As you’re likely already aware, photography equipment is not cheap. Camera bodies can cost thousands of dollars, and it’s not uncommon for lenses to be even more expensive than the bodies. As a result, it can be very tempting to baby your equipment: treat it with extra caution and wrap it up in cotton wool so that no harm will come to it.

The problem with such an approach is that you’ll miss out on spectacular photos because you’re so focused on taking care of your equipment. You’ll refuse to photograph near sand, near dust, in humid environments, in snow, in rain. And you’ll keep your gear packed away in a bag until the very last moment, which just doesn’t work in many shooting scenarios.

But I have good news. With the right care and maintenance, your camera equipment will last and continue to perform for many years – no matter the conditions, and without the babying!

As a professional photographer, my equipment is often subject to not-so-camera-friendly circumstances. Rain, snow, dust, and even champagne (yes, really!) are not uncommon encounters for my cameras and lenses. Even though I generally take precautions (for example, I use rain covers on my cameras and lenses if it’s raining), there are times when the conditions are unavoidable and my equipment gets a little dirty. It’s going to happen.

But because I care for my equipment (even though it may look like I don’t!), it keeps on performing and hasn’t let me down yet. So I thought I would share my approach to camera care so you can clean and maintain your gear long into the future, too!

My recommended cleaning supplies

The good news about caring for your equipment is that it’s relatively cheap to buy what you need. Given how so few things in photography are cheap, this comes as a nice relief! Here is a list of what I use to care for my gear:

From a camera store

• Rocket blower: I use a rocket blower a lot! Squeezing it blasts out a puff of air to blow away any dust.

• Lens pen: I have just added one of these to my kit. At one end there’s a small soft, cleaning tip. At the other is a retractable brush. I haven’t had the time to use it extensively but have been impressed with it so far. However, the cleaning tip is quite small so it’s not something I use on my larger lenses, such as my 400mm f/2.8; that would take forever!
• Pre-moistened lens wipes: I love these things. These are almost like the refresher towelettes you can get at KFC, but for lenses. They’re pre-moistened with a lens cleaning solution that quickly evaporates from the lens. They’re also dirt cheap. I use the Zeiss brand ones, which cost a little more than $10 for a pack of 200.

• Microfiber cleaning cloths: Another cheap must-have. I like to have several of these. I use one just to buff lenses after using my Zeiss wipes, and I use another to clean the lenses without any product at all. I avoid using the same one across many devices (e.g., I won’t use a cloth to clean my iPhone screen and then use it to clean my lenses.)

From a regular store (non-camera tools)

• A paintbrush: These are very handy at removing dust from the surface of camera bodies and lens barrels. Buy this brand new. You don’t want it to be super soft either, as it’s just being used on the outside of the cameras and lenses and not on anything that needs to be protected.

• Makeup brush: This is something that people often laugh when they see it in my bag. But then they think, “Hey, that’s a good idea!” If you want to add one to your kit, make sure you buy one brand new. You don’t want your partner’s or friend’s blush going all over your lens! Generally, the more expensive brushes are better as their bristles are much softer. The one I have is also retractable, which is ideal as it protects the brush.

• Tek Towel: I got a Tek Towel for my birthday years ago and decided to use it to clean my gear. It works brilliantly, but a clean towel will work just as well.

• Ziploc bag: This is where I store my cleaning gear to keep it clean and as dust-free as possible!

With these items, I am able to keep my lenses and camera bodies looking (almost) like new. Now let’s take a look at my cleaning workflow!

How to clean lenses

Lenses are easy to scratch if you’re not careful, but with the right approach, you can keep your precious glass clean and scratch-free. This is what I do and recommend:

Step 1: Use the rocket blower

The first step is to remove any larger bits of dust and dirt from the front lens element. For this, I use the rocket blower. Squeezing it blows air out of the tip and will blow away larger, looser bits of dust.

It’s important not to use a cloth for this step as this can drag dust over the lens and scratch the glass element. This is why a rocket blower is very useful and should always be used first.

Step 2: Use the lens pen

Hopefully, the blower was able to remove all the dust. However, there are times when some little specs remain. To remove these, I use the brush on the end of my lens pen. A quick flick of the brush around the lens should do the trick.

You shouldn’t need to apply much (or any) pressure. A light brushing motion should remove all the dust from the surface of the lens.

You may need to do a quick repeat with the blower, though. If you don’t have a lens pen, a makeup brush works just as well.

Step 3: Clean the front element

Your lens glass should now be free of dust and other debris. If there are some marks on the glass surface, now’s the time to give it a little clean.

First, use the cleaning end of the lens pen. It is very soft and doesn’t damage the glass at all, so it is ideal for this. Using a circular motion, work your way around the lens until all the marks have been removed. This may take several passes to achieve.

It’s important that you don’t push on the lens too hard. Just keep going around in a circular fashion until it’s satisfied. Give the lens another blast with the blower if necessary.

If you don’t have a lens pen, a clean microfiber cloth will do the job. Just use the same circular motion. Repeating the motion is preferred over applying more pressure!

Step 4: Get rid of stubborn marks

At this point, I am normally done cleaning a lens. Sometimes, however, there is muck on the lens that just will not budge no matter how many times it’s cleaned. This is when I use the pre-moistened lens tissues.

Using the same circular motion as above, I work my way around the lens element until it’s completely cleaned (I normally go over it two or three times). Then I get a microfiber cloth (generally, one that I use just for this purpose) and give the lens a bit of a buff using the same circular motion. I’ll go over it a few times.

I favor these tissues over sprays because I don’t like the idea of having a bottle of liquid inside my camera bag. If it breaks, it can leak into my gear and cause major damage. I also quite like their single-use quality.

For me, using cleaning solutions is an absolute last resort and not something I do each and every time I clean my gear. I also don’t breathe on my lenses (you know, to fog them up to make it easier to wipe off grime) if I can avoid it. If you’re like me and drink a lot of coffee, your breath can be slightly acidic; with repeated use, it can wear down the coatings on your lens. At least that’s what I read in a Nikon article a while back!

Step 5: Don’t forget the lens cap!

The front element is now clean. But for me, the process is still not yet finished. Before placing the lens cap back on, I have a quick look at it – there could be grit and dust on it that is about to be put back on my newly cleaned lens.

Giving your lens cap a quick once over with the blower and a paintbrush will keep it and the lens cleaner!

Step 6: Clean the rear element

Now it’s time to have a quick look at the rear element (i.e., the bit that goes inside your camera). This shouldn’t be too messy; after all, it stays hidden away when you’re photographing. But dust can fall on it, especially when changing lenses – and this dust, while it may not show up in pictures, can definitely make its way onto the sensor.

I like to give it a quick once over with the rocket blower, making sure the bottom of the lens is facing down. (This will stop any dust from falling back on it!) 

Some rear elements are further recessed into the lens than others. With a lens that features a more exposed rear element, I also may give a quick wipe with a microfiber cloth or lens pen.

Occasionally, I’ll give the mount a clean, too, as well as the lens contacts. For this, I just use a Tek Towel, although any clean towel will do. Carefully wipe around the mount and go over it a couple of times. A small amount of alcohol on a cotton tip can be used to clean the contacts. (Cleaning the contacts every now and then can help to prevent errors between the camera and lens caused by a build-up of grime.)

Now it’s time to give the rear cap a quick clean. Remove any dust with the blower and put the cap back on the lens!

Step 6: Clean the outside of the lens

Now that the exposed lens elements (both the front and rear) and the lens mount are clean, it’s time to give the outside a quick look. For this, I whisk away any dust with the paintbrush and wipe the whole surface area with a Tek Towel. If I’ve been at the beach (salt in the air) or my lens got wet with salt water or alcohol, I’ll dampen the towel with fresh water to remove any salt, champagne, etc.

This step, while very quick and simple, has proven to be quite helpful in picking up some things that may need my attention. For example, a while back I was cleaning my 70-200mm lens and I noticed that the end of the barrel was a little loose. I took it to Canon; the team fixed it in 10 minutes and charged me nothing. Prevention is the best remedy.

How to clean a camera

Cleaning the camera is much easier and quicker than cleaning the lenses. I start by giving the outside a once-over with the paintbrush, followed by a thorough wipe-down with the towel. I make sure to dampen the wipe-down towel in fresh water if I’ve been at the beach. I make sure the screens and the viewfinder are all nice and clean, too.

As with lenses, I make sure that the mount and the contacts on the body are clean using the same steps.

While I have the body cap off, I’ll also blow out any dust that may be in the camera with the blower. With this step, I am much more cautious as I don’t want to blow into the body too much. I also have the camera mount facing down to prevent dust from re-entering. This step can help reduce the amount of particles inside the camera that may eventually find their way onto the sensor.

I don’t clean the camera sensor

For me, the camera sensor is where the cleaning process stops. I don’t do my own sensor cleaning because I much prefer it to be done by the right people. Some people like to do their own sensor cleaning, and that’s completely fine. This is just something I like to give to professionals because if anything goes wrong, I can blame them.

My thoughts on filters

You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned anything about UV filters. The reason for that is simple: I don’t use them. I am yet to be convinced that they will actually save a lens from breaking if it’s dropped and have the view that if a lens is going to break from a fall, it will break, filter or no filter.

I always use lens hoods, which not only help to reduce lens flare but also provide some protection from objects falling onto the front element. However, if you’re in an extremely dusty environment, for example, then a UV filter could be a smart investment.

Keep your camera gear clean!

