If you want a better lens, then buy a lens that costs three yuan and get it right in one go. But they are expensive, with each lens costing more than 10,000 yuan.
Digital camera lenses are divided into full-frame and non-full-frame lenses. If you buy a non-full-frame lens now, then you'd better buy a non-full-frame body, because there will be vignetting when used on a full-frame body, which will eat up part of the focal length.
When shooting landscapes, meetings and other larger scenes, use a wide-angle lens. The 12-24mm in the big three yuan is. The smaller the number on the focal length of the lens, the wider the focal length.
Generally, when taking pictures, whether of people or landscapes, just use the mid-focus range. 24-70mm focal length.
If you want to take pictures of animals, birds, athletes or actors in the distance, or even candid photos of beauties on the street, you need a telephoto lens, 70-200mm, or 200 or more.
There are also fixed focus lenses, macro lenses, and tilt-shift lenses.
Lens parameters
Whether it is a lens used for traditional film SLR cameras or an increasingly popular special lens for digital SLR cameras, the text on the lens logo basically contains the lens Attributes, focal length parameters, aperture parameters, characteristics and other information. In detail, the above four points can be summarized as:
Lens attributes: usually indicates whether the lens is an AF mount or an EF mount, and usually also includes some identification of lens categories;
Focal length parameter: Indicates the focal length range of the lens, in mm;
Aperture parameter: Indicates the maximum aperture coefficient of the lens, and some lenses also indicate the minimum aperture coefficient of the lens;
What it has Features: Indicates the special technologies used in the lens, etc.; this is also the focus of explanation in the following article.
This information is usually expressed in the form of "CANON ZOOM LENS EF-S 10 -22mm 1: 3.5-4.5 USM". Based on this information, we can determine the complete parameters of this lens: Canon's original EF-S electronic mount automatic zoom lens; focal length range 10-22mm (super wide-angle 2x zoom); maximum aperture coefficient 3.5-4.5; using USM ultrasonic motor.
In addition, the version serial number is also one of the common identification text contents. It indicates that the lens is among lenses of the same specification, and mainly indicates which generation of product it belongs to.
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The first thing people get to know about different lenses must be its focal length. How to identify and understand the commonly used ranges of different focal lengths is the most basic knowledge that needs to be mastered. .
Focal length introduction:
The focal length of about 10mm is a super wide-angle focal length. Mainly used for landscape photography, documentary photography, etc. The angle of the photo is very large and very impactful.
The focal length of about 24mm is a small wide-angle, mainly used for landscape photography, documentary photography, etc. This focal length is good for travel souvenir photos.
The focal length of about 50mm is a standard focal length with an approachable viewing angle and less distortion. It is mainly used for landscape photography, portrait photography, documentary photography, etc.
The focal length of about 85mm is a medium focal length. This focal length is mainly used for shooting portraits, still life, etc.
The focal length around 200mm is the telephoto length. This focal length is often used for snapshots, close-ups, etc.
The focal length of about 500mm is a super long focal length. This focal length can be used to shoot birds, that is, to photograph birds.
The ultra-telephoto of more than 500mm makes hunting birds more convenient, and it is easy to take secret photos from a distance in a playground.
Telephoto and super telephoto are often used in sports photography.
Concluding remarks:
There are usually several data on the lens: focal length (segment)\aperture\closest focus point (PS: many do not have this parameter now)
< p>For example: the parameters of a certain lens are "18-50mm F2.8-3.5 0.5m-∝". That is to say, the focal length of this lens is 18-50mm, the maximum aperture at the 18mm wide-angle end is 2.8, the maximum aperture at 50mm is 3.5, and the closest focus point (wide-angle end) is 0.5 meters.The basic parameters are the same regardless of the brand. As for other words, such as usm, macro, etc., please refer to the description of each brand.
Generally, the larger the aperture, the better. Wide angle is more expensive than standard, cannon telephoto is more expensive, and constant aperture is better than non-constant. In addition, there are many other parameters, such as whether there is dispersion. Sheet, metal or plastic, whether there is MACRO, etc., there are too many influencing factors.
Furthermore, use wide angle for landscapes, medium focus for portraits, and telephoto for bird hunting or sports situations. This is just the most basic statement.
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Among SLR lenses, Canon and Nikon products account for the majority, and other products such as Pentax, Sigma, and Tokina ( Well-known brands such as Tokina and Tamron also have their own niche. The following will systematically introduce the meaning of the logos of the above brand lenses.
CANON: Canon
AL: Aspherical lens, the full English name is Aspherical. Canon lenses marked with this "AL" text indicate that they are designed with non-spherical lenses. The purpose of this is to reduce the number of lenses, which can provide better optical performance while reducing weight and volume. Aspherical lenses are generally used to solve problems such as glare and edge distortion in wide-angle and zoom lenses. In addition, the optical quality can also be improved in telephoto lenses. Pentax lenses also use "AL" to indicate the use of aspherical lenses.
