photos outside at a noisy ballgame.
The non-rotating front element, crop reduction and superior optics aren't going to yield any real benefits.
However, full-time manual focus could come in handy for quick adjustments as the action moves around the field. Chris also
decides that a fast internal zoom will be easier to use and less clumsy than a regular zoom.
Here's what his wish list looks like now:

 Lens mount: Nikon

 Lens focal length: Telephoto
 Lens type: Telephoto to Telephoto Zoom
 Maximum aperture: f/2.8 - f/3.5
 Zoom aperture: Constant
 First vs third party: Undecided
 Extra features: full-time manual focus, internal zoom

Phew! He's made it! Chris now has a complete picture of the lens that he is looking for.
The next (and final) step for Chris is to find some lenses that are close matches to his ideal lens, read reviews, compare
prices and finally purchase the one lens that will help him take great little league photos.

Digital SLR Lens Reviews

How to Pick a Digital SLR Lens
You've done your homework, and Digital SLR Lens Guide
now you're ready to pick a digital Introduction 1 - Focal Length 2 - Prime vs.
SLR lens.
Zoom 3 - Maximum Aperture 4 - First vs.
If you're just landing on this page for
the first time, I encourage you to Third Party 5 - Extra Features 6 - Pick A Lens
start at the beginning of my 6-step
process that helps you find the best
digital SLR lens.    
If you've been following along
through all 6 steps, by now you
should have a fully developed digital
SLR lens wishlist.
We're going to leverage the
information in your wishlist to pick a
digital SLR lens that is ideal for your
photography style.
We just have to find the one lens that is the closest match to your dream lens.
SLR Lens Search Engine
Wouldn't it be nice if there was something out there that would allow you to plug in the items from your wishlist and have it
tell you which lens to buy?
Well, there is (but it might give you more than one option to choose from).
The web site is called Adorama, and while they are a retailer, I find that their lens search engine is the easiest way to
quickly find a lens that matches my needs.
Here are the steps to follow to find a lens:

1. Follow this link to the Adorama web site

2. On the right side of the page you'll notice checkboxes - use your wishlist and check the appropriate boxes
3. Adorama's lens search engine will return lenses that match your criteria
4. Using your wishlist, look at the descriptions of the lenses to find one that's a close match to your ideal lens

Congratulations! You've just narrowed down the number of lens options you have to compare from hundreds to a handful.

Lens Hunt Example

Throughout the steps of this digital SLR lens guide, I've been talking about Chris who wants to get a nice lens for his Nikon
camera.
Chris knows that he wants to take photos of his son's little league games, and builds his lens wishlist around this need.
As he has worked through each step of the guide, Chris has added more criteria to his wishlist to narrow down his options.
This is what he's wound up with:

 Lens mount: Nikon

 Lens focal length: Telephoto
 Lens type: Telephoto to Telephoto Zoom
 Maximum aperture: f/2.8 - f/3.5
 Zoom aperture: Constant
 First vs third party: Undecided
 Extra features: full-time manual focus, internal zoom

Now Chris goes looking for the lens that's a close match to the one he has identified in his wishlist.
On the Adorama web site, he checks the following boxes to search for lenses:
  Manufacturer: No selection (this will return both first and third party lens options)
 Digital vs Film Lenses: No selection
 Lens Style: Telephoto Zooms
 Mount: Nikon

He clicks SEARCH and is on his way. On the first page of results, he sees this:
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor ED-IF Lens
The lens matches many of the items on Chris' wishlist: it's a telephoto zoom with a wide contant maximum aperture of
f/2.8. It has a silent autofocus system (AF-S) anti-shake (VR - Vibration Reduction), and an internal focusing system (IF).
Only one problem: price. This particular lens retails for about $1,500.00.
If Chris is willing (and able) to pay out this much money he's going to get an exceptional lens to photograph his son's
games.

SIDEBAR: when it comes to lenses, you DO get what you pay for. Please realize that if you find the perfect lens, it's
probably worth the price you'll pay for it in the long run. Lenses of this build quality never break, last forever, and take
exceptionally clear photos.

Chris decides that he'd like at least TWO more lower-cost alternatives to suit his little league photography needs, so he
spends some more time browsing the search results.
The next one he sees is this:
Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Priced around $850, this lens is not quite so hard on the pocketbook, and still meets the criteria of his wishlist.
Looking for one more option, he finds this:
Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 APO EX DG HSM Macro Telephoto Zoom for Nikon AF-D
Have you noticed something? With a completed wishlist and relatively little effort, Chris has narrowed down the field of
possible lenses to just 3 options.
NOW he's ready to find which of the 3 will suit him the best.

The Final Step - Read Reviews

The last step on your journey to find the best digital SLR lens is to read some reviews of the lenses you've selected to make
sure they aren't duds (some are).
There are two web sites that I use to evaluate whether or not a lens is high-quality and worth the price I'm about to pay.
Photodo
Photodo is a massive archive of information about lenses of all sizes and shapes. The site includes lens specifications,
guides, a discussion forum and plenty of reviews. The only trick: you HAVE to know what lens you're looking for. Going to
Photodo before you have narrowed down your lens options is a sure-fire way to get overwhelmed with information. I
recommend that you build your wishlist first, narrow your options, and THEN go to Photodo for more detailed reviews.
Amazon
While not as comprehensive as Photodo, what I like about Amazon is that it usually has plenty of actual user reviews. I say
usually because some lenses are so new, so obscure, or so expensive that not very many people who own them have taken
the time to write a review. All in all, Amazon's reviews are a good barometer of the quality of a lens, and can sway your
decision about which digital SLR lens you should pick.
I wish you the best of luck in picking a digital SLR lens that you'll be happy with for years to come, and I hope that this
guide (and your wishlist) has helped you along the way.
If you have any feedback about this digital SLR lens guide, I am happy to hear it.

