Purchasing Your Next Lens

No matter how many lenses a photographer has, there’s always another one that we long for. There are so many options out there that choosing your next lens can be a confusing task. We're going to help you choose the best lens to fit your specific needs.

The first question you have to ask yourself is, “What do I need that my current lens doesn’t give me?” Your answer is most likely going to fall into one of two categories: speed or zoom. Let’s take a look at the speed problem first and figure out what lenses can solve it for you.        

Fast Prime lenses

Most kit lenses have variable apertures that start at f/3.5 and close up to f/5.6 as you zoom in to the longer side of the lens. This is fine if you’re shooting outdoors on a sunny day, or indoors with a flash or bright lights, but not suitable for low-light situations. For that, you’re going to need a fast lens.

So, what is a “fast” lens? Fast lenses generally have an aperture of f/2.8 or larger. The larger the aperture, the more light the lens allows in, so fast lenses are great for low-light conditions. A prime lens is a fixed focal length lens, so the lens doesn’t do the zooming, your legs do. Prime lenses often offer larger apertures than zoom lenses, and are ideal for shooting video with a DSLR camera.

One of the most common second-lens choices that photographers make is the 50mm f/1.8. It’s a relatively inexpensive lens that can be wide enough to shoot a group of people in a room and also long enough to shoot headshots. The larger aperture means shorter depth of field, which gives your photos nice bokeh (that blurred-out background look that isolates your subject and looks great).

50mm on a crop-sensor camera (with a 1.5x crop factor, such as APS-C) is equivalent to 75mm on a full-frame camera, so if you think 50mm might not be quite wide enough for your camera, a 35mm lens might be a better option. It’s a little wider, making it better for group portraits in tight spaces without the distortion of even wider lenses. There are also other fast lenses that are even wider, like the 28mm and 24mm f/1.8 lenses.

On the other hand, if you want a fast lens that is longer, for portraits or shooting objects farther away, the 85mm f/1.8 lenses might be for you. Longer lenses are great for portraits because they offer less distortion and allow you to be farther from your subject.

Telephoto Zoom Lenses

Telephoto lenses are great for photographing birds, sports, theater, or any other subject that is far from your camera. If you find that you’re missing out on shots because you can’t zoom in close enough to your subject, you should probably choose a telephoto lens as your next lens. Maybe you have a kit lens that reaches 200mm, but at f/5.6 your shutter speed is too slow to freeze the movement of your subject. In this case, you need a faster telephoto lens. The most common telephoto zoom lenses are the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses. They are fast enough to stop action and give you nice bokeh, while keeping your subject sharp. If you have a crop-sensor camera, this will provide about a 105-300mm equivalent on a full-frame camera.

If you don’t need the speed that the f/2.8 lenses offer, some other great choices would be a 70-200mm f/4 or if you need the extra zoom, the 18-300mm or 70-300mm variable-aperture lenses might be your answer.

Another thing to consider, with telephoto lenses especially, is whether or not you need a built-in image stabilizing system. Nikon calls this VR (vibration reduction), Canon calls it IS (image stabilization), Tamron has VC (vibration compensation), and Sigma calls theirs OS (optical stabilization). Whatever you call it, the benefit of having a lens with image stabilization is that you can effectively use a longer shutter speed when shooting without a tripod, giving you sharper images, and making the lens more effective in low-light situations.

Wide Zoom Lenses

If your answer to the “What do I need that my current lens doesn’t give me?” question is that you need to squeeze more people into your frame, or you need to capture more of a landscape in your photos, then a wide lens should be your next choice.

We've briefly mentioned the 28mm and 24mm focal lengths, which are solid prime lenses, but often times with a second lens you might want more versatility, such as that found in wide zoom lenses. There are many different zoom lengths available, not only from the main manufacturers, but from Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron as well. One thing that most photographers will tell you is that when shooting with a zoom lens, most of their shots are at one of the extremes, either the widest or the longest end of the zoom. While I think the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is one of the sharpest super-wide lenses, it doesn’t offer as much of a range as the 12-24mm, 16-35mm, 17-50mm or 24-70mm zooms. This is where you have to decide exactly why you will need this lens. If you’re not exactly sure, the 24-70mm is a good choice, as it will let you shoot both full-length body and head shots. If you don’t need that much of a range, and just want a very wide lens, then the 11-16mm might be your best option.