DO: Diffractive Optics, the full English name is Diffractive Optical. Canon lenses marked with this "DO" text are equipped with multi-layer diffractive optical lenses that have the characteristics of both fluorite and aspherical lenses. Simply understand, this "DO" logo generally belongs to high-end Canon lenses.
EF: Electronic bayonet, the full English name is Electronic Focusing. This is an electronic autofocus lens used exclusively by Canon for its EOS series cameras, and it is our more common Canon lens. It can be applied to full-frame and APS-frame Canon SLRs and DSLRs. Its distinctive feature is that there is a red dot at the interface for aligning with the fuselage card position.
EF-S: A dedicated electronic mount for APS format digital SLRs. This is an electronic lens specially designed by Canon for its APS format digital SLR cameras, and it is also our most common Canon lens. It can only be applied to Canon DSLRs with APS format. Its distinctive feature is that there is a white square at the interface for aligning with the card position on the body.
EMD: electromagnetic diaphragm, the full English name is Electromagnetic Diaphragm. Lenses with this technology can electronically control the opening and closing of the aperture.
Float: Floating function, the full English name is Floating System. This is Canon's approach to lens design. When shooting at close range, the lens with floating design will compensate for the aberration at close range to obtain better image quality.
FP: Focus Preset, the full English name is Focus Preset. Lenses with this logo are generally Canon's high-end professional lenses. The focus preset function allows the lens to memorize a certain focus distance. After setting the distance, the lens can automatically return to the set focus distance. This focus recovery function is also effective even in manual focus mode.
FT-M: full-time manual, the full English name is Full time Manual. With a full-time manual Canon lens, you can manually adjust the lens focus in the AF (autofocus) state.
IS: Image Stabilizer, the full English name is Image Stabilizer. This type of lens is equipped with Canon's unique image stabilizer, which can offset image blur caused by hand shake within a certain range. This is also one of the common logos of Canon's high-end professional lenses.
L: Luxury, the full English name is Luxury. It will only appear in Canon's professional lens identification information and is the symbol of top-grade Canon consumer lenses.
This type of lens usually has a red decorative ring on the front, which is what we often call the "red ring head".
S-UD: S-UD glass, the full English name is Super-UD glass. This marking indicates that the lens uses S-UD glass. The optical performance of S-UD glass is close to that of fluorite, and the effect of one S-UD lens is equivalent to that of one fluorite lens.
UD: UD glass, the full English name is UD glass. This marking indicates that the lens uses UD glass. The optical performance of UD glass is close to that of fluorite, and two UD lenses have the same effect as one fluorite lens.
USM: Ultrasonic motor, the full English name is Ultra-Sonic Motor. Lenses using USM technology enable silent, responsive autofocus. In addition, lenses marked with "Ultrasonic" also refer to the use of ultrasonic motors.
Example description: (I use Canon, so I found several examples)
EF-S 17-85mm F/4-5.6 IS USM
Among them EF-S is a lens specially designed for digital SLR frames (commonly known as digital cameras). This type of lens cannot be used on full-frame cameras, such as Canon 5D. Suitable for 400D, 40D and other APS-C format models.
17-85mm This is the focal length of the lens. Shooting ranges from 17mm to 85mm. Generally speaking, the larger the focal length, the wider the shooting range. One end can be used for multiple purposes. But the image quality is often more average. (It is impossible for a good lens design to optimize imaging at all focal lengths)
F/4-5.6 This part refers to the maximum aperture value range of the lens’s closest focal length and farthest focal length. In theory, The larger the aperture value, the better, but the cost will be higher. (This value is more important in lens selection)
IS This mark indicates that the lens has an anti-shake function, which can improve shooting stability to a certain extent (note that it is only to a certain extent and cannot be excessive) Dependent)
USM This mark indicates that this lens is driven by an ultrasonic motor to focus, with high speed and low noise. Generally new lenses have this indicator.
EF 17-40MM F/4L USM
EF states that this lens is suitable for use with all Canon cameras.
17-40MM This indicator is obviously smaller than the previous indicator, but the imaging quality is determined by this indicator.
F/4L There is only one 4 in it, indicating that this lens has a constant aperture, and the maximum value is 4. Theoretically, the larger the value, the wider the shooting range! For example, 2.8. (In addition, the letter L indicates that this lens is made of fluorite glass, a product logo that Canon is proud of! The L is a cow lens, and there is a red circle on the front of the lens. In other words, if there is a red circle and the L logo, it is a good lens. , and the price is also expensive! )
EF 85MM F/1.2L II USM
EF full-frame lens.
