Good Glass = Good Photos
Written by Mike on January 20, 2009 – 8:17 pm -
A little athlete running his heart out!
I am VERY opinionated about camera lenses (glass). I along with a lot of other professionals are firm believers in the thought that the lens is as important if not more so than the camera. If you have the best DSLR camera money can buy, and put an aftermarket budget lens on it, I can guarantee that the quality of the photo will only be as good as the lens allows. If you have an entry level DSLR and put a high end name brand lens on it, the photos you take will be better than the expensive camera with the cheap lens. The basis is this. What your camera sees is what the lens shows it. If the lens has poorer quality optics, then the camera will see poorer quality images to capture. It is that simple.
I have coached numerous people when buying a camera and have convinced all of them to cut back a bit on the camera and get a better lens or to forgo getting a newer camera and spend the money on upgrading their lens. A lens if properly cared for will last decades. You can use it on any camera that it is designed for (Canon for Canon, Nikon for Nikon…) for as long as you have the lens. If you have the lens and then upgrade your camera later on, you still have the lens to use with the new camera.
Without getting into the technical end of refraction, dispersion or distortion it is easy to understand one thing. Higher quality optics equals better photos. The lenses all have f/stop ratings. Some have fixed f/stops (most at 2.8) and some zoom lenses have a floating f/stop which means that the f/stop increases and decreases as the zoom changes. The f/stop is important especially in sports shooting. The main reason is that when a lens has a lower f/stop, you can shoot in lower light and maintain a higher shutter speed. The other reason is depth of field. When you maintain a lower f/stop, your background will blur. This is desirable in sports photography. Another option which is becoming more readily available is the VR (vibration reduction) or IS (Image Stabilization) lens. These lenses have a technology that will assist in eliminating vibration and shake from your lens. This gives the user extra ability to shoot in lower light or while holding the camera without a tripod. Focus speed (servo, silent wave motor) can also be an important part of your choice. Higher quality lenses have a lighting fast auto-focus response time and will ensure you get the best opportunity to get your photo.
The series of Mike’s Commando Guides will cover in detail all aspects of camera use and situational photography. Again, I expect to have Volume 1 online by March and it will be filled with fantastic information that will guarantee you becoming a better and more confident photographer in NO TIME FLAT!
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