Prime lenses photography

What You Should Know About Prime Lenses

Camera lenses can be divided into two broad groups: prime lenses and zoom lenses. Prime lenses, which offer a single focal length and can’t zoom in or out, may seem to be inherently less useful than zoom lenses, but that’s not necessarily the case. Prime lenses can offer a wide range of benefits, and in this guide, we’ll break down what you should know about prime lenses and why you should consider adding prime lenses to your bag.

Table of Contents

What Are Prime Lenses?

Prime lenses are best understood by looking at the difference between a prime lens and a zoom (explained in detail here: prime vs zoom lenses).

The major difference is that a prime lens offers a single focal length. Focal length, typically given in millimeters or “mm,” describes how much of the scene you will capture with that lens, from wide to telephoto. A smaller number is a wider angle. For example, on a full-frame camera, a 20mm lens will be a wide angle, a 50mm will be a “normal” or moderate field of view, while a 105mm will be a narrow or telephoto field of view.

105mm f/2.8 @ ISO 500, 1/180 second, f/8

Note:

Field of view changes depending on the camera format that you use – AKA the size of your digital camera sensor or film. Since the closest thing to a “standard” format is full-frame digital (or 35mm film), this gives rise to the concept of full-frame equivalent focal lengths. You can read more in our article on crop factor. For ease of reference, this article will always refer to full-frame equivalent focal lengths.

Unlike a prime lens, a zoom lens by definition offers a continuous range of focal lengths, such as 24-70mm lens. This means that the lens will cover 24mm, 25mm, 26mm, and so on, through 70mm (and all the spaces in between).

While it may seem like this allows a zoom to replace a huge range of prime lenses, it’s not as though you need to carry a prime lens at every single focal length. Lens companies don’t even sell primes at every focal length. Instead, primes are available at typical benchmark focal lengths, like 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm. A well-equipped photographer might only need a 24mm and 50mm lens to have a “complete” kit for their photoshoot.

Prime lenses and zoom lenses have a large number of differences in features, benefits, and drawbacks. But almost all of those differences stem from the single major difference that prime lenses offer one focal length and zoom lenses offer a range. Since this article is dedicated to prime lenses, let’s look at some of the benefits they offer.

Benefits of a Prime Lens

1. Simpler and Smaller Construction

Prime lenses have a wide range of benefits, and understanding what they offer to you as a photographer can make a big difference in the images you create. The most immediately visible reason to use a prime lens is in the size and weight. While not always true, many prime lenses are small, lightweight, and portable, making them a good choice for situations where you need to be mobile.

That said, one important consideration when looking at the size and weight advantage of primes is to understand the “class” of lens you’re looking at. A high-end prime with a very fast aperture might be bigger than a lot of zooms. But if all else is equal and features are similar, prime lenses almost always have a size and weight advantage.

24mm f/2.8 @ ISO 100, 1/640 second, f/2.8

But why is that the case? As a prime lens only has to cover one field of view, the optical formula (all the differently shaped pieces of glass that make up the insides of a lens) can be a lot simpler. All the parts inside are simpler, too. A zoom lens needs to move different elements around to change the focal length, and many zooms have to extend the lens barrel itself to make this possible. All this adds up to more glass, more material, and more complexity in the design. Below, you can see the optical diagrams of a basic 50mm prime lens on the left and a zoom lens that covers 24-85mm on the right. As you can see, if you’re just trying to shoot at 50mm, you can save a lot of size and weight by going with the prime.

50mm prime (left) vs 24-85mm zoom (right)

2.

Faster Apertures

Size and weight aren’t the only advantages of a prime lens. In many cases, they’re also capable of shooting at much wider aperture settings.

For example, many zoom lenses struggle with f-stop. A typical zoom will max out at aperture values like f/4 or f/5.6. Only fast, professional-grade zooms are usually capable of apertures as wide as f/2.8. By comparison, most prime lenses have a maximum aperture of at least at f/1.8, and high-end primes can go even further, down to crazy values like f/0.95 on some specialty lenses.

As a photographer, this means you can get shallower depth of field with prime lenses to better isolate your subject against a blurry background. It also lets you shoot in low-light conditions more easily, allowing for a lower ISO or a faster shutter speed in dark environments.

3. Sharper Images

Along with faster apertures, prime lenses are also typically very sharp. With the optical formula only needing to be optimized for a single focal length, prime lenses can have great sharpness and low levels of optical defects, like chromatic aberrations, particularly when compared to zoom lenses that cost a similar amount of money.

24mm f/1.4 @ ISO 100, 13 sec, f/1.8

4. Lower Prices

Especially taking the three points above into account, prime lenses can be great values and offer capabilities to beginners that would be prohibitively expensive on a zoom. One of the most recommended beginner lenses is the so-called “nifty fifty.” It’s a catchy name for a 50mm f/1.8 that can often be purchased for just a couple hundred dollars, or less when bought used. All this while offering better image quality, a wider maximum aperture, and smaller size than almost any zoom.

The benefit of a lower cost doesn’t just apply to basic or used primes, however. Prime lenses of all focal lengths and capabilities are cheaper than zooms in the same tier of performance. While this lower cost may be counterbalanced if you need to buy more lenses overall (a point we’ll look at further in the Drawbacks section below), usually photographers can still put together a high-quality set of prime lenses cheaper than a high-quality set of zooms.

5. Special Features

We’ve already seen how prime lenses can offer aperture capabilities that just aren’t possible in zoom lenses. Primes are capable of even more, however, with prime lenses of special designations. For example, almost all macro photography lenses are prime lenses, making primes the way to go if you need close-focus capabilities. Most brands make macro lenses that can focus at 1:1 magnification, while some brands offer macro lenses that can focus all the way to 5:1 like the Laowa 25mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro, which is approaching the territory of basic microscopes.

Other specialty prime features include tilt-shift and defocus control. Both of these are more advanced technical capabilities used in genres like architectural and portrait photography respectively.

As prime lenses are also less expensive to design and construct, third-party manufacturers are able to produce unique designs and capabilities on their primes. These range from the odd-looking probe macro lens from Laowa, ultra wide or ultra fast lenses like a 9mm or f/0. 95 aperture lens, and more.

6. Visualization

One last benefit of prime lenses is a little harder to quantify, as it’s more artistic. After shooting with a prime lens for a while, you can start to visualize the focal length, making it easier to spot potential compositions and understand framing, all before you lift your camera. Some photographers only ever shoot with a single prime lens, like a 35mm or 50mm, for exactly this reason.