Macro Lenses

Perhaps you’ve seen some really close-up photos of insects or flowers, and you’ve tried to take them yourself with your kit lens but found that it couldn’t focus. This is because you need a special type of lens that has a very small minimum focus distance, usually called a macro and sometimes a micro lens. These lenses usually focus at a foot or less all the way to infinity, so you can use them for shooting macro photography as well as everyday shots of people, landscapes, or other subjects at any distance. The same choices apply here, whether you need a fast lens or not, and whether you need a wider-angle or telephoto lens.

There are a couple of important things to consider when choosing a macro lens. First, the wider your lens, the closer you’ll need to get to your subject. If you’re shooting flowers, and you want to focus on one flower but also want to get other flowers out of focus in the background, then a wider lens like a 40 or 50mm would work best for you. On the other hand, if you’re trying to shoot moving insects like bumble bees or butterflies, chances are you won’t be able to get close enough to them with a wide lens, so something like an 85mm or longer would be better for you. Also, when you’re shooting with your camera and lens very close to your subject you often cast a shadow, meaning less light, and requiring a faster lens or special ring lights for your camera. If you don’t want to worry about shadows or purchasing flashes, consider a longer macro lens for your camera.

So, we've generally covered a lot of ground here. We've discussed choosing the lens based on what focal length you need, whether you want a prime lens or a zoom lens, and whether you need a fast lens with a constant aperture or can deal with a slower variable aperture.

Once you figure out exactly what will satisfy your photographic requirements that are as yet unfulfilled, you should be able to make an informed decision confidently, to ensure that your next lens purchase will be the right one for you.

Info Found At:bhphotovideo.com

Digital Only vs Full Frames Lenses

Just like camera bodies, camera lenses come designed for full-frame, APS-C-sized, or Four-Thirds-sized sensors. It is important to understand this distinction to ensure compatibility between lenses and a camera.

A full-frame sensor is generally 1.5x the size of an APS-C-sized sensor and 2x the size of Four Thirds-sized sensors. For the most part, cameras with APS-C- sized sensors can use both digital-only and full-frame lenses. However, some full-frame cameras (notably Canons) can use ONLY full-frame lenses.

When using a full-frame lens on a smaller-sized sensor it is important to remember that the field of view of the lens changes because the sensor is not utilizing the entirety of the lens’ coverage. Because full-frame sensors are about 1.5-1.6x times the size of digital sensors, multiply a full-frame lens’ focal length by 1.5 to determine the equivalent focal length on a digital-only camera. For example, if you were using a APS-C-sized sensor camera with a full-frame 17-35mm lens on it, the restricted field of view of the lens would make it equivalent to about 25.5mm-52.5mm on the full-framer.

If you are investing in camera equipment, but can afford only an APS-C-sized sensor camera, it may behoove you to purchase some full-frame lenses so that down the road, they will work with newer full-frame equipment you may get.

Prime Vs Zoom Lenses

Prime lenses are only one focal length, such as 24mm or 50mm. Because these lenses have fewer moving parts, and are often less-complicated optical designs, they can be considerably smaller than zoom lenses. They also often have a wider maximum aperture (a lower f-number), which allows the lens to admit more light.

Zoom lenses, on the other hand are capable of a range of focal lengths, such as 17-35mm, or 70-200mm. Because of this range, these lenses can be more versatile than prime lenses, but are often larger, and are almost always “slower”—that is, they admit less light because of smaller maximum apertures.

Super Wide and Wide-Angle Lenses

The super wide-angle lens category generally refers to lenses that have a focal length between 8-14mm (digital-only) or 12-20mm (full-frame), while the wide-angle category generally refers to lenses that have a focal length between 14-24mm (digital-only) or 20-35mm (full-frame). The price for lenses in both of these categories can vary widely, depending on the quality of the glass and the maximum apertures. A lens that has a contant f-stop of f/2.8 will be far more expensive than a similar lens that has a lowest f-number of f/3.5-5.6 across its zoom range.
These lenses are great for candid photography and photojournalism, concert photography and architectural photography. They allow one to be very close to a subject and still capture a large slice of the scene. At shorter focal lengths, these lenses can and will distort an image, usually barreling it outward from the center.

