MyFunCamera

Email Q&A: a question about lenses & those f/#s

I just got another very good question about lenses.

Here’s the email:

Hey Carey!

… I have a quick question about the more costly lenses. When you get a higher quality lens (like your favorite 70-200mm), can you retain the 2.8 f-stop when you zoom? I have a cheap-o 70-200mm and when I zoom, my aperture narrows. Other than the amazing glass in the more costly lenses, do I get to zoom to 200mm and still shoot wide open at f 2.8?

Thanks!
Carol Anne

Here’s my answer:

Hi Carol Anne!

Great question!  When you buy a lens, it will say something like f/2.8 (like my favorite 70-200mm) or f/4-5.6 (like THIS one).

When a lens has ONE number after the “f/” that means you can use that setting no matter how wide or tight you zoom the lens.

If you see a lens that says something like “f/3.5-5.6″ with two numbers, that means you can use the lowest number (for faster shutter speeds, more light, and better background blur) only when you’re NOT ZOOMING the lens in tight.  Once you start zooming in, you can’t use that low number any more, and the lens will switch to a higher f/#.  When you zoom as much as possible, the lowest number you’ll be able to use will be that 2nd number on the lens.

Why??  Cuz it’s difficult to make a zoom lens that can maintain a wide aperture no matter how much or how little you zoom.  Better glass is needed.  Better mechanics and optics inside are needed.  They’re harder to make, and that means $$$, so those lenses are more expensive.

Rock on!

~Carey

Email Q&A: Camera bodies & Prime lenses

I just got an email asking my advice about a prime lens purchase.

This is a dude that asked my advice on a camera purchase (50D vs Rebel), and I told him to get the 50D because it would be more sturdy for him, wouldn’t feel like a plastic toy in his big man hands (like the Rebel would), and could grow with him as he gets more & more into photography.

Here’s his email:

Hey Carey,

I wanted to purchase my first prime lens and it only made sense to start with a 50mm. I was once again seeking your advice on which lens you prefer. I’ve read side by side reviews and image comparisons between the 1.4 and 1.8, but still am unsure (It drives my wife crazy that I’m so persnickety, but still have the hardest time choosing) as to which is the better choice for me (normally people say you only know whats right for you, but for now I think you know whats right for me lol).

With your previous help, I opted to go with 50D rather than the T1i. It’s the best purchasing decision I’ve made in a long time. Although you would think that it would be an easy decision for me to go with the more expensive, better built 1.4, I’m just not sold on it, although the bokeh is much cleaner to me. I guess the main reason being is that I have my eyes set on better glass down the road. I feel that the 1.8 might have the best bang for you buck out of any thing in the history of electronics, but I’m weary that it may not make it for more than a year or two after regular use.

Am I just thinking about it too much. Should I just spend the extra and get the 1.4? I would put myself in the category that likes the best, well in this case better, but I guess the price difference is so drastic that its making me well, a little hesitant.
Thanks again,
Rob

Here’s my response:

Hi Rob!

I’d say that unless you’re 1) using it professionally and/or 2) using it EVERY SINGLE DAY, the 1.4 is not worth the extra $$$.

I’m not a prime girl myself.  Have you tried prime lenses?  You may love it.  But you may hate it.

I feel hobbled with primes, but I have the 85mm 1.8, and have tried the 1.2L.

I can get by with the 85mm 1.8.  I really like the 1.8 bokeh, and that one is WAY WAY WAY CHEAPER than the 85mm 1.2L version. If I was a prime lovah and if I used it as my primary lens, I’d save up for the 85mm 1.2L, but it’s not worth the $$$ to me.

Now granted, the price difference for those two 85mm lens is a lot more drastic than it is for the 50mm lenses!  From a photographer’s point of view, the 50mm 1.4 isn’t all that much more expensive than the 50mm 1.8.  The price difference for the two 85mm lenses is $1,500 bucks vs just a few hundred between the two 50mm lenses.  But I still think the same principle applies:  if it’s going to be your primary every-day lens, go with the more expensive one.  If you just want to try out a 50mm prime in your lens bag, get the 50mm 1.8 and see how you like shooting with primes before you invest more money.
~Carey

You may be wondering why I didn’t recommend that he consider the 85mm lens that I have.

Here’s why:

I have 5D cameras. He has a 50D.  His 50D camera has a crop factor. The 85mm is already tighter than the 50mm, and on a camera with a crop factor, he’ll feel like he’s looking through a paper towel tube with the 85mm lens.  He’ll get much more out of the 50mm.

Peace out homee.

My favorite lens

This is, by far, my favorite lens!

If you have a camera with a “crop factor,” (40D, 50D, Rebel, 1D) you may not like it as much because it won’t be as versatile.

On my 5Ds, with full-frame sensors, I can get group shots and zoom in for tight detail shots, and I LOVE it!

Lenses on a budget. Good versatile zooms!