Drawbacks of a Prime Lens

After all those benefits, it might seem like there’s no reason for zoom lenses! That isn’t the case, however. While prime lenses do possess a number of advantages, and can be a great choice for many subjects, they do have limitations.

1. Field of View

With a prime lens being limited to a single focal length, you can’t easily change your field of view while remaining in the same spot. While you can always “zoom with your feet”, by getting nearer or further from your subject, this changes the appearance of your photo by altering your perspective. It’s also not as simple as just twisting a zoom ring. As described in our article on making prime lenses more versatile, you can shoot a panorama or crop in to get a wider or narrower composition, but this can take time or cost you resolution.

24mm f/2.8 @ ISO 100, 1/20 second, f/2.8

2. Switching Lenses

If you want to get access to different fields of view, you may need to switch prime lenses more frequently than zooms. You could end up spending more time changing gear and less time shooting, as well as more time exposing your sensor to dust and debris.

This can be particularly problematic in fast moving or hazardous situations, but it is slightly counterbalanced by the greater resilience of prime lenses to environmental hazards like dust, thanks to the fewer moving parts and more simple mechanical design.

3. More Lenses Necessary

Even though prime lenses are usually simpler, lighter, and less expensive than zoom lenses, things start to change when you look at them as a kit. A 24-200mm or 18-200mm zoom lens can effectively cover an entire day’s worth of photographic opportunities, while even mid-range zooms like a 24-105mm can be all you need for most situations. In contrast, you’d potentially need a 24mm, 50mm, and 105mm to cover the same situations, and maybe even more (like a 35mm and 70mm) if you’re concerned about too big of a focal length gap.

As a result of this inflexibility, manufacturers have recently leaned into primes being specialty lenses – releasing primes that do things a zoom could not reasonably do. This often makes new primes, particularly for mounts like Nikon Z and Canon RF, more expensive propositions than prime lenses of the past.

You can still build out a full kit made of prime lenses, particularly if you’re using an older mount or are willing to adapt lenses, but it’s more challenging than it was before.

Are Prime Lenses Still Relevant Today?

I think gear manufacturers have the right idea: Prime lenses these days are at their best in special roles. Whether this means making really fast aperture lenses, offering unique capabilities like macro or defocus control, or capitalizing on the size benefits by being super small and lightweight, prime lenses do still have a niche.

Some of the other historic benefits of prime lenses aren’t as relevant these days. For example, with lens designs and manufacturing continuing to advance, zoom lenses can now offer similar levels of optical quality, while still conferring all the flexibility of a zoom (just consider our recent review of the Nikon Z 70-200 f/2.8). In fact, at the highest end, lenses like the Canon 28-70mm f/2 have even come close to a prime’s fast aperture, albeit at a significant cost and weight penalty.

11mm f/4 @ ISO 180, 1/20 second, f/5.0

In my own kit, I’ve found that primes can be a great supplement to my favorite zooms. I particularly like having a fast wide angle lens for shooting astrophotography, like my 24mm f/1.4, as well as a macro lens like my 105mm. Portrait photographers will also find fast 50mm and 85mm lenses to be a go-to option for portraits with blurry backgrounds. Wildlife and sports photographers have a place for prime lenses in their kits, with 300mm or longer telephoto lenses with fast apertures offering high performance.

As a result, prime lenses are still relevant today, and for a wide range of the market, even if they are no longer the only or most popular optiosn.

How Many Prime Lenses Do You Need?

Only you can answer how many prime lenses you need. Depending on your interests, style of photography, and budget, you might want to build out a kit featuring 7 primes across your favorite focal lengths, or you might just stick with a few zooms and no primes at all. There’s no right or wrong answer. Instead, I’d recommend taking a look at what you shoot and what a prime lens can do for you as a photographer, then building out your kit as needed. Ross Martin talked about this a lot in his article on buying the right lenses for photography.

If you’re looking for a recommendation for your first prime, I’d suggest a 28mm, 50mm, or 85mm. For landscapes, a fast 28mm can make astrophotography far more practical. For mixed use, a 50mm can be an inexpensive way to get started with prime lenses, and it represents a classic field of view. Lastly, an 85mm will offer one of the most affordable ways to get that shallow depth of field look in portraits.

Conclusion

Prime lenses might seem like a basic or even outdated category of lenses compared to the latest zooms. But thanks to some fundamental physics, they can be faster, smaller, and sharper than zooms, and can open up new frontiers in your photography. Whether you’re looking to add a specific capability to your kit, or are just looking for some inspiration for your compositions, I’d consider primes. They can give you a whole new view on your subject, literally.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to what you should know about prime lenses. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below.

What is a Prime Lens and What are the Benefits of Using One?

What Does Prime Lens Mean

What’s a prime camera lens

If you’re on-the market for a new lens, and are considering a prime lens, great! But let’s first define it and its main functions to determine if it’s best for you.

PRIME LENS DEFINITION

What is a prime lens?

A prime lens is a fixed focal length lens that doesn’t let you zoom in or out. This focal length is the distance between the point of convergence in the lens to the sensor in your camera. Prime lenses have very wide or large apertures. Apertures measure the size of hole when the lens opens inside a camera. Prime lenses have maximum apertures typically ranging from f/2.8 to f/1.2. There are few moving parts in a prime lens, making it difficult for major problems to arise.

Zoom lenses are lenses in which the focal length can vary, and while convenient, they have a much more complex system that can potentially cause more issues. Prime lenses are often smaller than their zoom lens counterpart, and have a variety of other benefits comparatively.

PRIME LENS VS ZOOM LENS

Prime lenses are more compact with less involved
Camera prime lenses are sharper than zoom lenses
Wider aperture allows for bokeh and other techniques
Better image quality
Often better value

One of the great things about prime lenses is that they can help sharpen your technique. With these lenses, you can’t rely on zoom to get the shot you want. You are the zoom. And your physical choices will affect the angle and zoom of the photo.

Before we get into the pros and cons of prime lenses, take a minute to download our FREE Ebook — Camera Lenses Explained Vol. 1 — where we cover everything you need to know about the different types of camera lenses, their unique visual characteristics, and how to use them.

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Camera Lenses Explained

Every type of camera lens has distinct qualities and visual characteristics that every image-maker should understand. Download our FREE e-book to get in-depth explanations on prime vs. zoom lenses, anamorphic vs. spherical lenses, wide angle, standard, telephoto and even specialty lenses that all tell a slightly different story.

Using a Fixed Lens

Why choose a prime lens?

A prime lens definition means little if you don’t know how or why you’d want to use one. Check the video below highlighting the benefits of using a prime lens.

