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Focus on Optics

Here's the reason why you bought that DSLR

By Mason Resnick - March 11, 2009


Here's the reason why you bought that DSLR or MILC.

Interchangeable lenses give you the creative picture-taking flexibility that keeps photography fresh. They bring far subjects closer, create dramatic vistas, and enlarge tiny objects until they fill the frame to create a whole new visual world.

With recent computer-aided design and new lens coating technology, combined with DSLRs (or Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Compact MILC cameras) that use smaller sensors, lenses are smaller, offer better-quality images, and zoom farther than ever before.

What kind of lens should you buy? There are so many choices; Here are some of our most popular lens buying guides to help you get started and narrow the field:

 

 

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FAQ: What does a more expensive lens really buy you?

A case study of a bargain vs. a pro lens with the same focal range

ArticleLenses and Filters Gear Guides & Reviews - by Bob Atkins, December 5, 2011

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Everyone likes a bargain, so price is always a factor in choosing a lens. However, there can be very significant differences in prices between lenses which on first glance may appear to be very similar. 

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TAGS: nikon,  canon,  sigma,  lenses,  Lens advice,  lens,  Canon EOS 7D 

The best lenses for Photojournalists

Buying tips: When it comes to glass, get the finest you can afford

ArticleLenses and Filters Gear Guides & Reviews - by Mason Resnick, November 10, 2011

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Just is there’s no best camera for photojournalists, there is also no best lens. But there is a range of lens types that will give you a better chance at getting the shot.

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TAGS: nikon,  canon,  buying guide,  sigma,  tokina,  lenses,  buying tips,  Lens advice,  Tamron,  lens,  focus on photojournalism 

Wildlife Service: Beyond Long Lenses

How to choose all the gear you need to bag great shots of animals in the wild--and why DSLRs make a difference

ArticleOutdoor and Travel Techniques and How-Tos - by Bob Atkins, November 10, 2011

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The stock in trade of the wildlife photographer is the telephoto lens. Most animals are small and get spooked when humans are near.

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TAGS: adorama,  telephoto,  outdoor photography,  wildlife,  tele-converter,  Focus on Bird Photography 

Manual-Focus 35mm Lens Duel!

Zeiss and Rokinon 35mm primes go head to head

ArticleLenses and Filters Gear Guides & Reviews - by Sandy Ramirez, August 11, 2011

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Ahhh, the modern age of digital photography. Blazing fast autofocus lenses and digital processors that make ISO 6400 shots look like they were shot on Kodachrome 25 back in the old days of film. However, there is one frustrating aspect with modern cameras—a thing that should make our lives easier—autofocus.

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TAGS: 35mm,  lenses,  lens,  Zeiss,  manual focus,  Profoto 

Product Review: Olympus Zuiko 12mm f/2.0 Lens for Micro Four Thirds

Pro-caliber lens for street, documentary shooters

ArticleLenses and Filters Gear Guides & Reviews - by Mason Resnick, July 7, 2011

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Olympus is targeting street photographers with the simultaneous release of the fast-working E-P3 Micro Four Thirds compact camera and a posh prime lens, the Zuiko 12mm f/2.0. Did they get the lens right? Here's what one street shooting thinks after taking it for a walk around NYC.

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TAGS: Olympus,  street photography,  photojournalism,  wide angle,  lenses,  lens,  Olympus E-P3 

Macro lens quick buying guide

A brief look at true macro lenses - Updated for Spring 2011

ArticleLenses and Filters Gear Guides & Reviews - by Fred Singer, May 19, 2011

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If you have a zoom lens that says it’s a “Macro,” don’t believe it. Sure it’ll get you close, likely to within 1:3 magnification (that’s 1/3 life-size on the film or sensor) but technically, true macro is considered 1:1 magnification—life-sized--or higher.

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TAGS: photography,  buying guide,  DSLR,  macro,  digital SLR,  Focus on Macro Photography 

Which Focal Length Macro Lens Is Best For You?

The long and the short of macro lenses

ArticleMacro Techniques and How-Tos - by Sandy Ramirez, May 10, 2011

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Do you need a 180mm macro lens or will a 60mm do? What's the difference when both can deliver 1:1 magnification?

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TAGS: macro,  close-up,  macro photography,  Lens advice,  lens,  Focus on Macro Photography 

Product Review: Voigtlander Heliar 75mm f/1.8

Fast M-Mount Portrait Lens

ArticleLenses and Filters Gear Guides & Reviews - by Sandy Ramirez, May 5, 2011

Leica M-Mount rangefinder users want speed, but the price is steep. Can Cosina's latest 75mm lens compete with Leica and Zeiss for a third the price?

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TAGS: Leica,  lenses,  lens,  Voigtlander,  cosina 

Mastering Graduated Neutral-Density Filters

From the Perfect Picture School of Photography

ArticleLenses and Filters Gear Guides & Reviews - by PPSOP Staff, May 4, 2011

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Adorama's online photo learning partner, the Perfect Picture School of Photography, is are very happy to add Glenn Randall as an instructor. Here he shows how to use graduated ND filters for landscape photography.

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TAGS: exposure,  landscapes,  filter,  graduated,  neutral density filter,  neutral 

Product Review: Pro Optic 14mm f/2.8 Ultrawide Lens

A budget-busting wide-angle alternative

ArticleLenses and Filters Gear Guides & Reviews - by Sandy Ramirez, April 28, 2011

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The Pro Optic 14mm f/2.8 lens offers a low-cost entry to wide-angle photography. But can it deliver the quality to compete with the more expensive versions?

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TAGS: wide angle,  pro-optic,  lens 

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