Tag: budget-friendly lenses

Zooming In on Flexibility Part II

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We have talked about the different kinds of zooms in my last article, but now I’m going to present you with concrete examples of the different zooms in my own personal set-up, and try to concentrate on the “user experience” that each lens offers.  At the end of each section there will be a slideshow to give you examples from the archives to illustrate how I have used this lens in the past.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM

I remember the sheer joy of opening this, my favourite lens for my 6D Mark II and hearing it click into place on my camera’s body. It felt heavy and substantial.  It has the red ring, known to Canon users as a gauge of high quality. I was onto a good thing.  It bridged the gap between my desire to go wide and get that distinct distortion that comes with going wide, and a more conservative, more sensible 35mm focal length of my X100F.

And then I went out and tried it in the field.  Well in my bedroom anyway, being suitably amazed by the wide angle of view that I now had at my disposal.  I’d read about distortion, and had watched enough YouTube to know what I was in for.  But the first time is always special.  I soon learned how to take advantage of its capabilities, realising that getting down low could create leading lines in compositions that I had only dreamt about before.

If you have seen my Instagram, you will have seen this lens in use and how I have been able to adapt from an urban setting to getting my feet dirty in the countryside or getting them wet on the beach. I have nor regrets about this purchase.  But it, despite its many attributes, has its limits.   It is adapted to landscapes and cityscapes.  It’s great for giving a different view of the world that is more “interesting” to look at.  I have used it for portraits and taking full advantage of this aforementioned distortion.

It might well be a contender for the title of Ian’s favourite lens.  Sorry you prime purists!  

CANON EF 24-70MM F/4L IS USM

This is the lens that I actually have on my camera at the moment. Why?  Because I was out at the pub taking photos for a leaving do for two of my friends.  I needed something I could use to get general shots of the evening and that wouldn’t let me down.  This lens is a beast and a workhorse.  It gets the job done!, which is why I bought it in the first place.  I was going to be photographing a wedding for a friend of mine, and I needed something that would help me throughout the day.  I would be taking portraits, group photos, photos of the reception, and this was the classic lens for such a situation.  It has you covered.  I basically put my flash to TTL mode, and camera to program mode, and all I had to do was to get the shot.  Photographically it was a great day and I managed to get some pleasing shots for my friends. It’s also my go to lens for filming video…

It was “take your camera to work day.”  I was going to be taking pictures of timber at the factory where I work and it was still in my bag, and securely attached to my camera.  I was able to get clear shots for my boss, and the lens didn’t let me down even if I had to be in one of the darkest areas of the factory with dubious lighting conditions. This is where image stabilisation becomes your best friend. 

It was still in my car when I took my daughter and boyfriend to see their friends near Nantes.  I had just written the article about Spring Springing, and wasn’t happy digging into the archive.  I felt that this was being lazy, and that you, Dear Reader deserve better…  The camera with the 24-700mm lens on it was just sitting there begging to be let loose!  So I let it loose on the trees around the Mairie of Basse Indre, and took advantage of its “macro” function. So go and have a look at the article to see those.

CANON EF 70-300MM F/4L IS USM

I don’t have the very latest version of this article, but a more old-school version, so it’s not as super duper as the later super duper models, but it was a heck of a lot cheaper at around 150€ instead of 850€ for the newer super duper models.  But I’m not here to talk about specific model types etc, but about the focal lengths of this lens and how I  have used them in the field and my experience of using this lens.

As a small boy I was a member of the RSPB and loved seeing all the various birds in the garden but also in the countryside.  I even learnt about how to draw them.  I grew up, and now have a super duper camera with a lens that will allow me to capture these birds on camera without spooking them.  

One of my favourite outings in Nantes is taking one of the electric boats out on the river, and I have this lens with me to capture the wildlife that I know I will see.  I am by no means a wildlife photographer like the ones you see in the documentaries stalking their prey for weeks etc.  But it doesn’t stop me from trying to see what I can get without necessarily overdoing it. And even for getting shots of birds using the various feeders in my garden it’s fine!

I have used the lens after having watched YouTube videos for landscape photography using it to seek out details in the landscape.  This was definitely something new for me, and definitely a useful exercise forcing me out of my comfort zone and making me see the countryside in a different way.

It’s not the lens I gravitate to first, but I’m happy to have it as an option.  It isn’t the most modern of lenses either, but it’s certainly “good enough” for what I need it to do…  Do I regret this purchase?  No.  Is it limited in its scope?  Yes.   Am I bovvered, as Catherine Tate might say?  Still no.  Would I buy the “super duper” version of this lens?  Probably not as it doesn’t correspond to the majority of photography that I do. Photographing birds is more of a hobby and not my main photography aim in life..  