That’s it for my gear-cleaning process. This isn’t something I do after each and every shoot, but I do try to get to it at least once a month or after shoots where my gear has been a little abused by the elements. It may seem that there are a lot of steps involved, but it doesn’t take that long to do it. It’s even quite therapeutic when you get into it!

I can’t guarantee that cleaning your cameras and lenses will keep your equipment working forever, but it’ll certainly help it last a long time, and it’ll save you from needing to spend tons of money on repairs or new gear.

Now over to you:

How do you clean your gear? Do you have any other tools you use? What’s your procedure and how often do you do it? Please share in the comments below.

The post How to Clean Camera Gear: My Step-By-Step Approach appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Daniel.

This article was updated in July 2024 with contributions from Stacey Hill and Jaymes Dempsey.

Shutter releases, wireless releases, camera remotes; it all sounds rather technical and confusing, yet another item of equipment to master on your journey toward becoming a great photographer…right?

That’s how I felt. In my first 10 years as a photographer, I avoided wireless remotes completely. I didn’t want to spend more money on an accessory that didn’t seem to offer significant benefits. But then, in December of 2019, all that changed.

I was driving through the city after dark, and I was entranced by the nighttime atmosphere: the holiday lights strung through the trees, the glowing storefronts, the warm streetlights. I wanted to photograph it all, so I grabbed my camera and a sturdy tripod, and then I spent hours taking photos. I soon became frustrated, however. While my tripod kept the camera steady as I used long exposures, and while the two-second self-timer eliminated the camera shake caused when I pressed the shutter button, that two-second delay messed with my timing, and it also forced me to slow down when I wanted to be shooting quickly. (I was enthusiastic, after all!)

So I purchased a remote release. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, and it’s one camera accessory I almost never leave home without. (Along with my tripod, which I also love, but that’s a subject for another article!)

Anyway, as I soon realized, camera remotes are useful for far more than long-exposure cityscape photography. One simple remote can supercharge your product photography, your still-life shooting, your landscape photography, your self-portrait sessions, and more. No, it’s not right for everyone – but it’s so powerful that I encourage all budding photographers to at least consider whether a remote might be worth adding to their gear bag.

That’s what I address in this article. I explain the precise benefits of wireless remote photography; I also discuss when you should use a remote (and when it’s better to stick to the old press-the-shutter-button standard).

By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know why remotes are so special – and whether you should buy one for your own camera.

Let’s get started.

What is a camera remote?

Camera remotes, also known as remote releases or wireless releases, have one primary purpose: They let you trigger your camera without touching the shutter button.

This offers two benefits:

• It allows you to avoid any camera shake from pressing the shutter, which in turn leads to much sharper photos when working at slow shutter speeds.
• It lets you trigger the shutter from a distance, which can be highly convenient.

And as you’ll see below, these benefits are a big deal in a variety of scenarios.

Now, working with a remote is simple. You generally attach the remote receiver to your camera’s hotshoe and connect it to your camera via a cable. Then, when you press the main button on the remote, your camera will take a photo!

Note that there are technically two types of releases: remote releases and cable releases. In this article, I focus on remote releases, but cable releases – which connect physically to your camera via a cable – offer many of the same benefits and are often much cheaper. If you’re on a budget, a cable release is a reasonable choice.

Six scenarios when a wireless remote is useful

Below, I break down the situations when a wireless remote will come in handy, starting with:

1. When working at high magnifications

If you shoot at high magnifications, your depth of field – that is, the amount of the shot that’s in focus – will be razor-thin. To capture a sharp photo, you must get your focus point exactly right, yet even if you mount your camera on a tripod, the vibrations from pressing the shutter button can mess with the focus and ruin the image.

But with a remote release, you can mount your camera on a tripod, set the focus, and then take a few steps back.

And you can fire your shot from a distance! As long as you stay still and work with a sturdy tripod, your image will turn out tack sharp.

(Pro tip: If you’re shooting with a DSLR, make sure to activate the mirror lock-up feature or shoot in Live View. Also, whether you’re using a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, make sure to activate your camera’s electronic shutter or electronic front-curtain shutter, as the action of the mechanical shutter can cause vibrations and soften your photos.)

I often use my shutter release when I’m working in the studio. This is partially due to focusing concerns, though if I’m using window light, it becomes doubly important since I’m forced to rely on ultra-long exposures.

2. When capturing self-portraits

Self-portrait photography is a lot of fun. It’s also very frustrating; you must set your camera’s self-timer, hit the shutter button, and then run into position – which means you have no time to prepare yourself when posing.

But with a wireless release, you can simply hold the remote against your palm, and then strike your pose. When you’re ready to shoot, press the remote button, and – voila! – you’ll get your image.

Note that you can even combine the self-timer and the remote: Just set a two-second timer, click the remote, and drop it out of the frame. That way, the remote doesn’t appear in your shot, but you still have plenty of time to prepare yourself.

By the way, a remote will double your self-portrait output. You won’t have to keep running back and forth to the camera, but can instead take a shot, pick up the remote, take another shot, pick up the remote, and so on. Easy, peasy!

3. When capturing long-exposure photos

Long-exposure photographers swear by their remotes, and for good reason:

A remote allows you to fire your camera with zero camera shake, assuming – as I discussed in an earlier section – that you have your camera’s electronic shutter activated and its mirror out of the way.

That way, you can capture gorgeous long-exposure photos that feature moving clouds, moving water, car light trails, star trails, and so much more.

Simply set up your camera on a sturdy tripod, dial in the right settings, step back, and fire the shutter with the remote release!

This is useful for cityscape photographers, astrophotographers, and landscape photographers, to name just a few.

I first purchased a remote release out of a desire to do long-exposure cityscape images, and while I now also use it for other purposes, it’s an accessory that I always bring out when the light gets low.

And yes: The two-second (or, if the conditions are windy, ten-second) self-timer can serve the same purpose. But waiting for the shutter to fire is frustrating, especially when there are moving elements in the frame (e.g., cars with light trails, waves crashing on the beach). I much prefer using a remote release, and I’m guessing that you will, too.

4. When photographing skittish wildlife

This form of remote photography is rather specialized, but it’s an easy technique that’ll get you incredible images, so it’s definitely worth learning.

You see, skittish wildlife – such as birds and squirrels – is often difficult to approach with a camera.

But if you put your camera in position, then step away and wait for the wildlife to explore, you can often capture some stunning shots.

(This is also a useful technique for capturing wildlife that isn’t safe to approach. You can set your camera on a tripod, then sit in a nearby vehicle with your remote.)

I encourage you to experiment with wide-angle lenses. Wildlife may come within inches of your camera setup, and a wide-angle lens will offer a truly breathtaking perspective.

5. When doing time-lapse or star trail photography

Some remote releases offer intervalometer functionality, which allows you to capture a series of shots within a specified interval. For instance, you can use an intervalometer to fire the shutter every 30 seconds, as is sometimes done in star trail photography.

You will pay extra for this feature, but intervalometer remotes aren’t too expensive, and it’s a great tool for the budding astrophotographer or time-lapse shooter.

Plus, you can always set up your camera, start your remote, then sit in a warm car while your camera and release do all the work.

Note that working the intervalometer feature of your remote release may take a bit of experimentation – you may even need to read the manual – but in the end, it’ll be worth it!

6. When faced with physical difficulties

Sometimes, you may want to capture a shot (or two, or three)…

…but you don’t want to get in position for more than a few seconds.

For instance, you may need to assume a physically difficult pose, such as crouching, kneeling, or bending to the side. Or you may need to stand in water or lie on the cold, wet ground until your subject comes by.

In all of these cases, a remote release will be a huge help. You can set up your camera on a tripod, then sit or stand comfortably while you wait for the right compositional elements to appear. When they do, you can fire the release (still feeling comfortable!) and capture a perfect shot.

Should you purchase a wireless remote?

Wireless shutter releases are great, but they’re not a necessity for every photographer.

I encourage you to purchase a remote release if:

• You shoot long-exposure photos on a regular basis
• You want to do time-lapse or star trail photography
• You photograph landscapes
• You shoot macro subjects
• You want to shoot wildlife from a distance
• You want to capture stunning self-portraits

And as I discussed above, a remote release can be useful in various other situations, too, such as when you’re struggling with the physical requirements of capturing a photo. If that sounds like something you might experience, then I’d suggest purchasing a remote release anyway; you can keep it in your bag, and if you do find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, you can whip it out and get your shot.

(One piece of advice: Remote releases require batteries, so be sure to pack plenty of spares. You don’t want your release to die in the middle of a photoshoot!)

On the other hand, if you only ever shoot handheld – for instance, you like to capture sports or wildlife in action using a telephoto lens – then a remote release is probably a waste of money.

Wireless remote recommendations

There are a slew of camera remotes available today, many of them offering all sorts of fancy features: long-exposure bulb modes, interval shooting, and more. They tend to be pretty inexpensive, too.

The trick is to find a remote that’s compatible with your camera, that’s relatively easy to operate, and that can handle a bit of bad weather (if you’re an outdoor photographer, at least). The remote that I use, and that I’ve been using ever since 2019, is this Aodelan WTR-2 model. I’ve had to replace it once, but only because I dropped it on concrete and it broke open; aside from that, it’s worked quite well! Just make sure you purchase the model that’s compatible with your camera type, as Aodelan sells products for Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.

Another (slightly cheaper) option is the YouPro YP-870, which is pictured above. It includes basic shutter release settings as well as more advanced features for time-lapse photography, ultra-long exposures, and more.

I’ll also mention that many cameras can now be controlled by smartphone apps thanks to wi-fi or Bluetooth integration. If you’re not ready to invest in a dedicated remote release but want to get a taste of its capabilities, this is a great approach!

