Lenses are critical componevts in the photographer’s toolkit. While novice shooters often believe the camera to be the most important aspect of a gear system, those with more experience recognise that the type and quality of the glass in front of the sensor is the bigger factor in the success of the final image. Regardless of how many pixels a CMOS chip may be equipped with, or how effective the signal-to-noise ratio, if the optic used to focus light into the camera body is inferior, the fine-detail resolution will never be fully realised. Similarly, if a less-than-optimal focal length is utilised, it may result in an ineffective or inferior composition.
Complex choice The selection of lenses for use in the pro arena can be intimidating. There’s a large variety of types, technologies and features available on the market today
© Jean-Daniel
There is more to focal-length choice than how ‘zoomed in’ the frame becomes. The choice of setting impacts foreground and background elements, altering their dominance in the frame. Meanwhile, the choice of focal length within the zoom range of a lens can influence the maximum sharpness, as lens contrast and resolution can vary from setting to setting. Only with a good knowledge of the lens and of the common pitfalls of the lens type can a photographer make informed decisions about each optic.