Confuse on Camera Lens

[Paradigm812]

Hi All expert,

I am a newbie reporting. Didnt really have any experience on photography and start to like this art just recently when friends started to discuss on it.

I saw a good thread on basic photography on Shutter speed, apperture, ISO and metering.

However, i didnt see any thread talking about lens. I got very confuse about the number on the lens like 18-55, 100mm etc. Also saw like canon x1.6 and Nikkon x1.5

Dont really know whats that. Does anyone had any resource about lens? How to choose a lens? What type of lens to use? What are all the number about?

I am thinking of getting the Canon 550D. But dont know what lens to get for beginner like me. I will like to take landscape photo (Mountains & building) and close up insects.

Hope all senior out there can help. Thanks a lot in advance. Have a nice day

 

[jed091270]

Hi All expert,

I am a newbie reporting. Didnt really have any experience on photography and start to like this art just recently when friends started to discuss on it.

I saw a good thread on basic photography on Shutter speed, apperture, ISO and metering.

However, i didnt see any thread talking about lens. I got very confuse about the number on the lens like 18-55, 100mm etc. Also saw like canon x1.6 and Nikkon x1.5

Dont really know whats that. Does anyone had any resource about lens? How to choose a lens? What type of lens to use? What are all the number about?

I am thinking of getting the Canon 550D. But dont know what lens to get for beginner like me. I will like to take landscape photo (Mountains & building) and close up insects.

Hope all senior out there can help. Thanks a lot in advance. Have a nice day

Just an advice bro. Look at the forum for newbies.....also try shooting with kit lens like 18-55mm 0r 18-200mm. for close up on insects its called macro shooting which you will need a lens like 90mm 2.8...welcome to CS!!!

 

[tunge]

you are rushing into things bro... my advice is to read more, browse around the forum, read other's threads, slowly u'd learn more. also remember Google is a much faster an easier way to get answers. cheers

 

[sinned79]

However, i didnt see any thread talking about lens. I got very confuse about the number on the lens like 18-55, 100mm etc. Also saw like canon x1.6 and Nikkon x1.5

i am not an expert but should be able to answer your questions here in layman terms.

18-55mm , 100mm etc is refering to the focal length of the lens. in point and shoot world, this is known as zoom. the bigger the number, the more upclose to your subject. but in DSLR world, we dun call it zoom anymore.

canon 1.6 refers to the sensor size of the camera with a crop factor of 1.6. So if you are using a 100mm lens on a cropped camera body (eg 550D, 50D, 7D) its actually 160mm (since u will multiply this 100mm by 1.6) that u are shooting.

like wise for nikon, their crop factor is 1.5 instead of 1.6 so if u are using a 100mm lens on a crop body (i am not familiar with nikon, so no examples here), then u are actually shooting 150mm.

in order to shoot what u get (100mm means 100mm), u need a full frame camera body like canon 5D or 1Ds.

for a start, i think 18-55 kit lens is good for u to start. You need not get any lens for now until u learn some basics (ISO, aperture, shutter speed etc) and wishes to upgrade your lens.

hope this makes your understanding easier.

 

[ovaltinemilo]

Hi, do try to read up more..if not, sinned79 has already answer your questions...but guess you would still need to read up to digest the info here

 

[Paradigm812]

Thanks Sinned79

BTW, What does the 160mm imply? How far can i shot on a landscape? 160mm is only 16cm. Does it mean i can only shot a distance of 16cm??? Very confuse...hahaha

I intend to get the 550D which have 2 option for me. EF-S 18-55 IS and EF-S 18-135 IS which is about $300 differences. So whats the different between the 2? Is the larger the number the better on the lense? So can i say 18-135 is better than 18-55 in terms of landscpae photo shot? What does the IS stands for?

So for beginning, can i just get the 18-135 IS with another micro lens? What type of micro lens should i use? Think i will stick with just this 2 lenses and 550D.

Thanks a lot for your advise.....

 

[sinned79]

Thanks Sinned79

BTW, What does the 160mm imply? How far can i shot on a landscape? 160mm is only 16cm. Does it mean i can only shot a distance of 16cm??? Very confuse...hahaha

I intend to get the 550D which have 2 option for me. EF-S 18-55 IS and EF-S 18-135 IS which is about $300 differences. So whats the different between the 2? Is the larger the number the better on the lense? So can i say 18-135 is better than 18-55 in terms of landscpae photo shot? What does the IS stands for?

So for beginning, can i just get the 18-135 IS with another micro lens? What type of micro lens should i use? Think i will stick with just this 2 lenses and 550D.

Thanks a lot for your advise.....

mm is not the distance mm (not millimeters)... its a different measurement.

i will say go for 18-135... then u got a bigger range of focal length to choose from.

IS (Image Stablizer) means anti shake in layman terms.