85MM means that the lens has only one focal length, not the zoom lens above.
F/1.2L The 1.2 here means the maximum aperture of 1.2 (Canon’s best masterpiece), which is advertised as a high-end model in the lens industry. L red circle
II indicates that this lens is a second-generation product with improved performance.
Although this lens only has a focal length range, its price is more than the combined price of the above two lenses. It can be said to be Canon’s mirror king! ! ! !
Extracurricular question: Please interpret the complete parameters of EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Special for Canon EOS cameras;
EF electronic mount automatic zoom lens ;
Focal length range 24-105mm;
Maximum aperture factor 4;
Red circle deluxe version lens;
With image stabilizer ;
Using USM ultrasonic motor.
Nikon: Nikon
AF: Autofocus lens, the full English name is Auto Focus.
This type of lens can achieve autofocus when used with a body with an AF function; for bodies that are compatible with AF and MF (full manual focus) mounts, the AF lens usually loses its autofocus capability when used on an MF body. Of course, such logos also appear on Minolta, Olympus and Pentax lenses to express the same meaning.
AF-S: SWM motor autofocus. Nikon lenses with this logo indicate that they use SWM motors.
ASP: Aspherical lens, the full English name is Aspherical. Nikon's "ASP" and Canon's "AL" express the same meaning, that is, the lens uses non-spherical lenses in the design, thereby reducing the number of lenses, while reducing weight and volume, it can provide Better optical performance. Aspherical lenses are generally used to solve problems such as glare and edge distortion in wide-angle and zoom lenses, and can also improve optical quality in telephoto lenses. Similarly, Minolta, Tamron and Sigma also use "ASP" to indicate that their lenses use aspherical elements.
CRC: Close Range Correction System, the full English name is Close Range Correction. It has the same function as Canon's floating system.
D: Distance information, the full English name is Distance. Nikon lenses with this logo can transfer shooting distance parameters to the camera body for 3D matrix metering and flash control.
DX: DX series lenses. This type of lens is an APS-frame lens produced by Nikon specifically for DSLRs and cannot be used on full-frame models. In addition, the "IX" logo is also used by Nikon for its APS format lenses.
ED: Ultra-low dispersion, the full English name is Extra-Low Dispersion. Nikon lenses with this logo adopt an apochromatic design and use special low-dispersion glass lenses to reduce chromatic aberration, thereby improving the image quality of telephoto lenses, improving contrast and improving clarity. Pentax lenses also use the word "ED" as a sign of their use of ultra-low dispersion technology.
IF: Internal focusing function, the full English name is Internal Fousing. Conventional lenses achieve focusing by moving the entire lens system or moving the front lens group. Among telephoto and telephoto macro lenses, lenses marked with "IF" achieve focusing by moving the lens group inside the lens, greatly improving macro capabilities. The advantage of using the internal focusing function is that the actual size of the lens does not change at any focus point. The same function as "IF" is the "RF" (rear focus) function. Sigma, Tamron and Tokina also use "IF" or "RF" to refer to the internal focusing function.
M/A: Manual/Auto focusing mode, the full English name is Manual/Auto focusing. Nikon lenses with this logo have a manual/automatic focus switching function.
NIC: Nikon Integrated Coating, the full English name is Nikon Integrated Coating. It means that the lens of this lens uses Nikon's unique coating technology.
SIC: Nikon Super Integrated Coating, the full English name is Super Nikon Integrated Coating. It is an improved version of NIC coating technology.
SWM: Ultrasonic motor, the full English name is Silent Wave Motor. It is Nikon's unique ultrasonic motor zoom technology that enables silent and fast-response autofocus.
VR: Vibration reduction function, the full English name is Vibration Reduction. This is Nikon's unique lens anti-shake technology. Like Canon's "IS", Nikon lenses with the "VR" logo can offset image blur caused by hand shake within a certain range.
Example description:
AF 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR
Nikon camera autofocus lens; focal length range 80-400mm; maximum aperture Coefficient 4.5-5.6; has distance information prediction function; uses ultra-low dispersion lenses; has vibration reduction function.
Pentax: Pentax
SMC: Super multi-layer coating, the full English name is Super Mluti Coating. Lenses marked with "SMC" indicate that they use Pentax's unique lens coating technology, which helps improve image quality.
Example description:
smc PENTAX-DA 50mm-200mm F4-5.6 ED
Has super multi-layer coating Pentax camera autofocus lens; focal length range 50 - 200mm; maximum aperture factor 4-5.6; uses aspherical lenses.
Sigma: Sigma
APO: APO lens, the full English name is Apochromatic. Such a logo indicates that this Sigma lens adopts an apochromatic design and uses a special low-dispersion glass lens to reduce chromatic aberration, thereby improving the image quality of the telephoto lens, improving contrast and improving clarity.
