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 “what you see is what you get” kind of lens – it approximates the angle of view of the eye and is okay for point and shoot pictures.
To get good pictures of object at a distance and for landscape, nature and sporting photos, where you want to appear to be close to the action, you will need a medium range telephoto lens. These lenses are also very good for taking portraits and close ups because the object you are focusing on will seem to stand out from the background and create a more dramatic image. The medium telephoto lens can be used in many ways and some professional photographers use is as their main lens since an interesting range of effects can be achieved by changing the perspectives. 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. With focal lengths beginning at 135 mm and exceeding 300 mm, these are the only lenses you can use when you want clear and sharp images of distant objects. These lenses are also very effective in highlighting a portion of a distant object and making it the main focus of attention in a picture.
The last of your four basic digital photography lenses is the wide angle lens with a focal length of less than 50 mm. This is the only lens to use if you want to capture wide sweeping landscapes or get panoramic views. They are also good for group pictures taken against wide backgrounds as they will capture the complete scene while at the same time make the group in the forefront stand out to create a better image.