Why the prime lens

Wide Apertures Isolate Subject and Let More Light In

Wide aperture settings in a prime lens serve a dual purpose, and can really enhance the quality of your images.

Read more about how aperture works if you need a refresher. But otherwise you know that a wide aperture, (or low f/stop number), creates a shallow depth of field. Meaning there is a narrower range of focus in the image. The background is blurred and out of focus, while only the subject remains in focus. This blurred background allows the subject to stand out, creating some incredible looking stills.

Another benefit of the wide maximum apertures on prime lenses is the amount of light that can get it. A wider aperture lets in more light, which is ideal for low-light situations.

Prime Lenses Have Sharper Image Quality

When there are fewer focal lengths to account for, there is less distortion or aberration. It is much simpler to create sharper, better quality images. Zoom lenses on the other hand, are designed for multiple focal lengths. While zoom lenses allow more options, there will always be some trade-offs in performance, size, and even price.

Primes give the best value

Again, because there is less distortion, and overall better image quality, you typically get more for your money when it comes time to purchase. You can take a look at some prime vs zoom lens’ prices in this purchasing guide.

Primes are more compact

The less mechanics inside the lens, the lighter the lens, which makes it incredibly beneficial when traveling. Even if you do have to bring two lenses of different focal lengths with you, they’re generally both lighter than one zoom lens. It really depends on what you’re looking to get out of your shots.

Choosing the Right Prime Lens

Which focal length should I use?

Now comes the time to select a prime lens. And realistically, you may not be able to buy every length on the market, and even if you could, there’s no need. It all depends on the style or subject you’re shooting.

Longer lenses are typically best for portraits because they have a shallower depth of field.

If we keep the apertures the same, a 100mm lens will have a much shallower depth of field compared to a 28 mm lens.

Having such a small depth of field separates the background from the foreground, and does a great job isolating the subject.

Lenses that have focal lengths longer than 60 mm (or so), are referred to as telephoto lenses. They flatten facial features and are often much more flattering than a wider angle lens. A telephoto lens can be either a prime or zoom lens.

Figure out the focal length you want

But if you’re shooting a street view, a short focal length may be the way to go. Wider angle lenses tend to exaggerate features, and are great for big open landscape shots.

Pro Tip

Because telephoto lenses bring far away subjects closer, they also work extremely well for landscape shots.

Prime Lenses in FIlm

Prime lens film example

Keep in mind, prime lenses aren't just used in photography. Everything we've discussed applies equally to shooting video. Before we go, we wanted to leave you with an example of a scene shot with a prime lens. Blade Runner 2049 used a Zeiss prime lens.

Blade Runner 2049 • Get the Storyboard

A cinematographer like Roger Deakins understands the value of prime lenses. When you approach your next project, be mindful of your lens choices. If you understand which focal length works best for each shot, you won't have to sacrifice image quality with a zoom lens to get it.

Blade Runner 2049 • Get the Storyboard

There are a ton of lenses on the market, and even more reasons to consider purchasing them. If you read our article on how to choose the right lens for your project, you’ll gain some buyer info and overall insight into what’s best for you.

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Camera Lenses Explained

Up Next

What is a Telephoto Lens?

A telephoto lens is commonly linked to the zoom lens. But it can also be a prime lens. Learn how it all connects and how can you use a telephoto lens to create deliberate, higher-quality shots.

Up Next: What's a Telephoto Lens? →

About lenses in plain language

In this chapter, we will explain the types, characteristics and functions of lenses.

1. PRO Using lenses.

The lens is the eye of the camera. Without it, no image can be obtained. Our vision of the scene depends on the lens, it also depends on which part of it will be in focus, which part will be recorded and which not. Different focal lengths give us a different view of the world, they can limit our photographic aspirations, match them or expand them.

Lenses are divided into 2 categories: zoom lenses (zoom lenses) and fixed focal length lenses (so-called "fixes")

2. PRO Lens focal length.

The focal length of the lens is the length of the segment between the surface of the sensor on which the image is formed and the optical center of the lens, (not necessarily the same as the physical one), measured in millimeters. It is important to understand why a long throw lens magnifies objects while a short throw lens covers a larger field of view. Also remember, the longer the focal length, the smaller the viewing angle. Imagine that you are looking through a hole in the fence. If the eye is close to the hole, then you can see more of what is located on the other side of the fence, because the viewing angle is wider. But if you move further away, then the viewing angle decreases. If you stretch this image in your mind so that it has the same dimensions as the first image, then all the details within the hole will become larger, as in a long-focus image.

Lenses are divided into 3 main types according to the focal length: wide-angle (short throw), normal, telephoto (long throw).

The wide-angle lenses emphasize the perspective of space in the frame. Suitable for shooting landscapes and scenes covering a wide angle of view. Wide-angle lenses are categorized as ultra wide-angle, medium wide-angle, and wide-angle.
Normal lenses are neutral in their action, that is, they have neither long nor wide-angle effects. Such lenses convey perspective similar to the human eye. Suitable for portraits
The telephoto lenses bring subjects closer to form a tight frame because the angle of view they can capture is very small. Suitable for shooting animals from afar (photo hunting) and everything else that is not possible to get close to. Telephoto lenses are divided into long-focal and super-long-focal.

In addition to the degree of magnification, focal length also affects perspective. Wide-angle optics, for example, visually increase the distance between the elements of the picture, giving the picture a sense of volume. Telephoto lenses, on the contrary, compress the perspective, reducing the distance between objects and separating them from the environment, which usually falls out of focus ( due to the shallow depth of field of ).

The diagram below shows how the angle of view changes with the focal length: as the focal length increases, the angle narrows.

Important!!! Since the standard in photography is a 35 mm frame, it is customary to express all focal lengths on the scale of this format, therefore, if you choose a lens for a camera with a matrix smaller than the frame size of a 35 mm film, then to calculate the focal length that you get, you need to multiply the matrix crop factor by focal length of the lens. For example, if you buy a Canon 18-55mm f/2.8 lens for a Canon 500D camera (its crop factor is 1.6), you will get focal lengths of 28.8-88mm.

3. PRO Lens aperture.
Aperture is determined by the value of the aperture when open and is a measure of its ability to transmit light. The larger the relative aperture of the open aperture, the more light passes through the lens and the higher its aperture ratio . The advantage of high-aperture optics is that it allows you to shoot in darker places and gives the photographer more freedom in choosing exposure parameters. Most professional lenses have fast apertures (f/1.8 to f/2.8), while amateur optics typically have apertures ranging from f/3.5 to f/5.6. Here the difference will be not only in cost, but in size and weight. If portability is more important to you than aperture then a slower lens will be your choice, but if you want to take pictures in difficult conditions, then it makes sense to spend more money and carry extra pounds of weight with you.

