Digital SLR Camera
Digital SLR Camera . A digital SLR camera can be defined using its many features but the best description is based on its optical system, speed and clarity when compare to any point-and-shoot digital camera.
In essence this is a digital camera that enables the user to see the picture exactly as it is without being altered by any digital features inside the camera.
The manner in which a digital SLR camera is built enables it to deliver the highest quality images. In a compact or point and shoot digital camera the image that you see through the eyepiece or the LCD screen is digitally generated whereas in a digital SLR camera the image is taken to the viewfinder by mirrors and lenses that reflects the image from one mirror to another.
A digital SLR camera is versatile. For example, it has interchangeable lenses that allows the user to use a custom build lens for a particular shot - this could be a portrait shot, a landscape shot, micro or macro shot.
Some of the prominent features that mane a digital SLR camera different and superior to the point a shot camera include, Large image sensors that produce high picture quality, Quick click and shoot capability - no lag time and as mentioned above they have detachable lenses.
When shopping for a Digital SLR Camera people often overlook or skimp on the camera's lenses. Camera Lenses serve as the digital SLR cameras "eye," the lens determines what and how your camera will see your subject and how well that view is transmitted to the camera's sensor chip for recording.
The way I like to look at camera lenses is as painter's brushes, broad strokes, medium stokes, all purpose brushes, and small detail brushes. There is a lot to learn about digital slr camera lenses and this article will serve as a basic outline to understanding them. The following sections explain the basic types of digital SLR camera lenses, how they work, and how to select them.
Focal Length
On a digital SLR camera the focal length of the lenses measures the distance between the lens and the image sensor, measured in millimeters. Lenses can be classified into subgroups like prime, macro, wide angle, normal, telephoto, and zoom lenses. They are also rated in regards to f-stop or speed an example would be a F2.0 50mm lens or a 1.4F 80mm lens. Prime Lenses:
Prime lenses are fixed focal length lenses like a 50mm 1.4f lens. Traditionally prime lenses are sharper and faster then zoom lenses. If you are on a budget you can pick up some amazing used older prime lenses off eBay or your local camera store.
Macro Lenses:
Macro Lenses are your detail brushes they enable you to get up close and personal with your subject. These types of lenses are used for extreme close ups on small objects like daisies, pennies, and food but not limited to these types of subjects. Examples of macro lenses are 50mm and 100mm macros. These lenses are also great for selective focus types of photos.
Wide-angle Lenses:
Wide-angle lenses are your broad stroke brushes; these types of lenses have short focal lengths. A way to check if the wide-angle lenses you are interested in has convergence is to take test pictures before buying the lens. With high quality wide angles lenses like Canon L series lenses address this convergence issue well. Examples of wide-angle lenses are 15MM, 17mm, 24mm and 28mm lenses.
Normal Lenses:
Normal Lenses try to mimic how the human eye sees and are some of the most versatile lenses you can use. These are my all purpose brushes, and are somewhere between a wide angle and a telephoto lenses. If you buy just one lens try and buy the fastest normal lenses you can like a 50mm 1.4f lenses. Some examples of normal lenses are 35mm; 50mm, 65mm and some consider a 80mm a normal lens.
Telephoto Lenses:
Lenses with long focal lengths 100mm and higher are called telephoto lenses. A long focal length seems to bring the subject closer to you and increases the subject's size in the frame. Telephoto lenses also give your subjects a graphic look and flatten out your subject. These lenses are my short stroke brushes.
Zoom Lenses:
Zoom lenses are special because they can be very versatile. These types of lenses vary in their focal lengths and come in many in wide-angle, telephoto, and wide-angle to telephoto. In my bag I carry a 17mm to 35mm my wide-angle broad brush, 24mm to 70mm my medium brush, and a 80mm to 200mm my short brush.
With these three lenses I get a very board range of focal lengths for any situation. When shopping for a zoom lenses check out the f-stop range rating. An example is a 24mm to 300mm f3.5-f5.6 lenses meaning the lowest f-stop you can shoot is at the 24mm range of the lenses and when you zoom to 200mm the lowest you can go is f5.6.
Zoom lenses can give you flexibility and versatility all in one lenses. Understanding what these different groups of lenses can do will help you make more informed decisions on what lenses to purchase and what to put in your camera bag.