Introduction

...so you want to buy a lens?

Stepping into the world of lenses can be a daunting task, but we have written this guide in hopes of making your buying decision relatively easy. The first thing to remember is: Making a lens selection is as personal as the style of the photographer. In other words, what you buy must first of all satisfy you. Second, you’ll get a chance to select from the wide variety of lenses available today – everything from fixed to zoom lenses, large telephotos, and even specialty lenses like fisheye.

The vast array of lenses in today's market offers new opportunities for photographers to expand their capabilities and make the most use of their cameras. Understanding the terminology and engineering of the lenses in today's market will help you make a better decision in your camera and lens purchasing.

...which lens is your perfect mate?

There is not a single lens that is absolutely perfect for every lighting and photographic situation, which is why you shouldn’t limit yourself to just one. Standard lenses have a focal range of 35mm to 80mm, with the 50mm (standard on 35mm cameras) being the most common. These lenses are fairly adequate in most lighting situations and good for general purpose photography. The added benefit of this range is its portability; because they’re not big or heavy, standard lenses allow you to travel lighter.

Photography Style

...what is your shooting style?

You may not be able to define your shooting style just yet. No problem. But you can start to do so by asking yourself what kind of subjects you shoot the most.

• Do you shoot indoors or outdoors? What are the lighting conditions you are normally shooting in?
• Do you take close-ups and really pay attention to detail and texture? Are these subjects insects, flowers, and collectibles? Are they product shots?
• Do you take photographs of vast landscapes and subjects that are far off in the distance?
• Are you an action photographer who takes photographs of fast-moving objects and subjects like sports?
• Are you a wedding, event, or portrait photographer?
• Do you take pictures of interiors and architecture?
• Is the weight of a lens a consideration if you travel frequently or need to be on the move?
• Do you prefer compact, convenient lenses; or those that are bulkier and offer better quality?

Thankfully, lenses are manufactured to meet the need of all these different types of shooting styles. Many accessories, like filters, step up/down rings and extension tubes, are available to enhance these lenses so you can take advantage of the full potential of your equipment.

...what is your budget?

Lenses cost money, and the more engineered and specialized they are, the more they cost. Determine which style of photography is your priority and how many lenses you will require. Knowing your photographic needs is the first step in choosing the right lens.

Under $400

Lenses in this range are usually labeled as multi-purpose lenses. They will probably have a focal length between 28mm to 200mm , with their largest f-stop being f/2.8 to f/5.6. You may find some Tele Converter lenses in this category as well, but predominately it will be fixed lenses at 50mm and standard zoom lenses. A solid third party lens manufacturer like Tamron offers great all-purpose lenses in this price range and will provide you with good lens choices for adequate lighting conditions. However, these lenses may not serve you well under low lighting situations where using a flash unit is prohibited. Nikon, Canon, and Pentax all make lenses in this range as well.
Lenses under $400 »

$400-$800

This range will encompass a large selection of lenses that begin to be more specific in application and include additional engineering features that offer better quality images. You will notice that the zoom lenses will have a smaller range and the introduction of wide angle, and macro lenses fall into this group. The fixed focal length lenses in this group are further away from the 50mm size, allowing for wide angle and telephoto views. These lenses may have special coatings to minimize internal reflections, aspherical lens elements, internal focusing, or other elements offering a superior product.
Lenses $400-$800 »

$800+

The sky is the limit! Entering the professional photographer’s price range will give you the option of purchasing specialized lenses for specific lighting conditions and photographic situations. Premium lenses with large apertures of at least f/2.8 allow for indoor, low light photography; while telephoto lenses of 300mm or more offer you the ability to bring subjects in closer with optimum clarity and focus. Specialty lenses such as shift/perspective lenses are available that enable you to shoot architecture without distortion.
Lenses $800 and over »

Lens Quality

...how does the engineering affect the price?

The wide range of lens prices can be quite baffling considering the range runs from $120 to over $10,000! Clearly, there is quite a difference in the engineering and quality of each lens. The more restrictive the zoom lens, the more expensive a lens can be while the larger the range, the less expensive it becomes. Why is this so?

There are two major factors that come into play that determines the price of a lens; focal length and aperture.

Focal Length

The focal length determines the angle of view, magnification, or perspective of your image, as well as the physical size of the lens itself. A 50mm focal length is the most common and easiest to make. For a 35mm full frame camera, it is the standard focal length, meaning it is closest to the view of the human eye. Lenses that are manufactured to be drastically smaller or larger than this 50mm mark tends to be more costly and more complex in design.

In simple terms, the longer the focal length the more narrow the angle of view becomes, bringing distant objects and subjects closer. Focal lengths shorter than 50mm will give you a wider field of view, which is especially valuable in small spaces or when your subjects are very close to you.

Quick Lesson on Film versus Digital

So what's the big difference between film cameras and digital cameras ? Apart from the obvious difference of capturing the image by using film or using a memory card, the main difference is the size of the film area or digital image sensor. A full frame 35mm film area is 1” x 1.5”. Most digital cameras have image sensors that have much smaller dimensions than that.

Let’s compare a standard 35mm film camera equipped with a 50mm lens with an advanced, 8 megapixel compact camera. The compact camera’s image sensor is four times smaller than the full frame 35mm camera’s film area. That translates into being four times narrower than the film camera’s film area. The more narrow the lens, the more narrow or “magnified” the view. In this case it is four times narrower, therefore four times more “magnified”.

If the 35mm camera’s 50mm normal lens were somehow placed on the smaller compact camera, the angle of view would change drastically. Instead of the 50mm lens being a “normal” focal length, it would now transform into the 35mm equivalent of a 200mm telephoto lens. That’s because the angle of view that’s captured in the end is determined by the focal length of the lens and the size of the image sensor of the camera it’s on.

With the advanced technology of lenses, the capability of using some film lenses on digital and vice versa is possible. Not all lenses are swappable, some are designed for digital cameras only and some are specific to film.

In cases where you can switch your lens, you must keep in mind the image sensor of your cameras. If your favourite film camera has a different image sensor size then your brand new digital SLR, chances are the angle of view and/or magnification will change also.

Keep in mind that most DSLRs are smaller than 35mm film cameras, and that means lenses will automatically transform into a longer focal length. There are several DSLR-specific lenses that are engineered to combat the expanded focal length, allowing for better wide angle capabilities.

Aperture Size

The next major cost is related to the size of the aperture. The smaller the f-stop number, the larger the lens size. Two lenses with the same focal length can vary greatly in price, depending on the aperture size of each lens.

Lenses with large apertures (small f-stop numbers like f/2.8 for example) have bigger barrels and are usually heavier and more expensive. Their advantage is that the larger apertures let in more light, which allows for dim light photography with a faster shutter speed or a lower ISO.

With the increasing sophistication of lens technology, there are other elements besides aperture size that affect its price. Features such as ED (extra low dispersion) offer superior sharpness and corrects chromatic aberration. Some lenses include special coatings that reduce reflections, flaring, ghosting and other aberrations. Complex designs may include smoother auto focusing and a more compact construction. All of these factors can contribute to the price of a higher end lens.

Lens Specifications

...what does it all mean?

Manufacturers incorporate standard terminology when describing basic characteristics of their lenses, including lens type (wide angle, zoom, etc.), focal length (50mm, 100mm, etc.) and f-stops (f/2.8, f/8, etc.). But what do all the other acronyms stand for? Some manufacturers give their lenses brand names, but usually you will find that they also list the camera's specifications in acronyms. Too often these acronyms are manufacturer-specific; in addition, some of the features are exclusive to each manufacturer.

