With the availability of sky-high ISOs on digital cameras and VR on slower lenses, some have argued that it’s not practical or economical to work with fast, prime lenses anymore. On the other hand, lenses like the Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED (list: $2200) and 50mm f/1.4G (list: $485) serve a distinct purpose for not only the obvious low-light advantages but also for the very, very shallow depth of field they can deliver.
There are two general classifications of lenses that define how you use them in the field—zooms and single focal length, the former being a variable focal length lens that has many convenient advantages, and the latter being a single focal length that, in the group we’re covering here, is what’s known as a “fast” lens. Fast doesn’t mean that it focuses quicker than its zoom cousins, though it might—it usually means that it offers a wide maximum aperture, anywhere from f/1.2 to f/2.8, and that aperture stays put, unlike some zooms where the aperture varies by going narrower as you zoom into longer focal lengths. And to help refine the group we’re covering here we’re also topping out the focal length at 50mm, which makes these lenses prime for street and low-light photography, candid and photojournalism work.
Although Sigma has recently concentrated on fast wide angle prime lenses, the company continues to develop new zoom lenses, too. This summer I tested two of these at a safari park, at bicycle, motorcycle and War of 1812 events, as well...
Macro photography takes all shapes and forms, and covers a wide range of subject matter from nature to abstract to collectibles' cataloging. While you can get into the macro realm using supplemental lenses (essentially magnifying glass that you screw...
Fisheye optics are an unusual beast. The bulbous nature of the front element is one characteristic trademark, but the unique view this lens affords us is what makes it truly appealing—and at the same time challenging to work with.
My fisheye lenses have literally widened my view of the world around me and given me a new perspective on my photography. Admittedly, some...
Wedding photography has changed greatly in the last few years, and I expect that trend to continue. The flood gates burst back in the late '80s with a new, more photojournalistic approach to the "Satin Jungle." Gone were the cornball posed...
Understatement almost always speaks louder than overstatement; or if not louder, then generally with more authority. The four new Leica Summarits, for M-series Leicas, Zeiss Ikons, and Voigtländer Bessas, are about as far from ostentatious as you can get; they are merely first-class tools for the photographer who knows what he or she is doing.
Photographers have always been fascinated by super wide angle focal lengths. This focal length range, including 20mm, expands peripheral vision beyond the scope of human vision, and does so with a potential depth of field that makes...
The new super wide angle Distagon T* f/2.8 15mm lens for Canon and Nikon mounts is neither lightweight nor inexpensive (1.6 lb for Nikon, 1.8 lb for Canon mount, $2950) but what you get from this manual focus lens is exceptional image quality and facility that is perhaps unmatched by any other lens in its focal length class. With a 95mm filter thread and integral and fully compatible lens shade, the lens offers an extraordinary 110-degree angle of view that is pleasure to work with on a wide variety of subjects. The fast f/2.8 aperture is matched on the narrow end by a minimum aperture of f/22, which at 15mm means there’s potential for extraordinary depth of field effects using the 10-inch closest focusing range. While decidedly not a portrait lens, the 15mm is ideal for landscape, street photography and creative advertising work, as well as architectural and urban photography, as I discovered in mybrief time working with it.
When you think about really long, really fast glass, you naturally think of 35mm. I have owned both Hasselblad and Mamiya RZ systems for years, and the longest lens I own is a 180mm. I'm like most shooters--I think of compact and portable 35mm as the...
As digital SLR cameras have become more affordable, an increasing number of photography and imaging enthusiasts have made the shift to digital capture. But there's one common complaint--the ultra-wide angle lenses designed for 35mm systems do not produce an expansive angle of view with any of the affordable digital SLRs. Because such cameras employ a sensor that's...
Every lens maker offers standard types of lenses: wide angle, normal, and telephoto zooms plus several primes in popular focal lengths. Although highly useful, these lenses alone do not represent the breadth of offerings available. Hidden away within the lineups of many lens makers are specialty models which, even if they aren’t suitable for one’s purposes at any given time, are fascinating not only for their unique qualities but also because they might someday be the perfect tool for a specific shooting situation.
In my heart I know that few readers can afford these kinds of expensive lenses, but there are always those who can and for the rest of us, it’s something to dream about.
What do you want from a 75mm f/2 lens? Whatever it is, the new APO-Summicron-M Aspheric almost certainly delivers it--except, it must be said, low cost. Perfection, or as close as modern lens design can come to it, doesn't come cheap.
For reportage, it is superb: fast, compact, and convenient. Of course, you don't normally need or expect ultimate...
If you own and use an M-series Leica, a Zeiss Ikon, or a bayonet-mount Voigtländer Bessa, Leica’s 16-18-21mm Tri-Elmar is so staggeringly desirable that it is almost easier to list the reasons for not buying one than to list its advantages—though these are easy enough to list, too. It is compact, sweet handling, sharp, contrasty, rangefinder-coupled, unbelievably convenient, and...
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