FREE Lens Guide Supplement with AP dated 4 April 2015

lens guide supplement

Lens Guide Supplement

We’re as guilty as anyone of getting excited about the latest cameras, marvelling at ever-increasing pixel counts and high ISO settings, and trying out clever new features. However, in reality lenses are just as important, if not more so. In fact, it doesn’t really matter how many megapixels your shiny new camera has, or how fast it shoots, if the lenses you use aren’t up to the job.

But how do you choose which lens to buy? The sheer number and choice of lenses on the market can be overwhelming, especially for beginners (indeed, even for experienced photographers). Among the wealth of options and the bewildering alphabet soup of letters that make up lens names, it can be difficult to work out exactly what you really need.

In this supplement, we’re aiming to demystify the subject, explaining the different types of lenses and what they all do. Along the way we’ll be picking out our recommendations for different kinds of photography. We’ll also take a look at the lens ranges available for the various brands of compact system cameras, if you’re thinking of taking the weight off your shoulders and ditching the DSLR.

So whether you’re looking to expand your lens range, or buy into a new system, we hope this supplement will give you some ideas, and help you decide which is the best choice for your needs.

Andy Westlake, Technical Editor

CONTENTS

Guide to focal lengths

Best lenses for…

  • Entry level
  • Travel & street
  • Landscapes
  • Portraiture
  • Wildlife
  • Macro

For Compact System Cameras…

  • Micro Four Thirds
  • Sony E
  • Sony FE
  • Fujifilm X
  • Samsung NX
  • Canon EF-M
  • Leica T
  • Nikon 1

Glossary