Nikon

Acronym	Definition	Function
AF	AutoFocus	The camera lens focuses the image of a selected part of the picture or subject. Most camera bodies allow you to set exact focus spots for you lens to focus on.
ED	Extra-low Dispersion Glass	Offers superior sharpness and colour correction by minimizing chromatic aberration. ED glass has all the benefits of calcium fluorite-based glass without the fragility. Nikon has developed several types of ED glass suitable for the various lenses they produce.
SIC	Super Integrated Coating	Multi-layer lens coating that helps reduce ghost and flare to a negligible level enhancing the performance of its optical lens elements. This coating minimizes reflections in the wider wavelength range and superior colour balance and reproduction.
N	Nano Crystal Coat	Anti-reflective coating that originated in the development of NSR series (Nikon Step and Repeat) semiconductor manufacturing devices. Virtually eliminates internal lens element reflections across a wide range of wavelengths, and is particularly effective in reducing ghost and flare peculiar to ultra-wide angle lenses. Nano Crystal Coat employs multiple layers of extra-low refractive index coating, which features ultra fine crystallized particles of nano size (one nanometer equals one millionth of a mm).
ASF	Aspherical Lens Elements	Aspherical lenses virtually eliminate the problem of coma and other types of lens aberration — even when used at the widest aperture. They are particularly useful in correcting the distortion in wide angle lenses. In addition, use of aspherical lenses contributes to a lighter and smaller lens design. Nikon employs three types of aspherical lens elements. Precision-ground aspherical lens elements are the finest expression of lenscrafting art, demanding extremely rigorous production standards. Hybrid lenses are made of a special plastic moulded onto optical glass. Moulded glass aspherical lenses are manufactured by moulding a unique type of optical glass using a special metal die technique.
CRC	Close-Range Correction System	Provides superior picture quality at close focusing distances and increases the focusing range. With CRC, the lens elements are configured in a “floating element” design wherein each lens group moves independently to achieve focusing. This ensures superior lens performance even when shooting at close distances. The CRC system is used in fisheye, wide angle, Micro, and selected medium telephoto Nikkors
IF	Internal Focusing	Lenses that can focus without changing its size. All internal optical movement is limited to the interior of the non-extending lens barrel. This allows for a more compact, lightweight construction as well as a closer focusing distance. In addition, a smaller and lighter focusing lens group is employed to ensure faster focusing. The IF system is featured in most Nikkor telephoto and selected Nikkor zoom lenses.
RF	Rear Focusing	Lens elements are divided into specific lens groups, with only the rear lens group moving for focusing. This makes auto-focusing operation smoother and faster.
DC	AF DC-Nikkor Lens	AF DC-Nikkors feature exclusive Nikon Defocus-image Control technology. This allows photographers to control the degree of spherical aberration in the foreground or background by rotating the lens’ DC ring. This will create a rounded out-of-focus blur that is ideal for portrait photography.
D	Distance Information	D-type and G-type Nikkors relay subject-to-camera distance information to AF Nikon camera bodies. This then makes possible advances like 3D Matrix Metering and 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash.
SWM	Silent Wave Motor	SWM which converts “traveling waves” into rotational energy to focus the optics. This enables high-speed auto-focusing that’s extremely accurate and super quiet.
M/A	M/A Mode	Allows switching from auto-focus to manual operation with virtually no time lag — even during AF servo operation and regardless of AF mode in use.
VR	Vibration Reduction	Minimizes image blur caused by camera shake, and offers the equivalent of shooting at a shutter speed three stops (eight times) faster.* It allows handheld shooting at dusk, at night, and even in poorly lit interiors. The lens’ VR system also detects automatically when the photographer pans — no special mode is required.
DX	DX Nikkor	Compact and lightweight DX Nikkor lenses featuring a smaller image circle are specially designed and optimized for Nikon D2-series, D1-series, D200, D80, D100, D70s/D70 and D50 digital SLR cameras. These are ideal options for landscape photographers and others who need to shoot expansive scenes with Nikon DX-Format digital SLRs.

See all Nikon Lenses »

Canon

Acronym	Definition	Function
AF	AutoFocus	The camera lens focuses the image of a selected part of the picture or subject. Most camera bodies allow you to set exact focus spots for you lens to focus on.
IS	Image Stabilizer	Makes hand held photography possible in more low-light situations. IS lenses have a special of lens elements that automatically shifts its position, thereby compensating for the shake and stabilizing the image. This compensation effectively adds up to three shutter speed steps to your hand held shooting capability depending on the IS lens. Canon’s IS lenses are perfect for low light, or situations where a tripod is not convenient.
USM	Ultrasonic Motor	The Ultrasonic Motor spins the lens motor with ultrasonic oscillation energy. Instead of a large, noisy drive-train system, electronic vibrations created by piezoelectric ceramic elements power the mechanical action of the lens, providing constant torque, with virtually instantaneous stops and starts. USM lenses are both faster and quieter than conventional motor driven autofocus systems, and draw minimal power from the camera, draining very little battery power. Canon makes two types of Ultrasonic lenses. Ring-type USM-equipped lenses, found in large aperture and super-telephoto designs, allow manual focusing without switching out of the auto mode. Micro USM designs bring the performance benefits of Canon’s USM technology to a wide assortment of affordable EF Lenses.
DO	Diffractive Optics	Higher performance and more compact than those with traditional refractive designs. Canon’s multilayer diffractive elements work together with conventional glass optics to cancel the effects of dispersion and minimize or eliminate chromatic aberration. In addition to chromatic aberration correction, this technology also results in smaller lenses, with no compromise in quality. Canon has also developed a new Triple-layer type DO lens using a new three layer diffractive grating resulting in high image quality with high levels of resolution and contrast that rival the L-series lenses.
L	L Series Lens	Professional line of Canon lenses identifiable by a bold red ring around the outer barrel, these lenses are distinctive in their performance through use of optical technologies like Ultralow Dispersion UD-glass, Fluorite and Aspherical elements and Super Spectra Coating. Fluorite / UD Elements Ultra-low Dispersion glass to minimize colour fringing or chromatic aberration. The design of UD glass provides outstanding contrast and sharpness and minimizes the splitting of colors as they pass through the elements, resulting in cleaner color throughout the image. Even more effective at suppressing chromatic aberration are Fluorite elements used in high-end supertelephoto lenses. A single Fluorite element has the corrective power of two UD-glass elements, giving these L-series lenses their spectacular performance and relatively compact design. Aspherical Elements Aspherical optics also help to correct curvilinear distortion as one would find in ultra wide-angle lenses. They have an extremely precise variable curvature of one or both sides allowing for more compact and lighter lens designs.
EF	EF Mount	Fully electronic mount system that has none of the shock, operational noise, abrasion, play, lubrication requirements, slow response, diminished precision caused by lever operation, or design restrictions related to linkage mechanisms used to transfer data. A lens operation self-test system, using the lens’ built-in microcomputer, can even warn of malfunctions through the camera’s LCD readout to help ensure high reliability. The EF mount allows for high-speed focus, precise aperture control and preview, automatic compensation with lens extenders.
EF-S	EF-S Mount	Designed for Canon EOS digital cameras with smaller-than-full size APS-C sensors (with a 1.6x conversion factor). The "S" in EF-S stands for "short back focus", the rear element of the lens is closer to the APS-C sized sensor than the EF 35mm SLR lenses. This enhances the ability of the lens to produce wide and ultra wide angles. These lenses can not be used with full frame digital SLR cameras.
TS-E	Tilt Shift Lens	TS-E lenses are capable of tilt and shift movements, which greatly expand picture-taking possibilities. Tilt movements alter the angle of the plane of focus between the lens and film plane, making broad depth-of-field possible even at large apertures or vice versa; shift movements move the lens’ optical axis in parallel, allowing the photographer to change, or correct the perspective of their photograph at almost any angle.