An email came in from Monika in Japan (she’s a Navy wife) asking a great question about lenses.
Monika doesn’t have a ton of money to throw at L-series lenses, but she wants a good versatile lens her her Canon digital Rebel.

The 18-55mm “kit” lens that usually comes with that camera is pretty lame. It works, but it’s by no means a really good lens.

Monika talked about her friend who had a 50-200mm lens that was great for zooming, but on the Rebel especially, it was hard to get wide angle or group pictures without backing WAY WAY WAY up.

She said:

I am looking for an all purpose lens, I realize that a perfect one may not exist, but as close as i can get…
Any recommendations?? I don’t have thousands to spend but maybe $1000 or under? A lens that I can easily travel with and will let me take great pictures of the kids, but also zoom in from a distance to capture pics of temples/shrines, and other landmarks.

I always look at L-lenses because they’re the best, but reading Monika’s email reminded me that not everyone can afford such expensive “glass.” (Calling a lens “glass” sounds kinda snooty, huh? I laugh at myself when I say it.) Heck, I don’t even want to go out & buy expensive lenses these days because money is tight for everyone!

When I started Barefoot Memories, this was one of the first lenses I purchased:

It’s a great lens, and it served me VERY well until I was ready to upgrade to nicer L-series lenses. As I type this, that lens has a great sale price at Amazon!

This one is also nice:

That one is not “USM” (Ultra Sonic Motor) which means it probably doesn’t zoom and focus as quickly as the other USM lens I put up there. But it does have that 200mm zoom length that makes it more versatile. It has about the same regular price as the 28-135mm lens I put up there, but the sale price isn’t as good.

Making lenses that have a wide angle AND a good zoom is not easy — packing high-quality glass, housing, image stabilizers, and mechanics into one little cylinder costs more. That’s why this 18-200mm has a wider range of zooming but the same regular price as the 28-135mm: adding the nicer USM takes up some room and adds some quality, but the zoom range is sacrificed.

You’ve probably noticed that I really like sticking with Canon lenses.

If you’re willing to go “off brand,” here’s a really good looking Tamron lens (GREAT sale price right now! Add it to your cart to see!):

If I got the choose a lens for Monika, I’d pick that Tamron. Everyone I know who has Tamron lenses LOVES them. I’m stubborn & like to stick with Canon lenses, but if I were on a budget and needed a new lens in that price range, I’d probably get that Tamron!

Have a great day!

And Monika, once you make a choice, let everyone know what you choose & how you like it!!

~Carey

50mm Prime Lens at a great price!

If the 85mm focal length is too tight for you and you need a wider lens, this 50mm lens is great.
And you can go all the way to f/1.4, which will let in even more light!
There are “L” (luxury) prime lenses that Canon makes, and they’re good, but they are PRICY!!
If you want to try out primes, need that low f/#, this lens & the 85mm are good lenses to play with before investing in the big bad L primes!

85mm prime: great lens for low light

This 85mm lens from Canon is great for taking low light pictures because you can go to f/1.8, which lets in TONS of light — very helpful indoors!
You may not be able to get wide shots indoors with the 85mm focal length, but this lens is great for close-ups and details.

Fun little fisheye

A fisheye lens is a fun addition to any camera bag.
It’s by no means an “all purpose” lens (unless you have a truly wacky personality), but it’s fun!

Canon 17-40mm L f/4 wide angle lens

This is the lens I used to shoot my son’s soccer team’s picture for the David Beckham Academy photo contest. (They won a free trip to the Academy, so there’s some “proof in the pudding” for ya)
I needed a wide angle so I could get low to the ground and get up close, get the whole boy’s body and a lot of sky.
If I had used the 24-70L lens, I would have had to back up a lot more to get that much in the picture, and the “up close & in your face” effect would be gone.
This is also a good lens for large groups and indoors when you don’t have a lot of room to back up.

Canon 24-70 L f/2.8 lens .. very versitile!

This is the “go to” lens for many many professional photographers!
With a max aperture of f/2.8, it can let in a ton of light, and that “L” (luxury) glass and rugged construction creates tack sharp images!
If you like zooms like me, this is a great “all purpose” lens.
It doesn’t zoom enough for up close shots at sporting events, but it’s great for individual and group portraits!
If you have a BIG group to do, you’ll have to stand back further, or get a wider lens LIKE THIS ONE.

Canon 2x extender … get even closer!

A max zoom of 200-300 is good for anything up to the size of a T-ball field. If you want up-close shots on a baseball, soccer, or football field, you’ll need a zoom that goes higher than 300mm, unless you want to risk life, limb, and jail time by jumping onto the field!
Put this 2x extender on the 70-200 lens, and you’ve got yourself a 400mm lens for a great price!
It does limit the amount of light your lens can let in, so I don’t recommend it for INDOOR shooting, but it’s awesome for outdoors!!