So, you've got a digital camera and you're getting comfortable with manual controls, so whats next?
Upgrading your lens from the normal "kit lens" is the #1 way you can help make brighter and sharper photos. The Boston Photography Workshops understands that lens buying can be a tricky task. With the holidays bringing big sales, and photo wishlists, let us help shorten the list of lenses you should consider when moving beyond the standard.
Some info before we begin the guide:
#1: F-Stop/Aperture is essential.
The aperture determines how much light your camera can collect by widening or narrowing the opening where light enters the lens. Here's one of our class slides to refresh your memory. The larger the aperture, the bigger the opening will be, thus letting in more light. Ideally you'd like to have a lens which begins at F2.8 or wider.
#2: Prime vs. Zoom
Prime lenses are lenses that do not zoom. To "see" more in your photo, you must back up, or get closer to change what the picture will include. Even though you can't zoom, fixed lenses are extremely sharp and produce great images. Another feature is that prime lenses often have large apertures at an affordable price, yippie! To learn more about Zoom vs Prime lenses, read this great article at www.BHPhotoVideo.com
#3 : Not sure about a lens? Post in the Facebook Group and ask others!
The easiest and most effective way to learn about photography is doing so with others. The Boston Photography Workshops is full of talented people just like you, who are happy to help, or have similar questions, just like yours. Help us share the knowledge with as many students as possible by sharing your questions and experiences with the group! A little knowledge from a lot of people really adds up.
OK, on to the guide!
Below are some lenses that we love and think you will too. They include: Canon, Nikon, and Sigma. Sigma is a company that makes lenses for many camera types, not just its own; they make lenses which work with: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax. These "off-brand" lenses can be great deals and help you make great photos while saving money.
Improve Your Zoom Lens
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8
Zoom Lens, sells for about $400 on Amazon.
This lens is very similar to your kit lens. The biggest (and most important) difference is, the F-Stop is f/2.8 and no more shifting aperture! The Sigma 17-50mm is a great upgrade to your kit lens and is worth the money. Sigma makes lenses that fit almost all camera brands, so just make sure you order the one that fits your camera manufacturer.
Made for: Canon, Nikon, Sony, & Pentax
You can read a full review here and see sample photos at The-Digital-Picture.com
Canon Prime Lenses
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8
Small prime lens, sells for about $150 on Amazon.
This little lens is a great, affordable lens for everyday photos. The focal length (which translates into your field of view thru the camera) will be great for small group shots, pet photos, and even food photography. With the an aperture of f/2.8, you'll be able to get twice as much light into your photo vs. your kit lens which only opens to f/3.5. At $150.00 it's a deal and should be considered essential in your camera bag.
Please note: this will not work with full-frame cameras such as: Canon 5D, or 6D. It is compatible with cameras such as: 50D, 60D, 70D, T2i, T3i, T4i, (all Ti cameras) & SL1.
You can read a full review here and see sample photos at The-Digital-Picture.com
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Small prime lens, sells for about $125 on Amazon.
This little lens is also a great, affordable lens for everyday photos. The focal length is going to be great for portraits of kids, pets, and food. The f/1.8 aperture will give you a great "blurry background" look as well as help you make bright photos in dark situations.
This lens is compatible with all Canon cameras.
You can read a full review here and see sample photos at The-Digital-Picture.com
Nikon Prime Lenses
Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8
Small prime lens, sells for about $125 on Amazon.
This little lens is also a great, affordable lens for everyday photos. The focal length is great for portraits of kids, travel photos, and landscapes. The f/1.8 aperture will also give you a great shallow depth of field (aka blurry background) and also help you make bright photos in dark situations. This is a great all-around lens and highly recommended.
Please note: this lens is compatible with ALL DX cameras, like: D7200, D3200 - D3300, D5200, D90 . Not Compatible with: D4, D3, D610, D700, D800
You can read a full review here and see sample photos at KenRockwell.com
Nikon AF-S FX 50mm f/1.8G
Small prime lens, sells for about $125 on Amazon.
This lens is also a great, affordable lens for everyday photos. The focal length is going to be great for portraits of kids, pets, and food. The f/1.8 aperture will help you make bright photos in dark situation, and give you a great "shallow depth of field" look.
Please note: this lens is compatible with all Nikon cameras.
You can read a full review here and see sample photos at www.Photographylife.com
Deluxe Prime For Everyone
Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG
Prime lens, sells for about $550 on Amazon.
This is a stellar lens for everyday photos. The focal length is going to be great for landscapes, portraits, street photos, and general travel photos. The f/1.8 aperture will also give you a good "blurry background" look which is sought after for portraits and food photos. With the an amazing aperture of f/1.8, you'll also be able to get x4 as much light into your photo vs. your kit lens which only opens to f/3.5. This is a deluxe lens for wider angle shots and will perform extremely well in low-light situations.
Please note: this lens is compatible with: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, & more.
You can read a full review here and see sample photos at ThePhotoBlogger.com
That's it! We know these are just a few lenses and some of you may be thinking "how could you forget that lens?!" Well, we could list 20 more lenses and not even scratch the surface. With our experience, the above lenses offer the most bang for their buck when considering upgrading from a kit lens.
We'd love to hear from you if you have other lenses which you absolutely love. Contact us here to share your thoughts.
Thank you everyone for reading our guide and we hope it's been helpful. Happy holidays and happy shooting!
- The BPW Team.