See all Canon Lenses »

Tamron

Acronym	Definition	Function
AF	AutoFocus	The camera lens focuses the image of a selected part of the picture or subject. Most camera bodies allow you to set exact focus spots for you lens to focus on.
SP	Super Performance Lens	Offers superior sharpness and colour correction by minimizing chromatic aberration. ED glass has all the benefits of calcium fluorite-based glass without the fragility.
DII	Lenses for Digital SLRs only	Di-II inherits all of the optical benefits of the Di design. Di-II lenses are made for exclusive use on digital cameras with image sensors 24mm x 16mm and smaller and are not intended for use on full-frame D-SLRs or film cameras.
IF	Internal Focusing	Lenses that can focus without changing its size. All internal optical movement is limited to the interior of the non-extending lens barrel. This allows for a more compact, lightweight construction as well as a closer focusing distance. In addition, a smaller and lighter focusing lens group is employed to ensure faster focusing.
ASL	Aspherical	Offers advantages in compensating for spherical aberrations and distortion for higher image quality as well as in making the lens compact and lightweight by reducing the number of lens elements in the optical system.
LD	Low Dispersion	Realizes high image quality by minimizing sharpness fall off due to chromatic aberration inherent in close focusing at the telephoto end in lenses of conventional optical design
AD	Anomalous Dispersion	Special optical glass material that delivers a remarkably large partial dispersion ratio relative to a specific different wavelength zone. Effective compensation of on-axis chromatic aberration for telephoto lenses, or lateral chromatic aberrations often associated with conventional wide angle lenses.
XR	Extra Refractive Index Glass	Glass having a high refractive index that provides remarkable advantages in making the overall length of the optical system shorter thereby making the lens compact

See all Tamron Lenses »

Sigma

Acronym	Definition	Function
ASP	Aspherical lenses	The aspherical lens complex allows freedom of design, improved performance, a reduced number of component lenses and a compact size. This lens provides high optical performance while maintaining a compact size. For example, the 12-24 mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASPHERICAL lens widens the range of wide-angle lenses, and it provides distortion-free images with image reproduction performance equivalent to that of a single focal length lens. Aspherical lenses allow the production of high-quality images from compact, lightweight telephoto zoom lenses.
APO	APO Lens	In order to attain the highest quality images, the APO lens has been made using special low-dispersion (SLD) glass and is designed to minimize color aberration. SIGMA's APO zoom lenses minimize color aberration. As the refractive index of glass depends on the wavelength of light, color aberration occurs when different colors form images at different points. This problem often occurs with telephoto lenses, but the Special Low-Dispersion (SLD) glass and Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) used in SIGMA's APO lenses helps to compensate for color aberration, thereby allowing them to produce of sharp images.
OS	OS (Optical Stabilizer) Function	This function utilizes a built-in mechanism that compensates for camera shake. It dramatically expands photographic possibilities by alleviating camera movement when shooting by hand held camera. Developed with Sigma's own technology, the OS (Optical Stabilizer) function uses two sensors inside the lens to detect both vertical and horizontal movement of the camera. This function, which works by moving an optical image stabilizing lens group, to effectively compensate for camera shake, helps to set our lenses apart from the rest. To handle all types of shooting conditions, the system has two optical stabilizer modes. Mode 1 determines camera shake in vertical and horizontal panning and compensates for image blurring. It is therefore effective for taking general photography or for shooting landscapes and other static subjects. Mode 2 detects vertical camera shake and compensates for blurring. It is effective for panning the camera to photograph moving subjects such as motor sports.
CONV.	APO Teleconverter EX	This lens can be used with the APO Teleconverter EX. It can increase the focal length and will interface with the camera's AE (automatic exposure) function.
EX	EX Lens	The exterior of this lens is EX-finished to denote the superior build and optical quality, and to enhance its appearance.
HSM	Hyper-Sonic Motor	This lens uses a motor driven by ultrasonic waves to provide a quiet, highspeed AF.
IF	Inner Focus	To ensure stability in focusing, this lens moves the inner lens group or groups without changing the lens' physical length.
RF	Rear Focus	This lens is equipped with a system that moves the rear lens group for highspeed , silent focusing. Conventional focusing has normally been performed by moving either all lens groups as a fixed unit or only the first lens group. AF cameras are now widely used, even for close-up photography. Consequently, demand has arisen for a focusing system that will keep the length of the lens unchanged while showing little fluctuation of aberration. In response to this demand, SIGMA has developed a new inner focus system that moves two lens groups inside the telephoto and telephoto MACRO lenses. This system has floating elements that substantially improve the close-up capability of the lens. The super wide angle lens having a large front-lens uses a rear focusing system to move the rear-lens apparatus and enhance the floating effect, and the18-125 mm F3.5- 5.6 DC lens uses an inner focusing system to move the secondary lens apparatus. SIGMA has also succeeded in attaining a minimum shooting distance of 19.7 inches/0.5 m throughout the entire zoom range of this lens. The rear focus system ensures high-speed focusing with the APO 135-400 mm F4.5-5.6 DG and APO 170-500 mm F5-6.3 DG telephoto zoom lenses.
DG	DG Lens for Digital	The most suitable lenses for 35mm film single-lens reflex cameras, as well as for digital SLR cameras. Sigma's development of the DG (Digital) range of lenses has concentrated on the correction of distortion and aberrations. Magnification of chromatic aberration is particularly conspicuous with digital cameras. The optical designs and cutting-edge technology incorporated by Sigma eliminate flare and ghosting from te image sensor and create excellent color balance. Vignetting is minimized whilst marginal illumination is ensured. These high performance lenses are equally suited for digital and analogue cameras.
DC	DC Lens for Digital	These are special lenses designed so that the image circle matches the smaller size of the image sensor of most digital SLR cameras. Their specialized design gives these lenses the ideal properties for digital cameras, the compact and lightweight construction is an added bonus!
	Floating System	The floating system is used to control the focus. This system moves the different lens groups in the optical system to different positions, thereby minimizing the telescoping distance and the fluctuation of aberration at different shooting distances. This system is particularly effective for macro lenses (which encompass a wide range of shooting distances) and wide angle lenses (for Single-Lens Reflex cameras) whose lens composition is asymmetric. SIGMA uses the floating system for the MACRO 50 mm F2.8EX DG lens and the large-aperture wide-angle 28 mm F1.8 EX DG ASPHERICAL MACRO lenses.
DF	DF (Dual Focus) System	The DF (Dual Focus) system disengages the linkage between the internal focusing mechanism and outer focusing ring when the focusing ring is moved to the AF position. This system provides easy and precise handling of the lens, since the focusing ring does not rotate during autofocusing. The wide focusing ring also enables easy and accurate manual focusing.
	Zoom Macro	Although telephoto zoom lenses can be used closer to the object than single-focal length telephoto lenses, there is still a minimum shooting distance. SIGMA has made this minimum distance smaller and developed the zoom MACRO lens for taking close-up photographs of the same quality as those taken with a regular MACRO lens, while maintaining the performance specific to an APO lens. Rather than carrying around the cumbersome accessories required for close-up work, the photographer can now take photographs at a magnification of 1:2 (one half life size) using a telephoto lens, by quickly shifting from the normal setting to the full macro setting.

Types of Lenses

...what kind of lenses are there?

Now we get to the fun stuff! Lenses are typically grouped into categories that share the same attributes. These are standard, zoom, wide angle, telephoto, macro, and specialty lenses. Each type of lens is manufactured to fulfill certain uses. These can range from “multi-purpose” to specific applications, like telephotos lenses for nature or sports photography.

Standard

As the name implies, these lenses are marketed as multi-purpose and are usually included in camera kits. With a focal length range of 28mm to 80mm and a popular fixed range of 50mm (for full frame 35mm cameras), these lenses have maximum f-stop size ranging from f/2.8 to f/5.6. Standard lenses are great for ideal lighting conditions, traveling, and general photography, they’re not suitable for trickier conditions like low lighting or fast movement.
Standard Lenses »

Zoom

It makes little sense to purchase several fixed focal length lenses; your collection would be massive and expensive, not to mention very heavy to carry! , Instead, zoom lenses are a smart alternative. Obviously, zoom lenses are designed to cover a range of focal lengths to accommodate a wide variety of shooting without having to change the lens.

