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WHICH LENS? CHOOSE THE RIGHT LENS

Deciding which lens you need for the task is the key to getting great results

FROM the standard ‘kit’ zoom lens supplied with many cameras to expensive and specialised wide-angle and telephoto lenses, there’s a bewildering array of options available for your SLR or CSC. So how do you choose which lens is best for you? Ask yourself about the type of result you want to achieve and what features you want.

The first choice to consider is focal length. You need to decide whether you need a wider view to allow yourself to include more of the scene, or a longer focal length to pick out smaller or distant subjects. Next, decide whether you need the extra light-gathering abilities or shallow depth-offield effects that a wide maximum aperture will allow you to achieve. Your standard kit lens and many cheaper telephoto or wide-angle zooms have a maximum aperture between f/3.5 to f/5.6. If you want a zoom lens, there are several models that offer a maximum aperture of f/2.8 throughout the focal range, although these are typically more expensive.

If you want an even