Many amateur lenses have a low aperture, which allows them to be made very compact and light compared to fast professional lenses.

For example, this picture shows 2 lenses from Canon.

1) Under the number 1 zoom lens (zoom lens) from 70 to 200 mm with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 effective over the entire range of focal lengths.

2) Under number 2 is a zoom lens (zoom lens) from 70 to 300 mm. This lens has a maximum aperture of f/4.5 only at the minimum focal length (the so-called "short end") of 70mm, and at the long end of 300mm the maximum aperture is f/5.6.

In the specifications of the lens, these parameters are indicated as follows: 1) 70-200mm f/2.8 2) 70-200mm f/4.5-5.6. Now you know what these numbers mean in the lens description on the price tag in the store. The difference in size is immediately visible, but for the price I will roughly orient, the first costs within $ 1800, the second within $ 400.

	Learn how to choose the right lens and camera, and learn how to take great photos!
more. ..

4. PRO lens aperture.

To reduce the amount of light passing through the lens, a mechanical iris is used, which allows you to widely adjust the size of the hole in the interlens space of the lens. On modern lenses, aperture is electronically controlled by entering values on the camera itself using buttons or the control wheel. On some lenses, it is controlled by a ring on the lens itself. The hole size is indicated by the following values: f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/3.5, f/4, f/5.6, f/8 ..... f/32. These values are the ratio of the focal length of the lens to the aperture diameter.

The illustration below shows the lens iris, which controls the amount of light that passes through the lens and hits the sensor. Large apertures (hole closed) let in less light, and vice versa, small apertures (hole open) let the lens in more light. In addition, the aperture value affects depth of field

Finally, here are 12 tips that can help you choose a lens.

1 . You get what you pay for.

It's better to have an inexpensive camera and quality optics than vice versa. Remember that it is the lens that forms the image in every photograph you take by passing light to the matrix through a complex system of lenses. If the primary information does not have the proper quality, then no computer processing will save the image. Therefore, do not immediately glance at the cheapest optics.

Although there are worthy copies among cheap optics.

2. Zoom lenses.

Zoom or zoom lenses provide maximum framing flexibility and let you set the exact focal length you need. When choosing zoom lenses, you should avoid optics with a very long zoom range, such as 70-500mm or 28-300mm, as the ease of use of such lenses is compensated by not the best image quality.

3. Prime lenses.

Discrete or fixed focal length lenses do not offer the same convenience as zoom lenses, but generally have higher optical quality. First of all, this is due to the relative simplicity of the optical design and the smaller amount of glass through which light passes. At the ends of the focal length range, i.e. in the case of ultra-wide-angle and ultra-long-focal lenses, the advantage in quality is especially noticeable.

4. Low dispersion glass.

Lenses that use reduced dispersion glass have improved correction
for chromatic aberration, a phenomenon in which rays of different wavelengths are refracted unevenly. This results in sharper images and more natural colors.

5. Auto focus.

If focusing speed is of the utmost importance to you, test with any lens before buying - some autofocus systems are significantly slower than others.

6. Internal focusing.

Lenses with an internal focusing system are more compact and better protected from dust than lenses with a moving front lens. Also with such a lens it is more convenient to use filters that require rotation (for example, polarizing ).

7. Presence of ultrasonic motor.

Lenses with an ultrasonic focus motor focus much faster than others, pay attention to its presence. It can be referred to as USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) by Canon, by Nikon it is SWM (Silent Wave Motor), by Sigma it is HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor).

8. The presence of a stabilizer.

The presence of a stabilizer can help to get a sharp shot in poor lighting conditions, because. it compensates for camera shake at slower shutter speeds, it's not bad to have a lens with this feature.

9. Aspherical elements.

Lenses designed with aspherical lenses are better able to cope with optical aberrations, which are especially pronounced with wide-angle lenses when shooting wide open.

10. Aperture.

The maximum aperture of a lens largely determines the range over which you can select exposure settings. For example, in low light conditions, a “non-fast” lens (with a maximum aperture of f/5. 6 or less} will not allow you to use a fast enough shutter speed to capture a moving subject and avoid blur. On the other hand, in the telephoto part of the range, a high aperture is associated with a significant increase in size and the weight of lenses, making them more difficult to carry and mount.When choosing a lens, try to evaluate the conditions in which you will most often shoot in advance, and find the best balance between aperture and portability.0003

11. Aperture of zoom lenses.

In the case of zoom lenses, aperture can be variable and depend on the set focal length; this system is used by the
to reduce the weight and size of the optic, but may limit your exposure options. If funds allow, focus on lenses with a constant aperture.

12. Hoods.

One of the problems in photography is side flare, which occurs when rays from a bright light source fall on an unprotected
front lens element. Even if a bright object is outside the frame, its light can be refracted many times inside the lens and appear in pictures as polygonal spots that have no artistic value. To combat this effect, hoods are designed that cover the front of the lens from all sides and block part of the stray light. Always use lens hoods recommended by the optics manufacturer.

Lens tests:

Lens test Sigma 17-70 mm f/2.8-4 OS HSM

Lens test Canon 50 mm f/1.8

Lens test Sigma AF 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM

Author: Alexander Ippolitov

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Photography from scratch • Lesson #3. Photo lens. Device and principle of operation. Filters

In this lesson you will learn: Photo lens. Device and principle of operation. What is lens aperture. Lens care. Fixed or zoom lens? What to look for when choosing and buying photo optics. Light filters.

In the first lessons, we looked at the principle of operation of a digital camera, what basic elements it consists of, what types of cameras exist, their characteristics and how to choose a camera. It's time to talk about the most important element of the camera, on which 70% of the quality of your photos depends - the lens. Quite complex material with many new terms.

The camera lens is a very complex design. Typically, it consists of a number of glass lenses that refract and focus the light entering the lens. This magnifies the image of the scene being shot and focuses on a specific point.

The objective consists of the following basic elements: a system of lenses and spherical mirrors made of special optical glass, a metal frame and a diaphragm. In the front of the lens is a lens, the main purpose of which is to collect light rays. Inside the lens, other lenses and spherical mirrors are already placed, which are responsible for the subsequent refraction of light and further image formation. The number of lenses or optical elements in the design of modern lenses can be different. At the same time, they can be connected to each other or, conversely, separated by airspace. The simplest lenses use a system consisting of one to three lenses. And in high-quality and expensive lenses, the number of optical elements made of various types of glass can reach ten or more.