Some small tradeoffs go along with using a zoom lens. For example, although they can cover a range of focal lengths and can be set at in between lengths like 33mm or 165mm, they are usually not as fast as fixed focal length lenses.

Clearly, their advantages far outweigh any potential disadvantages. They’re more portable and convenient; and they allow you to shoot distant subjects and bring them closer to you. Higher end zoom lenses offer a maximum aperture that remain constant through the focal length range, while less costly ones change their aperture through the range, resulting in a more compact lens.
Zoom Lenses »

Wide Angle

Need a wide angle of view? Wide angle lenses are ideal for capturing large subject areas whether it is landscapes, nature, outdoor scenes, or large groups. Any lens with a focal length much smaller than 50mm is considered a wide angle lens. Its design also allows for larger views in tight spaces. That makes it great for not cutting off important subject matter when increasing the distance between yourself and the subject is impossible.

Another benefit of wide angle lenses is that they are great for accentuating the foreground keeping it super sharp. At the same time, wide angle lenses make the background seem much further away. A prominent foreground set against a receding background often results in a very pleasing effect. Compared to a standard lens, wide angles have a better depth of field and clarity. 24mm and 28mm are the most common focal lengths.
Wide Angle Lenses »

Telephoto

Essentially the exact opposite of wide angle lenses, telephoto lenses bring far off objects and subjects into close view. In general, focal lengths that are greater than 50mm are considered to be telephoto lenses. 70-120mm are deemed short telephotos or portrait lenses, 135-210mm as normal telephotos and 300mm or more as ultra or extreme telephoto lenses. Telephoto lenses narrow the angle of view (increasing magnification) and therefore are ideal for long distance shooting. These lenses are ideal for sporting events, nature/animal photography, and far off landscapes like mountains. There are fixed and zoom focal lengths available in the telephoto category.
Telephoto Lenses »

Macro

Macro lenses are important to photographers who tend to shoot close-ups. That’s because, although they’re quite similar to standard lenses in most ways, macro lenses are engineered to focus at much shorter distances. Most often used in nature photography, these lenses magnify small objects like insects and flowers and captures immense detail and clarity. Other applications of a macro lens are in scientific photography and product photography. You’ll find that macro lenses can also act as a standard lens.

These lenses tend to have a higher f-stop number (which allows in less light) and therefore are not always ideal in low lighting situations. For subjects that are sensitive to movement (insects and animals, for example), macro lenses with longer focal lengths can be used.
Macro Lenses »

Specialty

Specialty lenses have a distinct characteristic that distinguishes itself from other lenses. Take the fisheye lens, for example. An extreme wide angle lens, the fisheye has an average angle of view of a full 180 degrees. Covering this wide angle of view has its downside; the image ends up being distorted with the center bulging out towards you and the edges pushed back. This convex distortion is widely used in extreme sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding, as it captures not only the boards but the rider as well.
Fisheye Lenses »

A shift/perspective lens is predominantly used in architectural photography. Shooting tall structures often requires that the camera be tilted to capture the entire subject in the frame. This leads to the structure distorting, appearing as if it was leaning. A shift/perspective lens is designed with mechanisms enabling you to adjust the front elements of the lens allowing you to shoot the subject with your untilted camera.
Tilt/Shift Lenses »

Tele Converters are a clever means of extending your focal length with your current lens. For professional lenses, it mounts in between your camera body and the lens, and in cameras where the lens is permanently attached to the camera, there are tele converters that attach to the front of the lens.

Typical magnification sizes are 2x and 1.4x, with Nikon having a third 1.7x option. For example, if you have a 200mm lens, by adding a 2x tele converter, the focal length increases to 400mm lens. This provides a great alternative to purchasing another lens, since a tele converter is less expensive and generally more compact and lighter weight than its lens counterpart. However converters reduce the amount of light and therefore can make focusing a little harder. Also, a 1.4x tele converter can make you lose one f-stop of lens speed; they also reduce overall image quality to a degree. Nevertheless, with the right lens and converter combination, it is possible to achieve very good results.
Tele-Converters »

Types of Photography

...what kind of photographer are you?

There are more kinds of photographers than we could possibly list here, but we’ve compiled a short list of the most common types and include suggested lenses and accessories you might want to consider.

Landscape Photography

Everyone loves a good landscape photograph. That’s why it’s worth exploring what equipment considerations are important to a scenic photographer. Weight is one, and it may contribute to the types of lenses you are willing to purchase. Chances are you will have to travel a distance to take your landscape photographs, so you should ask yourself: would you prefer a single zoom lens to cover a range of focal lengths or a fixed lens that achieves greater clarity but is restricted to a single focal length?

For stunning landscape shots with a focus on the foreground, a wide angle lens with a 20mm to 35mm focal length would be ideal. Keep in mind that wide angle lenses do tend to make the foreground dominate the photograph, as it will be disproportionately large compared to the background.
Wide Angle Lenses »

Sweeping landscape shots and subjects that are far off in the distance require entirely different lenses. Telephoto lenses come in varying focal lengths and are ideal for capturing mountains and scenery that are far off in the distance. If nature photography is what you prefer, you’ll find a telephoto makes capturing animals easy, since you and your equipment will not interrupt their natural movement.
Telephoto Lenses »

Have you ever considered the accessories that can help improve colour, intensity and exposure of your outdoor photography? On a bright sunny day, the colours of your scene may be vibrant and intense, but may require some extra control. Neutral density filters reduce the amount of light without changing the colour. The benefit is that they come in a wide range of densities and can help prevent overexposure. They can also help if you want to shoot using a certain f/stop or shutter speed and you need to darken an over bright scene.

Photographs of water may show unwanted reflections; by adding a polarizing filter, you can eliminate those reflections (an impossible task on digital editing software) as well as improve the colour and contrast of your image.

Colour-enhancing filters may help intensify your orange and red colours in the fall or cool down images of waterfalls and lakes. The sky is the limit with the many filters that are readily available.
Filters »

Assuming that you will be outside as a landscape photographer, you may want to consider investing in some weather protection gear for your equipment. Some lenses are built to be water-resistant and there are a variety of covers, bags, and carrying cases that can help you protect your investment.
Bags and Cases »

Wedding and Portrait Photography

Capturing the joy of someone’s wedding day could require a number of different lenses, depending on your style of photography and the conditions at the locations. A single day could involve challenging outdoor shooting, portraits, indoor low-lighting, fast subjects, distant shooting and even close-ups. In addition, the increasingly popular documentary style or lifestyle photography may dictate lens and accessory choices, since it enables the photographer to capture candid moments on the wedding day when guests are at their most natural.

Outdoor

On a bright, sunny day you will be fortunate to have great lighting without the worry of rain! Use a wide angle lens (ultra-wide for large group) if you are doing portraits outside. Be sure to bring a reflector as it will fill in shadows and provide more even lighting of your subjects. Although white and silver are the standard colours for reflectors, there are special ones that are “warming” (gold or pinkish) that enhance skin tones. If it is too sunny, neutral density filters will help by reducing the amount of light without changing the colour. These filters come in a wide range of densities and can help prevent overexposure.
Wide Angle Lenses »
Reflectors »
Neutral Density Filters »

Indoor/Low Lighting

This can be the most difficult shooting situation for wedding photographers. To eliminate blur and underexposed images, a fast lens is essential. A lens with a f-stop lower than 2.8 is ideal for capturing the wedding party walking down the aisle and guests who are milling about. Keeping your camera on a sturdy tripod at the ceremony will not only reduce blur but will produce super sharp images. Again, a wide angle lens is great for close quarters as you will be able to capture a wider field of view than a standard lens.
Fast Wide Angle Lenses »

If you are permitted to use a flash during the ceremony and reception, you can add accessories like a Lightsphere to your flash to create softer shadows and studio-like lighting images in dark lighting scenarios. This is ideal for hand-held shooting, while a full lighting system would be ideal for portrait photography.
Flashes»
Lightsphere»
Lighting Systems »

Portraits

If your client requests portraits, a tripod is a must to ensure crisp images. Remember your final print and picture frame dimensions because it is inevitable that some of your images will be cropped to a certain degree. Allow enough empty space around the subject(s) to ensure important parts of your image are not cropped off during printing.
Tripods »

A short telephoto lens is ideal for head and shoulder portraits. The telephoto allows you to stand farther back from the subject (you would need to be much closer in distance with a wide angle) and, as a result, the subject can be more relaxed and comfortable without a lens too close to their face. It will provide a natural perspective and enough depth of field to make the face sharp and clear.


