PHOTOGRAPHY

 Types of photographic lenses and their uses

  Taking a good photo requires several factors to take into account, and it's not just about having a camera.

  The experience of the photographer, the type of camera, the shooting angle, the lighting, and the lens used are all key to being able to take great quality photos.

  Therefore, because the lens is an important thing and plays a major role in image quality, in addition to the fact that there are many types of lenses that many are confused about the best option for them and their uses, here we will learn about the types of photographic lenses, their uses and the specifications of each.

Type of camera lenses

  The process of choosing a lens is always a confusing matter for various photographers and users of photographic cameras, and even knowing the types and shapes of photographic lenses is not enough to be able to choose the right lens. Rather, the subject depends on the goals and objectives of the photographer, the types of images he wants to capture, and the photography subjects he usually photographs, and therefore the lens varies between a wildlife photographer, a street photographer, a still life photographer, and other forms of photography, as we will see in the following lines

   1- prime lens

  Most prime lenses have a single focal length of 35mm or 50mm, unlike other types such as zoom lenses, which offer a range of focal dimensions for zooming in and out, and therefore prime lenses don't accept zoom in and out of the subject of photography, but in return, they give better image quality than those lenses that provide More focal lengths although less flexible than other lenses. In addition, it features a wide aperture that allows light to pass through, making it suitable for shooting in low-light conditions.

   2- zoom lens

  Zoom lenses from their name, it's clear that they are intended for taking pictures that contain distant subjects, and therefore they can zoom in and out at many levels due to the different focal lengths they have, which can start from 24mm to 70mm and between them. Thus, these lenses enable you to zoom in and out while taking the picture without having to bring yourself or the camera closer to the subject. This lens is used in places that require a distance from the subject and what is being photographed, such as in sports matches and photographing insects and animals in nature from afar.

   3- wide-angle lens

  All lenses that have a focal length less than 35 mm are called wide-angle lenses, because in contrast to the short focal length, they give an image with a wide scene, so they are called wide lenses. Streets, events, and portraits. Wide lenses can be prime or zoom.

   4- Telephoto lens

  These are lenses that have a focal length greater than 85mm to 300mm and more in some types and cameras. These lenses are used to highlight the details in the subject of photography and make them powerfully present in the image. For example, they are used in sports and wildlife photography. Some photographers consider them to be specialized lenses that are difficult to deal with for many non-specialists who don't have sufficient experience and knowledge in lenses and dealing with them, in addition to They are large in size and weight and at a high price that many photographers avoid despite their importance and ability to take a great picture.

   5- Macro lens

  Macro lenses are those used for close-up photography that records the subject of photography in a 1:1 ratio, that is, they can photograph the object exactly as original size and details without reducing or enlarging, that's, if we photograph an insect the size of 1 mm using a macro lens, it will appear in the image Exactly this size with all the details and details. Most macro lenses have a fixed or prime focal length, with slightly large apertures that contribute to taking an excellent picture.

   6- portrait lens

  Telephoto lenses with medium focal length and wide aperture are the best choice among all types of photographic lenses to capture portrait images of excellent quality, and of course taking into account the type and specifications of the camera, which may play an important role in determining the appropriate lens for taking portraits, as usually What portrait lenses are used for cameras with small sensors and full-frame with a limited focal length. Of course, portrait lenses can be used to photograph many subjects, not just people.

   7- Tilt-shift lens

  It's the lens that gives the photographer more features to control the dimensions, perspective, and other characteristics of the shot being photographed, which makes it the most suitable lens for architects and engineers to photograph buildings, decorations, and interior designs, but the disadvantage of these forms of lenses is that they are always manual focus and are not available Including autofocus lenses.

   8- Fisheyes lens

  It's a lens that offers a fairly wide angle of view of up to 180 degrees, which means that it can record about one hemisphere of the scene in front of the lens. It's widely used in astrophotography as well as other shooting poses and conditions for more creative photography scenes. But at the same time, these lenses contain some disadvantages, as due to the wide scene they capture, distortions appear in the image and bends of straight lines, especially in the parts near the lens and the middle of the image, and appear larger than they are in reality. In addition to its very high price, in return for its limited uses, it's limited to astronomical photography, as we said, and to photographing wide scenes such as large facilities and buildings.

  Thus, we will be familiar with the main types of photographic lenses and the uses of each of them, and the characteristics and specifications that they have, so that professional and amateur photographers can choose the appropriate lens according to their needs pictorial charges and the scenes they capture.