What Lens Should You Get Next?
When I was starting photography, I wondered what are the best lenses for me.
Getting my 1st lens was a process that included a lot of anxiety.
I wanted to make sure it was brilliant for my needs.
But years later, the lens-buying process did cause me anxiety too.
I didn't know everything to factor into my decision.
In this Letter, I wanted to help you see what's actually the best next lens for you.
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But before we start:
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1) Analyze
1st, I'd recommend you to analyze.
Analyze, what focal lengths you are currently shooting at.
Focal length is the distance between the lens and the camera sensor.
The focal length is often measured in millimetres (mm).
The smaller the focal length, the wider the photograph will be.
In 2018, when I was getting a new lens, I realized, I rarely photographed anything at 50mm.
So - I figured - I don't need a lens to cover that for me.
I ended up switching from a Sony 24-105mm to a Sony 70-200mm.
Still to this day, I do not have a lens that covers 50mm. And I don't think I'll be getting one soon either.
I just don't like to shoot at 50mm.
I recommend you analyze it like I did.
Go to Adobe Lightroom and watch what is the focal length you used.
Or - check the image properties if you do not use Lightroom.
This is how you'll see is there a focal length you do NOT use.
Then, see if you feel limited by your current selection of lenses.
If yes, why?
Do you feel you'd need to get a bit wider?
Consider getting a wide-angle lens.
Do you feel you'd need to get more reach?
Consider getting a telephoto lens.
Do you feel you'd want to be able to focus closer to a subject?
Consider getting a macro lens.
And so on.
Analyze, and you'll be aware of what you need.
But then, there are other questions you need to answer...
2) Shooting conditions
What are the conditions you shoot at?
Do you shoot at night? At a sports event? During mid-day?
This will affect what's the correct lens for you a lot.
If you do shoot at low light conditions, it's good to have a possibility for a wider aperture (aka a lower F-stop number).
E.g. For night photography, I use Laowa 15mm F/2.
I'd not use F/4 - as it simply doesn't fit my needs at night.
The same if you photograph sports, you might need to use a high shutter speed to get sharp images.
By having a higher shutter speed, you must compensate for the light you're losing by doing so.
This is where a lens with a wide aperture can help you greatly.
The wider the aperture, the more light will get into your camera sensor - resulting in a brighter image.
But - if you do shoot in the middle of the day outdoors, you might not need a lens with a wide aperture.
You'll be fine regardless.
3) Variable-aperture lenses
Variable-aperture lenses = Your aperture changes based on the focal length you use.
Such as a Canon 24-105mm F/4-7.1
At 24mm, the aperture can be as wide as f/4.
But as you zoom in to 105mm, the widest aperture is f/7.
You'll need to figure out is this a big deal for you.
Often, lenses that have this variability are more affordable.
When I played around with my family's camera kit before I got my own, the lens had a variable aperture too.
(For those curious, the kit was Canon EOS 500D with 18-55mm F3.5-5.6.)
Many don't enjoy this "forced" change in aperture.
You just have to change the settings much more.
But - it is one way to save money.
But don't get me wrong.
Some more expensive lenses have it too - such as Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6.
(It costs €3,000 - or $2,700+ USD.)
I don't mind the change, as I often have the time to switch up the settings myself.
But if you're shooting wildlife, this can make your life a bit more tough.
But - maybe it isn't a huge deal. Especially if you save money.
But I believe it is something you must consider... is it too big of a pain in the ass - or should you invest in a lens with no variable aperture.
4) Image Stabilization
Do you use a tripod? Or do you shoot handheld?
If you use a tripod, then you don't need good image stabilization.
But if you do shoot handheld, image stabilization becomes important.
Both cameras and lenses can have image stabilization.
And having image stabilization in the lens, of course, helps.
It'll allow you to shoot at slower shutter speeds without getting blurry images.
I have image stabilization in all my lenses - apart from the Laowa 15mm f/2.
(But I always use it on a tripod.)
A lens with image stabilization might cost you a little extra.
Consider, whether this is important for you - or not.
5) Zoom vs Prime
Zoom lenses = Lenses where you can adjust the focal length
Prime lenses = Lenses where the focal length is fixed - aka, you can't zoom in or out.
Why would anyone get a prime lens - you might ask.
Well, there's a couple reasons.
1) They tend to give sharper photographs.
Now, I must say, I personally don't think there's a major difference.
You'll probably see a difference if you pixel-peep.
But I don't think you'll see an insane difference.
I have a 15mm prime myself, and I don't think it's any sharper than my zooms.
Of course, there's other factors that affect the sharpness compared to zoom vs prime.
But personally, I'd not go for a prime for sharpness.
I believe the difference is so small - and then you lose out on the benefits of zooming.
But why do I have a prime lens anyway?
Well, that brings us to reason number 2...
2) Prime lenses tend to be better in low light.
Prime lenses tend to have a possibility for wider aperture - letting in more light.
Try to find a zoom lens with F/1.4 or F/2.
It's not that easy. :D
Primes are great for low-light performance.
And if you want delicious bokeh, it's great for you too.
6) All in one lens?
I'd say, that if you can't get more than 1 lens, then consider getting a lens with more versatility.
Such as a 24-70mm - or 24-105mm.
That'll help you cover much more ground - and help you get photographs you couldn't get otherwise.
The 1st lens I got was a Sony 16-70mm.
But do keep in mind, the lenses with more versatility, might not be as sharp.
Such as a lens from 18mm to 300mm.
If a camera manufacturer has tried to get it all in one, they have probably needed to sacrifice something... make sense?
7) Lastly... A crop factor
If you do use a crop sensor camera, you must take that into count.
A 100mm lens on a Sony APS-C is full-frame equivalent of 150mm.
This means, you'll need to get a wider lens to get a wider look - compared to full-frame shooters.
If you get a 16mm lens, then it'll appear as 24mm. Be aware of that.
You can do this calculation by taking the crop factor of 1.5x of APS-C (or 1.6x of Canon's APS-C), and multiplying your focal lenght with that.
E.g. 16mm x 1.5 = 24mm
8) Wrapping it up
I hope you found this insightful, my friend.
If you want to dive deeper into mastering photography, I'm hosting a workshop on photography fundamentals somewhere in the next 2 months.
Join the waitlist here.
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Till next Saturday, my friend.
Hugo
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