Remote release photography: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know why remote release photography is so great – and you know whether a remote release is right for you.

So if you need a remote, get one! And have plenty of self-portrait, long-exposure, and time-lapse photography fun.

Now over to you:

Do you plan to purchase a remote release? What will you use it for? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post A Guide to Wireless Remote Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Stacey Hill.

This article was updated in July 2024 with contributions from Kunal Malhotra and Jaymes Dempsey.

Which is better, a prime or a zoom lens? What kind of lens should you get? The prime versus zoom lens debate goes back decades, but here’s the truth: Neither lens type is fundamentally better than the other. Instead, different lenses are useful for different situations, different budgets, and different shooting preferences.

How do I know? Well, in my 10+ years as a photographer, I’ve owned plenty of prime lenses, and I’ve owned quite a few zoom lenses, too. Even today, my gear bag contains a solid mix of primes and zooms: a wide-angle zoom, a super-telephoto prime, a telephoto zoom, a 50mm prime…In other words, I’ve spent enough time with primes and zooms to know when they perform well and when they disappoint.

Here’s what I think: if you’re struggling to choose between primes and zooms, you should start by identifying what you’re looking for in a new lens. From there, you can determine the lens type that matches your shooting requirements. And that’s where this article comes in handy.

Below, I explain everything you need to know about primes and zoom lenses: what they are, how they work, plus their main benefits and drawbacks. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll be ready to shop for your next lens, and you’ll be able to make informed purchasing decisions that meet your needs as a photographer.

Let’s dive right in!

What is a prime lens?

A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length. Therefore, when a prime lens is mounted to your camera, you cannot zoom in or out. If you want to change the magnification of the frame – that is, if you want to capture photos that appear closer or farther from the subject – you need to physically move forward or back.

There are hundreds of prime lenses available on the camera market, designed for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, and these range from wide-angle and standard primes (e.g., the 24mm and 50mm primes) to telephoto and super-telephoto primes (e.g., 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, and 600mm primes).

What is a zoom lens?

A zoom lens offers a range of focal lengths in a single package. Common zoom lenses include the 24-70mm zoom, the 16-35mm zoom, and the 70-200mm zoom.

When using a zoom, you can magnify your subject – that is, zoom in – without adjusting your position. Simply turn the zoom ring on your lens, and your subject will occupy more (or less, if you zoom out!) of the frame.

Like primes, zoom lenses are very popular. Every major manufacturer offers wide zooms (such as the 16-35mm zooms I mentioned above), as well as standard, telephoto, and super-telephoto zooms. Manufacturers also make multi-purpose zooms (sometimes referred to as superzooms), which cover a huge focal length range (such as 18-300mm options).

Prime vs zoom: Why choose a prime lens?

When I was getting started in photography, I spent months researching different lenses and lens types. One thing that stood out to me was that many serious photographers, especially professionals, seemed to swear by their prime lenses – and they often claimed that primes were ideal, not just for advanced shooters, but for beginners.

Here’s why:

1. You get more features for less money

Prime lenses tend to offer all kinds of useful features, such as wide maximum apertures, robust build quality, and compact designs.

And while I expand on some of those features below, it’s worth recognizing that, despite their impressive feature set, prime lenses tend to be cheap – incredibly cheap, in many cases. Most manufacturers offer a 50mm prime lens for less than $300 (and if you buy used, you can often get it for under $100).

Which makes primes ideal for beginners looking to get started without sacrificing quality.

Zoom lenses, on the other hand, do offer similar features, but you’ll need to shell out thousands of dollars. You can get rock-solid build quality and an f/2.8 maximum aperture, for instance, but you’ll pay an arm and a leg, which is often unthinkable for beginners (and even for more serious photographers on a budget).

2. You can create shallow depth of field effects

As I mentioned in the previous section, prime lenses tend to offer fast maximum apertures, such as f/2.8, f/1.8, and even f/1.2. (The ultra-fast f/1.2 and f/1.4 lenses admittedly cost an arm and a leg, but the f/1.8 versions of many primes are very affordable.)

Zooms can’t match many of these apertures, and while some zoom lenses do offer f/2.8 apertures, the resulting lenses are big, heavy, and pricey.

Why is a wide aperture such a big deal?

For one, it’ll create a beautiful shallow depth of field effect, where your subject is rendered in sharp focus but your background turns into a stunning blur:

This isn’t useful for all photographers, but if you do portrait photography, street photography, event photography, or wildlife photography, a heavily blurred background can make a huge difference. It’ll help your subject stand out, plus it just looks amazing.

3. You can shoot handheld in low light

You know how prime lenses tend to offer wider apertures compared to zoom lenses? Well, wide apertures come with another key benefit:

They let you shoot in low-light conditions.

You see, the wider the aperture, the more light hits the camera sensor, and the brighter the resulting exposures. So as the light gets dimmer, you’ll be able to achieve a sufficiently fast shutter speed simply by widening your aperture (rather than raising your ISO, which will create image-quality problems). And because prime lenses tend to offer wide maximum apertures, you can generally maintain a usable shutter speed with a prime – while you’ll struggle to get a good result with a zoom.

This is essential if you plan to shoot in the evening or indoors, and it can also be useful when shooting in the shade or on cloudy days.

(The exception is if you work with a tripod. A sturdy tripod will let you use a narrow aperture even in near darkness, though you will lose the ability to photograph moving subjects.)

4. Image quality is improved

Prime lenses are built differently than zooms; as a consequence, they produce fewer optical flaws such as softness, chromatic aberration, and lens distortion.

In other words, prime lenses produce images that are far sharper and that look much better, at least compared to similarly priced zooms.

Are there sharp, error-free zooms on the market? Sure, but they’re very expensive, and they still may not match up to higher-quality prime lenses.

So if you like to capture stunning landscapes or close-up macro scenes, where sharpness and detail are key, you may wish to maximize image quality with a prime lens.

5. Primes are small and lightweight

Prime lenses, especially wide-angle prime lenses, tend to be tiny. In fact, some prime lenses are so small that you can fit them in your pocket.

They’re also incredibly lightweight; you can slap a prime lens onto the front of your camera and leave it on all day without even registering the extra heft.

These small, light lenses are great for travel photography because you can head across the globe without burdensome equipment. They’re also perfect for walkaround photography and street photography – you won’t notice the extra weight, and your candid subjects won’t be intimidated by the size.

While there are plenty of heavy primes, many of the wider and standard primes really are insanely light. Zoom lenses tend to be much heavier (especially if they feature wide maximum apertures).

Prime vs zoom: Why choose a zoom lens?

Prime lenses are great, but there are a couple of major reasons to pick a zoom lens instead. My workhorse lens is a 24-70mm zoom, and while I switch to my primes in several scenarios, if I could only have one lens, it’d be a zoom. Here’s why:

1. Zooms are highly versatile

The biggest advantage of a zoom lens is that it allows you to change focal lengths without changing your lens.

That way, you can use dozens of focal lengths without needing to swap lenses, which will save time and may ensure you get shots you’d have otherwise missed.

For instance, if you’re composing a wide-angle landscape shot at 24mm – on a 24-70mm zoom lens – if an elephant waltzes into the scene, you can zoom to 70mm and capture a beautiful tight shot. Whereas if you were shooting on a 24mm prime lens, then you’d have no chance of capturing a detailed close-up.

This is also hugely useful in event photography scenarios. You can capture wide-angle shots of the entire venue, then zoom in for detail shots, then zoom out for full-body shots, then zoom in for headshots. Make sense?

Of course, the level of flexibility depends on the zoom lens itself. A 12-24mm zoom won’t let you shoot anything but wide-angle images, whereas an 18-200mm zoom will let you go from wide angle to telephoto with a twist of your wrist:

Bottom line: If you frequently find yourself needing to switch between various focal lengths, then a zoom might be the better option!

2. Zooms are portable

I know what you’re thinking:

Didn’t I just say that primes are more compact and lightweight?

It’s true: Primes, on an individual basis, tend to be smaller and lighter. But consider a zoom lens like the Canon 70-300mm. It might not be the lightest of lenses, but it’s basically five primes in one; it covers a handful of commonly used focal lengths, such as 85mm, 100mm, 135mm, 200mm, and 300mm.

Imagine how heavy it would be to carry around five primes – and then imagine how easy and light it would be to carry a single 70-300mm lens. It’s especially helpful for travel photographers who need an array of focal lengths in their bag, as well as landscape shooters who spend long hours in the wilderness.

(This also helps balance out the cost of expensive zooms, by the way. You pay a lot for a single 24-70mm lens, but if it prevents you from buying a 24mm prime, a 35mm prime, a 50mm prime, and an 85mm prime, then you end up saving money, right?)

Prime vs zoom lens: Which should you get?

As you’re hopefully now aware, prime lenses and zoom lenses both offer plenty of benefits, and there are significant reasons to go in either direction.

But which lens type should you buy?

If you’re just starting out with photography but you’re looking to get the best-possible image quality, then I’d recommend grabbing a prime lens. A 35mm or 50mm prime is highly versatile, will cost very little, and will offer great results.

Additionally, go with a prime lens (or a set of primes) if you’re looking for the sharpest images, you want to produce beautiful bokeh, and/or you plan to shoot frequently in low light.

On the other hand, if you need top-notch flexibility, grab a zoom lens. For instance, if you shoot events and need to have a range of focal lengths at your disposal, a zoom lens or two will be a game-changer.