Normal Lenses

The original normal lens was a prime—50mm on a full-frame camera. Today many kit lenses are referred to as normal zoom lenses. They generally feature a focal length of around 18-55mm (digital-only) or 24-80mm (full-frame).
Like wide and super wide-angle lenses, these lenses can really vary in price—but they are often more affordable than super wide/wide angle lenses and telephoto lenses partly because they may use smaller glass elements and, sometimes, fewer moving parts.

These lenses are a wonderful choice for shooting in just about any situation, hence their name. They are great for portrait, candid, travel, close-up, and sports photography.

Telephoto, Super Telephoto and Super-Zoom Lenses:
Telephoto lenses generally have a focal length of between 70-300mm for either digital-only or full-frame formats, while Super Telephoto lenses generally refers to lenses with focal lengths greater than 300mm. Super-Zoom Lenses are lenses that can start in the Wide-Angle or Normal range and generally go up to the Super Telephoto range of 300mm or greater.

These lenses vary greatly in price depending on their focal-length range, widest aperture, and quality of the glass. The high-end versions of these lenses are often some of the most expensive glassware out there because of the size of their glass elements and optical complexity.

These lenses are great for shooting sports, wildlife, and nature. Super-Zoom Lenses in particular are quite versatile and great for travel and casual photography.

Info Found At: popphoto.com

Photography Begins with the Lens

Unlike the proverbial question about whether the chicken or egg came first, your first equipment choice when "graduating" from a compact to a DSLR camera is the lens. Many a new DSLR photographer has made the mistake of being mesmerized by the features and capabilities of the camera instead of concentrating on choosing the right lens. In fact, before even concerning yourself with what lens to buy (and then DSLR camera), your first task is to determine what kind of photography you plan on shooting with a DSLR set-up.

If you've been a casual photographer with your compact camera, recording events and activities with family and friends, and want to improve the quality of those types of photos, then your first digital camera lens could be quite different than what a landscape, wildlife, architectural or fashion photographer. You may also be a photography student or an aspiring professional who wants to pursue a career as a wedding, portrait, fashion, product, sports or journalism photographer. Each of these requires quite, or slightly, different lens choices to capture the best photos in these genres.

The purpose of this PhotographyTalk guide is to teach you the "language" of digital camera lenses and to explain the primary types and which are best for various photography genres as well as technical concepts that are critical to spending your money wisely.

If DSLR photography and equipment is totally new to you, then you may find some phrases or concepts referenced during this guide unfamiliar. Be patient, these will be explained in due course, or in other PhotographyTalk buying guides.

Nikon D600 | Nikon D7100 | Nikon D800 | Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EOS-1D X

Learning the Code

As with most products, the manufacturers of digital camera lenses give their lens products names that include "coded" notations, or words, letters and numbers. Like any code, once you learn the basics, you'll be able to reduce significantly the list of lenses to compare before you decide which one to buy for your particular use.

Two examples will help to translate the lens' naming code:

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–300mm f/3.5–5.6G ED VR Lens

Within these names, there are five primary coded entries you should learn, plus a few others.

• Focal length, or range: The lens' angle of view, or how wide or narrow a view it provides of the scene or subject you want to photograph.
• 
  
• Sensor size: All lenses are compatible with specific camera models, according to their sensor size.
• 
  
• Aperture: The size of the lens opening, which dictates how much light will enter the lens and register on the camera's sensor.
• Image stabilization: A system included in the lens to compensate for any movement or vibration from holding the camera/lens in your hands or being attached to a tripod.
• 
  
• Lens mount: Describes the physical connection type that allows a lens to be attached to specific camera models.

Other lens specifications that may be found in their names include:

• Glass elements: Specific types of glass in the optical groupings inside the lens that aid in taking better photos.
• Internal motor type: Many lenses are built with motors that operate the auto-focus function.
• Lens quality: Some lenses include a letter that describes the quality of the design and manufacture of the lens, which then relates to price.

In the Nikon example above, "NIKKOR" is simply the brand name Nikon has given its lens products.

Focal Length

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–300mm f/3.5–5.6G ED VR Lens

The two examples above relate to the two major focal length types: fixed and zoom. A fixed, or prime, lens has one focal length, as in the Canon 50mm. The lens provides just one angle of view. In addition, a 50mm lens in the context of 35mm film photography is considered a "normal" view or one identical, or similar, to the angle of view of the human eye.

