The Lens That Suits You

“What is the best lens that I should buy?"- This is one of the most frequent questions I received. There is no definite answer to it. The best lens for anyone depends on his budget and photographic needs. There are many lenses for every brand, and each was built for a purpose.

To understand which lens you should buy, first of all you need to decide on what kind of subject you will photograph most. It could be landscape or portraiture or action sports or anything else under the sky.

Below are some types of lenses (according to focal length based on 1.5x crop factor) based on specific functionality.

1. Lenses in the range of 12mm-18mm are suitable for landscape and architectural photography.
2.  50-80mm lenses are suitable for portrait.
3. Macro lenses in the range of 60mm-105mm are the best for capturing the image of flowers and insects from close range.
4. 200-400mm lenses are meant for sports and wildlife.

Apart from that you will need to specify your budget for the purchase. If we simply want to know which lens is the best, then we probably hit it right by looking at the most expensive and that of the highest quality within its category.  It is generally accepted that expensive lenses have wide maximum aperture such as f/2.8. High quality lenses are often equipped with useful features such as image stabilizer to reduce the effect of vibration.  But these lenses are expensive. If they are beyond your budget or the features are hardly applicable to your needs then it is a good idea to look at cheaper alternatives.

For those who just started the hobby, it is sufficient to utilize the kit lens by practicing with common subject in the surrounding. Resist the urge to acquire additional lenses. Given some time you will discover which genre you are more drawn to and by then it will be a good time (usually after a few months) to start looking for a specific lens that will bring your works to a greater heights.

Some people prefer to portraiture, some like landscape better and there are those who are dedicated to macro. After you have recognized your personal preference, it is a good time to get a high quality lens which is meant for that particular genre. Your investment in the lens will be worthy as it shall accelerate your development within the field of your interest.

A person who often works with macro subjects, for example, needs to purchase a high quality macro lens at around RM3,000. On the other hand, for someone whose interest lies in wildlife photography, the ideal lens would be something like a 300mm f/2.8 which is priced around RM18,000, provided he can afford it and willing to.

My advice is to thoroughly evaluate your direction before purchasing a lens without being influenced by peers. It is unwise, at least from the financial point of view, to purchase a lens for showing off, or to keep up with technology development, or to be at par with friends. Before purchasing additional lenses, you should understand what kind of photograph you can to capture and whether the lens you intend to purchase can help you to produce it. Make full use of the lens you have chosen. There is little sense in purchasing a high quality lens but rarely use it. If you are not planning to use it often, might as well get a cheaper lens or a used copy. Even better if you can just borrow one from friends.

Original article from fototeacher.com/blog by Hasnuddin Abu Samah. Translated by Amir Ridhwan

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