Lenses - Focal Length

What lens(es) should I get?

This is the most common question anyone will ask when they first step into the advanced world. Normally you don't get these questions when there are no promotions around. However, when retailers throw in a sweet deal of bundling a lens at a much lower price, the heart / head starts to be moved.

For hobbyists / enthusiasts / pros, this is a simple question. They know what they want. So, I'll let this post be targeted at the amateurs / beginners / whatever you want to be called.

We'll concentrate on the focal lengths in this post. All lenses come with a certain focal length. 18mm, 24mm, 18-55mm etc etc. These figures mean nothing to a beginner. So, to make it easier to understand, I've taken some pictures. Most websites will display 1 picture, with multiple boxed in pictures within. I'll be different and post all individual focal lengths, so that you can actually see what each length is going to give you. Some things to note:
- Weather was hazy, thus the pictures aren't great.
- Focus is on the tower right at the center of the pictures.
- Pictures have been re-sized to 1280 width, with no other post processing done.
- All pictures are taken with the camera mounted on the tripod, meaning, the camera is fixed in a position.
- I've included all the common focal lengths between 18mm and 200mm, so that you know what you are looking at when you are thinking of a new lens.
- I used the Nikkor 18-55mm and 55-200mm on my D7000 to get these pictures.

18mm wide

24mm

35mm

55mm

70mm

105mm

135mm

200mm telephoto

As you can see, 18mm fills your frame with tons of landscape, thus earning this the "wide angle lens" name. As you increase your 'zoom', you get nearer to your subject (in this case, the tower). This, will be your telephoto end.

A beginner will most likely be tempted to get such a lens, covering from 18mm to 200mm. This is a good choice for a travel lens, as you are less likely to miss shots due to not being able to zoom in or open wide. I use my 18-105mm frequently when I'm out with my family, as the range is good enough for my style. Do note however, that such lenses have their cons - the sharpness of the pictures you can achieve, the low light capability when shooting night scenes etc. I won't be talking about these, as you'll be able to find the information easily when you search for the reviews of the lens(es) you are interested in.

That's it for this post. I'll talk about the aperture of the lenses in a future post.