If you’re buying a used camera or lens, it’s a good idea to give it a thorough going over to make sure everything works before handing over your cold, hard cash. The next words are ZOOM LENS which simply means it is a zoom lens. To the right of the distance indicator window is the letter N, meaning the lens has Nikon's Nano Crystal Coat, an incredibly effective anti-reflective coating. It usually occurs near the edges of a photograph. }. And EF is for full frame camera. Most of the other camera controls you’ll find here also apply to Video mode, including changing exposure and locking camera settings. This stands for Image Stabilization. EF-S lens are used mostly in APS-C (Advanced Photo System type-C) camera like Canon EOS 80D. You can, however, capture images without a camera body if you were so inclined. MTF charts can give you a better understanding of the optical quality of various NIKKOR lenses, and can be useful references when researching, comparing and purchasing a lens. Your camera lens' maximum aperture number, measured in "f-numbers" or "f-stops", is usually indicated in the same manner on every lens. Struggling with finding the best types of camera lenses and their uses? In the above image we can see a switch which says "AF and MF". 50mm. It is a PRIME lens as it has a fixed focal length of 50mm. If you remove the lens from your camera, the only kind of image you can produce is white light. On your Nikkor or Nikon lens, you will see the lens’ maximum aperture number or f-number expressed in a 1-semicolon-number format. Though this lens has a 3.5 aperture it is still not great for low light scenarios. A camera lens' focal length (the distance from the lens' most focused image to the camera's sensor itself) is written in millimetres. For that, you'll need to know the lens diameter. This lens has a minimum focal length of 18mm and maximum focal length of 55mm. They don't have the same image quality as a full-frame sensor, but still boast better image quality compared to a device such as a smartphone. }. Lenses that lack zoom functionality (such as a portrait lens with a fixed focal length of 35mm) have a single focal length, while zoom lenses use two numbers (such as 18-55mm) to indicate the range of a lens' focal length. Even just a tiny particle of dust can be enough to cause communication problems between the lens and camera. Low dispersion lenses seek to eliminate the issue of chromatic aberration, a trait in cameras that results in photos with colours ending up misaligned due to imperfect light refraction. MTF charts can be found on the webpages dedicated to each NIKKOR lens on the www.nikonusa.com website. Its a motor in Canon lens which allows the camera to adjust focus without making much noise. Portrait Mode Portrait mode is available on iPhones with dual- and triple-lens camera systems, like the iPhone X, XS, and 11 families. Once you know what you’re looking for, and know how different companies brand identical features, it isn’t too difficult to figure out what type of lens you need. Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division December 2008 Preface „ The rules of optics are complex and nasty! Camera lenses explained: Focal length multiplier As mentioned earlier, a prime lens's focal length is fixed. Professional-grade lenses are designed to be both incredibly accurate as well as more durable than consumer-grade lenses. And when we set it to OFF mode then the Image Stabilizer is turned off. If you are planning to shot video or picture in low light environment then consider getting a lower aperture number lens like 2.4 or 1.8 or smaller. Image stabilisation allows for sharper images, especially when you're shooting with wider apertures, compared to lenses without image stabilisation. In order to take advantage of the entire sensor, you'll need a full-frame lens. And since it is a zoom lens so, we have variable focal length for this lens. And if you have a lets say 700mm lens then its a long lens and it has a narrow angle of view. A camera lens denotes the aperture range you can use, the possible depth of field and the focusing distance. The ‘0’ in the bottom left-hand corner is the centre of the lens. I find that mirrorless cameras “ This is a nice, honest sentence from an internet discussion about ‚How to read … Now you can get the top stories from Lifehacker delivered to your inbox. For full-frame (36x24mm) cameras, the distance from the centre to the extreme edge is 21.6mm. The full form of EF-S is "Electro Focus S" where "S" in EF-S comes from "Small image circle", meaning a camera with a smaller sensor compared to full frame sensor. In the above picture we have the following text. You can read up on the nuances of full-frame cameras and lenses if the thought of higher image quality (and more expensive equipment) appeals to you. A