Special warming filters can be added to your lens that are specially designed for enhancing skin tones. Even special softening, soft focus or diffusing filters allows you to add a dreamy effect that is very popular in wedding photos.
Warming Filters »
Diffusing Filters »

For formal portraits, set up your studio lighting in a secluded space away from the reception so there is less distraction; that way your shoot will run smoother and you’ll make better images.

General

Zoom lenses will make it easier for you shoot hand held as you will be able to capture the wedding party and their guests in all their spontaneity. For informal images, like guests dancing and socializing to the reception line, a zoom lens is ideal since you can change your focal length at will without having to change the lens every time.
Standard Zoom Lenses »
Wide Angle Zoom Lenses »
Telephoto Zoom Lenses »

For speeches and cutting the cake, a fixed lens can be used in order to capture the sharpest image. Since you will be standing a fixed distance, a zoom lens is not required.
Fixed Lenses »

Other accessories to aid in yosur shoot can include brackets that provide a comfortable weight balance between your camera and flash and sturdy cases to protect your equipment in high traffic areas.

Product Photography

Lighting is the biggest challenge a product photographer can face, so choosing the proper studio lighting and lenses is essential to capturing catalogue-quality images for your clients. Depending on the product, reflective materials can create troublesome stray light, and hotspots. Also, very light objects can be underexposed and appear washed out. How do you capture clear materials like glass and plastic?

Focusing

It’s important to ensure that the product is completely in focus. After all, the product is the “hero” of the photograph and your images must represent the item as it would be viewed by the human eye. It is recommended that you manually focus your camera/lens instead of using the auto focus function (if applicable). Most digital cameras capture large objects beautifully but have trouble getting precise focus of smaller objects. Setting your camera to spot focus mode will give you more control on what parts of the frame the lens is focusing on.

Lighting

A large variety of studio lighting is useful for product photography. These include softboxes, strobe lighting, reflection umbrellas and more. That said, creating a custom studio for your needs is easy. It’s even easier of you use a self-contained studio – the kind that is designed for small product photography and with lighting and diffusion already arranged in one unit.
Product Photography »

Details

Capturing texture and details may be essential to your photography and you can choose a macro lens to ensure crisp, detailed photographs. Use a tripod and a shutter release to avoid camera shake. Tricky items that are made out of reflective materials can be shot in contained lighting structures (a Cubelite, for example). This gives you maximum control over the lighting. Placing your product on a different coloured base will help enhance the product’s colour instead of washing it out. If you want to achieve a more three dimensional look (shooting the object on an angle), consider using a shift/tilt lens as it will provide you better depth of field and control over it.
Tilt/Shift Lenses »

Sports Photography

Capturing an athlete in action requires super-fast, super-steady lenses. At professional sport events, photographers are so far away from the field that they use large telephoto lenses on tripods to get their shots. Ultra telephoto lenses can capture subjects far off in the distance and bring them in closer. Using a focal length of 200mm or great is ideal. A super fast lens is essential for capturing movement without blur. An f-stop of 2.8mm or lower is helpful to capture your subjects as they run across the field.
Fast Telephoto Lenses »
Ultra Telephoto Lenses »

An extreme wide angle is great for capturing overview shots of the field or to show several players in action. Because sports photography is so fast paced, it might be necessary to set up more than one camera at once to cover the entire field in a split second.
Wide Angle Lenses »

Remember to always have extra batteries and cameras on hand; the event will not pause for you, so be prepared! Sport photographers take several hundred photographs at any one event. That’s why you should ensure you have enough digital media storage to handle heavy shooting, since you will not have time to download your digital photos onto an external hard drive.
Camera Batteries »
Memory Cards »

Introduction

...what is a DSLR camera?

Besides the obvious size comparison, slim compact digital point and shoot cameras and digital SLRs have a myriad of significant differences. A Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera, unlike a point and shoot model, uses a mirror behind the lens to direct light toward the viewfinder. This means when you are looking through the viewfinder, you see exactly what the image sensor will capture. Once you press the shutter button, the mirror moves out of the way and allows light to hit the sensor instead of the viewfinder. On the other hand, point and shoot cameras translate the image and show you a video version of your shot.

One of the major advantages of buying a DSLR is its ability to let you choose and change different lenses. From wide angle to telephoto, you can customize your angle of view with a wide variety of lenses available, instead of shooting with the single multi-purpose lens found on a point and shoot. In addition to quality differences, DSLRs offer a number of adjustable functions like aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, each capable of full manual control.

Sensor

...how does a sensor capture an image?

The sensor on a digital camera replaces film in the old models, but the principle is similar. Sensors, like film, are sensitive to light. Once the shutter is pressed, they record an image digitally. The size and type of light sensor are significant. It’s clear there’s an obvious physical size difference between a point and shoot camera and a DSLR. This is predominately due to size of the sensor contained in the camera. The sensors found in DLSR models are much larger than those within point and shoot cameras, thus producing clearer images with less distortion and noise.

Sensor Types

In today’s market, sensors are available in two types: CCD and CMOS. CCD, or Charged-Couple Device, is used in almost all point and shoot cameras and in numerous digital SLR cameras. CCD sensors produce high quality images, although cameras equipped with this sensor tend to be more costly and consume more power than other types.

A CMOS sensor is larger than a CCD sensor so its surface is capable of capturing more light. As a result, CMOS sensors are more sensitive and produce images higher in quality compared to CCD sensors. CMOS sensors are easier and less costly to manufacture and use less power than CCDs. Because of their increased size, cameras using this type of sensor tend to be bulkier.

There has been some debate concerning the relative strengths of CCD versus CMOS. In practice, neither is “better”; each type works effectively and should be evaluated on its own merits.

Sensor Size

The sensor size affects many factors in your images and the functions of your camera body. It has a major impact on the quality of your image, how your lens functions, and how it performs in low light conditions.

There are three basic size categories for sensors: Four Thirds, APS, and Full Film Format. As noted in the chart below, the smaller sensors are used in point and shoot cameras while the larger ones are found in DSLR models.

Four Thirds sensors have become a standard for Olympus and Kodak at a size of 13.5mm by 18mm, while APS sensors are close to that of the original APS film size. Most DSLR cameras fall into the APS size range (14mm by 21mm to 16mm by 24mm), often described as 1.5x and 1.6x factors.

Sensors that are the same size as 35mm film format are also called full-frame sensors. This full frame sensor allows you to use lenses without the complication of focal length magnification factors and produce the highest quality images in DSLR cameras. The sensor size is a true 24mm by 36mm, just like a frame of 35mm film.

Resolution and Megapixels

After all this talk of sensor sizes, as a major component of your digital camera choice, you may wonder how resolution and the megapixels affect your images. It’s a matter of size. Larger sensors have larger pixels which mean they’re more sensitive to light and capable of producing images with more detail. For example, take an 8MP point and shoot camera versus an 8MP DSLR camera. Each has identical megapixel values (the same number of pixels) but because the DSLR has a larger sensor, the pixels are larger. These larger pixels are able to gather more light, reducing the chance of “noise” in the image due to signal distortion reduction.

