i know that one lens cant be used for all types of photography but i wanna know which lenses are used by 100% Pro photographers.
pls tell me about all these types: wild life photography as well as pro modeling as well as macro.
What is special in there lenses which gives them so great clarity?
I am a beginner so pls explain.
No single lens is used by 100% pro photographers. Any pro photographers will use whatever lens that they need to get the pictures they want.
Wildlife photography usually involves shooting animals from far away, thus photographer need a long focal lens so they can "pull" their subject closer without having to go close to the (dangerous/shy) animals themselves. You will see people refers to such lens as "exotic lens" since they are low in production, and cost a lot (may go up to $10,000 for one), and a focal length of 400mm/500mm/600mm. That said, there are things called a "tele-converter" which multiplies the focal length. For example, a 1.4x teleconverter would turn a 600mm lens into 840mm lens (and drop in speed, become darker by 1 stop).
Modeling shots is a bit more complicated. It depends all on the artist/photographer’s approach and it can be of any lens. The usual would be using a fast prime lens such as the 85mm f/1.4 for a shallow depth of field (sometime desirable in portrait shots, but depends a lot on genre). But I know pro photographers personally that uses a 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom for portrait and the result is stunning, so it’s all up to the photographer.
Macro lens is a bit special. Unlike a normal lens, they have the ability to focus really close. There will always be a limit on how close you can get to your subject when you focus, I suppose you know that too. But macro lens lets you go even closer (relatively, for example, 105mm macro lens will let you go closer to the subject than a 105mm normal lens), so the end result is that your subject would look a lot bigger. Macro lens for SLR cameras is not the same as those on compact cameras, it is not about being able to go as close as 1cm etc etc… it’s about magnification. You will still have to be like 2 feet away from your subject on a really long 200mm macro lens for example. (well, can’t remember the exact number, but you get my point, it’s not about being 2cm away from subject).
Your last statement is not entirely true. Lens technology has advances so much that cheap kit lens is as sharp and clear as most pro grade camera lens. It’s just that pro-grade camera lens usually is very "fast", with a large aperture to let more light going through the lens, and of course, built quality. Most pro lens are built like a tank and can take abuse (but please don’t do it…)
5 Responses to “Which type of lenses are used for professional photography?”
If you are looking at the professional line of lens they run into several thousands of dollars due to the fact the are optically precise. This means the lens is grounded to precise specifications and have very stringent tolerance when being made.
Professional wide life photographers usually use a large telephoto lens that is mounted on a tripod. The focal length varies but the usual length is 500mm – 1000mm. Modeling photographers will use a variety of cameras and lens. It is not uncommon to see a modeling photographer use a medium format camera and not a 35mm SLR camera. Those that use 35 mm SLR cameras will use a lens length anywhere from 50mm – 350 mm lens. Close-up photography uses macro lens which is usually at the end of a telephoto lens. Not all telephoto lens have this option but some do.
Personally I believe using a gray card, a light / flash meter, and a good 35mm SLR with a 50mm you can get professional results.
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No single lens is used by 100% pro photographers. Any pro photographers will use whatever lens that they need to get the pictures they want.
Wildlife photography usually involves shooting animals from far away, thus photographer need a long focal lens so they can "pull" their subject closer without having to go close to the (dangerous/shy) animals themselves. You will see people refers to such lens as "exotic lens" since they are low in production, and cost a lot (may go up to $10,000 for one), and a focal length of 400mm/500mm/600mm. That said, there are things called a "tele-converter" which multiplies the focal length. For example, a 1.4x teleconverter would turn a 600mm lens into 840mm lens (and drop in speed, become darker by 1 stop).
Modeling shots is a bit more complicated. It depends all on the artist/photographer’s approach and it can be of any lens. The usual would be using a fast prime lens such as the 85mm f/1.4 for a shallow depth of field (sometime desirable in portrait shots, but depends a lot on genre). But I know pro photographers personally that uses a 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom for portrait and the result is stunning, so it’s all up to the photographer.
Macro lens is a bit special. Unlike a normal lens, they have the ability to focus really close. There will always be a limit on how close you can get to your subject when you focus, I suppose you know that too. But macro lens lets you go even closer (relatively, for example, 105mm macro lens will let you go closer to the subject than a 105mm normal lens), so the end result is that your subject would look a lot bigger. Macro lens for SLR cameras is not the same as those on compact cameras, it is not about being able to go as close as 1cm etc etc… it’s about magnification. You will still have to be like 2 feet away from your subject on a really long 200mm macro lens for example. (well, can’t remember the exact number, but you get my point, it’s not about being 2cm away from subject).
Your last statement is not entirely true. Lens technology has advances so much that cheap kit lens is as sharp and clear as most pro grade camera lens. It’s just that pro-grade camera lens usually is very "fast", with a large aperture to let more light going through the lens, and of course, built quality. Most pro lens are built like a tank and can take abuse (but please don’t do it…)
References :
Most lenses will produce an image that is far better than the sensor ( or film ) is able to resolve. The price of the lens is in the quality of it’s construction and it’s features.
An advertising photog might use only a fixed focus portrait lens – the only moving parts are the aperture and focus mechanism, but designed for thousands of operations, and many years of use.
A wildlife photog would need a long range zoom lens with numerous zoom elements, each of which must be ground to exact specs and the barrels are usually metal – aluminum or titanium.
Some amateur quality lenses use plastic lens barrel construction to lower weight and cost, but these deteriorate over time and produce less and less sharp pics.
The clarity is mostly due to the knowledge of the photog and less so with the equipment. Fast shutter speeds, small apertures, solid tripods as well as high resolution CCD sensors contribute as much or more to the clarity.
It’s hard to beat the quality of construction of Nikon pro lenses. But they are including junk plastic lenses in the 18 – 55mm range with their camera "kits". Canon EF lenses have good features like image stabilization, but the plastic barrels suffer over time. The quality of the pics is superior for the first 3 or 4 years.
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30 years in camera repair.
Your question is too vague.
It’s like asking which surgical tool is used more often by a surgeon.
Each lens has its own use, but if it’s a "walk around", average lens, I’d say 24-70 mm f 2.8.
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The threee elements that usually go into a "pro" lens are:
1) Fast Lens. Most pro lenses will open up to f/2.8 or wider giving the photographer the ability to use faster shutter speeds and shoot in lower light situations.
2)Heavier Construction. Most pro lenses bodies are made of a metal or alloy as opposed to consumer grade lenses that are made mostly of plastic. This makes them far more durable and most time weather resistant (not weather proof).
3)Optically Superior Glass. Without getting way to technical, just understand that the glass in a kit lens is not the same that they put in your pro level lenses. This is usually where the big difference in sharpness comes.
As far as what type of lens for different types of photography? There are generalizations but every photographer has a different style. I will tell you that most photo journalists use a wide zoom, something like and 18-70mm and a telephoto zoom, maybe a 70-200mm.
Hope that helps. Happy Shooting.
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