Q: WHAT DO YOU SHOOT WITH AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS?
Let’s start with just some little details about lens: A camera lens (also known as photographic lens or photographic objective) is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically.
The two fundamental parameters of an optical lens are the focal length and the maximum aperture. The lens’ focal length determines the magnification of the image projected onto the image plane, and the aperture the light intensity of that image. For a given photographic system the focal length determines the angle of view, short focal lengths giving a wider field of view than longer focal length lenses. A wider aperture, identified by a smaller f-number, allows using a faster shutter speed for the same exposure. The maximum usable aperture of a lens is specified as the focal ratio or f-number, defined as the lens’s focal length divided by the effective aperture (or entrance pupil), a dimensionless number. The lower the f-number, the higher light intensity at the focal plane. Larger apertures (smaller f-numbers) provide a much shallower depth of field than smaller apertures. Focal length is expressed in mm and a higher number means a bigger zoom, while a lower number mean the lens can be used for wider shots. As a rough reference, the human eye is said to see about the equivalent of 30-50 mm on a full frame camera.
Now, let’s go back to the question. As you all know, I am a Nikon girl. I love my Nikon D4. 🙂
It’s hard to choose one favourite lens because I use each one for different reasons. But here is the list of the lens I use for my portrait sessions:
- My 50mm 1.4 on my camera most often for in-studio portrait sessions
- I love my 24-70mm 2.8 for portraits where the landscape is the main focus
- I use my 70-200mm 2.8 for all my outdoor sessions…
- Lately I do seem to reach my 105mm the most. I am loving the results, since I am photographing people from a distance, it evokes real emotion vs posed smiles.
As you can see, I do not have 98374534897598374 lens to create the beautiful portraits that you see in my portfolio. In reality, you need just one GOOD lens… but which one?
Making a choice between lens is one of the typical dilemmas every photographer has to face when choosing the first one for their kit. You have zoom lenses and primes.
Zoom lenses offer versatility and convenience. They allow you to have a variety of focal lengths at your fingertips, which is very useful specially when you are on location, so you do not have to be switching between one lens and the other one. Primes, on the other hand, have the limitation of one focal length, however they have a higher image quality, and better performance. Primes are also smaller and lighter than zoom lenses.
If you are starting out, I would suggest to get a zoom lens, while you get used to your new camera, and also the different focal lengths the zoom lens has to offer.
After you master your zoom lens, you can jump into either a second zoom lens or a prime. By this moment, you will know which focal length you use the most when taking your photographs, and a prime around that focal length may be what fit your needs.
Which lens is your favourite? Share it in the comments section and tell us why you love it!