camera lens really only has one job, which is to focus light beams onto your imaging chip. This is great for shooting videos as the lens won't be making noise when the camera makes auto focus on moving subject. Wide-angle lenses are incredibly popular for landscape photographers, but they can be very tricky to use. Optical image stabilisation is a feature found in both lenses and camera bodies that attempts to counteract vibrations and other tiny movements that could lead to a blurry photo. There's a right way and a wrong way to clean your camera lens. Yes, I wish to receive exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions from our partners. The aperture range can vary anywhere from f/1.0 to f/22 depending on the lens. And since this is a ZOOM LENS so we have a variable focal length. The focal length describes the lens’ field of view. The next set of numbers denote the aperture or the iris of the lens. If you're using a zoom lens, you'll instead see a maximum aperture range, like f/3.5-4.5. Next, remove the lens and set it aside. The aperture range can vary anywhere from f/1.0 to f/22 depending on the lens. Here is everything you need to know about each type of lens available in the market. if (typeof siteads.queue !== 'undefined') { By moving the lens farther from the image sensor inside the camera body, the zoom increases because a smaller portion of the scene strikes the image sensor, resulting in magnification. Lenses with low apertures (which allow for more light to hit the sensor) also produce that blurred "bokeh" effect, perfect for portraits. A wide-angle lens may have a focal length of 18mm or 24mm, while a telephoto lens may be 100mm, 200mm, 400mm etc. The aperture on a camera lens functions much like your pupils, opening in accordance with how much light you want to hit the camera's sensor. Photographers are always trying to stay one step ahead of the pack when it comes to making images. However, the score does not reflect the intrinsic quality of the camera sensor. Here are the abbreviations you'll find in these brands: Full-frame cameras use larger, full-frame sensors, which allows for more light to enter the camera and higher-quality photos to be produced. if (typeof siteads.queue !== 'undefined') { Some full-frame cameras support cropped lenses, but that cropped lens, designed for a smaller sensor, will result in a photo that uses less of the full-frame sensor's area. The more interesting features of a camera lens are often obscured behind brand-specific lingo. Automatic focus (relying either on a slower focusing motor or a higher-end, quieter "ultrasonic motor") lets you keep your subject in focus without manually adjusting the camera's depth of field yourself. Enjoy these free photographer resources and free download. MACRO here means how close we can get to the subject. "Right above the focusing ring and next to the Nikon name is the distance indicator window, which tells you in feet and meters where the lens is focused at any given point. As simple as that sounds, there’s a hell of a lot of science that goes into lens design. A camera can’t focus without a lens or capture any image at all. What the are: The kit lens your DSLR or interchangeable lens mirrorless camera came with is probably an example of a standard zoom lens, covering a … In the above image we have a CANON lens. However, if you take a 50mm lens and put it on an APS-C format camera … MF stands for Manual Focus and when the lens is set to MF mode then we have to adjust the focus. if (typeof siteads.queue !== 'undefined') { While the abbreviations may vary from camera to camera, the technology behind the features is largely identical. The higher something is charted on the vertical axis, the higher the lens’ performance in … You can use filters on your camera lens to reduce glare or filter out colours to achieve some cool effects. chasg @Steve: I've been cleaning my own sensors for about 15 years now. AF stands for Auto Focus and when the lens is set to AF mode then the lens performs the focusing for you. This lens has a fixed 1.4 aperture which makes it a great lens for low light shooting of pictures. Remember: Smaller the aperture number more the light allowed to enter by the lens. If you are shooting video then keep the Stabilizer ON. In many cases, upgrading your lens will probably make a … Lets break the text into pieces and see their meaning. If you see a lens with a switch labelled "AF/MF", that means you'll be able to quickly enable the feature - or disable, if you're going for a particular look in your photographs, or want more control over the image's depth of field in a controlled environment such as a studio. All rights reserved. A camera lens (also known as photographic lens or photographic objective) is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically. But