More On Choosing Digital SLR Lenses



Once upon a time buying a camera and a lens for it was a very simple task. There were only a handful of cameras to choose from, and your first lens was almost always a 50mm standard. Manufacturers offered mostly fixed focal length lenses with only one or two zooms of average quality in their lineup. Generic brand lenses were considered the choice for beginning and amateur photographers. Pros would not be caught dead with a zoom lens or even a generic brand lens, as they felt these optics where not up to professional standards. Those days are long gone. Today's technology is producing superior lenses in all categories at very affordable prices. Lenses that can outperform professional lenses made a decade or two ago.

I personally did not trust wide-angle zooms such as 28 -85mm and very long telephoto zooms like the 75-300mm when they were first introduced. This was the reason I carried single focal lenses when I became a serious photographer. The very first zoom lens that matched the quality of single focal length lenses was the 70 -210mm. Other zooms soon followed. The technology grew so rapidly that zooms replaced most fixed focal length lenses. Only fast telephoto lenses including 300mm f-2.8 and 400mm f-2.8 remain popular among wildlife and sports photographers due to their speed. Sigma's 120-300mm f-2.8 and Nikon's 200-400mm f-4 are indications of what the future of fast long telephotos will be. Even the pros who are usually very slow in adopting new technologies have switched to zooms which now incorporate fast apertures pros demand. The quality of today's lenses are so good that you cannot tell the difference between moderately priced and more expensive professional lenses. What's more, the generic brands of lenses now rival those made by camera manufacturers. New lenses come to the market almost daily and they are getting better, faster, with extended range. There are so many choices available that can make your head spin trying to decide which ones to buy. The question to ask yourself is which focal length do I need and then decide between your own camera manufacturers brand or a generic type. The other question is whether or not to choose a regular lens or a lens specifically made for digital cameras.

Brand and Generic Lenses

There are currently three major lens manufacturers that produce lenses for camera brand names including Canon, Nikon, Konica Minolta, and Pentax. The three lens manufacturers are Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina. The three lens manufacturers mentioned, produce lenses that are equally good in terms of glass quality and lens construction to that of the camera manufacturer's own lenses. There are other lens manufacturers such as Vivitar, Phoenix, and Promaster, but lenses made by these companies are aimed at beginning and amateur photographers and hobbyist on a tight budget. Although they produce some lenses of good quality, they are not up to the standard of camera manufacturer and those of Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina lenses, mainly in construction of the lens body more than the glass elements.

I own both generic brand and my own camera manufacturer lenses. I use Konica Minolta 35mm cameras and Canon digital cameras. My workhorse lenses are my 80 -200mm f-2.8 Tokina ATX for my 35mm, and 70-210mm f-2.8 Tamron I use with my Canon digital SLRs. When I first purchased my first digital SLR, I chose the Tamron 70-210mm lens over Canon's brand that cost almost $500 more. Although the Canon version has faster autofocusing, the glass quality is not much different if any. I knew Tamron's 300mm f-2.8 was, and perhaps still is, one of the best lenses in its class and chosen by many pros over that of other brands, because of its quality. This was one reason I chose Tamron 70-210 mm lens over that of Canon's, since the 70-210mm f-2.8 comes from the same family of professional lenses in Tamron line as the popular 300mm f-2.8. I was not disappointed. I use my Tamron 70-210mm lens religiously. It is the sharpest zoom and the second sharpest lens I have ever owned. The first one being my Minolta 200mm f-2.8 fixed focal lens. I'm not trying to advertise for one brand over another. I am simply saying, since there is no longer a quality difference between major brands, I purchase lenses that best suits my needs and budget.

I also needed a 300mm lens for my digital SLR. This is equivalent to about 480mm lens on my Canon digital SLRs. I own a Konica Minolta Maxxum 300mm if 2.8 lens which I mostly use for wildlife photography with 1.4X and 2X teleconverters. This is a big heavy lens that I use only because of the speed and focal length it has for wildlife photography. I much prefer a lighter lens. Since digital SLRs have smaller sensors than 35mm film format, a 300mm lens is almost equivalent to 500mm lens on the 35mm camera. This means I could purchase a 300mm f-4 lens and have the reach of the 500mm f-4 lens 35mm equivalent in a light small package. My choice was Canon 300mm f-4 lens which is a superb quality lens and perfect for wildlife and sports photography with digital SLRs. However, I ended up with a Tokina 300mm f-4 ATX instead. I happened to see this lens in a camera shop in Los Angeles. The shop had this discontinued lens on sale. I had tested this lens previously and knew of its quality. This was the reason I bought the lens and been happy with it so for. When I shoot wildlife with my digital camera, I use the Tokina 300mm f-4 lens exclusively with fantastic results.

The bottom line is that you can feel confident purchasing your own camera manufacturer's lenses or one of the generic brands I mentioned here and get high-quality results. Compare features between different models, including close-focusing distance, autofocus speed, maximum apertures, and glass type such as APO, L, or ED. These designate the type of glass used to make the lens. The price of the lens of course, is a major factor as well.

Digital Lenses



Almost all lenses made for 35mm cameras work with Digital SLRs. Since digital SLRs have a smaller sensors than 35mm film size, any given focal length used with Digital SLRs covers less of an image compared to that of the 35mm. How much a lens covers depends on the camera CCD size. On Nikon and Konica Minolta SLRs, there is a 1.5X. factor. On Canon is from 1.3X. to 1.6X., and in the case of EOS 5D there is no increase.

You can get professional quality results with any lens you already own. Manufacturers are now producing lenses specifically designed for use on digital SLRs. These lenses will not work with film cameras as vignetting will occur. In other words, you can use lenses made for 35mm cameras with your digital camera, but not vice versa. Digital camera lenses are made with wider angle of view to cover wide-angle requirement for landscape or interior photography. Some of these lenses are 10-22mm and 12-24mm to give you some examples.

Selecting the Right Lens

One of the frequently questions amateurs ask is which lenses they should buy. I must have been asked this question a million times and given the same answer I'm going to give here. I don't know which lenses you should buy. Nobody knows which lenses you should buy. Only you know which lenses you should buy, because you know your own photography. You know your own budget. You know how much weight you can carry. You know the type of photography you like to do. Knowing the fact that lenses made by camera manufacturers and those made by three major independent lens manufacturers I mentioned earlier, are equally good, you should have no problem selecting the right lens based on your budget and needs.

I can give you some suggestions as what you should consider. Start with a pair of zooms such as a 10-22 mm and 55-200mm if you prefer digital lenses, and you know you won't be using those with 35mm cameras. This pair of zooms is perfect for general purpose photography. If you already own a 20-35mm and a 70-210 mm, then you are all set. I don't see any reason why you should switch to another system. Except perhaps, you need a lens that covers a wider view with your digital camera. As always, buy the best you can afford. Remember, no matter what you buy, you'll someday auction it off on eBay for a different lens. Maybe your needs will change or you just get bored and want a new toy to play with. People like us keep photo and electronic companies in business, and make photo equipment one of the top sellers on eBay.