Lens News

See Shutterbug's favorite photo gear for July.

If you stumbled upon a rare Novoflex 600mm pistol grip “bazooka lens” at a yard sale for $17, we imagine you’d lay down your cash, grab the case, and quickly head for your car. That’s exactly what our weird lens guru Mathieu Stern did recently in Paris.

The first thing many photographers do after investing in a new lens is to screw on a UV or haze filter. The idea is that these filters protect the front element of your lens from dirt and impact damage while improving contrast and eliminating atmospheric haze.

Dirty camera sensors are a common source of degraded image quality, resulting in tedious post-processing work to clean up the photograph. This problem is the bane of those who shoot outdoors in dusty conditions, and is particularly acute when using small aperture settings that tend to exaggerate imperfections.

There are plenty of rules about which focal length lens works best for different types of photography. For example, many of us were taught to reach for a 50mm or 85mm lens for portraiture and a 24mm ultra-wide for interiors, architecture and landscape shots.

To say that the Panasonic Lumix GH5 is versatile is an understatement. The long-awaited follow-up to the GH4, which was beloved by photographers and videographers alike, the GH5 takes the roots of its predecessor and expands on them.

If you’re shopping for a portrait lens, or just trying to figure out which lens you own is best for people pictures, we encourage you to watch this video from AdoramaTV before making a decision. Phoenix-based pro Mark Wallace offers an interesting perspective that may challenge some of your preconceptions.