Building The Ultimate Lens Kit

There are so many top-notch, high-tech, affordable lenses available for nature photography, it’s easy to assemble a collection that will give you the right tool for what you love to do

By Mike Stensvold

Labels: Lenses

Camera Format And “Magnification Factor” Remember that the focal length required to produce a specific angle of view with an APS-C or Four Thirds System D-SLR will be shorter than that needed to produce the same angle of view with a 35mm SLR or full-frame D-SLR. The specs for each D-SLR note the sensor’s focal-length factor, a figure that tells how its images relate to those of a 35mm film frame. For example, Nikon’s non-full-frame D-SLRs (all except the D3, D3X and D700) have a factor of 1.5x—any given lens used on one of those D-SLRs will frame like a lens 1.5 times longer on a 35mm SLR (or full-frame D-SLR). For example, put a 100mm lens on a D300, and it will frame like a 150mm lens on a full-frame D3.
Here are the magnification factors for popular D-SLRs:
• Canon: 1.6x for all but the EOS 5D and EOS-1 series pro models • Canon EOS-1D series: 1.3x • Canon EOS-1Ds series and EOS 5D/ EOS 5D Mark II: 1x (full-frame) • Fujifilm: 1.5x for all D-SLRs • Nikon: 1.5x for all but the full-frame D3, D3X and D700	• Olympus: 2x for all D-SLR models • Panasonic: 2x for all D-SLR models • Pentax: 1.5x for all D-SLR models • Samsung: 1.5x for all D-SLR models • Sigma: 1.7x for all D-SLR models • Sony: 1.5x for all D-SLR models but the full-frame DSLR-A900

Pro Lenses And Image Quality

The right focal lengths provide you with the needed angles of view, but there’s more to consider than just angle of view.

Most pros shoot with pro lenses. Pro lenses cost more and are heavier, but they’re also sharper, better corrected for aberrations and distortion, and generally can stand up to outdoor conditions better. Pro lenses are also generally faster, which means you can shoot in dimmer light, at lower ISOs or at faster shutter speeds. This, in turn, means you can get shots that photographers using slower lenses can’t get. Pro lenses also provides quicker, more accurate autofocusing performance, important for wildlife-action photography.

If your budget doesn’t allow for pro lenses, you can get the same angles of view with lower-priced lenses, and some very good shots. But image quality won’t be quite as good as if a pro lens had been used to shoot the same images.

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Photography MASTERS makes this comment

Tuesday, 25 August 2009

This is one of the best articles! I plan to add some of those lenses to my collection! Thanks
Corker2 makes this comment

Wednesday, 08 July 2009

A very good article to read! However, some of these Lens are quite expensive, and really are not for the average Amateur Photographer. I know for sure that I can't afford buying a $1 - 4,000 Lens! Just to much money. I like taking pictures of what-ever will interest me, mostly Landscapes, Flowers, and places of History will always attract my attention. I shoot a Pentax K100D DSLR with a variety of different Lens that are not real expensive, but take a pretty good Image. I use the Pentax 18-55mm Lens, a Tamron 28-80mm Lens, a 70-300mm Lens, a Phoenix 28-210mm Wide Angle Lens. I can also add my Pentax 2X Doubler, which doubles everything. I also have a "Add On" Wide Angle Lens to add to my Tamron 28-80mm Lens to give me Wide Angles. I would think that I have more than enough to take some good Images.
Karl Hokanson makes this comment

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

I shoot Nikon D200 (D80) back up. Prime subject is sports (all three bike racing, sports cars and motorcycles. What three Nikon lenses would you recommend for my basics. I've tried other lenses and found only the Nikon's focus fast enoguh. I've also found I need faster lenses to achieve the shallow depth of field. Yes, I know these cost more. I'm also thinking whether I should be purchasing for full frame now. Thanks
ForestWander Nature Photography makes this comment

Monday, 15 June 2009

I am working on this a little at a time. So far the most versatile lens I have purchase is the 150-500mm Sigma. I use this combined with a 24-105mm Canon so in two lenses I cover a wide range 24-500mm IS f4-f6.3 I also use a quantaray 70-300mm for macro shots And a Sigma 28mm Fixed lens. I would like to add two lenses to my arsenal... a Good Macro lens such as 70-200mm IS and a nice prime 300 or 400mm telephoto. At that point I think I will be done lens shopping but then again is one ever done...
John Schickler makes this comment

Sunday, 14 June 2009

To Bob Johnson. If you simply click and drag over the desired data, right click and copy, then paste into Word and do this for each "page", you can edit out the icons, etc. and keep a copy saved. I save my print copy but use this method for reference. These articles are great.
Wayne makes this comment

Sunday, 24 May 2009

When I saw your article, I went to the table to see the lenses you recommend for a Canon full-frame camera. I was surprised to see your choice of the MP-E 65mm macro lens. I say this because the 'experts' that I read e.g., John Gerlach recommends a 200 or 100 mm macro as they give more flexibility. I then looked up the MP-E and saw that it is a specialty lens, so I was wondering on the rationale for the MP-E 65 rather than, say, the 100.
Bob Johnston makes this comment

Saturday, 16 May 2009

This was a great article! Too bad it is not in copy mode so those, like me, can have for future purchasing aides. i just got a subscription to your magazine and I love it.

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Building The Ultimate Lens Kit

There are so many top-notch, high-tech, affordable lenses available for nature photography, it’s easy to assemble a collection that will give you the right tool for what you love to do

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