I’d also recommend a good zoom for travel photography, especially if you don’t know the area well. You’ll be able to capture a wide variety of images, and you won’t need to lug around a bag full of primes.

At the end of the day, however, both primes and zooms offer plenty to be impressed by. So if you’re still struggling to decide, don’t worry too much. You’ll get great photos either way!

Now over to you:

Which do you plan to purchase, a prime vs a zoom? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Prime vs Zoom Lenses: Which Lens Type Is Best? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.

This article was updated in July 2024 with contributions from Kunal Malhotra and Jaymes Dempsey.

I love my tripod. Aside from my camera and main lens, it’s my most-used piece of equipment. I carry it everywhere: when shooting in my small town, when headed into the big city, and even when taking cross-country trips by train or plane. I do this for a variety of reasons – it improves my compositions and it helps me with focusing stacking, to name two – but the biggest reason I use a tripod, and the reason why I bought one in the first place, is to keep my images tack-sharp when using a long shutter speed.

If you’re reading this article, then I’m guessing that you, too, are looking to capture tack-sharp photos, and you think a tripod is the way forward. I’m happy to share that tripods are indeed great for keeping your files crisp, but that comes with a big caveat: Plonking your camera on a tripod and just firing off shots like normal is not going to net you sharp images. Instead, you must carefully adjust your tripod, your settings, and your accessories to maximize sharpness – and that’s what I discuss in this article.

Specifically, I share six fundamental tripod photography techniques for sharp photos, and I include a handful of examples so you know exactly what my techniques can offer. Whether you’ve tried to use a tripod but you keep producing blurry photos, or you’ve only just purchased a tripod and you want to get off on the right foot, you’re bound to find this article useful!

Let’s dive right in.

1. Extend the tripod legs only when necessary

Before buying a tripod, you likely researched its maximum height; after all, you probably didn’t like the idea of stooping for each and every shot. But while purchasing a tall tripod is completely fine – and you’ll certainly run into scenarios when taller is better! – I don’t recommend extending your tripod to its maximum height the moment you pull it out of the bag.

I see budding photographers do this all the time, but here’s the truth: As you extend the length of the legs, the stability and sturdiness of the tripod are reduced. And this loss of stability can impact sharpness, especially if you’re working on uneven ground, shooting ultra-long exposures, or are set up in a windy location.

Of course, lengthening the legs to their full height is sometimes unavoidable. But if you do wish to extend the legs, start by opening up the top (larger/thicker) section of the legs, and only then move to the lower (thinner) ones.

You should extend your tripod’s center column (the tripod “neck”) last of all. Center columns are very prone to causing shake, and you definitely don’t want to shoot with an extended center column in wind, rain, or rushing water unless you can see no other way of capturing the photo.

Bear in mind that your results will also depend heavily on the type of tripod you’ve purchased. A big, heavy, rugged model may be capable of extending to its full height – even in tougher conditions – without a significant loss of stability, while a lightweight travel tripod (especially if it’s on the cheaper side) will be far more impacted.

2. Switch off any image stabilization

Does your camera offer image stabilization? How about your lens?

These days, a lot of equipment boasts stabilization, which can be hugely useful for capturing sharp handheld shots at slow shutter speeds. However, if you take image-stabilized equipment and mount it on a tripod, the stabilization will cause the lens or camera internals to move after you press the shutter button (it looks like a slow drift in the viewfinder).

As you can probably imagine, a moving image isn’t so great for sharpness, and while it isn’t a problem when shooting at shutter speeds of around 1/60s and above, as soon as you get into long-exposure territory, you’ll start to see its effects.

My recommendation? As soon as you mount your camera on a tripod, make sure that all stabilization technology is turned off. You can generally deactivate camera stabilization in the menu, while lens stabilization can be deactivated by a switch on the barrel:

Note: If you’re shooting in unstable conditions (e.g., high winds), it might be worth switching the image stabilization back on. It’s tough to determine whether stabilization is ideal in such situations, so I’d really encourage you to capture a handful of shots, some with stabilization and some without, just to be safe.

I’ll also mention that if you’re using a tripod while shooting with a reasonably fast shutter speed, it’s okay to use image stabilization. When using my 24-70mm lens, I’ll often keep the image stabilization active until the shutter speed drops below 1/80s or so. Once the shutter speed gets lower than that, I’ll switch it off. But it heavily depends on the camera and the lens as well as the shooting conditions, so I recommend you evaluate your own equipment (and when in doubt, take more shots!).

3. Make sure the camera mirror is out of the way

DSLRs include mirrors, which reflect light up through the viewfinder so that you can see through the lens. However, the main mirror – which sits in front of the camera sensor – flips up when you press the shutter button, and this “mirror slap” can cause internal vibrations that lead to – you guessed it! – blur.

Fortunately, there are a couple of easy ways to avoid blur due to mirror slap. You can use your camera’s mirror lock-up setting; when activated, this will generally cause the mirror to flip up when you press the shutter button (though you’ll need to press the button again to actually take the photo). Another option is to switch your camera to its Live View mode, which automatically flips the mirror out of the way.

Note that mirrorless cameras – as the name suggests – lack this mirror, and therefore avoid mirror slap entirely.

One more (related) tip: Even once you’ve dealt with any mirror-related vibrations, your camera shutter can produce vibrations when it moves to expose the sensor. You can prevent this, however, by setting your camera to its electronic front-curtain shutter mode or its standard electronic shutter mode.

4. Use the two-second timer or a remote shutter release

Do you ever use the shutter button to take a photo when the camera is resting on a tripod? In other words, you lock down your tripod, then you press the shutter button with your finger?

If the answer is “Yes,” then you’re likely introducing blur simply by pressing the shutter button with your finger – so it’s essential you switch on your camera’s two-second timer.

A two-second timer will add a two-second gap between the moment you press the shutter button and the moment the shutter actually fires, which gives any vibrations a moment to die down before the image is captured. Note that you’ll need to take your hands off the camera after pressing the shutter button; otherwise, you may continue to introduce vibrations and cause blur.

If you want to be extra cautious, however – or you don’t like the idea of waiting around after each press of the shutter button – then you can use a remote release. This will let you trigger your camera wirelessly, thus ensuring that you never touch the shutter button and your images are crisp and sharp.

I started out using the two-second timer, but I ultimately purchased a (relatively inexpensive) remote. Waiting for the shutter to fire was frustrating, and it also caused me to miss shots because I couldn’t always get the timing right. When shooting a 1s exposure of a wave breaking on a beach, for instance, I would sometimes fire the shutter too late, so after two seconds, the wave had already fallen away. Whether that’s an issue for you depends on the type of photography you do!

By the way: Some cameras allow you to create the same effect using your smartphone, so if you don’t want to pay for a remote, I recommend looking into this option!

5. Make sure your tripod is sturdy

Even if you do everything right, you might still end up with blurry photos – simply because your tripod is sabotaging your good technique.

Some tripods are simply flimsy, especially plastic models you can buy for a few bucks off of Amazon or eBay. I really recommend purchasing an aluminum or carbon fiber model (aluminum tends to be cheaper but heavier, while carbon fiber is lighter but pricier).

You should also make sure that the tripod you purchase is capable of supporting your camera setup’s weight; a compact mirrorless camera with a 24mm prime lens is far easier to keep stable than a heavy DSLR with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

You’ll need to think about head strength, too. Just because your tripod is sturdy doesn’t mean your tripod head can do the job (and vice versa). A strong tripod and a flimsy head can still result in plenty of camera shake, so make sure that your entire support setup can handle your camera. If needed, purchase your tripod and head separately.

Finally, bear in mind that even a relatively flimsy tripod can be used for sharp shots if you shoot in good conditions and do everything else right. (On the other hand, a rock-solid tripod will still result in blurry photos if you ignore all the other advice I’ve shared in this article, so don’t think that a fancy tripod will prevent you from needing to use it properly!)

6. Pay attention to the weather

When I first started using a tripod, I failed to take the weather into account. And as a result, I ended up with a lot of blurry shots.

I’m mostly talking about wind, which can destabilize a good tripod (especially if the legs and the center column are fully extended). The same is true of rushing water (if you’re shooting on a beach or in a river, for example). Heavy rain can also cause camera shake – though I’m guessing not many of us plan to shoot in such conditions, so it’s probably less of a concern.

You can purchase rugged, ultra-sturdy tripods that can handle extreme conditions, but these tend to be prohibitively expensive or uncomfortably heavy. I’ve found that removing my camera strap in heavy wind can be helpful, and in bad weather, I try to keep my tripod lower to the ground for more stability. Some tripods include hooks or bags that dangle from the center and which you can fill with rocks or weights in rough conditions. Whether this is helpful or harmful, however, is debated among photographers, so you’ll want to think carefully before trying it yourself.

Sometimes, it’s simply not possible to get a sharp shot with the equipment you own. If that’s the case, you’ll either need to accept a bit of blur or come back when the conditions aren’t so difficult.

How to capture sharp photos with a tripod: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know how to capture sharp shots while using a tripod, and you’re ready to head out with your camera and get some amazing photos!

Just remember to use that two-second timer or wireless remote, pay careful attention to the conditions, deal with any problems caused by camera internals (e.g., image stabilization), and ensure you have the right gear for the job.

Now over to you:

Do you have any tips for sharp tripod photography that I missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post How to Get Sharp Photos With a Tripod: 6 Essential Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.

Long-exposure photography has quickly become one of my favorite styles, which is evident when looking through the images I’ve captured over the last few years. More and more of my images use a shutter speed slower than half a second, and I take fewer handheld shots.