The Nikon lens example is a zoom lens with a range of focal lengths, 18–300mm, which can be selected with the zoom ring on the lens. The shortest length, 18mm, provides a considerably wider angle than the 50mm while the longest, 300mm, creates a much narrower angle of view than the 50mm. As you select a longer focal length (or narrower field of view), you also have a closer, or telescopic, view of a scene or subject, which means the Nikon lens example is also a telephoto lens. Some telephoto lenses also have fixed focal lengths, such as 200mm, 300mm, etc.

Focal length is also closely related to the sensor size of the camera, which also affects the angle of view of a particular lens.

Sensor Size

In traditional 35mm film photography, the size of the negative is 24mm x 36mm. A DSLR camera with a sensor that registers an image in the same size is known as a full-frame camera. Full-frame DSLRs are typically the most expensive cameras and are more likely to be used by professional photographers.

The camera manufacturers have also developed DSLR cameras with an APS-C sensor, which is approximately 24mm x 16mm, or less than half of the 35mm negative. APS-C is Advanced Photo System type-C. DSLR cameras with APS-C size sensors are generally less costly and are marketed to hobbyists, enthusiasts and amateurs who want the professional experience, but don't need the highest quality of full-frame cameras.

Each manufacturer designates its lenses for APS-C format cameras with the following code:

Canon: EF-S
Nikon: DX
Sony: DT
Pentax: DA
Sigma: DC
Tamron: Di-II
Tokina: DX

In the Nikon lens example at the beginning of this guide, Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–300mm f/3.5–5.6G ED VR Lens, "DX" signifies this lens as being built primarily for an APS-C camera.

The major camera manufacturers offer two sets of lenses: for full-frame cameras and APS-C cameras. As with APS-C sensor DSLRs, the compatible lenses are less costly than lenses for full-frame cameras. Hobbyists and enthusiasts are more likely to photograph a wider range of subject matter than professionals, who typically focus on one or two genres. Manufacturers, therefore, offer APS-C lenses for general-purpose photography, which means there are typically more zoom lenses than fixed focal length lenses. The professionals are more likely to use them.

It's important to remember that full-frame lenses are compatible with APS-C cameras, but APS-C lenses are not compatible with full-frame cameras. This is an important factor in your lens-buying decision, especially if you aspire to become a professional. If you buy an APS-C system of camera and lenses today, then you won't be able to use those lenses if you upgrade to a full-frame camera later.

More recently, there is a third type of DSLR camera, which is known as Micro Four Thirds, mirrorless or interchangeable lens system. In essence, these are miniature DSLR cameras, closer in size to compacts, but with more DSLR-like features. A Micro Four Thirds sensor size is typically 18 x 13.5mm. PhotographyTalk has created a separate buying guide with all the details of Micro Four Thirds cameras.

The following photo shows the angle of view for a selection of focal lengths, using a camera with an APS-C size sensor.

Another important characteristic of lenses is that the focal length, or angle of view, can be expressed in two ways, depending on what sensor-size camera is being used. For example, the major manufacturers often bundle an 18–55mm with their APS-C cameras for beginner DSLR photographers. With an APS-C sensor format, this lens is described as having a focal length range of 18–55mm. Attach this lens to a full-frame camera, however, and the angle of view changes; and in this case, becomes narrower. Remember, the sensor on a full-frame camera is approximately 1.5 times larger than an APS-C sensor, which, therefore, narrows the APS-C lens' angle of view. The 18–55mm lens is said to have a "35mm equivalent" of 28–90mm.

The following chart lists four lens categories and their equivalent angle of view in the three primary cameras, by sensor size.

Lens Type/Sensor Type	Full-frame (35mm)	APS-C	Four Thirds
Ultra wide angle	24mm and wider	16mm and wider	12mm and wider
Wide angle	28mm	18mm	14mm
Normal	50mm	30mm	25mm
Telephoto	80mm and longer	55mm and longer	42mm and longer

Aperture

Aperture refers to the size of the opening inside the lens. A series of thin leaves (8 for example) are arranged in a circular, overlapping pattern to create a diaphragm. Selecting various apertures opens and closes the diaphragm, permitting more or less light to enter the lens and camera and register on the sensor. The selection of apertures on a lens is known as "f" numbers, or f-stops: The smaller the f-stop, the larger the opening and vice versa.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–300mm f/3.5–5.6G ED VR Lens

In the lens examples, the Canon 50mm is designated as an f/1.2-aperture lens. This means its largest diaphragm opening is f/1.2. Since the smallest f-stop of the Nikon lens is f/3.5, its opening is not as large as the Canon lens. A lens with an f-stop of 1.2 is often described as a "fast" lens. This simply means that it's opening is so large that it will allow you to take acceptable photos in low-light conditions that the Nikon lens couldn't duplicate because its widest opening is smaller.

