Lens News

Given a choice between a fast 85mm f/1.4 prime lens and a fast-and-versatile 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom, which lens would you choose to shoot outdoor portraits? While the answer may seem obvious, experienced portrait photographer Manny Ortiz decided to find out by taking both lenses along to shoot his pretty wife Diana against a backdrop of the Chicago skyline.

Portrait and wedding photographer Julia Trotti loves prime lenses. In fact, she known for stocking her camera bag exclusively with primes whenever she heads out on shoot.

Welcome back! Last week we covered lenses that are well suited for five of the most popular camera activities, including kids’ sports, travel and online auctions. If you missed that piece, you’ll find it here. This week—as promised—five more lenses for five more activities. These are sometimes thought of as being in the realm of more advanced hobbyists, but that ain’t necessarily so. Read on…

Three big reasons to buy a Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 for Sony full frame mirrorless cameras. First, it’s an ultra-wideangle capable of sweeping wide shots that are sharp edge-to-edge and span 94°. Second, it’s a 1:2 Macro lens (one-half life-size) that focuses as close as 4.3 inches. Third, this 2.5-inch lens costs just $249.

One question we’re frequently asked is, “Should I buy a zoom lens or a prime?” And like many age-old questions, the answer is “It depends.” To give you thoughtful response we’d want to know your budget, the type of photography you do, whether or not you frequently shoot in low-light conditions, and how much gear you’re willing to lug around in the field.

The first thing most landscape photographers do upon arriving on location is set down their bag and pull out a trusty wide-angle lens. After all, what better way to capture an expansive vista? The problem with always following this routine is that your images will fail to stand out from the crowd because just about everyone else does the same thing.

This video may be controversial because lenses with maximum apertures of f/2.8 or faster tend to get all the love. That’s because they typically fall into the “premium” or pro category and are so useful for shooting in low light. But slower lenses with f/4 maximum apertures have a few significant benefits too.