One reason I’ve become such a big fan of long-exposure photography is that it opens many creative doors. You’re less limited in your work and have endless options for how you want your image to look. You can use ultra-long shutter speeds for ethereal skies and silky water, or you can use more moderate shutter speeds to create blur while maintaining texture.

However, this benefit also presents a challenge: How do you choose the right shutter speed for long-exposure photography? And, since achieving long-exposure shutter speeds almost always requires a neutral density filter, which ND filter should you use?

I don’t believe there’s one correct shutter speed or filter for long-exposure photography. A big part of the creative process is to follow your preferences and aim for the look you want to achieve. However, to achieve the desired look, it’s crucial to understand how different ND filters affect your image.

In this article, I explore how three common ND filters (3-stop, 6-stop, and 10-stop) impact your images and the scenarios where each is most beneficial. By the time you finish reading, you’ll know how to match the neutral density filter to your creative vision!

Let’s dive right in.

Which neutral density filter should you use?

Neutral density filters are designed for one simple purpose: they block light from entering the lens, allowing you to lengthen your shutter speed (or widen your aperture) beyond what the light levels normally allow.

For instance, when shooting in bright light at ISO 100, you might need an aperture of f/8 and a shutter speed of 1/1000s to capture a well-exposed image. If your goal is to capture a long-exposure shot, you’ll need to block a lot of light to drop your shutter speed to the requisite level – and that’s where an ND filter comes in handy.

Since ND filters come in different strengths, long-exposure photographers generally carry a few in their camera bags. Then, depending on the look they’re hoping to achieve and the light, they pick the perfect filter and capture the image.

Of course, this is easier said than done. Predicting the effects of an ND filter takes an understanding of its strength, combined with an understanding of moving subjects and how they’re affected by different shutter speeds. Let’s take a look at the most popular ND filter strengths and what you can expect from them:

3-stop ND filter

If you’re even loosely familiar with neutral density filters, you may know that a 3-stop filter won’t have a huge impact during brighter hours. Compared to the 6-stop and 10-stop filters, the 3-stop is not particularly dark and won’t allow for extremely slow shutter speeds of several minutes. Remember that three stops of light is fairly small; it’s the difference between 1/800s and 1/100s.

That said, the 3-stop ND filter remains one of my favorites. I particularly enjoy using it when photographing waves from a low perspective.

The picture above was taken a couple of hours after sunrise, and due to the sun’s low position in the Arctic sky, it wasn’t daytime-bright. Without a filter, the shutter speed would have been too quick to capture the motion I wanted in the water. But slapping a 3-stop ND filter over my lens allowed me to lengthen the exposure time to 1/3s, which was just enough to capture the motion in the rushing waves and achieve the look I wanted. As you can see, the waves aren’t silky smooth – there’s still some texture and a sense of energy and motion – but they’re not completely frozen, either!

Had I used a 6-stop ND filter instead, the image would look quite different, as the longer shutter speed would have blurred the water and caused me to lose the texture I was aiming for.

Basically, the 3-stop filter is good for those situations where you’re dealing with relatively dim light, and you want to slow down the shutter speed in order to gain a bit of motion blur without getting that ultra-long-exposure look.

6-stop ND filter

A 6-stop ND filter might sound only a little stronger than a 3-stop ND filter, but the name is misleading. You see, a 6-stop ND filter lets you lengthen the exposure time by six stops. In other words, it’ll block eight times as much light compared to a 3-stop ND filter.

As a result, if you’re already using a relatively slow shutter speed due to the sun’s low position, you can achieve a very slow shutter speed with this filter.

For the image above, I used a 6-stop ND filter to blur the water and create a softer feel. The filter allowed me to extend the exposure time to 15 seconds, which was enough to blur the water and create motion in the sky.

Look carefully at my sunset shot, and you’ll notice that the iceberg in the foreground actually started to blur with a 15-second shutter speed. Had I used a 10-stop ND filter and an exposure time of a few minutes, all the ice would have been blurry due to constant movement. On the other hand, a 3-stop ND filter wouldn’t have slowed the shutter speed enough to blur the water and achieve the desired look.

10-stop ND filter

The 10-stop ND filter is perhaps the most popular filter for those new to long-exposure photography. The effect is highly visible, and the images created with it can grab attention immediately. Though darker filters are available (such as 16-stop and 20-stop models), the 10-stop filter is often associated with long-exposure photography.

If you use a 10-stop filter in bright light, you can drop your shutter speed to around a second or longer (depending on the intensity of the light and your other exposure settings). This comes in handy for those daytime shots where you want to capture some nice motion blur (or where you want to render certain moving subjects, such as pedestrians, mostly invisible). Use a 10-stop ND filter in relatively weak light, and you’ll be able to lengthen your shutter speed from fractions of a second to minutes.

The image above is a typical example of how a 10-stop ND filter can create a surreal look. With the filter in front of my lens, I used a shutter speed of four minutes to blur the lake and achieve a soft, dramatic look in the sky as the clouds were dragged out.

While it requires more planning and patience than the other two filters, the 10-stop filter has the biggest visual impact straight out of the camera.

Capture beautiful photos with an ND filter!

As I mentioned earlier, there’s no single correct filter. Instead, you should understand how different filters affect your image and choose the one that brings you closest to your envisioned result. If you want a bit of motion blur and you’re already working in dim light, a weaker ND filter, such as a 3-stop model, is often the way to go. On the other hand, if you want a lot of motion blur, or if you’re shooting in bright light and require some motion blur, a 10-stop ND filter is the better choice.

Long-exposure photography opens many creative doors and provides several new elements to work with. A big part of this technique involves trial and error, but as you continue learning, you’ll begin to see what you need to capture the images you want!

Now over to you:

Do you have a favorite ND filter? What do you think about different ND filter effects? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post How to Choose the Right ND Filter for Long-Exposure Effects appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christian Hoiberg.

Wildlife photography is as exciting as it is challenging. Picture yourself on an African savannah, photographing a grazing herd of elephants, followed by a beautiful eagle on the nearby tree…

Just encountering these subjects is exhilarating – but capturing a top-notch photo requires patience and technical skill, not to mention a quality lens. Because here’s the unfortunate truth: Photographing distant wildlife can’t be done with a wide-angle zoom or a standard prime. If you want to capture lots of detail, you need significant reach (generally 300mm at minimum). And if you want to capture a variety of subjects, both small and large, skittish and tame, you need a lens that can zoom in and out as the moment demands.

Fortunately, Nikon’s 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens seems to be the perfect wildlife photography glass. It’s versatile, it has plenty of reach, and it’s available for a very reasonable $1400 USD. It weighs about 2300 g (81.02 oz), and the best part is that it boasts a fixed maximum aperture of f/5.6. In addition to a fixed aperture, there are three extra-low dispersion glass elements (ED) and powerful vibration reduction (VR), plus the lens comes with a tripod collar. The 200-500mm f/5.6 is stable when mounted on a tripod; it also works great with both full-frame (FX) and crop-sensor (DX) Nikon cameras.

But is the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR as great as it sounds? This field review of the Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens considers it from the perspective of a nature and wildlife photographer. I’ve spent plenty of time testing the lens, and below, I explain how this lens performs in the wild; I also share my thoughts on the lens controls and ergonomics. (Ergonomics are important, especially if the lens has to be used from dawn to dusk in the wilderness!)

Ready to find out whether the 200-500mm f/5.6 should be your next lens purchase? Read on!

Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 lens specifications

Let’s kick things off with a look at this lens’s impressive specifications, starting with:

Focal length

The focal length of the lens is from 200mm to 500mm. As an FX lens, the effective focal length on FX bodies is 200mm to 500mm, while on DX Nikon bodies, the effective focal length is approximately 300mm to 750mm.

Aperture

The Nikon 200-500mm’s maximum aperture is f/5.6, and the minimum aperture is f/32. This is an E-type lens (electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism), which gives better control over the aperture blades as compared to mechanical linkages. This feature is compatible with newer cameras; however, when using older DSLR cameras, the aperture will be fixed to f/5.6.

Extra-low dispersion glass elements

The lens has 3 ED glass elements. ED glass element helps reduce chromatic aberration and offers better image quality overall.

Minimum focusing distance

This is the minimum distance between the lens and an object at which the lens focuses. The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 has a minimum focusing distance of 2.2 m (7.2 ft). For wildlife and bird photography, this is a perfect minimum distance. With a minimum focusing distance of 7.2 ft, the lens acquires perfect focus in most cases.

Autofocus

Thanks to Silent Wave Motors (SWM), the lens focuses quietly and accurately. When focusing, you can instantly override autofocus with manual focus and vice versa (M/A). The lens can be focused manually (M), as well.

Teleconverter support

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 is compatible with TC-14E III (1.4X) series teleconverters when used with DSLR cameras that can autofocus up to f/8. During low-light conditions, the autofocus performance of the lens when using the TC-14E III is satisfactory and usable.

With the TC-17E (1.7X) and TC-20E (2X), the aperture goes beyond f/8, hence autofocus is not possible. For this reason, I don’t recommend using the Nikon 200-500 lens with TC-17E and TC-20E teleconverters.

Camera compatibility

Full-frame (FX) cameras, crop-sensor (DX) DSLR cameras, and Nikon mirrorless cameras (with the FTZ mount adapter) are compatible with the lens. However, on older Nikon cameras, such as the Nikon D200, you cannot change the aperture; it’ll be fixed at f/5.6.