DF: Dual focus, the full English name is Dual Focus. This type of Sigma lens has a focus ring that does not rotate during autofocus and moderate damping during manual focus, so it has good grip performance.
DG: Special lens for digital SLR, the full English name is Digital Group. The focal length range of these Sigma lenses is suitable for DSLR use.
DL: Deluxe version, full name in English is DeLuxe. Although the price of this type of Sigma lens is not too high, it has all the functions. Like other Sigma lenses, it is equipped with a dedicated lens hood with half-stop aperture, manual aperture setting, depth of field indicator, distance indicator, infrared correction indicator and other functions.
EX: Excellent version, the full English name is Excellence. This type of lens belongs to Sigma's professional category and is characterized by the EX coating and EX mark on the lens barrel.
HF: Helical focus, the full English name is Helical Focus. The front end of this type of lens does not rotate, making it easy to use customized lens hoods and polarizers. It is a special lens.
HSM: Ultrasonic motor, the full English name is Hyper Sonic Motor. This is Sigma’s unique ultrasonic motor zoom/focus technology.
UC: Ultra-compact product, the full English name is Ultra Compact. This type of Sigma lens is small, lightweight and easy to carry.
Example description:
Sigma 10 -20mm F4-5.6HSM DG
Sigma autofocus lens; focal length range 10-20mm; maximum aperture coefficient 4-5.6 ; Equipped with ultrasonic motor; it is a special lens for digital SLR.
Tokina: Tokina
AS: Aspherical lens. It’s the same concept as the Canon ASP mentioned above.
AT-X: Advanced lens, the full English name is Advanced Technology-Xtra. This is a large-diameter professional lens produced by Tokina. It is characterized by a red or gold ring on the front of the lens. Naturally, there is no need to waste words on high image quality.
PRO: Professional lens, the full English name is Proffesional. This kind of lens can be said to be Tokina's most high-end product. It is an AT-X lens with a gold ring on the front of the lens.
SD: Ultra-low dispersion lens, the full English name is Super Lower Dispersion. Similar to the Nikon "ED" logo mentioned earlier.
Example description:
Tokina AT-X DX 12-24mm F4
Tokina autofocus advanced lens; dedicated to APS format digital SLR cameras; focal length range 12 -24mm; maximum aperture factor 4.
Tamron: Tamron
AD: Abnormal dispersion, the full English name is Anomalous Dispersion. Tamron lenses with this logo have the function of eliminating chromatic aberration. It is mainly used in medium telephoto lenses and some wide-angle zoom lenses.
ASL: Aspherical lens. It’s the same concept as the Canon ASP mentioned above.
BBAR: Broadband anti-reflective multi-layer coating, the full English name is Broad-Band Anti Reflection. It is Tamron’s unique lens coating technology.
Di: Digital lens, the full English name is Digitally Integrated. It is a digital photography lens specially prepared by Tamron for DSLR.
LD: Low dispersion lens, the full English name is Low Dispersion.
M.O.D: Minimum focusing distance, the full English name is Minimum Object Distance. Its specific value indicates the minimum focusing distance of this Tamron lens.
SP: Super performance lens, the full English name is Super Performance. A lens with the "SP" logo indicates that it is a high-performance large-diameter lens from Tamron.
XR: High refractive index glass. Tamron lenses that use this technology are very compact.
Example description:
Tamron 17-35mm F4.5-5.6Di II
Tamron autofocus lens; focal length range 17-35mm; maximum aperture factor 4.5 -5.6; dedicated to digital SLR cameras; second generation lens.
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We can also see some of the same information on the lens logos of different brands, such as:
CF Micro: full macro, the full English name is continue focus micro . This type of lens can directly adjust focus to macro shooting at all focal lengths.
Macro: Macro function. Indicates that the lens has macro shooting capabilities, usually achieving a magnification effect of 1:2 and above.
Fisheye: Fisheye lens, achieving special fisheye distortion effect.
R: Infrared, the full English name is Infra Red. The focus baseline mark for infrared photography is engraved on the barrel of the lens.
SC/MC: single layer/multi-layer coating.
Tele: Telephoto lens.
Zoom: Zoom lens.
Finally, the logo text of these lenses is usually printed or etched on the pressure ring at the front of the lens, and there is also a practice of printing corresponding words on the lens body. Some special lenses will further mark the "T-" aperture mark under the "f-" aperture mark, such as: Minolta STF 135/2.8 [T4.5]. In addition, those lenses that are not commonly used by junior photographers and are related to the German optical industry, such as Leica, Zeiss and other lenses, will have words like "Distagon" added in front of them. ”