How to Choose a DSLR Lens

There are many different types and sizes of lens available on the market today and most photographers instincts tell them to buy one of each. While having an expansive lens collection does seem very rewarding, it may not be entirely necessary. Given the price good glass costs, this is good news. So how do you choose which lenses to add to your collection? Simple. The three part series below shows us what lenses are good for shooting in specific situations. If you tend to shoot the style across your projects, you might be able to get away with owning fewer lenses.

In the first video of the series, Vincent Laforet and Blake Whitman, give a comedic introduction to a wide assortment of lenses.  Starting with a 16mm lens and going all the way to a 200mm lens, they give side-by-side comparisons of the lenses and briefly illustrate their ideal situations. Have a look here:

The second video delves a bit more into the technical side of the lenses. The duo also expands on  f stops and how to adjust them to get the desired effects.

“F-Stop describes the size of the aperture opening. The lower the F-stop number, the bigger the aperture and the more light is able to reach the image sensor. A low f-stop number (large aperture) results in a shallow depth of field and a high f-stop (smaller aperture)  gives a deep depth of field.”

Wrapping the series up, video three walks through the way certain lenses will separate, or, in some cases combine, the foreground and the background. The two do an excellent job showing examples shots of from each of the lenses. Laforet reccomends learning just one lens at a time and stresses the fact that lens should be used for dramatic effect, delivering a better way to tell your story.

If you’ve been considering purchasing a new lens, this series of videos should be helpful when it comes time to decide on the right one. Think about the types of shots you will most use the lens for and how much versatility you expect from a lens. Combine what you’ve learned here and you should be able to decide on the right lens quickly.

For Further Training on Lenses and Your Camera:

Definitely consider Extremely Essential Camera Skills; a popular comprehensive instructional eBook package to help you master your camera and become more confident in your photography. With a combination of illustrations, text, photos and video, it is valuable to both read and keep as a reference in the field.

It can be found here: Extremely Essential Camera Skills