Filters

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 accepts 95mm screw-on filters. When carrying this lens into the wilderness, I recommend you have a filter. It protects the front glass element from dust, mild drizzle, and minor scratches. I use a filter while photographing and do not see any significant loss in image quality. However, make sure you use a high-quality lens filter to ensure minimal loss in quality.

Vibration reduction

This lens has excellent vibration reduction performance. I have achieved sharp images at 1/30s in low-light conditions. Nikon claims the VR offers an extra 4.5 stops of handholding.

There are two VR modes: Normal and Sports. Normal mode works fine for me while hand-holding the lens on the ground as well as the safari vehicle, so I tend to keep it set to Normal mode.

Weight

Weighing in at approximately 2300 g (81.2 oz), the lens initially feels somewhat heavy. However, as you start handholding this lens regularly, you get used to the weight. I am now able to handhold this lens for two to three hours without any issues.

Lens hood

The included HB-71 hood is made from plastic. It’s a decent hood but on the big side. However, I do use a hood on the lens, mainly to protect the front glass element of the lens from minor bumps, tree twigs, and rain.

Size

The lens diameter is 4.2 in (108 mm), and the length is 10.5 in (267.5 mm) at 200mm. The lens fits perfectly in midsized camera bags such as the Lowepro Flipside 400 with the body attached. You can invert the lens hood so it fits, too.

Controls and ergonomics

Now that we’ve got the specs out of the way, let’s take a look at the Nikon 200-500mm’s controls and ergonomic performance:

Controls

The Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E has five switches (see the photo displayed above!):

1. M/A | M. M/A means while autofocusing you can override with manual focus if required; M gives fully manual focus.
2. FULL | Infinity-6m. FULL allows the lens to focus across the entire focusing range. I use FULL all the time and have never missed the focus. The Infinity-6m option limits the focusing range of the lens so it will only focus from 6m to infinity. Any object that is closer than 6m won’t be in focus, so I do recommend generally using the FULL option.
3. VR ON | VR OFF. This activates the Vibration Reduction. Set this to ON. I set it to ON even when mounted on a tripod.
4. NORMAL | SPORT. This sets the type of Vibration Reduction. I recommend setting the VR type to NORMAL. For wildlife and birds, NORMAL mode works great.
5. LOCK 200 | UNLOCK. The LOCK 200 button locks the lens to 200mm. You cannot zoom the lens when it is locked, so the lock switch is perfect for when you are traveling and your lens is packed. It avoids unintended zooming during travel.

Ergonomics

The lens is a bit heavy, but as you continue to use it, you will be able to easily handhold it. However, hiking with this lens can be hard due to its weight, especially when carrying it up the mountains.

The zoom ring is smooth with an excellent rubber grip. The zooming feels smooth and is precise. The manual focus ring feels slightly loose, but I do find the quality of the manual focus to be excellent.

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 fits in a midsized camera bag if it’s first dismounted. However, to accommodate the lens and camera, a larger bag is required. The lens hood makes this awkward; either you can invert the lens hood and keep it in the bag or use a slightly bigger bag. I use this lens with the Lowepro Flipside 300, but when my camera is attached, I use the Lowepro Flipside 400 instead.

Weather sealing

The weather sealing of this lens is quite decent, and I have used this lens in a moderately dusty forest and some drizzle. Just make sure you clean the lens after using it in rougher environments. (I carry a Nikon Lenspen Pro kit for cleaning, which is user- and travel-friendly.

The overall construction of the lens is good. It can definitely handle minor bumps, but some parts are made up of plastic, making the lens construction not as rock-solid as pro-grade lenses.

Using the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 for nature and wildlife photography

Now it’s time for the good stuff: How does this lens perform when used in the field? Since I use this lens to photograph wildlife, and since most of you will do the same, that’s what I’ll discuss!

Focusing speed

Wildlife actions happen in a few seconds, so focusing speed is critical for wildlife photography. Happily, the speed of focus with the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 is good. When the lighting is solid – such as during morning and early evening – this lens focuses fast and accurately. I have tested this lens’s focusing in a wide range of conditions: in forests, on safaris, in grasslands, and in drizzle. Here’s my breakdown of how it performs:

The lens focuses superbly when used in/with:

• Bright light (e.g., the light during the morning and evening)
• Drizzle and normal dusty environments
• Birds in flight (moving at a slow-to-medium pace)
• Animals and birds behind other objects (e.g., trees, grass)
• Animals in action (moving fast or slow)
• Smaller birds and wildlife such as sunbirds, frogs, and grasshoppers (when they are slow-moving or stationary)

Focus performance was average in/with:

• Early morning or late evening light. This is the time when the action occurs for leopards, tigers, owls, and nocturnal creatures. You may need an external light such as flashlights or headlights (not a camera flash).
• Rainy or dusty weather.
• Very fast wildlife action, such as a kingfisher diving for fish or a swallow flying over the water.
• Very small wildlife that’s moving (e.g., crabs, bees)

Focus performance was poor in/with:

• Nighttime lighting or in heavy rain.
• Birds in flight at a very long distance against a plain and cluttered background. Here, the lens struggles to focus. I’ve also experienced this type of focus hunt while photographing birds in flight against blue sky at longer distances.

Low-light performance

This is a tricky one, as it depends on how your camera performs in low light and how you photograph. Many of the latest cameras by Nikon are good enough to shoot in low light, however, so it’s the lens performance (and your technique) that you’ll want to consider.

Overall, I’d say this lens’s performance is somewhere between good to average in low light. But if you follow the below techniques, you can achieve awesome images in low light:

• Use a bean bag or tripod.
• Use an f/5.6 aperture.
• Use shutter speeds from 1/30s to 1/60s.
• If the lens is struggling to autofocus quickly, focus manually.
• Shoot in RAW so that you can recover detail and process images effectively.
• Shoot at a reasonably high ISO. This depends on your camera, but ISOs in the 2000-4000 range can provide a great balance between image quality and exposure.

Here is an image I shot in near-darkness during a late winter evening. I used a bean bag, the aperture was set to f/5.6, and the shutter speed was 1/30s. The ISO was around 2500.

This type of shot I was able to repeat multiple times.

In short, in very low light scenarios the lens performance is average. But if you combine it with the techniques I shared above, you can achieve stunning images.

A range of focal lengths

The Nikon 200-500mm is a hugely popular lens, and its focal length is one of the prime reasons. This range is perfect for wildlife photography and works well on both full-frame and crop-sensor cameras. 500mm is great for birds, while the 200-400mm range is great for wildlife.

If you are using a full-frame camera, you will get a focal length of 200mm to 500mm, and if you are a DX shooter, the effective focal length you will be getting is around 300mm to 750mm. In my experience, 750mm is superb for bird photography, and 300mm is great for animals and other wildlife. I use my Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 on a crop-sensor (DX format) body. When I am on a safari, I can easily photograph eagles, woodpeckers, small forest birds, tigers, elephants, and snakes.

The one caveat is that you can’t capture wildlife when they get too close. I switch to a shorter telephoto lens in such scenarios.

Lens image quality

When the lens is wide open, the aperture is f/5.6 from 200mm to 500mm. At 200mm, the f/5.6 aperture is a bit slow, but at 500mm, f/5.6 is excellent. This is where you are going to use it the most.

I use the lens wide open 70% of the time, primarily for slow-moving birds and wildlife. If the objects are relatively close, I get sharp images using f/5.6.

In some scenarios, such as birds in flight, fast-moving wildlife, and wildlife at a distance, I stop down the lens to f/7.1 or f/8. This is mainly to extend the depth of field, which in turn prevents a loss of sharpness due to front- or back-focusing.

If the objects are at a shorter distance and not moving very fast, an f/5.6 aperture produces nice colors and sharpness. If the objects are moving fast, however, I’d recommend using f/8 to achieve sharp images. While you adjust your aperture for image sharpness, also ensure you have enough shutter speed to freeze the action.

Here are the techniques I use to get sharp images with this lens every time. I have applied these techniques in the wild and repeatedly captured crisp photos:

• Set the lens aperture to f/5.6 or f/8 depending on the subject.
• Set the shutter speed to at least 2x times the focal length (for example, if you are at 500mm, use a shutter speed of at least 1/1000s).
• If you can’t use a fast shutter speed due to low light, use Vibration Reduction along with stable support such as a tripod or bean bag (I’ve found that, with VR activated, my shutter speeds can be as low as 1/30s and I can still capture sharp photos).
• Use AF-C with dynamic focus areas or AF-S with the focus area set to the center point.
• If needed, increase the ISO. For most of the latest Nikon cameras, ISO 2000 to ISO 4000 is the sweet spot!

Manual focus override can come in handy!

The manual focus override feature is useful when the lens struggles to autofocus. Usually this happens if there is clutter in front of the main object (e.g., grass or leaves in front of a bird). In this case, use the manual focus ring to focus. As I mentioned above, the manual focus ring does feel a bit loose, but the precision is good.

Manual focus override is also useful in low-light conditions. You will end up getting perfectly focused images every time!

Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR verdict

Pros:

• Maximum aperture of f/5.6 for the entire zoom range
• Excellent Vibration Reduction
• Focal length is perfect for wildlife and nature photography
• Good focusing speed and image quality
• Affordable price for a super-telephoto lens

Cons:

• Hood is on the large side
• Some people may find this lens a bit heavy
• Bigger filter thread (95mm) makes for pricier filters

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6E VR is a beautiful all-around lens. It is perfect for animals and birds. If you are looking for the most versatile lens for wildlife and nature, the Nikon 200-500m f/5.6 E ED VR is for you! Given the $1400 price tag, no other lens comes close.