Another advantage of this large sensor size is the ability to perform well under low light situations using a high ISO setting. The size and number of pixels in your camera govern how large you can print your image without losing quality. Professional photographers like the option of printing large images and cropping them without losing quality.

Focal Length Multiplier Factor

As described in our Lens Buying Guide, the size of a DSLR's sensor affects the viewing angle of the lens. Lenses are described by their focal length and aperture size in a standard 35mm format. Since most DSLRs use sensors that are smaller than this 35mm format, the angle of view is magnified.

Let’s explain this further. Compare a standard 35mm film camera equipped with a 50mm lens to a digital SLR with a sensor size of 22.5 x 15.0 mm. The DSLR’s image sensor is smaller than the full frame 35mm camera’s film area by a focal length multiplier of 1.6x. This means that the 50mm lens translates into a short telephoto lens of 80mm (50mm x 1.6 = 80mm) when used on this particular DSLR.

The magnification factor affects wide angle lenses as well, challenging the digital photographer to find a wide angle lens that is truly be a wide angle. When translated by the multiplier, most wide-angle lenses only offer a standard angle of view, although some manufacturers are beginning to develop super-wide angle lenses that cater to digital photographers who require them. For example, a 20mm lens would be extremely wide on a full frame, camera, but has an “effective” focal length of 30mm, or moderate wide angle, on a DSLR.

Small sensor sizes have other advantages when it comes to telephoto lenses. To achieve a 300mm telephoto angle of view, using a camera with a 1.5x focal length multiplier factor, you can purchase a 200mm telephoto lens and get the same results. You’re able to purchase telephoto lenses that cost less and carry less weight.

In addition, the quality of the image can be enhanced. Most lenses are sharpest near the center and tend to become less sharp around the edges. Since smaller sensors crop the frame's angle of view, the result is a sharper, higher quality picture using more economical lenses.

LCD Screen

...where did the live preview go?

If you’re familiar with point and shoots, chances are you use the LCD screen more often then the viewfinder. This option is not available to DSLR cameras due to the construction of the single lens reflex (although Olympus has developed a new technology to introduce live previews in its cameras). However, DSLR LCD screens can contain considerable information about the image.. Reviewing your image on the LCD screen can also reveal such camera settings as histogram, white balance, focal length, aperture, shutter speed and more.

Many of the advanced menu options can also be accessed on the LCD screen, allowing you to make finer adjustments and overrides.

Lens Mount

...are all lenses compatible with every digital camera?

A digital SLR camera is equipped with a lens mount that allows you to attach a lens. This interchange function lets you change lenses depending on your shooting requirements and offers much greater flexibility than point and shoots cameras will allow.

The lens mount also acts as a connector, facilitating communication between the camera body and lens. Autofocus and aperture size are controlled by the body’s electronics while their limitations are determined by the lens itself. Because manufacturers tend to use the same mount when developing new technologies in their product lines, it is often possible to use an older model lens on a new DSLR body. For example, some Nikon lenses of thirty years vintage and more will fit on a modern Nikon DSLR and operate well, even if limited to manual focus and exposure only.

The growth of digital photography has led manufacturers to develop exclusively digital lenses that are designed for the specific sensor sizes of digital SLRs. In general, a DSLR with a smaller sensor size can use a lens that was designed for a larger sensor size but not vice versa.

Third party lens manufacturers like Tamron, have developed their own lines of lenses that are digital camera specific. They come equipped with the camera mounts for major camera companies like Nikon and Canon.

DSLR Advantages

... why choose a DSLR?

Economical

Although the initial cost may be greater than a traditional film SLR, digital SLRs make up ground by saving on developing fees and consumables such as film. Taking multiple frames is limited only by the size of your memory card and over-shooting has little or no cost impact. The digital camera revolution has allowed photographers to save on materials and has provided the freedom of shooting to their hearts’ content without repercussions. Digital files are initially stored on your memory card, which is re-usable, but you can back up your images on inexpensive CDs or on your computer.

Film has to be stored properly to prevent degradation. It must be processed and printed in order to view the images. Digital cameras have eliminated most of the costs and waiting time!

With no need for consumables like film, digital cameras give you instant results. You can view your images on your LCD screen as soon as the image has been shot and you have the ability to delete images on the spot. Instead of printing every shot, you just load your images onto a computer, adjust the colour balance and exposure, crop the image, and send only those you want printed to the lab.

Interchangeable Lenses

As stated above, DSLRs allow you to change lenses, offering more versatility. The lens quality itself is usually greater than point and shoots and allows for clearer images with better colour quality. Most professional lenses have exceptional features such as image stabilization, aspherical glass elements, extra low dispersion technology, and silent autofocus motors. All these elements combined with a DSLR produce the highest quality images.

Light Sensitivity

Because the sensors are larger than those of point and shoots, you also gain the ability to shoot in low lighting and produce great images with less noise. The larger sensor is capable of capturing more light, allowing the DSLR to have a higher ISO.

Another great advantage of digital over film cameras is that you can change your ISO from image to image instead of roll to roll. DSLRs allow you to take multiple images in different lighting situations and, with a push of a button, instantly change the ISO for the next shot. The digital nature of the camera allows you to make split second changes to capture the exact shot with the right exposure.

Faster Performance

Compared to most point and shoot models, DSLR cameras offer faster shutter speeds, burst modes, and autofocusing. Especially essential for fast moving subjects like sports or fashion photography, fast shutter speeds allow the photographer to capture movement without blur.

The burst mode of the camera allows the photographer to take multiple photographs in succession with only one push of the shutter release button. Taking a series of photographs increases the chances of capturing a moment at just the right time. DSLRs have better burst modes, enabling you to capture the winning goal, the perfect movement of hair on a model, a fleeting expression on a child’s face and other fast action shots.

Battery life is also increased in a DSLR. Since there’s no live preview, DSLR’s converse energy more efficiently than point and shoot cameras.

Customizable

DSLRs allow you to customize your shooting parameters and customize your camera with photography accessories. Every DSLR has a hot shoe mount that accepts an external flash for greater control of lighting. Attaching a battery grip to your camera will give you increased peace of mind, as the charge is generally longer than a standard battery. These grips may also come equipped with a shutter release button for vertical portrait shots in a more comfortable hand position.

There is also a wide array of filters available, designed to protect your lens, enhance your images, control exposure, and eliminate reflections in water and glass and more.

DSLR Features

... what kind of technology is built into DSLRs?

Image Stabilization

The technology of image stabilization is constantly being refined and is being incorporated not only in lenses but in newer DSLR camera bodies as well. If the body has built-in image stabilization or vibration reduction, it usually allows for a couple of extra stops of leeway, so handheld photography is steadier. This allows a slower shutter speed, but you can still produce a sharp image (with less required light!). "In-body" stabilization typically involves the sensor shifting to compensate for movement.

Not every manufacturer supplies camera bodies with internal image stabilization, but those that do utilize this feature with every lens you mount on the camera. Other manufacturers may incorporate this technology in their series of lenses, which may incur more cost than lenses with no image stabilization.

Sensor Dust Reduction

A digital photographer’s worst nightmare is dust on the camera’s sensor. Usually dust entering the camera occurs during a lens change. In our Lens Buying Guide, there are tips on how to change your lens while avoiding dust entering the body. Although not all cameras are equipped with anti-dust mechanisms, those that do can help shake off the dust currently on the sensor, saving you the trouble and risk of cleaning it by hand. These ultrasonic vibrations are usually triggered when you power off the camera.

If your camera does not have an internal dust reduction system, you can bring your camera to a reputable photography service shop to have it cleaned, or purchase a sensor cleaning kit and do it yourself. Although there is greater risk than bringing it to a professional, the cleaning kit route is less expensive.