Where To Buy Your Lens

I buy all of my lenses from Adorama, Amazon and B & H. All three have a great lens selection, fast shipping and very
reasonable prices.
Remember, when it comes to lense prices don't pay bottom dollar. Lenses are worth every penny you pay for them since
low-quality lenses result in low-quality photos (regardless of the camera that's taking the shots).

Lens Acronyms
By following the 6 step guide and building a wishlist you should now know how to pick a digital SLR lens that will suit your
photography needs.
But now that you're deeper into the world of lenses, you might be curious about something: what in the WORLD do all of
those acronyms mean?
Take these two lenses:

 Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

 Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR

Part of the problem here is that each lens manufacturer uses their own abbreviation for what is essentially the same
feature. For example, Canon calls their anti-shake IS (for Image Stabilization) while Nikon calls it VR (for Vibration
Reduction).
In a similar manner, Canon's silent autofocus goes by the name USM (Ultra-Silent Motor) while Nikon calls it AF-S
(AutoFocus Silent).
As you can see, the features are exactly the same, it's just the acronym that's different. Once you learn what the different
acronyms stand for, the rest is easy.
In order to help you on your way, I've put together some guides that will help you understand how each lens manufacturer
uses acronyms to describe the features of their lenses.
Canon SLR Lenses: Finding the Right One
I'm going to begin this discussion of Canon SLR lenses with some definitions.
It's important to get these out of the way first, since you're going to be seeing a lot of abbreviations once you start
comparing lenses.
For example, this may not make a lot of sense to you right at this moment: 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM.
It will once you read the next section.

Canon SLR Lens Terminology

The problem when it comes to selecting a digital SLR lens is that every manufacturer seems to delight in using different
terminogly to describe what is essentially the same feature.
It makes sense why - no company wants to seem like a copycat.
The only problem is that you must learn a whole new set of acronyms for every manfuacturer when you're comparing digital
SLR lenses.
Hopefully the following examples will help clarify the Canon SLR lens jargon for you.

Lens Example 1: Canon 50mm f/1.8

This first example is pretty straightforward - there's not a lot of acronyms that you have to decipher. This is an example of a
prime lens, which is also called a fixed focal length lens.

50mm The millimeter number represents the focal length of the lens. Lenses with
longer focal lengths allow you to get closeup photos of your subject even
from far away.

f/1.8 This is the maximum aperture of the lens: the widest f-stop that the lens
can be set to, which also lets in the greatest amount of light. Lenses with
smaller f numbers let in more light and are more useful for low-light
photography. Lenses that let in a lot of light are also called fast.

Lens Example 2 - Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM

Here's a lens with all the bells and whistles. Not only is it a zoom lens (where the focal length changes) but it also has a lot
of the extra features typical of Canon SLR lenses.

28- Since this is a zoom lens, there are two numbers for the focal length that represent the zoom range of the lens.
135mm The first number represents the wide-angle setting for the lens (zoomed out) and the second is the telephoto
setting (zoomed in).

f/3.5-5.6 The maximum aperture of many zoom lenses gets smaller the more you zoom. This means that the wide-angle
setting lets in more light than the telephoto setting. The aperture f/3.5 is the maximum aperture at 28mm (wide
angle) and f/5.6 is the maximum aperture at 135mm (telephoto). Some special zoom lenses have constant
maximum apertures, and will only display one f number instead of two.

The L designation is reserved for Canon's professional lenses. These lenses use better glass elements, are
weatherproofed and can take quite a bit of abuse. They are mainly used by professional photojournalists and
sports photographers, but occasionally you will see a regular amateur toting one of these around. You can spot
them from a mile away since they are (typically) pure white instead of black (see example at right). They also cost
significantly more than lenses without the L.

IS IS is Canon's anti-shake, and it stands for Image Stabilization. When a lens has IS, it allows you to use slow
shutter speeds and still get clear photos even when holding the camera in your hands. IS is also very useful for
lenses with long focal lengths (200mm or longer) since these telephoto lenses magnify camera shake.
 USM This acronym stands for Ultra-Sonic Motor, and it means that the lens focusing mechanism is dead quiet. USM
lenses also tend to focus faster and than their non-USM counterparts, even when both lenses are attached to the
same camera. These silent lenses are ideal for wildlife photographers who don't want to disturb their subjects, but
also work for anyone who wants to be discreet about their photography.

Which Canon SLR Lenses Do You Need?

Phew. We made it through all that terminology.
You should now be much more prepared to evaluate (and understand) the different options that are available to you when it
comes to Canon SLR lenses.
I am going to introduce the Canon lenses to you based on photography style.
What's a photography style? It's defined by the photos that you really want to take with your digital SLR camera.
I use these photography styles when I help people searching for a digital SLR camera:

 Action and Sports

 Portraits
 Landscapes
 Macro (also called close-up)
 Night and Low Light
 Travel and Outdoor
 Indoor
 Spontaneous
 Planned / Studio

In reality, there aren't special lenses for all of these different photography styles. But the types of photos that you most
want to take should drive the features that you get in your Canon SLR lenses.
In order to help you find the right Canon lens, I've broken them down into the following categories to make your search a
bit easier:

 Wide Angle Lenses - great for landscape photography

 Wide Aperture Lenses - a requirement for action and low-light photography
 Medium Zooms - all-purpose lenses that work best for portraits
 Compact Lenses - ideal for the travelling photographer
 Mega Zooms - for those who only want to carry one lens
 Macro Lenses - used for extreme close-up photography