Interchangeable lens unit (three groups of lenses are visually distinguishable)

The high accuracy of the relative position of the lenses in the lens is achieved by mounting the lenses in a metal frame. That is, the frame is not just a lens body, but a component that provides the necessary distance between the lenses, as well as protection of optical elements from mechanical and climatic influences. The frame usually has several ring-shaped parts. As a result of the rotation of one of these rings, axial movement of that part of the metal frame, in which the main lens unit is fixed, is ensured. The design of the lens frames suggests the possibility of manual or automatic change of the aperture, that is, an aperture adjustable in size that can change the amount of light rays passing through the lens to the matrix of a digital camera.

Six-bladed diaphragm

The lens diaphragm is a light-tight shutter with a small hole in the center that simply cuts off light rays passing through the edges of the lens. Such a shutter in the vast majority of lenses consists of thin crescent-shaped metal petals installed around the circumference between the lenses of the lens. These aperture blades can rotate simultaneously with each other, moving in or out of the space between the lenses. The aperture is used to change the depth of field (DOF). By reducing the size of the aperture, we can sharpen the frame.

Interchangeable lens elements

The lens assembly may include a focusing ring. It is used for manual focusing of the lens. By rotating the lens ring, the photographer can sharpen either the foreground or the background. If the lens is equipped with an autofocus function, then the focusing ring rotates automatically thanks to a special motor. When you press the camera shutter button, the lens automatically focuses on sharpness. Focus locking usually occurs when the shutter button is pressed halfway.

Modern interchangeable lenses from leading manufacturers use an ultrasonic focus motor (USM) built directly into the lens. Thanks to it, a very fast focusing speed is provided. There are lenses with the so-called screwdriver drive, which mechanically connects the lens and the camera. Such a system is slower and noisier.

Types of Ultrasonic Focus Motors Canon

In addition to autofocus, a stabilization mechanism is often built into the design of the lens, which compensates for camera shake at slow shutter speeds, thereby giving the photographer the ability to get sharp shots in low light conditions without using a tripod. A zoom lens (zoom lens) has a special zoom ring used to change the focal length. With the help of such a ring, you can zoom in or out of the subject in the frame.

The lens mount can only be integral with the camera if the lens is firmly integrated into the camera.

In digital cameras designed for the use of interchangeable lenses, the lens mount system is used - bayonet . Each manufacturer has its own lens-to-camera mount systems, although there are some open mount standards. The dimensions and shape of the mount depend on the type of camera to which the lens is attached.

The lens itself can, in turn, provide the ability to install a variety of filters. To do this, it is equipped with a special thread located around the outer lens. It is on this thread that various filters and other lens accessories are screwed, which we will discuss below.

Camera lenses are either interchangeable or non-interchangeable.

Non-replaceable lenses are permanently installed and cannot be replaced. Obviously, such lenses make handling the camera easier, although this is not always convenient. For example, it is not possible to significantly change the focal length during shooting. It remains only to use the opportunity to change the focal length of the non-replaceable lens itself or use attachment lenses to achieve the effect of a wide-angle or telephoto lens. True, in most digital cameras, to select the appropriate composition, it is possible to zoom in on the image simply by pressing the corresponding button.

Interchangeable lenses . The ability to change lenses depending on the specific situation during shooting is very convenient for controlling the creative process. For example, standing in one place, you can first shoot with high quality the entire surrounding area with a wide-angle lens, and then a specific element of the scene with a telephoto lens. Allowing you to attach a wide variety of lenses, the digital camera provides maximum convenience during shooting and photo quality, although a set of interchangeable lenses is quite expensive.

Lens characteristics

Lenses are characterized by two main parameters - aperture and focal length. As a rule, the values of these parameters are indicated on the front of the frame of any lens.

For sure, if you have heard such a thing as a fast lens more than once. Most likely, it was aperture that played a key role in choosing one or another lens, and of course the seller referred to this mystical parameter - aperture!

First, let's figure out what lens aperture is. Simply put, aperture is the throughput of the lens, i.e. Aperture refers to the maximum amount of light that passes through the lens and hits the sensor of a digital camera. The larger the aperture of the lens - the more light can pass through it, the greater the possibility when shooting in poor light without using a flash or a tripod. In addition, a fast aperture lens helps to focus the camera. Due to the fact that such a lens allows more light to pass through, the camera can be better focused even in relatively low light.

The lens aperture depends on the following parameters:

Aperture
focal length
optical quality

We will not delve into physics, I will only say that the ratio of the diameter of the maximum open aperture to the focal length will be your aperture ratio (geometric aperture ratio of the lens). It is this aperture that optics manufacturers indicate on the lens body - 1: 1.2, 1: 1.4, 1: 1.8, 1: 2.8, 1: 3.5-5.6 and so on. Naturally, the greater this ratio, the greater the aperture ratio of the lens. Therefore, fast lenses are considered those with a ratio of 1:2.8, 1:1.8, 1:1.4 or more.

Focal length (FR) is one of the most important characteristics of a camera lens and is usually marked on the lens and is measured in millimeters. To be more precise, the back focal length is indicated - this is the distance from the optical center of the lens to the focus point.

Dependence of the angle of view on the focal length of the lens

From a practical point of view, the focal length can be considered as a magnification factor of the lens. The longer the focal length, the more the lens enlarges the image. With a large focal length, the image projected onto the sensors contains a smaller part of the scene being shot.

Focal length and sensor size determine the camera's viewing angle. For lenses with a variable focal length (zoom), the range of focal lengths is indicated.

Depending on the focal length, there are:

Wide angle lens . Focal length up to 35-50 mm. This lens makes close objects appear even closer and distant objects even further away, while creating a strong sense of perspective. It is used when shooting landscapes, architecture, in tight spaces.

Normal lens (standard) . Focal length from 50 to 80 mm. The focal length of such a lens is approximately equal to the diagonal of the frame. The human eye provides an angle of view of about 50 degrees, which is what this lens provides, that is, the image is close to what we usually see, which is why it is called a normal lens. It is used when shooting portraits to prevent distortion of faces.

Telephoto lens . This type of lens has a focal length of more than 80 mm. Due to this, it greatly enlarges the objects. It is used in sports and any other reportage shooting, where it is impossible to get closer to the object being shot.

Some of the lenses have a fixed focal length of (such lenses are even more commonly referred to as prime lenses), and have no "zoom". Advantages: usually, higher quality of the resulting picture, higher aperture ratio. Disadvantages: lack of "flexibility" in use. Use: fine art photography and other types of photography in which the impeccability of the "drawing" of the lens is important.