Conclusion

I think you have the information at your fingertips now to help you decide on your lens choices be that for primes or for zooms.  Those nice people in the photography shop will be more than happy to take your money from you, but now, you have the knowledge to get past the sales pitch and make an educated purchase knowing what you’re letting yourself in for.  While we’re on the subject of purchasing and investing in gear, always have the following concept at the back of your mind.   Glass is more valuable than a camera body.  Better glass on a less top of the range body will always get you better results.
But much more than the importance of gear, is the importance you get your beautiful booty off that really comfy sofa, and get out into the world with your camera and your lens and train that beautiful eye of yours to capture some awe inspiring images!

Prime Lenses: Elevating Your Photography Beyond the Basics – Part II

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In my last article we explored the prime lenses in my collection and how and why I use them concentrating on my own experience with each one. I started ultra wide and am now going to head towards a narrower field of view. We’ll start with the nifty fifty, go through the Helios 44-2 58mm f2, on to the 85mm f1.8, and end on the Helios 135mm f2.8.

50mm f1.8 – the nifty fifty

Be it a digital lens or one for a film camera, this focal length is considered to be the “standard” to which all the others are compared to.  I have already mentioned my initial set from 1987 where the Pentacon 50mm f1.8 was fitted onto my Praktica MTL3.  It is the lens with which I learnt photography.  Why is it considered the “standard?”  Conventional wisdom would suggest that the view offered by the lens is the closest to the human eye.  This explains why Robert Doisneau used it extensively in his documentary photography.  Henri Cartier-Bresson is known for his ability to capture decisive moments in street photography. The 50mm focal length, with its natural perspective and good depth of field, was perfectly suited to this approach. It is also one of the more simply constructed lenses and yet still offers a great shooting experience be that digital or film shooting.

Helios  44-2 58mm f2.0 

This is one of those lenses that one hears about and has a certain mythology.  It is known  most for its swirly bokeh which you can see in the images in the slideshow below.  I think mine must have cost around 50 Euros so in my mind I was thinking, you can’t go far wrong.  This swirliness adds interest to any photograph be it in an oriental garden, on in portraits.  Just enough to make the viewer have a closer look and fall even further in love with your capture.  It’s an old soviet lens and fairly solid as you can read in the article I wrote about the Helios and the Canon 6D mark II.  It is the first of my “portrait” lenses.

We’ve done the bokeh bit, now let’s talk about the focal length.  When in the studio I will start using my 50mm, but this is always ready in my bag.  But it’s not just a portrait studio lens, and I have used it on outings in Nantes.  As all “telephoto” lenses, it separates the background from the subject, and brings forward the subject to the fore.  I haven’t used it on my Praktica film camera yet and should probably do so very quickly.  It would be a shame not to after all.  As it stands I have to use an adapter for my Canon and another adapter for my Fuji XT2.  With the crop sensor on the Fuji it magically turns into an 85mm equivalent.

Canon 85mm f1.8

This is the most classic portrait lens and allows me to take a step back compared to using the 50mm.  Again, the bokeh on this lens is lovely and so creamy that it could give a rotund older gentleman a heart attack if it were cake.  But it’s not cake, so everything is fine.  When I’m in the studio I can concentrate on the eyes and by the time the portrait gets to the ears we’re in creamy bokeh territory.

However, some photographers will take this lens into the street for street portraits.  It’s not a huge lens, and thus less creepy, and allows the photographer to take a step back and still feel close to his subject.  This distance between photographer and subject contributes to a more natural interaction between photographer and model, reduces the feeling of being cramped or intrusive, and leads to a more natural interaction, which in turn leads to more natural posing and a more relaxing experience for everyone.

Helios 135mm f2.0

This is the largest of my “everyday” primes and back in 1987 it was in my bag to bring the world even closer than I could with the nifty fifty.  I was a beginner back then.  And didn’t realise the potential of telephoto lenses.  The approach is much the same as for the 85mm but allows even more distance, and is great for those intimate shots that can capture the alluring side look.  In landscape it can help you pick out details in the landscape that you can’t get closer to for practical reasons, and bringst that background that much closer to the foreground.  For those of you who don’t like manual focussing, you might want to give this one a miss.  This was a lens from an age before autofocus came along.   However on my Fujifilm XT2 this transforms into a rather snazzy 200mm lens due to it’s APSC sensor and 1.5 crop factor,  which would be a lot cheaper than a more modern equivalent, and with the focus peaking on mirrorless cameras, this can be a very convincing argument.

Conclusion.

Primes can generally be considered to be a higher quality option.  With their simpler constructions, they can offer sharper images   They generally have larger apertures, allowing for ease of use in lower light, and providing that creamy, sexy bokeh that everyone keeps mentioning.  By adding a limitation to the creative process they can help the photographer become a more deliberate and mindful craftsman, and concentrate more on composition.

However, even though individually lighter than most zooms, their collective mass may be more important if you constantly want to have every single option available in your bag.  You will be changing lenses more often, when having more to choose from.  Never forget that you are the person carrying them around.  So choose carefully, be deliberate, and plan ahead.   The results will be worth it!