 

[sinned79]

check out this page:
http://www.digital-slr-guide.com/focal-length.html

scroll down for pictorial example.

the smaller the mm (example 17mm), we call it the wider the lens.

 

[qwerty628]

Ok. No jargon rough intro on lenses.
The numbers on the lenses are quite important.

There is the focal length, can run from anything from 8mm to 1200mm. These determine the angle of view and reach of the lens.

Lens with only one single fixed focal length like say 100mm = prime lens. These lenses have no zoom but are typically'fast' lenses with super large max aperture like say f1.2. These lenses are ideal for low light work

Then you have your zoom lenses. Their focal length can be like say 18-55 or 70-200 etc. Wanna know how much zoom? Take the larger number divide by the smaller number and you get the x number of times your lens can zoom. Say a free 18-55 lens that comes with most dslr. Take 55 divide 18. And that is the amt of zoom on the 18-55 lens which is like ard 3x.

Focal length also determine how far or how wide lens goes. 50mm is standard focal length and is the field of view of the eyes thats typically in focus. Anything smaller than 50mm is wide angle while anything larger is telephoto. Simple terms? Smaller number=wider angle of view, larger number=longer reach. 28mm is a decent length for wide angle landscape stuff while 200mm is a decent long range focal length.

Then you have your maximum aperture on your lens. These are determined f stop number (google 'aperture' before attempting to comprehend what i'm trying to say) on your lens. The maximum aperture is represented by numbers like f4 or f2.8. The maximum aperture number must have a 'f' in front of it or its not the max aperture number. These numbers determine the maximum apeeture of the lens. The smaller the number, the larger the max aperture. The larger the max aperture, the better as the lens can let in more light with large aperture which makes life much easier in low light. Larger aperture also gives you thinner depth of field(again you have to google that one, its another long explanation)

Some lenses have variable max apertures. These lenses max aperture vary from focal length. The longer the focal length, the smaller your max aperture(number become larger). Example: an 18-55 lens has max aperture of f3.5-5.6. This means that at its widest focal length which is 18mm, the max aperture is f3.5 which is larger, while at 55mm, the max aperture decreases to f5.6 which is smaller. Smaller aperture=less light let in, larger aperture=more light. Aperture also affect something called depth of field but as i mentioned earlier, you need to google that one. I'm lazy to explain

'1.5x nikon 1.6x canon' are simply something called crop factor. Most consumer dslr have smaller 'aps-c' sized sensors. The smaller sensor means that when you mount a lens on a consumer dslr, the focal length of the lens is multiplied(i'm lazy to explain why) For canon, multiply by 1.6x, olympus 2x, everyone else like nikon pentax sony etc 1.5x. So a 18-55mm lens on a canon consumer dslr like 550d will have a focal length of 28.9mm to 88mm.

Its a bit long winded i know. But hope it helps

 

[qwerty628]

wah, other bros answer question alr while i slowly type on phone.

Type so long for nth when question answered le:cry::bsmilie::bsmilie:

 

[ArcticFox]

However, i didnt see any thread talking about lens. I got very confuse about the number on the lens like 18-55, 100mm etc.

The numbers on the lens represent the focal length (i.e how wide or narrow it is, the smaller it is the wider the view is and vice versa.) When there is two number separated by a dash it suggests that is a zoom lens. So, it has a focal length from the first number to the second number. A lens with a number alone suggests it is a prime lens thus there's no zooming.

Also saw like canon x1.6 and Nikkon x1.5

This is the specification of a camera. As lower-range camera does not have a full size sensor like those on a full frame camera. The focal length for example 50mm has to be multiplied by 1.6x (depending on camera) to get the actual (effective) focal length to compare.

I am thinking of getting the Canon 550D. But dont know what lens to get for beginner like me. I will like to take landscape photo (Mountains & building) and close up insects.

For beginner, the kit lens is the best before getting/upgrading to better lens when you are sure what you are into. Any lens is capable of shooting anything. For example your kit lens can take picture of insects, but you would not be able to go that close (due to its specs), a Macro lens is capable of going really close to shot insects/ small objects.

 

[Paradigm812]

Hi Bro qwerty, Thanks a lot for you explaination lah....You effort is not going to waste. I had read and understand. Thanks a lot

Can you suggest a decent mirco len for Canon 550D??

 

[hori]

Hi All expert,

I am a newbie reporting. Didnt really have any experience on photography and start to like this art just recently when friends started to discuss on it.

I saw a good thread on basic photography on Shutter speed, apperture, ISO and metering.

However, i didnt see any thread talking about lens. I got very confuse about the number on the lens like 18-55, 100mm etc. Also saw like canon x1.6 and Nikkon x1.5

Dont really know whats that. Does anyone had any resource about lens? How to choose a lens? What type of lens to use? What are all the number about?

I am thinking of getting the Canon 550D. But dont know what lens to get for beginner like me. I will like to take landscape photo (Mountains & building) and close up insects.