Compatible with all current Nikon DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, this lens is your best friend in the wilderness. You will certainly enjoy photographing the wildlife – and you’ll capture some amazing shots!

Which telephoto lens do you use? What do you think about Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 lens? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 Review: The Most Versatile Wildlife Lens You Can Buy? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Shreyas Yadav.

The circular polarizer, also known as the circular polarizing filter, is an essential tool for photographers who shoot landscape, nature, and wildlife images – especially near lakes, streams, or other bodies of water. It’s a simple glass circle that attaches to the front of almost any camera lens, and it enhances colors while reducing unwanted glare and reflections. (A polarizing filter also protects the lens from dust, dirt, and debris.)

At the most basic level, a circular polarizer works by preventing light from entering your camera lens, just like sunglasses block light from entering your eyes. However, the magic (or more accurately, the physics) of circular polarizers lies in the light-blocking process. When you rotate the bezel of a circular polarizer, specific wavelengths of light are prevented from coming through and reaching your camera sensor. This means you can minimize certain types of light – such as reflections and glare – which makes circular polarizers ideal for scenes plagued with reflections on water.

Circular polarizers are easy to use and strongly recommended for anyone who enjoys taking pictures of the great outdoors, but they’re great for other types of photography, too, including portraiture and macro work. You can find circular polarizers at a wide range of price points, and the models below are the best options currently available!

1. Best circular polarizer for landscape photographers: The PolarPro QuartzLine

While PolarPro is relatively new in the camera space, the company has quickly developed a reputation for professional-grade gear. The QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter is an outstanding option for landscape photographers and should be at the top of your list if you like to take shots of the great outdoors. It’s a bit expensive, but the results are worth it – and I’m always willing to recommend an expensive option that will last for years over a cheaper solution that you will find yourself replacing over and over when it breaks or doesn’t meet your needs.

This circular polarizer shares similar elements with other options, but each component of the PolarPro QuartzLine’s construction is designed to meet the needs of demanding landscape photographers who want a no-compromise solution for creating outstanding images. The glass is designed to be scratch-resistant, and the metal frame features thick, chunky texturing that makes it easy to rotate even with gloves on in cold weather. The biggest downside is the price, which might be a bit of a barrier for casual and hobbyist photographers, but the quality of the results more than makes up for it.

2. Best circular polarizer for wildlife photographers: The Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL

Wildlife photographers face tough, grueling, and downright punishing conditions in pursuit of their craft. These individuals often wait for hours in all types of weather in the hopes of capturing beautiful images of animals in their natural habitat. Wildlife shooters need camera gear that can stand up to incredible challenges, and the Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL certainly fits the bill. It has everything you would expect in a circular polarizer of this caliber, including durable metal construction and no trace of a color cast, which means colors will be accurate and true to life.

The major advantage this circular polarizer offers for wildlife photographers is the thick, chunky, red frame, which is easy to grasp and turn precisely in extreme weather conditions. The red isn’t for the sake of looks, either; it’s designed to help you easily identify the filter from among all the others in your gear bag.

Finally, this filter only sacrifices one stop of light, giving you greater flexibility when shooting in low light and/or with telephoto and super-telephoto lenses, which often have smaller maximum apertures. The X4 CPL isn’t cheap, but it gets the job done and is a great option for wildlife work.

3. Best circular polarizer for portrait photographers: The Hoya NXT Plus

4. Best circular polarizer for architecture photographers: The B+W High-Transmission MRC-Nano Master

5. Best circular polarizer for macro photographers: The Heliopan SH-PMC

While Heliopan name might not be as widely known as others on this list, the company makes some of the best camera filters you can find, and the SH-PMC Circular Polarizer is a particularly excellent choice for macro photographers. It has all the features you would expect from a quality filter, including metal construction and high-grade glass to ensure accurate color reproduction. Additionally, this filter has a special 16-layer coating for added durability. It all adds up to a filter that, while not inexpensive, certainly exemplifies the “You get what you pay for” adage.

Macro photographers demand uncompromising performance from their camera gear, so this circular polarizer is easy to recommend. It helps capture vibrant, vivid colors while blocking only about one stop of light, which ensures maximum photographic flexibility. I take a lot of macro photos and usually don’t like adding filters to my lens because it can interfere with incoming light, but this filter is built to such exacting standards that it’s not a problem. Macro shots taken with this filter are bright, crisp, colorful, and free of the unsightly glare that can plague other close-up photos.

6. Best circular polarizer for casual photographers: The Tiffen Circular Polarizer

Ah, Tiffen – my favorite brand of photography gear to recommend for casual photographers who want to learn, grow, and experiment without spending a lot of money. This Tiffen circular polarizer isn’t going to win any awards for quality or construction, but it does a great job of letting casual users get the benefits of a CPL without emptying their pocketbooks. It’s big and chunky compared to its slimmer, more expensive peers and doesn’t have micro-coatings or German-made glass, but it works great and is a perfect gateway to a whole new type of photography for casual shooters.

The best thing I can say about this Tiffen circular polarizer is that it just works, and works well, in a variety of situations. Professional photographers and online pixel-peepers might demand more, but it’s ideal for casual shooters who just want to enhance colors and reduce reflections and don’t plan to make wall-size prints or sell shots at an art show. It has a durable metal ring, and the 10-year warranty makes it even easier to recommend.

Additional considerations when choosing a circular polarizer

Before I conclude this article, I want to mention a few additional factors for you to keep in mind before you purchase a polarizing filter:

Avoid cheap circular polarizers: One of the hallmarks of any good filter, especially circular polarizing filters, is that they do not alter the color of the light. Not only are cheap filters less effective than their pricey counterparts, but they often have adverse effects on the light that they do let in through your lens. It’s not uncommon for photos taken with cheap circular polarizers to have a green or blue tint to them due to the low-quality materials used in the construction of the filter. This can be corrected to some degree if you shoot in RAW, but the best solution is to spend a bit more on a filter that is simply better at its primary function.

Use a high-quality lens: While circular polarizers can certainly help minimize reflections and enhance colors, they are just one part of the photo-taking equation. You can buy the most incredible circular polarizer in existence, but if you attach it to a cheap, low-quality lens, your images can still come out looking soft, muddy, or washed out. My number-one recommendation for new photographers looking to upgrade their gear is to get a better lens, and then look at additions like circular polarizers.

Practice, practice, practice: One thing I’ve learned and seen repeated consistently in over a decade of being a photographer: you have to give yourself time to understand your camera gear. If you get something new like a circular polarizer right before you head out on a big trip or photo adventure, you can easily find yourself knee-deep in frustration and may end up ditching the polarizer altogether. Give yourself time to get to know your circular polarizer, learn how to control exposure on your camera, study techniques like composition and framing, and more than anything, take lots of pictures. If your circular polarizer isn’t doing what you want it to, there’s a good chance you just need to put a little more work into learning how to use it to get the shots you want.

Improve your photos with a circular polarizer!

Circular polarizers are one of the easiest ways to enhance your images. They’re simple, they’re easy to use, and you will see the results right away – though to really get the hang of working with a CPL, you may need to put in lots of practice.

The best part about choosing a circular polarizer is that you can’t really go wrong with any of the options on this list. Don’t worry about making a bad choice; just focus on finding one that suits your needs and know that it will probably suffice in many situations, not just the one for which it is recommended.

Now over to you:

Which circular polarizer do you plan to purchase? Do you have a favorite of your own or tips for using one effectively? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post The Best Circular Polarizers for Photography (2024) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Choosing the best laptop for photographers isn’t simply about identifying which model has the biggest screen, the longest-lasting battery, or the most storage. While there are indeed laptops that are great for virtually any type of photographer, your own needs, style, and workflow are essential to consider when searching for that perfect product.

Fortunately, there are a lot of outstanding laptops available in 2024. So whether you prefer Mac or Windows, shoot professionally or just occasionally, or like taking pictures but don’t even know the difference between an SSD and a CD-ROM, today’s laptop market certainly has what you need. The laptops I share below are ideal for different types of photographers, and no matter what you shoot, you’re likely to find one that fits your requirements (and at a price that works for you).

One important thing to consider when looking at my list of photography laptops is that they can all be configured in many different ways. You can customize the amount of RAM and the size of the internal SSD storage drive; in some cases, you can even customize the graphics card, which can be useful depending on the type of photo editing you do. I’ve included specific configuration recommendations for each laptop, but you can always tweak things to your liking when you place your order.

1. Best Mac laptop for professional photographers: MacBook Pro 16-Inch (M3 Pro)

Recommended configuration: M3 Pro, 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 36 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage

If you shoot professionally and like Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers, the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M3 Pro CPU is far and away the best laptop for photo editing available today. The screen is bold, bright, and big enough to handle nearly any photography job you can think of. It has an array of ports that professionals will love, including three Thunderbolt 4 ports for ultra-fast data transfers, an SDXC card slot for importing pictures, and an HDMI port (which is great for showing images to clients on large screens!).

The standout feature of this laptop is its M3 Pro CPU, which is ideal for professionals due to its incredible power and speed. It allows you to load huge RAW files in a snap, scroll through massive photo libraries without skipping a beat, and perform complex edits and photo exports without lag. The battery life is incredible, easily lasting a full day even under demanding conditions.

The laptop is very expensive and the 16-inch screen pushes the limits of portability, but for professionals who don’t like to compromise, the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M3 Pro chip is as good as it gets.

