Choosing the right lens for the camera

Fixes and lenses for shooting landscapes and architecture

Fix lenses

Fixed lenses (fixed focal length lenses; discrete lenses) provide the highest image quality. They do not have a zoom, but provide a very high sharpness. In addition, their aperture is much higher than the aperture of zooms with similar focal lengths, which means that fixes blur the background more strongly. It is believed that such lenses create the most beautiful bokeh (blurring of the blur zone). In addition, all highly specialized lenses have a fixed focal length. This is the most uncompromising type of lens, but at the same time the least universal.

An example of a shot taken with a fixed lens

The cheapest of all the fixes are the "fifty dollars" - 50 mm lenses. This is due to the relative simplicity of their design. Other models of fixes can cost many times more and compete in their high cost with top-end zooms. So having an optics park consisting of several discrete lenses is not an expensive pleasure. But if you still want to work with a fix, then it makes sense to start with a fifty dollars. It will allow you to shoot with a shallow depth of field, give an idea of high definition images, and also will not empty your piggy bank.

Canon EF 50 f / 1.4 USM

Sony 50mm f / 1.4

Pentax DA * 55mm f / 1.4 SDM

Sigma 50 mm F1.4 EX DG HSM for Canon , Sony , Nikon and Pentax

Nikon AF-S 50mm f / 1.4G Nikkor

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Canon EF 50 f / 1.4 USM
Sony 50mm f / 1.4
Pentax DA * 55mm f / 1.4 SDM
Sigma 50 mm F1.4 EX DG HSM for Canon, Sony, Nikon and Pentax
Nikon AF-S 50mm f / 1.4G Nikkor

Landscape lens

Any landscape photographer will tell you that it is impossible to recommend a single lens for landscape photography. Some take landscapes using ultra-wide-angle models, others - using a set of fixed focal length lenses, while others use one zoom lens. There are people who prefer to photograph landscapes with powerful televisions, thanks to which it is possible to get a large setting or rising sun in the pictures. But the fact remains: one of the main requirements for landscape lenses is high image detail. In other words, the lens must provide very high sharpness, and not necessarily with an open aperture. Often during landscape photography, the lens is apertured to f / 8-f / 11. It is also good if the optics have a low level of chromatic aberration. We are talking about the color borders of contrasting objects mainly on the periphery of the frame.

Nikon 14mm f / 2.8D ED AF Nikkor

SMC Pentax DA 15mm f / 4 AL Limited

Sony 20mm f / 2.8

Olympus ED 7-14mm f / 4.0

Sigma AF 20mm f / 1.8 EX DG ASPHERICAL RF for Canon , Sony , Nikon

Canon EF 14 f / 2.8L USM

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Nikon 14mm f / 2.8D ED AF Nikkor
SMC Pentax DA 15mm f / 4 AL Limited
Sony 20mm f / 2.8
Olympus ED 7-14mm f / 4.0
Sigma AF 20mm f / 1.8 EX DG ASPHERICAL RF for Canon, Sony, Nikon
Canon EF 14 f / 2.8L USM

Sample frame shot with an ultra wide angle lens

As for the range of focal lengths, we would recommend to the amateur photographer to start with wide-angle lenses. The choice between a zoom lens or a fix is everyone's personal business. As a rule, it will still be easier for a beginner to zoom. By the way, the aforementioned standard zooms are perfect for shooting a landscape.

Architecture Lens

This direction in photography is very close to landscape photography, only more stringent requirements are imposed on lenses. Architecture is replete with straight lines that should remain straight and not distorted in photographs (unless otherwise included in the author’s plans). And this circumstance forces the use of lenses with well-compensated frame geometry. This primarily refers to wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle models.

Canon EF-S 10-22 f / 3.5-4.5 USM

Nikon 12-24mm f / 4G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor

Sony DT 11-18mm f / 4.5-5.6

Pentax SMC DA 12-24mm f / 4 ED AL (IF)

Sigma AF 12-24mm f / 4.5-5.6 EX DG ASPHERICAL HSM for Canon , Sony , Nikon and Pentax

Tamron SP AF10-24 mm F / 3.5-4.5 DI II LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon , Sony , Nikon and Pentax

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Canon EF-S 10-22 f / 3.5-4.5 USM
Nikon 12-24mm f / 4G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor
Sony DT 11-18mm f / 4.5-5.6
Pentax SMC DA 12-24mm f / 4 ED AL (IF)
Sigma AF 12-24mm f / 4.5-5.6 EX DG ASPHERICAL HSM for Canon, Sony, Nikon and Pentax
Tamron SP AF10-24 mm F / 3.5-4.5 DI II LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon, Sony, Nikon and Pentax

An example of a shot taken with a wide-angle lens

However, you can try to achieve the exact opposite effect by rounding off the image on the periphery of the frame using fisheye lenses. The main thing is to understand that with such a lens you will not get straight lines in the photo.

Example frame shot with a fisheye lens (c) Aitor Escauriaza

Example frame shot with a fisheye lens (c) zbowling

Sony 16mm f / 2.8 Fisheye

Pentax SMC Fish Eye DA 10-17mm f / 3.5-4.5 ED (IF)

Canon EF 15 f / 2.8 Fisheye

Sigma AF 15mm f / 2.8 EX DIAGONAL FISHEYE for Canon , Sony , Nikon

Sigma AF 8mm f / 3.5 EX DG Circular Fisheye for Canon and Nikon

Nikon 16mm f / 2.8D AF Fisheye-Nikkor

Olympus ED 8mm f / 3.5

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Sony 16mm f / 2.8 Fisheye
Pentax SMC Fish Eye DA 10-17mm f / 3.5-4.5 ED (IF)
Canon EF 15 f / 2.8 Fisheye
Sigma AF 15mm f / 2.8 EX DIAGONAL FISHEYE for Canon, Sony, Nikon
Sigma AF 8mm f / 3.5 EX DG Circular Fisheye for Canon and Nikon
Nikon 16mm f / 2.8D AF Fisheye-Nikkor
Olympus ED 8mm f / 3.5

To compensate for the perspective distortions caused by the tilt of the frame, tilt-shift models are used, which allow deflecting the optical axis of the lens. But these lenses are professional tools, difficult to handle and often have an extremely high cost. Also, tilt-shift lenses allow you to change the tilt of the lens unit, controlling the depth of field. This is how the photos with the effect of the “toy world” get.

Nikon PC-E Nikkor 24 mm f / 3,5D ED

Canon TS-E 17mm f / 4L

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