Hope all senior out there can help. Thanks a lot in advance. Have a nice day

1.6x is the crop factor. The sensor for non-full frame cameras is smaller than a full frame camera. For Canon, full frame cameras are 1D, 1Ds, 5D. Cropped cameras are the XXD (50D), XXXD (550D) and the XXXXD (1000D). Here is a good explanation of the crop factor (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/dslr-mag.shtml).

I think everyone here would tell you to read more on photography. I will comment the same as well, in addition borrow from your DSLR-owning friend to practice if you have one friend who owns one. If you are feeling rich, get into the 'buy buy buy' syndrome at ClubSnap and buy the 550D with a kit lens. Once you grow out of the kit lens/body, upgrade to the next level. Repeat action till you own the top-range gear in the brand you have chosen.

 

[sinned79]

1.6x is the crop factor. The sensor for non-full frame cameras is smaller than a full frame camera. For Canon, full frame cameras are 1D, 1Ds, 5D. Cropped cameras are the XXD (50D), XXXD (550D) and the XXXXD (1000D). Here is a good explanation of the crop factor (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/dslr-mag.shtml).

correction... i dun think 1D is consider full frame.

 

[daredevil123]

Hi All expert,

I am a newbie reporting. Didnt really have any experience on photography and start to like this art just recently when friends started to discuss on it.

I saw a good thread on basic photography on Shutter speed, apperture, ISO and metering.

However, i didnt see any thread talking about lens. I got very confuse about the number on the lens like 18-55, 100mm etc. Also saw like canon x1.6 and Nikkon x1.5

Dont really know whats that. Does anyone had any resource about lens? How to choose a lens? What type of lens to use? What are all the number about?

I am thinking of getting the Canon 550D. But dont know what lens to get for beginner like me. I will like to take landscape photo (Mountains & building) and close up insects.

Hope all senior out there can help. Thanks a lot in advance. Have a nice day

If you do not understand those numbers, you should not consider to buy lenses.

Shoot more with your kit lens first. And read more about basic photography. Buy books, or visit the library and borrow books. That is what you should do first instead of jumping the gun.

 

[Numnumball]

Hi All expert,

I am a newbie reporting. Didnt really have any experience on photography and start to like this art just recently when friends started to discuss on it.

I saw a good thread on basic photography on Shutter speed, apperture, ISO and metering.

However, i didnt see any thread talking about lens. I got very confuse about the number on the lens like 18-55, 100mm etc. Also saw like canon x1.6 and Nikkon x1.5

Dont really know whats that. Does anyone had any resource about lens? How to choose a lens? What type of lens to use? What are all the number about?

I am thinking of getting the Canon 550D. But dont know what lens to get for beginner like me. I will like to take landscape photo (Mountains & building) and close up insects.

Hope all senior out there can help. Thanks a lot in advance. Have a nice day

hi,

Welcome onboard.

To address ur qs.

Lens in mm making reference to the focal length.

f no.s refers to aperture openings within the lens itself, it comes in constant and variable.

Thought the thread stickied in this sub forum already explained in great detail ard??

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309544

1.6 and 1.5 X are the crop factor for Nikon DX/Caon APS-C smaller sensor respectively when u coupled it with Full frame lenses, which meants the field of view changes.

Will advise u to get the kit lens first before u explore, brush up ur basic knowledge of photography and make full use of the search function in CS and the wonderful best friend of most - "google"

HTH

 

[sinned79]

anyway dun spent too much on reading. u will learn faster by going practical. ;p

 

[sherchoo]

Can you suggest a decent mirco len for Canon 550D??

Hi,

When you mentioned 'micro', did you mean 'macro'? I'm assuming that you're interested to take close up pictures like insects? If you are, there are some (actually many) threads talking about it. The question you would want to address yourself is what kind of subjects are you intending to take. Next is budget. Recommendation for macro lens usually boils down to these factors.

If you're googling the info, you might want to make sure that the manigifcation ratio should be 1:1, then it's considered a macro lens. don't be fooled by some lenses claming that they are macro lens but maginifcation ration is only 1:4. Just something for your to look out for.

 

[qwerty628]

Hi Bro qwerty, Thanks a lot for you explaination lah....You effort is not going to waste. I had read and understand. Thanks a lot

Can you suggest a decent mirco len for Canon 550D??

Haha. Just kidding la

Canon doesn't call it micro. In fact only nikon calls it micro if im nt wrong. The rest calls it macro. Te 18-55mm kit lens has a decent close focusing capability which may be good enuf for you. 0.25m min. focus dist. if im nt wrong.

If you really wanna go into macro the ef-s 60mm macro is a really good lens.

 

[qwerty628]

correction... i dun think 1D is consider full frame.

extra a bit...only 1ds and 5d is full frame. 1d is 1.3 crop.