You may have also notice the letter "L" after the aperture, f/1.2, of the Canon lens name. Canon's L series of lenses are the best it makes.

The "G" in the Nikon lens name designates that it lacks an aperture ring. Instead, the lens has an electronic diaphragm control, so the camera sets the aperture, or f/stop. 

Depth of field is another concept with which you should be familiar when buying your first DSLR lens. It is simply how much of the depth of a photo is sharply in focus, from in front of and behind the focus point. An f/1.2 aperture creates a very narrow depth of field, which allows the photographer to isolate the subject from the background and give a photo more three-dimensionality.

Selecting a small f-stop (or wide aperture) gathers so much light that you can produce pleasing photos indoors without the use of a flash.

One of the reasons these two lenses were selected as examples is to explain that a "fast" lens, and with a fixed focal length, such as the Canon, will cost more and is generally a professional's lens. The Nikon lens has a wide selection of focal lengths, so it's a great choice for the hobbyist or amateur as a general-purpose lens. These photographers are less likely to need the low-light gathering and depth-of-field capabilities of the Canon lens and would have to spend 50% more than the Nikon lens for the privilege.

Image Stabilization

The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–300mm f/3.5–5.6G ED VR Lens

In the name of the Nikon example lens, "VR," signifies the lens has an image stabilization (IS) system built into the lens. For its lenses, Nikon calls this Vibration Reduction. Some manufacturers, Pentax and Olympus, put the IS system in the camera body instead of their lenses. All Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Samsung lenses include an IS system. Sony Alpha DSLR cameras, which are its APS-C and full-frame sensor cameras, are built with the company's "Super Steady Shot." Sony's NEX line is its Micro Four Thirds cameras. Sony places its "Optical Steady Shot" in the lenses for these cameras.

As mentioned above, image stabilization helps to steady your camera when you are shooting handheld at slow shutter speeds. Typically, trying to hold a long, telephoto lens at a slow shutter speed causes more shake, so whenever buying a telephoto lens, make sure it has an IS system.

Before deciding which manufacturer's camera and lenses to buy, check whether the IS system is built into the body or lens. You'll want it in one piece of equipment or the other.

As with the "VR" in the Nikon example lens, each manufacturer uses a different acronym for image stabilization, and you may find these in their lenses' names.

Canon: Image Stabilization (IS)
Nikon: Vibration Reduction (VR)
Panasonic and Samsung: Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
Sony (NEX cameras): Optical Steady Shot (OSS)
Sigma: Optical Stabilization (OS)
Tamron: Vibration Control (VC)

Lens Mount

Camera manufacturers have purposely designed different mounting systems, or the connection between the camera and lens. A Canon lens won't mount to a Nikon camera and vice versa. The marketing strategy of some manufacturers that concentrate on lens products, primarily Sigma, Tamron and Tokina, is to make each of their lenses with different mounts, so they can be used on most camera brands.

In the Canon lens example throughout this guide, "EF" in the Canon name means electronic F-type mount, which has been the company's standard since 1987.

The Canon EF50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

The following chart outlines virtually all of the lens mount descriptions you're apt to see when shopping for a lens.

Manufacturer	DSLR Camera	Four Thirds Camera	Comments
Canon	EF, EF-S	N/A	EF lenses are for full-frame cameras. EF-S lenses are built specifically for APS-C cameras.
Nikon	F	N/A	Some older Nikon lenses are not equipped with an autofocus motor, so autofocus will not work when these lenses are paired with Nikon's entry-level DSLR cameras.
Olympus/Panasonic	Four Thirds	Micro Four Thirds	Four Third DSLR lenses are compatible with Micro Four Thirds cameras with the use of an adapter; however, the autofocus may not be functional.
Pentax	KAF	N/A	Autofocus will not operate when combining newer Pentax lenses (with autofocus motors) with older DSLR cameras without the connection to power the AF motor.
Samsung	KAF	NX	An adapter must be used to connect Pentax K-mount DSLR lenses to NX cameras.
Sigma	SA	N/A	SA-series cameras can only use compatible Sigma lenses.
Sony	Alpha (A)	E	NEX E-mount cameras will accept Alpha DSLR lenses with the use of an adapter, but autofocus is not functional.