Autofocus Points

These days many point and shoot cameras have multiple focus points for the autofocus function of the camera. Up to 9 points are incorporated into compact digital cameras, but there are limitations. Typically a point and shoot camera cannot select a particular point to be the focus. The options are usually set, allowing you to choose all the points, or a collection of points to be the reference for your focus.

DSLRs have completely customizable autofocus points. You can select a single point for your camera to focus on, or any of the pre-grouped points in your autofocus options. This allows greater creativity and control over your shots if you prefer to use the autofocus mode instead of the manual mode.

Body Construction

DSLRs are much larger than point and shoot cameras due to their sensor size and the lenses they must accommodate. When it comes to handheld photography, they are heavier and have a more solid feel. Each camera is ergonomically designed to fit your hands, with various buttons and wheel controls placed strategically at your fingertips.

You may notice that DSLRs are designed predominately for comfort and ease of operation instead of dazzling cosmetic esthetics. Although point and shoots may feature various colours with sleek designs and stylish attributes, professional DSLRs are noted for s their ability to produce quality images over the physical appearance of the product itself.

The higher end camera bodies are manufactured with sealed seams along with rugged and durable materials to protect the body from physical damage. This is especially useful for journalistic and sports photography where moisture and dirt can become a problem. Outdoor photography can also benefit from these protected bodies, and coupled with lenses designed with the same elements, your camera system can withstand unexpected weather of all types.

Image Format

...what's the difference between JPEG and RAW?

Most point and shoot cameras capture your image as a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), a very common image file format. JPEGs are easy to edit and store since they are compressed. However, when you move into more professional photography, the need for unaltered images is significant. Serious photographers consider any loss of image quality or information completely unacceptable. Most DSLRs still capture photographs in JPEG and RAW formats.

JPEG

Most photographers have managed JPEGs before as they’re the most efficient image file format. Because it is a compressed or “lossy” file format, its file size is reduced, making it easier to manage in terms of disc space. What is a lossy file? A lossy file is defined as an image that has some of its data discarded so that the file size may be compressed resulting in a smaller size. The more compression that is applied, the more the image will break down in quality.

With its smaller file size, JPEGs are much easier to manipulate. JPEGs are not only supported by many software editing programs but their size makes them easier to transport and share. Downloading time is shorter while thumbnail viewing on most PCs and Macs is faster.

The result is a file that’s easy to work with but missing some vital information. The ability to edit such items as white balance, tone curve or sharpening will be hampered in its colour mode RGB.

The JPEG format is great for snapshots, quick proofs, and photography that do not require much post-production manipulation. Perfect for casual shots, JPEGs are ideal for websites and are easily transmitted over the web.

RAW

Today most professional digital photographers shoot their images in RAW format because the uncompressed file has no loss of data and can be adjusted and manipulated by the photographer, allowing greater control of the final output of their image.

RAW files are larger than JPEGs but without the compression. A RAW image takes up more space on a memory card, but because it is not converted by your computer’s processor, the file is pure and unscathed. Using the camera’s supplied RAW file conversion program or third party ones such as Capture One, you can edit your image and convert it into a RGB image in either the JPEG or TIFF format.

Because your camera’s processor is not compressing the RAW file, you have the ability to gain full control over the white balance, tone curve or sharpening of the image. RAW files are superior to JPEGs because the manipulation of the image is in the photographer’s hands. When a JPEG image is corrected, it has already been adjusted by the camera’s processor so the second time it begins to lose information or data. This results in a loss of colour gamut and bit depth.

Given the uncompressed nature of the RAW files, it goes without saying that the post-processing of these images is more time consuming. Even without editing the image itself for white balance or tonal curves, the images must at least be converted to a file format that is printable or publishable on the web. Because RAW formats are camera-specific, not every software program can support them. In addition to the camera’s conversion software or a third party that supports your camera’s RAW files, you will also require a powerful computer capable of managing the workflow.

Offering the most versatility and control, RAW file formats are ideal for professional photographers who require control over their images. The disadvantage in loss of speed and increased post-production time may not be ideal for photojournalist or sports photographers. As a compromise, there are cameras that shoot images in RAW and JPEG at the same time. The processor in the camera shoots in RAW, duplicates the file and compresses it into a JPEG.

Accessories

... what other accessories compliment DSLRs?

Batteries

Every digital SLR needs power to keep shooting. Most camera bodies come with a standard lithium ion battery that is rechargeable. Many photographers purchase a second or even third battery in order to ensure there’s always a good supply of power handy. With one battery in the camera, one in the charger, and a fully charged one in your pocket, you should be able to shoot without worry.

Those who travel for their photography can purchase an extra charger so batteries can remain charged throughout the trip.

While carrying extra batteries allows you to constantly have power for your camera, a battery grip is a one-device solution to extending your battery life. And it carries an extra bonus. With time-sensitive event photography and sports photography, , changing a battery may not be an option without losing that fleeting moment or perfect shot. This is why professional photographers turn to a battery grips This device attaches to the bottom of the camera with a portion of it entering the battery chamber, secured by the tripod mount. Typically two lithium ion batteries can be stored in the grip, effectively doubling your battery life.
Battery Grips »

In addition many battery grips allow you to use AA’s as well as lithium. This can be beneficial should your lithium ion batteries die and you need to replace them in an instant. AA batteries can be purchased virtually anywhere. So even if you’ve forgotten your charger or are in a different country, you can always find AA batteries to power your DSLR.
Alkaline Batteries »

Here’s an extra bonus: Most grip adapters include a vertical shutter release, situated for comfortable vertical shooting. If you’re shooting on a tripod indoors and have access to a power outlet, the ideal power source is an adaptor. Connected right to your camera, a continuous power source eliminates the need to drain your batteries.

Wireless Transmitters

Take advantage of your wireless router by equipping your camera with a wireless transmitter. Freed from the constriction of the length of your USB cord, you can shoot photos and transfer the images instantaneously to your computer. There are no cables to fuss with and no worries about full memory cards.

Shutter Release

Mounted on a tripod, your camera immediately becomes more steady and stable. However, the simple press of the shutter button with your finger can cause the camera to move slightly, resulting in a soft image. Adding a shutter release cable to your camera will allow you to effectively "press" the shutter at the other end of the cable instead of on the actual camera. This will eliminate any camera shake and produce a clearer picture.

With the ever-growing technology in wireless transmission, many DSLRs are equipped with the ability to transmit a signal to a remote controller. Purchased separately, a compatible remote controller could be programmed to release the shutter and control the zoom. It’s ideal in eliminating the possibility of camera shake and perfect for group photos.
Shutter Release »

Flash

Most DSLRs come complete with a built-in flash that usually pops up from the top of the camera when needed. This flash is convenient, but there are many advantages to using a separate flash that mounts to your hot shoe..

The more powerful camera flash has a longer range than the built-in version. You can light a much larger area, and because of this longer range, you can also bounce the light off ceilings and walls to give your subject a well-lit exposure without harsh shadows. The position of the flash is also farther away from the lens and therefore from your subjects’ eyes. This helps eliminate the “red eye” common when using built-in flashes.

Fairly inexpensive and easily portable, "on camera" flashes are essential in areas of low light and for filling shadows on sunny days. If the flash is being attached to a camera bracket, a sync cord would have to be attached to the camera from the flash.
Mounted Flashes »

Memory Cards

To extend the number of frames you can shoot, invest in memory cards with large storage capacities. These cards are not only re-usable, but they are usually inexpensive. Although there are different brands and speeds of memory cards, your camera will use a specific type whether it’s a Secure Digital (SD) or Compact Flash (CF) card. Make sure to purchase multiplies in case you fill one card and need a backup – especially if you’re shooting in RAW format.