Zoom lenses allow you to "zoom in" and "out" the image in the frame. Advantages: ease of use, increased versatility, space saving (one such lens can, in fact, replace several primes). Disadvantages: most often - the worst "picture" (this happens mainly because when creating the design of zoom lenses, manufacturers have to make a number of compromises, including the introduction of additional lenses to expand the limits of the optical zoom of the lens), slightly less reliability due to the presence of moving elements , slightly more distortion, usually less aperture than prime lenses. Use: where versatility is needed. Very useful when traveling, when shooting a report.

Lens quality

In the previous lesson, we talked about superzooms - compact cameras with lenses with a significant FR range (or that's what the lenses themselves are called). In this category, the shortcomings of zoom lenses are especially pronounced, despite the technical innovations of manufacturers. It is impossible to optimally balance the optical formula of such a lens for high-quality work in the FR range of several tens or even hundreds of units. I would compare such a lens with a food processor - it can do everything, but everything is not good enough. Read more about superzooms on our resource. Therefore, when choosing a camera with fixed lenses or when buying a zoom lens, I would not recommend "chasing" the versatility of superzooms if you are primarily interested in photo quality. Such a purchase can only be justified for travel photos that do not claim to be the cover of glossy magazines, and when the quality of your pictures is determined by the criterion "Can you see me clearly? Did the pyramids from behind get into the frame?" )))

When shooting in low light, fast aperture lenses produce sharp images at low shutter speeds. Regardless of the type of digital camera (fixed or interchangeable lens), the lens has a decisive influence on the quality of the resulting image. High-quality lenses always produce the sharpest, sharpest images that retain the most detail in the highlights and shadows.

It is recommended to choose a compact digital camera with the best quality lens possible. And as for a digital camera with interchangeable lenses, there are many more options for choosing the right lens.

So, the best photos are obtained with fast lenses with fixed focal lengths, and that is why most professional photographers prefer shooting with primes.

Identifying Lens Faults

Despite claims of high quality from world-leading optics, it is recommended that you test your camera with a particular lens when purchasing. Even budget lenses are not cheap, and defects found after purchase can turn into a loss of time in trips to warranty and service centers, and simply spoiled mood from an unsuccessful purchase.

First of all, after simply checking the lens for mechanical defects, fungal infections (due to improper storage by the seller) and dust between the lenses, it is necessary to perform a back-front focus test.

The concept of back focus (back-focus, from the English "back" - back) means that when aiming at the focus point, the lens missed back - the depth of field has moved back. With front focus (front-focus, from the English "front" - front), respectively, the miss occurs forward, the depth of field has shifted forward. To test an interchangeable lens, a special scale with a target is used, which must be downloaded in advance from the Internet and printed on a printer.

More details about this and other checks (for sharpness, chromatic aberration) are described on our resource. If it's still hard enough for you to figure it out, just remember these concepts - back focus and front focus. Come back to this post later.

Lens distortion

Lens lenses refract and focus light to produce the final image. In this case, the image may be distorted. Aberrations in photography are called distortions of images formed by the optics system. Depending on the nature of the origin, aberrations are chromatic and geometric.

If the contours of objects in a photograph are unnaturally concave or convex, and this is not an artistic intent, this type of geometric aberration is called distortion . The distortion is most pronounced when using wide-angle lenses.

Pincushion distortion is a type of distortion in which the edges of the image bend inwards. Such distortion can occur in a zoom lens at maximum magnification, as well as when attachment lenses are attached to short throw lenses. This kind of distortion is most noticeable on straight lines near the edges of the image. Pincushion distortion is usually corrected in an image editing program.

Barrel distortion is the opposite of pincushion distortion. With barrel distortion, the image appears to bulge, with straight lines curving outward. This distortion occurs when the magnification is set very low in zoom lenses or in wide-angle lenses. And this kind of distortion is most noticeable on straight lines near the edges of the image. Similar to pincushion distortion, barrel distortion can be in an image editing program.

Chromatic aberration - This type of optical distortion is caused by the lack of focusing of light of different wavelengths at the same focal point. In this case, short-wavelength light is refracted more than long-wavelength light, resulting in a mismatch of light of different colors in the final image. This distortion is typical for most amateur digital cameras that use lower quality lenses. To minimize chromatic aberration, most professional camera lenses use low dispersion glass optics. In addition, chromatic aberration is observed when using inexpensive wide-angle lenses.

Color ghosting at the bright edges of the image is a form of chromatic aberration. This phenomenon occurs when light inside the lens creates magenta fringing along the edges of the image. Such a flaw is easily detected by the color fringing at the high-contrast edges of the resulting image.

The ability to eliminate pincushion, barrel, and chromatic aberration in an image editing program does not mean that these types of distortion should be neglected when evaluating lens quality. While it is easy to eliminate them in two or three images, it is much more difficult to do so in 100 or more images.

Lens care

Cleaning the lens is a matter that should be approached with responsibility from the very beginning of using the camera. Expensive photographic equipment needs attention and care, because inaccurate use can lead to serious contamination, which will significantly reduce the quality of images and lead to premature wear or damage to the optics.

Wet and dry wipes, cotton swabs, brushes for cleaning optics, pears for blowing dust are used to care for optics. The market offers a wide range of various technical solutions for cleaning optics. Modern tools most often combine the above listed tools.

Dry dust . Dust is considered an abrasive that can scratch the surface of the lens, so it must be removed very carefully and do it first, in comparison with other contaminants. Dry dust is best removed with an intense air jet directed relative to the lens surface at an angle of 10-35 degrees. If a speck of dust is not removed, you need to “treat” it with a pear from different sides. Blowing with a blower is the first and most effective method of cleaning optics from dry dust, so it is quite enough.

Wet dust . Sometimes dust particles stick to the lens. In this case, a brush is used, which must be shaken off before use. Brush movements when removing dust particles should be short and soft, in the direction from the center to the edges with a slight twist to prevent dust from entering the grooves between the lens and the lens. After successful cleaning of dust particles, the lens must be blown well with a pear.

Wet drops . It is advisable to remove wet drops before they dry, otherwise, instead of a liquid, we will get abrasive microcrystals of inorganic salts or organic fat. For these purposes, the microfibril cloths or sticks mentioned above are best suited, since they instantly and almost completely absorb moisture. It is not necessary to press hard during cleaning, since this can squeeze out the already collected liquid and make scratches with unnecessary movements. It is worth wiping from the center of the lens to its edges in a spiral effortlessly, with short, delicate movements.

Dry drops . If the liquid nevertheless evaporates and leaves salt crystals on the lens, special wet wipes should be used to prevent micro-scratches, ending with a dry stick until the contamination is completely eliminated. If the objective lens has a fairly large diameter, it is worth using wipes for convenience, but in this case it is recommended to wear disposable gloves to prevent contamination of the wipe with your hands.