Other Lens Specifications

Glass Elements

All lenses are designed and manufactured with a number of glass elements in separate groups. The number of elements doesn't necessarily signify the quality of the lens. The Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens has 8 elements in 6 groups, but it is a small lens. The Nikon example lens (18–300mm f/3.5–5.6) has 19 elements in 14 groups, but that's because it is zoom lens with multiple focal lengths, so more glass is needed.

The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–300mm f/3.5–5.6G ED VR Lens

What is significant about the elements in the Nikon lens are the letters "ED" in its name. This means "Extra-low Dispersion" elements; this lens has three. These help to reduce optical distortions that occur because no glass element, regardless of how well it is made, is "perfect."

In addition, this Nikon lens also has three "aspherical" glass elements, which means the edges of the elements are flattened, instead of having the contour of a sphere or cylinder. Aspherical elements are added to a lens to reduce or eliminate various optical aberrations. Typically, aspherical elements help to create a much better image than a standard glass element shape.

Autofocus Motor

Most DSLR cameras or lens are equipped with a motor that operates the autofocus (AF) feature. When you point the lens at a subject, one or more sensors in the AF system "reads" the scene or subject you've framed and automatically focuses the lens. The speed of the AF motor and noise it produces bear some relationship to the quality of the lens. The fastest and quietest AF systems are generally in lenses for professional photographers because they need the lens to focus quickly and be virtually silent, so as not to spook wildlife, for example. There are various types of autofocus motors with unique specifications.

Screw-drive lenses: Instead of a motor inside the lens, it is housed in the camera and directs the focusing of the lens with a mechanical connection. These types of lenses are typically fast, but relatively noisy. Nikon, Pentax and Sony have had screw-drive lenses, but newer lenses coming on the market have internal motors. You wouldn't want to buy this type of lens if you were also considering buying a Nikon entry-level DSLR camera because they don't have motors and you wouldn't be able to autofocus the lens.
Micromotor drives are more likely to be included in lenses from third party manufacturers, such as Tamron and Tokina. A standard DC motor engages a gear mechanism, which then drives the focus. The speed and noise level of a micromotor drive is average at best.
The ultrasonic motor is the autofocus technology more manufacturers are building into their lens. This system is virtually silent when activated. Some ultrasonic motors are very similar to micromotors and are typically found in cheaper lenses. The better ultrasonic motors are known as ring-type. Serious amateurs and professional photographers want lenses with ring-type ultrasonic motors because they operate quickly, make no noise and allow for full-time manual override of the autofocus system.As with other parts of the "lens language," each manufacturer gives its ultrasonic motor a different code. The first appears in the Canon lens example for this guide.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

Canon: Ultrasonic Motor (USM)
Nikon: Silent Wave Motor (AF-S)
Olympus: Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD)
Pentax: Supersonic Drive Motor (SDM)
Sigma: Hypersonic Motor (HSM)
Sony: Supersonic Wave Motor (SSM)
Tamron: Ultrasonic Silent Drive (USD)

Lens Construction Quality

Not all lenses are created equal when it comes to the materials with which they are made or the quality of the construction, in terms of durability. Price is typically the determining factor. Less-costly lenses tend to be made of lighter plastic parts than high-priced lenses and generally more metal parts are incorporated into those professional-quality lenses. You're also more likely to find high quality lenses to be weather-sealed to stop water, dust and dirt from entering.

Standard Lens Categories

Moderate Zoom Lenses

These are good general-purpose lenses if you are new to DSLR photography, or a hobbyist or enthusiast looking for a range of focal lengths from wide angle to just the beginning of telephoto focal lengths. Many entry-level, APS-C DSLRs cameras are bundled with an 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 lens, a good starter lens. Some manufacturers' bundle deals will offer the option of upgrading to a larger zoom lens, such as a 16–105mm, for just a few more dollars.