Get The Best From Your Lenses

Jon Adams and Andrew James explain why the glass on the front of your camera is so important – and reveal how to get the best possible performance from your go-to optics

- Jon Adams and Andrew James

The technology within today’s DSLR and mirrorless camera bodies is amazing. The quality of any resulting image, however, is determined not by the camera’s processing power or the sensor’s pixel count, but by the glass you have on the business end!

The optical system that captures the scene or subject and turns it into a focused image on the sensor is the starting point for a picture. No matter how advanced your camera body and sensor is, it’s the lens that does the heavy lifting. The lens in use is also the factor that determines how wide or tight your angle of view is, and how much of the scene is rendered in sharp focus. The former is covered by the focal length, which can be fixed or variable; the latter is governed by the built-in diaphragm that lets in more or less light.

In this feature, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get the best results from your lenses – from choosing the optimum focal length for a shot, to enhancing your practical technique.

Nothing reinvigorates or enhances your photography more than a new lens. If you feel the need to splash some cash, a new lens makes more of a difference than anything else – even a new camera!

Owning and using the right set of lenses will give you all the creative possibilities you need to shoot amazing images, regardless of the genre or visual style you choose to follow.

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What you need to know for maximising optical performance and getting the best image quality