What camera lens should you buy? Camera Lens Buying Guide

When purchasing new lenses, these tips are well worth knowing before you spend out on your camera optics.

Whether you’re shooting food photos, landscapes, street photography, product images wildlife images or fashion shots, using the right lens for the task in hand makes all the difference.

Understanding the pros and cons of fixed focal length prime lenses compared to zoom lenses and how their results vary depending on the camera you use. This will save you time and money in the long run.

With ‘easy to follow’ diagrams and photograph examples, this video will help you discover why varying lens types deliver dramatically different results.

Use this knowledge for creative advantage as your camera skills develop.

Comments

  1. Dear Karl,

    I have a question regarding the two lenses bellow ; from the eyes of a Professional photographer, these lenses are the same in term of quality or the sigma will give better quality, any advices?

    – AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D
    – Sigma 50mm 1.4

    Thank you very much
    Lili

    1. Hi Lili, of course they are the same focal length and the same maximum aperture but how each one performs is entirely down to the lens design and the quality of the glass, it’s shape and the manufacturing. The only way to know is to test both lenses or look at someone else’s scientific tests such as MTF charts.

  3. Dear Karl,

    Thank you for all the courses very professional …

    I have a question about the equivalent Canon lens 50mm f/1.2L for a Nikkon.

    I need a lens for flat food photography and as I understand the 50mm can work best…

    Thank you very much
    Lili

  4. Hey Karl,

    I’m starting my journey as a fashion and product photographer and intend on making a living of it.

    I’ve decided to go with the Canon 5D Mk III body and a couple strobe lights but I’m struggling with choosing a lens.

    I could only afford one of the recommended lenses or two cheaper model lenses….or maybe a 50mm and 100mm for range. I saw in a recent video that you and Daria Belikova tend to use 35mm for fashion.

    Basically Karl, I’ve fallen down the researching lens rabbit hole.

    Ideally I would like all the lenses but currently can only afford 1 or maybe 2 cheaper lenses along with strobe lights and a camera body.

    I want to take fashion shots like Daria Belikova and produce superb product/still life shots like yourself.

    Any recommendations?

    1. Hi Frankie, it really does depend on your budget. Daria and I both use a focal length of about 50mm (which is about 35mm in the Canon Full Frame format) but I also use longer than this is the studio, such as an 80mm (50mm FF35 format) or 100mm (75mm FF35 format). I have a very good zoom lens that covers from about 28-70 range in 35mm format. I’m pretty sure Canon do a high quality lens in that range and then maybe also use a good 50mm prime lens too.

  5. Dear Karl,

    I just want to say that I love your courses and enjoy them a lot… to me you sound like the inventor of photography… as you have a very deep knowledge of everything to photography.

    I was planning to get a camera but I recently found an old canon camera that I bought many years ago.. I think its 2009 450d model.. Its lens is EF-S 18-55mm.

    I don’t know if it is a good option to use or do I need to buy another one.

    Can you please advise me on this…

    1. Hi Ruwaida, thank you and it’s certainly good enough for now to get started and practising techniques.

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