Most night photographers use an ultra-wide angle lens. Some use longer lenses for deep-sky astrophotography. But what about the Nifty Fifty? Enter the Nifty Fifty Some people describe a Nifty Fifty as approximating what we see. I’m not really sure that’s quite right. But regardless, it is a “tweener” lens
Why would I choose to only use prime lenses while there are many other great options out there? This sounds like a legitimate question, doesn’t it? Here’s how I became obsessed with primes! The one that started it all When I started doing photography, I had no money … that’s
Late Wednesday, Nikon announced the new NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 lens, a compact, lightweight prime for Nikon Z series cameras. This fast aperture, wide-angle lens is small enough to carry anywhere, and is ideal for capturing everyday snapshots, group portraits, landscapes, cityscapes and more. With a total length of approximately
When Sony first announced their new ultracompact prime trio — the 24mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2.5 and 50mm f/2.5 — I scratched my head a little bit. With all of the compact prime lenses on the market for E mount cameras, where do Sony’s fit in? After all, Sony has hit
When we look at the basic principles of photography, one of the key elements has to do with focal length. When describing a lens, this is the first thing that comes to mind and what it is is a bit of a mystery. Focal length affects your angle of view
This week bookends with two articles about the business of portrait photography. We lead off with a guest post by James Maher on corporate portraits followed by Michèle Grenier on prime lenses. Then Scott Wyden Kivowitz shows how to sort for smiling photos with Excire Search 2. Mykii Lui has
In this ThinkTAPLearn video, instructor Joe McNally tackles the question of how to choose a lens on-location. Using a Burlesque dancer as his subject, Joe goes through the different angles he tries as well as the different prime lenses he recommends for storytelling. Want to see more of Joe’s experience?
Why are there so many lens choices for your camera? The simple answer is that every photographer sees the world differently requiring the use of different focal length lenses. Different photographers, different lens choice For example, landscape photographers typically use wide-angle lenses, in the 10mm to 24mm range. This allows
When I first started photography, I didn’t take my buddy’s advice — invest in a better quality lens before upgrading your camera. It was a mistake I never made again. So when it came time to decide if I need a prime lens in my bag, I called on his
For the past four years, I’ve photographed an event for Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids — the Laughfest Signature Event. It features a highly sought-after comedian with the ultimate goal to raise money for cancer support. This year, Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah (from The Daily Show) graced Grand Rapids with his
This new Twist 60 lens from Lensbaby has my full attention right now. There are always new lenses boasting extreme sharpness or wide apertures or super telephoto, but Lensbaby steps aside from the sharper-faster-longer race and makes tools that actually help me be more creative. In short, it’s a marvelous hunk
Thanks for all the great questions you’ve been sending in to the Photofocus podcast. This week Rich Harrington and Kevin Ames tackle some great topics to help photographers. Remember, you can post those questions via Twitter with the #pfqa or send us a note here at Photofocus. The music in