Grease marks and fingerprints . This type of pollution is very common. In this case, it is best to use a special Lenspen pencil, which allows you to conveniently and effectively clean dirt from objective lenses.

Useful tips.

Always use the dedicated bag to transport and store the camera, optional optics, and accessories, including cleaning supplies. The bag will protect the device from dust, thermal shocks and mechanical shocks, which often occur during transportation.

When shooting in areas where there is a threat of dust or water droplets, use protective filters from different manufacturers in advance, which, if deteriorated, are much cheaper than expensive optics.

Remember that even professional lens cleaning leaves behind imperceptible microscopic marks and micro-scratches, which over time can cause clouding of the optics, so keep your lenses clean from the very beginning and avoid unnecessary mechanical movements on the lenses and they will serve you for many years.

Never remove dirt from lenses with your fingers or use unsuitable cloths. This can mechanically or chemically damage delicate glass or lens coatings.

Do not blow on the lens - microscopic droplets of saliva are sure to fall on the lens, no matter how you want it.

A clean, windless room is most suitable for cleaning optics. Before starting work, you need to ensure the maximum cleanliness and lighting of the workplace and wash your hands.

Color filters

Color filters are used to correct the color, brightness and contrast of photographed objects. They are also used to create various color and lighting effects. Most novice photographers believe that modern photography has gone quite far, so now you can safely do without filters. Of course, modern technologies have gone far enough, but this does not mean that one can do without such a useful thing as a light filter in modern photography. Why are filters still being used? Dealing with this is not so difficult. The main thing is to learn how to use them correctly and alternate them, but the rest will follow.

Since filters somewhat reduce the aperture ratio of lenses, only a few are justified in digital photography. For amateur photography, it is enough and necessary to have the following filters:

Protective filter. Serves as a protection for the outer lens of the lens from dust, rain and mechanical influences. Often in this role it is better to use ultraviolet (UV). Due to the high cost of the technological process, it turns out that the more expensive the light filter, the less loss of luminosity when using it. Therefore, the use of very cheap filters is not recommended.

UV filter. Designed to neutralize excess ultraviolet rays that color the general background in bright blue. The rays of this spectrum are not visible to the human eye, but are recorded by the camera's matrix. UV filters are indispensable when shooting in the mountains and in sunny weather - they remove blue haze and the color scheme looks more natural. When using a UV filter, the photos come out a little more contrast, the sky is better drawn.

Polarizing filter. This filter is indispensable for landscape and architectural photography. It consists of two glasses with a special coating - by rotating one relative to the other, you can achieve the disappearance of reflections and glare from non-metallic surfaces such as water or glass.

On a sunny day, the sky and the sea become huge reflectors of all the sun's rays - this negatively affects the quality of the photograph - it turns out to be faded and colorless. Applying this light filter, the photographer gets an additional opportunity to saturate the color and improve the contrast of both individual parts of the scene and the image as a whole.

ND filter . Serves to reduce the aperture ratio of the lens to prevent overexposure when aperture cannot do this. Often used to shoot moving water when slow shutter speeds are needed.

As you can see, even modern photography cannot do without "obsolete" filters. And when choosing a compact camera, the presence of a thread on the lens for a light filter should be an additional argument for you in favor of a particular model.

Lesson 3 Summary:

We learned about lenses, their construction and characteristics. We tried to figure out what the magic word "aperture" is, and what filters and why a novice amateur photographer needs. Learned many new terms.

Practical task:

1. Carefully study the terms mentioned in the lesson and try to remember them. In the future, we will often use them in our lessons.

2. Carefully study the lens of your camera, its markings. Try to test the lens for back-front focus yourself.

3. Imagine that you really have to buy portrait and telephoto lenses (most demanded by amateurs) for your camera (if you have a compact camera, choose a model with interchangeable lenses for the task if you bought it or plan to buy it). Based on your shooting tasks and capabilities - we choose a lens: from choosing a specific model, checking in a store to purchasing accessories.

4. Tell me about your opinion on the lens marked - 18-200 f/3.5-6.3.

We are waiting for the results of the task on the forum. There you can also ask questions about the material presented.

In the next lesson #4: Practical basics of photography. Automation of a modern camera: autofocus, automatic exposure metering. How shutter priority and aperture priority modes work. How to achieve the expressiveness of a photograph by controlling the technical parameters. Using automatic and manual camera modes.

REFERENCE INFORMATION - Lens markings

Conventional designations

- 80-200mm; 18-55mm; 300mm, etc. are focal lengths. For fixed distance lenses, specified as a single number. On zoom lenses, it is written as a range, the first number is the minimum FR, the second is the maximum.
- F:3.5-5.6; F: 1.4 - the maximum possible aperture. Can be specified as a range or as a single number. One number is indicated on lenses with a fixed focal length, as well as on zoom lenses that provide a constant aperture value at focal lengths. The range is indicated on budget zoom lenses and some professional ones, due to their design, are not able to provide a constant aperture.

Canon

EF (Electro Focus) - designation of the mount of autofocus cameras.
EF-S (Electro Focus-short backfocus) Mount designation for cameras with an APS-C sensor.
USM (Utlrasonic Motor) - autofocus uses an ultrasonic motor built into the lens.
L (Luxury) - high-quality lenses, expensive and low-dispersion lenses are used in the production, they are produced in a dust and moisture-proof housing.
FT-M (Full Time Manual) - a lens with constant manual focus.
TS-E (Tilt-Shift) - special lenses with the ability to correct perspective due to tilts and shifts of the optical assembly.
I / R (Internal Focus Rear Focus) - lenses with internal focusing or focusing of the rear lens group (with a non-rotating front lens, the length of the lens does not change when focusing)
IS (Image Stabilizer) - optical image stabilization.
DO (Diffractive Optics) - lenses with diffractive elements. Differ in the small sizes and weight.
MP-E (Macro Photo Electronic) - lenses designed for macro photography.
Float is a floating lens system in the lens. Designed to eliminate aberrations when focusing at short distances.
CaF2 (Fluorite) - fluorite glass in the part of the objective lens. Used to reduce aberrations, more effective than Super UD.
UD (Ultra-low dispersion) - lenses made of low dispersion glass, with a low dispersion value, are used to reduce the effect of chromatic aberration.
S-UD (Super Ultra-low dispersion) lenses are made of ultra-low dispersion glass, designed to reduce chromatic aberrations.
AL (Aspheric Lens) - aspherical elements, used to reduce aberrations.
CA (Circular Aperture) - To get a circular aperture in the lens, a special shape of the petals is used.
STM (Stepping Motor) - lenses with a stepping motor.

