Whenever someone asks me what lens I use on my camera, I usually don’t give the answer out right away. The simple question asking what lens I use is such a blank statement, that frustrates not only me, but many other photographers as well. For those of you who are new to photography, no matter how expensive your lens is, it won’t make your pictures any better if you aren't using them correctly . Instead of the answer, I usually engage in a conversation, figuring out what type of photography they are looking to further explore. Camera lenses are simple in theory, but complicated when trying to use them correctly. In my collection, I have 5 different lenses, each one with a different purpose than the next. This is why the simple question of what lens I use is so broad. For instance, one of my lenses has a fixed focal length, meaning that I cannot zoom in or out when taking a photo. This fixed focal length may limit you regarding the ability to zoom, but it has some redeeming characteristics. When a focal length is fixed on a lens, this generally means it is only useful for one kind of photo. My focal length is set at F 1.8, this means the space between the lense itself and the camera body is about 27.8mm away from each other. With a small focal length, it allows the camera to absorb a greater quantity of colors and depth; This 1.8 focal length is used primarily for portrait photography as it lets the user see vibrant colors and a soft blurred background. Compare this to another lense I have, this lense has a focal range from 3 to 11. This lens is not limited by a fixed focal length, I can adjust the length as I see fit. This lens allows me to zoom in and out as I please. One has to be cautious when focusing and zooming in on a subject that is very far away.As the zoom feature on this lens is very helpful, it can have some drawbacks when it comes to photo quality. This is because the lens itself only zooms in about 75% of what it says it can. That last 25% is digital zoom, the camera recognizes the scene and artificially makes it larger. This last bit of zoom can take a professional crystal clear photo, to a middle school project in the matter of seconds. This is why when working with cameras that zoom, you have to be careful that you are in the right area to take said picture. You can't be too far or else your digital zoom might ruin your picture. Although, this lens does give you more options to work with. By having an adjustable focal length, the lens allows more light to be absorbed by the camera. This helps in low light settings like nighttime skyline photography. With a larger focal length, we can let more light into the camera body giving us a clearer, more uniform picture.
