Focus On Canon Fast Glass - Wide Aperture Lenses Make A Difference

There have been a number of technological improvements over the past few years that have photographers wondering if Canon fast glass is still necessary. Fast glass can be characterized by definition as a lens with an extremely wide aperture.

In case you are wondering which technology improvements we are referring to above, there are two. The first is the emergence of really high ISO settings with much less noise and the second is the addition of OS (optical stabilization) to many of the newer lenses, making it possible to hand-hold your camera in low light settings that were never possible before.

However, when you consider some of the economical lenses available and the special photography situations that make Canon fast glass the best choice, it is well worth the time to examine the options.

The first photographic use for wide aperture lenses that will come to anyone's mind is portraits. The perfect portrait is one where the subject commands the attention of the viewer, and in most cases that happens due to a blurry background. While it is possible to accomplish the desired effect with apertures of f/4.0, lenses with apertures of f/2.8 and larger are quite desirable to get the bokeh (blurry background) in a great portrait.

Another place that large aperture lenses are a great asset is in low-light situations such as indoors when flash photography is not appropriate. Museums come to mind, but make sure you have permission to take pictures of the exhibits before you begin snapping away. Twilight shoots are another place where wide apertures boost the shutter speed for good hand-held shots.

Canon fast glass is mostly available in prime focal lengths. Prime simply means that there is a single focal length such as 50mm.

Speaking of 50mm, the most economical prime lens with Canon fast glass happens to be an EF 50mm f/1.8 lens. For a mere pittance, you can have yourself a prime lens with an extremely wide aperture. Yes, it is cheaply made in comparison to the same lens at f/1.2, but it accomplishes the job, and it does it on a tight budget.

Normally, the prime lenses with wider apertures come at a premium price. So, if you are on a budget, you may want to consider using a lens made by another manufacturer. Some of these lenses rival Canon in quality, yet they are usually much easier on the budget.

Also, if you are one who is a bit of a free spirit, think about getting a wide aperture lens without auto focus. You may be asking, "Do they even make such lenses?" Of course they do, but once again, they are off-brand, and you may need to get an adapter ring to fit it on your Canon. But these kinds of lenses can be had for a song compared to the high-end gear of the pros. The results can be exceptional, too.

Whether you are looking for a budget lens or a better built lens that costs just a bit more, the photos you can make with Canon fast glass will wow both you and your photo fan club. The quality and nifty backgrounds you can achieve with these special lenses are truly amazing. See a line-up of possible lens choices at http://canoneoslenses.org/.

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A Guide to Selecting And Buying Lenses

Background: The more complex zoom lenses used in high end digital SLR cameras can be made up of up to 20 elements - some of which are themselves a compound of elements. The most common material used is glass due to its resistance to scratching and excellent optical properties, however acrylic, quartz glass, fluorite, germanium and meteoritic glass are also used. The surface of most modern lenses is coated to reduce flare, have a UV coating to help with colour balance and elements to minimise abrasion.

However, a set of the most expensive, complex lenses will not enable you to take great photographs if you lack imagination, intellect, creativity and resourcefulness. Many great photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson - the father of modern photo journalism - used just one lens most of the time.

However, if you are looking to become a professional, you will be looking to optimise your talent with the help of one or all of the following: standard telephoto, wide angle/mid-range zoom and ultra wide angle.

A standard telephoto lens is advisable for taking portraits. It will give you excellent definition in both head and shoulders shots and in close ups. If you take portraits regularly, you will see the difference in clarity between even an excellent zoom and a standard telephoto lens. It is also good for wedding and party photography when you want close ups taken discreetly.

For group shots and wedding photography, a mid-range wide angle lens is excellent especially with a zoom that will let you alter the focal range when the group size increases or diminishes.

An ultra-wide lens is essential when taking shots of the inside of a church during a wedding service and similarly for large group shots. Some landscape shots benefit from an ultra-wide lens too.

For interiors and architectural photography, an ultra wide angle and a wide angle zoom will help you get as much in the frame as possible. However, you may get distortions, so it's worth bearing in mind that a standard 16mm lens on a normal film SLR, with cropping to take out any distortion, can be perfect for interiors, and therefore preferable to your digital camera.

Nature and sports photography tends to involve motion - fast-moving animals or sports people or vehicles, and usually some distance between the subject and the camera. Dealing with the first issue of rapid movement requires a lens which allows in plenty of light, flash, faster film or high ISO settings if using a digital camera. However there are issues with each. Letting in plenty of light can be a problem with the long telephoto lens you might need for a close up, yet your flash may not provide sufficient illumination, especially if there is a fair distance between camera and subject. A fast lenses can be heavy, large and expensive, and lastly using fast film or high ISO settings can mean diminished picture quality.

So, get the fastest (i.e. largest aperture) lens affordable, alongside a long telephoto zoom, be prepared to crop, but not too much as this can diminish resolution in digital, use image stabilization, use fast film or high ISO settings to minimise shutter speeds (although this too can affect picture quality) and use a camera with fast focus and minimum lag time.

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Tamron Digital Camera Lenses - Digitally Enhanced

When it comes to camera lenses there is a difference between lenses enhanced for use on digital cameras and those that are not. Digital camera technology brought with it some new issues that manufacturers have had to resolve. One prominent issue is called sensor flare.

Internal light flare was an unexpected consequence of using an image sensor inside of a camera rather than film. The emulsion side of film is mostly non-reflective. Light entered through the lens and hit the film which caused very little light scatter. However an image sensor is very shiny and reflective. Light from the lens strikes the sensor surface and reflects and scatters back up the lens. This scattered light causes ghost images in the final picture.

We should note that this kind of internal flare is strongest when the camera is pointed toward a light source. The sources doesn't need to be very large or bright for flare to result; Christmas tree lights, burning candles and even sun glare off of glass or metal will create flare.

Manufacturers found that the most efficient way to combat internal flare was to add special coatings to the rear elements of the lens. Both lens coating technology and the anti-reflective materials required were readily available which made this an easy choice.

Camera lenses have had special optical coating applied to them for decades. However seldom were those coating applied to any surface other than the front lens element. In addition to rear element coatings flare is further reduced by blacking internal metal components as well as the edges of lens elements.

Tamron digitally enhanced lenses are designated with a "Di" marking. This shouldn't be confused with "digital only" because a Di lens will function on a DSLR, film camera or a full-frame digital body. Tamron uses the Di-II designation to identify digitally enhanced lenses made expressly for APS-C digital cameras only.

By selecting a digital camera lens from Tamron designated as Di the photographer will have the most effective tool for reducing internal sensor flare. By preventing light reflected from the shiny sensor from refocusing on the image sensor ghosting is controlled and prevented.

Can a digital camera use lenses that aren't enhanced for digital? Yes, of course it can. However the certainty of ghosting caused by sensor flare would seem to indicate that a digitally enhamced lens is a better choice. The cost of a digitally enhanced lens is essentially equal to one that is not which makes the choice even easier.

Stu Eddins is blogger, instructor, merchandiser, and is generally in charge of a lot of things for Porter's Digital Cameras and Imaging. Visit their site at http://www.porters.com/. Years of experience over the counter and in classrooms have turned Stu into an evangelist for image preservation, capturing and sharing memories, and helping people understand digital cameras, digital camera lenses.

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