Nikon

AI / AI-S (Automatic Indexing) - lenses without autofocus.
AI-P - lenses without autofocus, like the previous ones, are additionally equipped with electronic exposure metering.
AF (Autofocus) - autofocus lenses without a built-in focus motor.
AF-N (AF-new cosmetics) - lenses with a narrower manual focus ring.
AF-D, D (AF-Distance Information) - lenses with the ability to transmit the distance to the object to the camera.
AF-I (AF-Internal Motor) is the first generation of lenses with an integrated autofocus motor.
AF-S (AF-Silent Wave Motor) - the second generation of lenses with an autofocus motor, such lenses do not require a “screwdriver” in the camera.
CRC (Close Range Correction) - an optical element is installed in the lens, which reduces the effect of aberrations when focusing at a short distance.
G (G-type) - lenses without aperture ring.
Micro (Macro) - lenses designed for macro photography.
PC-E (Perspective Control) - lenses with perspective correction (tilt shift).
ED - The lens uses low dispersion elements to reduce chromatic aberration.
IF - monoblock (solid) design lens, focusing occurs due to lens shift inside the lens.
DC (Defocus Control) - the lens has a bokeh control function.
VR (Vibration Reduction) - image stabilizer.
N is a technology that reduces glare and reflections by applying nanocrystals.
DX - for cameras with APS-C format sensors.
FX is a lens for cameras with a full frame sensor.

Sony

A (Alpha Type), - mount type designation.
CZ (Carl Zeiss) - lenses developed by Carl Zeiss for A-mount cameras.
ZA (Zeiss Alpha) - lenses created by Sony Alpha for Zeiss.
G (Sony Professional Lens) is a professional series of lenses that meets high standards.
Vario-Sonnar, Planar T*, Sonnar T*, Distagon T* - Lens design type designations from Carl Zeiss.
SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor) is a cheaper motor than SSM.
STF (Smooth Transition Focus) - the lens has an optical element, thanks to which the transitions between in-focus and out-of-focus areas are displayed very smoothly.
SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) - ultrasonic motor.
DT (Digital Technology) - lenses for cameras with an APS-C matrix.
D (Distance Integration) - the lens supports the function of transmitting distance information to the camera to a focused object.
APO - The lens contains apochromatic elements to reduce chromatic aberrations.
xi - function of changing the focal length with a built-in motor.

Pentax

(D) FA - These lenses are made for full frame cameras.
DA (Digital) - lenses for cameras with an APS-C sensor.
DA-L (Digital, Plastic) - a lens similar to the DA, light version, the mount is made of plastic.
DA* (Digital, Pentax's "L") is a professional line of lenses in a dust and moisture resistant housing.
AL (Aspherical lens) - the lens contains aspherical elements to eliminate chromatic aberrations.
IF (Internal focus) - this lens focuses by moving the internal lens group.
PZ (Power Zoom) - mechanical zoom drive.
AF (Autofocus) - lenses with an automatic focus system.
SDM (Sonic Direct drive Motor) - lenses with built-in ultrasonic motor.
SMC (Super Multi Coating) is a multi-coated lens.
K-series - K-mount lens.
A-series Pentax A mount lens.
F, FA is a lens for a full frame camera equipped with an aperture control ring.
FA J is a full-frame autofocus lens without an aperture ring.
Limited - lenses produced in a limited series, compact design.

Sigma

EX is an expensive series lens with improved optical and mechanical characteristics.
ASP (Aspherical Lens) - The lens uses aspherical elements to reduce size and improve performance.
APO (Apochromatic) - The lens is designed using low dispersion glass.
OS (Optical Stabilizer) - built-in optical image stabilization system.
HSM (Hyper-Sonic Motor) is a lens with a built-in ultrasonic motor.
RF (Rear Focus) - This lens is equipped with a focusing system using rear lens groups.
IF (Inner Focus) - when focusing, the inner groups of lenses move. Monobloc lens.
Conv (APO Teleconverter EX) - Can be used with APO Teleconverter.
DG (DG Lens) - lenses with wide angles and large apertures, used for cameras with a full-frame sensor.
DC (DC Lens) - lenses designed for cameras with an APS-C matrix.

Tokina

AS (Asperical Optics) - The lens uses aspherical elements to reduce aberrations.
F&R (Aspherical F&R) - the lens is designed using an aspherical element of the F&R type. This technology achieves image quality with uniformly bright edges and corrected spherical aberration.
SD (Super Low Dispersion) - the lens design includes low dispersion elements, used to eliminate chromatic aberrations.
HLD (High refraction, Low dispersion) technology to prevent the occurrence of chromatic aberration.
MC (Multi-Coating) - a special transparent anti-reflective multi-layer coating that protects against reflections and unwanted glare, the technology is used to improve sharpness and color reproduction.
FE (Floating Element) - a special system of floating elements that move when changing the focal length, reducing the astigmatism of the lens.
IF (Internal Focus) - internal focusing system, the internal group of lenses moves during focusing, the outer parts of the lens do not rotate.
IRF (Internal Rear Focus System) - the rear group of lenses moves during focusing.
FC (Focus Clutch) is a lens with a focus lock mechanism.
AT-X (Advanced Technology - Extra) - variable aperture lenses for modern SLR cameras.
PRO - lenses of a professional line, with a constant aperture.
One Touch FC - a system used in Tokina AT-X PRO lenses, to switch between automatic and manual focusing by moving the focus ring.
DC - an ultrasonic motor is installed in the lens.
DX - A lens designed specifically for cameras with an APS-C sensor.
FX is a lens for full frame cameras.
M (Macro) - the lens is designed for macro photography.

Tamron

Di (Digital) refers to a new generation of lenses specifically tailored to the requirements of digital SLR cameras.
Di II (Digital-II) - This series of lenses is designed specifically for use in digital cameras with an APS-C sensor.
SP (Super Performance) is a line of lenses that meet the highest design requirements and excellent technical parameters.
ASL (Aspherical) - To eliminate spherical aberration and distortion, the lens is equipped with aspherical elements.
LD (Low Dispersion) - LD elements are made of special glass, which has an extremely low color coefficient. As a result, effective compensation for chromatic aberration is provided.
AD (Anomalous Dispersion) - the lens is equipped with glass with anomalous dispersion. Allows you to effectively compensate for axial chromatic aberration in telephoto lenses, as well as lateral chromatic aberration in traditional wide-angle lenses.
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