Another inexpensive device is a card reader. You can purchase one specifically for your type of memory card or get one that supports many different types. Image transfer is usually faster, easier and doesn’t tie up your camera for downloading – or drain its battery.
Memory Cards »

Tripod

Like the shutter release cable, tripods help eliminate camera shake to produce sharper photos. Essential for portraiture and close-ups, tripods allow you to narrow your aperture and slow down your shutter speed without resulting in blurry photographs. With either a pan or a ball head, you can position your DSLR to capture the perfect image.

Ensure that you choose an appropriate tripod that holds the weight of your camera and lens, especially if you plan to use a heavy telephoto lens.. Consider the environments where your tripod will be put to use, and choose a rugged tripod for outdoors or a steady, heavier one for indoor photography.
Tripods »

Lens Filters

Filters are accessories that are added to the front of your lens to protect it and emphasize, eliminate, or change the colour density of the image. Typically made of glass, resin, or polyester, the transparency of the material allows for correction of light or colour balance. The most common DSLR filters are Ultra-Violet (UV), Neutral Density (ND), and Polarizers. These filters can eliminate aberrations that are much more difficult to remove using post-production software programs.
Lens Filters »

Software

Post-processing software is essential for professional photographers to achieve superb results and ultimate control with the final printed product. If you’re shooting in RAW format, you’ll need a good RAW conversion program to edit and transform your images into JPEG or TIFF files. Although most DSLR cameras come packaged with basic RAW conversion software, third party software is far superior.

Programs such as Capture One allow for easier and more efficient workflow by allowing batch processing, tethered shooting, advanced colour management, and custom settings.

Advanced editing programs are indispensable for photographers. With tools like Healing Brush that automatically matches surrounding pixels to eliminate blemishes and imperfections, this software also lets creative photographers add effects, simulate lens filters, enhance contrast, and much more.

Thanks to the abundance of touch-up tools built into Photoshop, you can even fix common lens aberrations like colour fringing and barreling. Adding text and layering multiple images are also easily accomplished.
Imaging Software »
Calibration Tools »

Bags and Cases

With the vast selection of bags and cases available for photographic equipment, it’s no wonder that it is a wise investment to protect your gear. There are many styles but the main function of your bag and case should be easy portability and protection of your equipment. Soft cases are usually in the form of backpacks or messenger bag styles that may have different chambers or foam inserts for accessories and extra lenses. Hard cases are more rugged and durable and offer more weather resistance than soft cases. For heavier equipment, hard cases with wheels are available.

Consider how much equipment you need to store - whether it’s just a DSLR with extra memory cards and batteries or a full line of lenses, flash, filters, adapters, and more. Comfort and easy accessibility will be considerations. How fast will you need to set up? Will you be adding more equipment in the future? Manufacturers have given the consumer the ability to customize their cases and bags to allow for the best storage for their equipment.
Bags and Cases »

Types of Photographers

... what kind of photographer are you?

Although you may be a combination the types described below, we have a provided a general guideline to follow depending on what type of photography you predominately shoot. With all the accessories available for digital photography, it is easy to customize your system so it is the most suitable for your individual tastes and needs.

Family Photographer

Entry-level photographers who are familiar with the manual functions of an advanced compact camera may wish to enter the world of DSLRs. There may be a price jump to consider, although today there are several affordable DSLRs. They’re designed for photographers who like the flexibility of a DSLR that is still equipped with plenty of automatic features for fast, fun and easy photography.

This range of camera is designed for those that consider photography a hobby. These entry-level DSLRs are ideal for traveling, capturing family images, and experimenting with macro and telephoto photography, and allow the family photographer to be more creative.

Price Range

Look for DSLRs that are packaged with a standard zoom lens. The standard zoom lens lets you shoot in almost any situation and is a great versatile lens for general purpose photography. Cameras in this range are approximately $1000 for a full kit and under $800 for just the body.

Features

The sensors in these cameras are larger than point and shoot cameras but are still lightweight and smaller than the professional DSLRs. With 6 to 8 megapixels, you can print up to 10"x14" photographs with excellent quality and 14"x17" with good quality. There are many automatic features available for the times when you don’t want to experiment with the manual options.

Predominately constructed with a plastic body, these cameras are not weather resistant but have a decent burst rate of at least 2 fps. The autofocus will be sufficient for most applications.

Amateur and Semi-Professional Photographer

Entry to mid-level photographers who are highly interested in exploring digital photography, budget conscious and want the ability to explore photography as a professional. Cameras in this range may overlap entry-level suggestions but have the added benefit of more advanced features and better lenses.

Photography is your passion and you may have submitted photos to be published, participated in gallery shows, or shot the occasional wedding or event. Although serious about your work, you’re working towards becoming a full time photographer when you’ve developed your portfolio and established your name in the industry.

Price Range

In this range, there will be kits that include multiple lenses from either the same manufacturer as the body or coupled with third party lenses. For kits with only a single lens, the lens quality increases including such features as image stabilization and coated glass designed specifically for digital lenses. In this range, expect to pay $1,500 to $4,500 for a kit and $1000 to $3,000 for just the body.

Features

Although usually bulkier than the entry-level DSLRs, many compact models that are fairly lightweight. With a range of 8 to 10 Megapixels you can print up to 16"x20" with excellent quality and 20"x24" with good quality. This better quality will allow you to submit your images to local newspapers or magazines and permit greater cropping ability.

Your budget should allow for some more advanced features such as a heavy duty body and more rugged lens. Although still perfect for traveling and family portraits, these cameras have even more advanced features. Because you may need the versatility to shoot outdoors, indoors, and many different environments, weather resistant bodies and lenses are essential. The burst rate of these cameras can be up to 6 fps and the cameras should be packaged with raw conversion software and options allowing you to be tethered (connected to a computer while shooting).

The built-in flash could have a longer distance range and more control features for the photographer. More information will be displayed in the viewfinder and menus. Photographers with solid understanding of digital cameras will be able to take advantage of these features. Although the output is not 100% at the professional level, great prints can be made and the image quality is far superior to that of point and shoot cameras.

Anti-Dust features which help keep dust off the sensor, become available in this range. Often histograms, which provide graphical displays of the tonal variations of the image, are also provided at this level.

Professional Photographers

Budget is usually not a concern because photography is your livelihood and as a professional you need top of the line equipment to stay competitive in the industry. Whether you are a news and sports photographer or an artist, you require a large sensor in order to capture the best detail possible. The ability to enlarge your images to large banners or prints for gallery shows is very important.

Price Range

The sky is the limit, because the sensor chips are the largest in the market, it’s no wonder that the camera itself is very large. Because of the wide range of photography types, these professional bodies generally do not come in kits. They range from $3,500 to $8,500 for the body alone and are compatible with many professional lenses. Photographers purchase their lenses separately to suit their individual needs.

Features

Designed for fast photography with super high quality image capturing, professional DSLR cameras offer astounding results and the fastest shutter speeds possible. With between 10 and 16 megapixels, large format prints can be made with excellent sharpness and colour. Larger colour gamuts are available over the other DSLR models and advanced features such as shooting JPEG and RAW simultaneously is available.

More information is displayed in the viewfinder, which provides more information and allows the photographer to capture images quickly instead of toggling around in the menu options. Frame rates are up to 8 fps, ideal for sports and wildlife photographers . The body construction is more durable and usually made out of 100% metal or a hybrid of metal and plastic. In this range, it is most likely that the body is also weather resistant.

For JPEG shooters, white balance controls can be finely tuned and the ability to shoot tethered is standard.

Is there a new DSLR in your sights?

Whether you’re just entering the DSLR world or upgrading your existing DSLR equipment, it’s all about creativity and control. And the potential is virtually endless. The professional photographer can deliver spectacular results for publications and high quality fine art prints. Prosumers can use additional lenses and advanced controls to superb effect. The family photographer can achieve a whole new level, producing images he or she will be proud to display. With the right accessories to compliment your DSLR choice, your digital photography system will provide superb performance, whether it’s for recreation or for professional use. Happy shooting!