2. Best Windows laptop for professional photographers: Dell XPS 16 9640

Recommended configuration: Intel Core 9 Ultra 185H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 32 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage

Dell has long been producing high-quality laptops, and their latest XPS 16 demonstrates a continual refinement of a winning formula that has served professional photographers well for years. This 16-inch model has everything a photographer could ask for in a laptop, and it even boasts a few specs that will help ensure it remains relevant for years to come.

The screen, while not as high-resolution as the MacBook Pro, is bright and renders colors beautifully, which makes it great for working with large RAW files. It has a bevy of expansion ports for connecting monitors, external storage, and other peripherals, and it has the sheer power to churn through hundreds of images in no time.

In some ways, this laptop is perhaps too powerful, with a graphics card that can handle not just photo editing but high-end gaming. However, with more editing software taking advantage of GPU processors for certain tasks, the included GeForce 4060 helps ensure that this meets the demands of professionals well into the future.

The inclusion of a MicroSDXC card reader instead of a full-size card reader is a strange choice, and an HDMI port would have also been a welcome addition, but these are certainly not dealbreakers. If you’re a professional photographer who prefers Windows over Mac, the Dell XPS 16 is tough to beat.

3. Best Mac laptop for hobbyist and amateur photographers: MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3)

Recommended configuration: M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage

While not as large or rip-roaring as its M3 Pro counterpart, this 14-inch MacBook Pro is no slouch. Its size and specs make it ideal for hobbyist and amateur photographers who need a good balance of power, portability, and price. The M3 chip can easily handle any task a hobbyist photographer can throw at it, including intense editing in Photoshop or managing a massive library in Lightroom. And don’t let the slightly smaller screen fool you: 14 inches is a great size for people who need to edit photos at home but want a machine that can fit in any backpack, briefcase, or bag.

Amateur photographers will appreciate the SD card reader and HDMI port, even if they don’t use the latter as often as professionals might. The real star of the show, however, is the ultra-high-resolution display that punches far above its weight and makes sharp details in huge RAW and JPEG files truly shine.

Also impressive is the battery in this laptop, which – like its larger sibling – can last all day and sometimes longer without issue. This MacBook Pro is a game-changer for photographers who are used to carrying around a power adapter and constantly looking for wall outlets.

Bottom line: This 14-inch MacBook Pro is a photo-editing powerhouse that should be at the top of the list for any hobbyist or amateur shooter.

4. Best Windows laptop for hobbyist and amateur photographers: Microsoft Surface Laptop 5

Recommended configuration: 15-inch, Intel Core i7 12th Gen, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage

For decades, Microsoft had been content to make Windows, the most widely used operating system on the planet, and let other companies handle the hardware. That all changed in 2012 with the introduction of the original Microsoft Surface RT, which was rapidly followed by a growing lineup of laptop and desktop hardware suited for professionals and creatives. The Surface Laptop 5 refines everything its predecessors set in motion and is perfectly suited for hobbyist and amateur photographers (as well as other artistic-minded individuals).

The laptop’s large 15-inch touchscreen showcases a bright, brilliant 2496×1664 pixel Dolby Vision display, which is capable of showing rich details of high-resolution RAW files. Thanks to the Core i7 processor, the Surface Laptop 5 offers a seamless editing experience and can churn through batches of photos without pause. Additionally, the expansive touchpad makes it easy to navigate through your files and folders and perform precise edits on your pictures.

The Surface Laptop 5 does lack an SD card slot but includes a high-speed USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port that lets you connect an external monitor or copy hundreds of photos and other files to external drives at lightning-fast speeds. Professional photographers probably want a bit more than what the Surface Laptop 5 offers, but hobbyists and amateurs will be extremely well-served by this machine for years to come.

5. Best Mac laptop for casual photographers: MacBook Air 13-inch (M3)

Recommended configuration: M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 512 GB SSD storage

For years, Apple’s MacBook Air lineup was great for surfing the internet, watching movies, and working with light productivity apps for creating presentations or making video calls. But it didn’t offer enough power for photographers, forcing even casual shooters to spend hundreds more on a higher-end laptop to find one that would meet their needs.

Fortunately, thanks to the power of the M3 chip, this is no longer the case. The MacBook Air 13-inch M3 is a bit too limited for high-end photo editing, but casual photographers who value portability and battery life over expansion ports and gigantic screens will find everything they need in this laptop.

The 13-inch screen on this MacBook Air makes the machine supremely portable, and its two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports let you connect a monitor and an external SSD at the same time, which makes for a superb photo-editing setup. The M3 chip might not have the same image-editing prowess as its souped-up counterparts, but it can certainly hold its own; it will let you breeze through a huge Lightroom library or use the latest AI-powered image-editing software with aplomb.

In many ways, the MacBook Air is a jack-of-all-trades model that’s ideal for casual photographers who require one laptop that offers a balance of capability, portability, and price. It won’t blow your socks off, but if you’re a casual shooter and photo editor, it’ll do everything you need.

6. Best Windows laptop for casual photographers: Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga 13.3″ Touch 2-in-1 Laptop

Recommended configuration: Intel Core i7-1355U, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage

Lenovo knows a thing or two about making solid, reliable laptops that are great for a variety of tasks, including photography. The company’s ThinkPad line, which was created years ago by business-behemoth IBM, continues this tradition. The ThinkPad L13 Yoga 13.3″ is a phenomenal option for people who need a laptop that is well-suited for editing and managing photos as well as surfing the internet, balancing a checkbook, and creating documents.

In addition to a good screen, solid connectivity options, and a respectable processor, the ThinkPad L13 Yoga has a trick up its sleeve that casual photographers will appreciate: It flips end-over-end to become what’s essentially a touchscreen tablet, which is great for swiping through images and even doing light editing.

In addition to an ultra-fast Thunderbolt 4 port for data transfers, this laptop also includes an HDMI port for attaching another screen or even a TV. It’s an easy model to recommend to anyone who likes to do casual photography and wants a portable machine that won’t let them down.

Laptops for photographers to avoid

If you’re still not sure which laptop is right for you, or if none of the above options seem like the perfect pick, you may feel inclined to look at other models. That’s completely okay! However, there are certain types of laptops that simply aren’t ideal for photographers and that I urge you to avoid:

17-inch (or larger) laptops: Even the most demanding professionals – and certainly casual and hobbyist photographers – will want to steer clear of 17-inch behemoths. Such large laptops might sound like a good idea on paper, but these monsters quickly become tiresome and are ultimately more trouble than they’re worth in most photography situations. They’re too big to be truly portable, unreasonably expensive for what you get, and rapidly go from cool to cumbersome. A photographer considering a large laptop to have the added screen real estate would, in almost every scenario, be better served by a smaller laptop and an external display.

12-inch (or smaller) laptops: While laptops with small screens certainly serve a purpose for many people, photographers will quickly find themselves frustrated with these machines. They’re great for portability, but small screens are exceedingly bad for most types of photo editing, and these laptops usually have poor battery life, as well. They are often relatively inexpensive, but the tradeoffs aren’t worth it if you intend to do much in the way of photography.

Chromebooks: The two biggest advantages offered by Chromebooks are their price and simplicity: they can be purchased for as low as $200 and are great at running the Google Chrome web browser. These laptops are ideal for people who need a reliable way to connect to the internet, but they’re not great for much more. While there are some web-based image editing and photo management tools available, Chromebooks are not a good all-around solution for photographers. They typically do not have powerful processors compared to Windows or Mac laptops and are severely constrained by the software they can install. Even casual photographers will quickly outgrow the capabilities of a Chromebook. If you are into photography and price is a top priority, I would strongly recommend a lower-spec version of a laptop on this list or even one that’s a few years older instead of a Chromebook.

Pick the perfect laptop to enhance your workflow

There’s never been a better time to buy a laptop for photography, and the ones on this list are ideal choices no matter your needs.

Whether you’re a professional who’s ready to spend thousands of dollars on a class-leading machine or a casual photographer looking for simplicity and portability, there are some outstanding options for you to consider.

Now over to you:

Which laptop do you plan to buy and why? Do you have any other recommendations that I missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post The Best Laptops for Photographers in 2024 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

This article was updated in June 2024 with contributions from Sean McCormack and Jaymes Dempsey.

The humble kit lens. I’ve had my fair share of them: the Canon 18-55mm, the Nikon 18-55mm, the Olympus 14-42mm, and the Olympus 12-50mm. The quality is certainly mixed. The Canon is very plastic. The Nikon is better built. The Olympus 14-42mm has a funny design where you have to click out the center of the lens before it would operate. They all have a variable aperture – usually f/3.5-5.6 – so they’re certainly not the fastest lenses on the market.

Then I purchased a copy of the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS, and it put them all to shame. It’s undoubtedly the best kit lens I’ve ever used, and for photographers in search of a lightweight lens that takes amazing images in a variety of situations, it’s a great pick.

Below, I share my review of the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4, based on my experience using the lens in the field. Bear in mind that this isn’t a lab-heavy, spec-focused review; instead, I explain exactly what I love so much about this lens, and I discuss shooting scenarios where it excels. I also display a slew of photos I’ve taken with the XF 18-55mm lens so you can see for yourself how it performs.

Let’s dive right in!

What makes the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 a great kit lens?

As I said in the introduction, I’m not going to focus heavily on technical details. However, these are the basic specs to keep in mind:

• Mount: Fuji X-mount
• Focal length: 18-55mm
• 35mm equivalent focal length: 27-84mm
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8 (at 18mm), f/4 (at 55mm)
• Minimum aperture: f/22
• Maximum magnification: 0.08-0.15x
• Weight: 310g
• Dimensions: 65mm (diameter) by 70.4mm (at 18mm) to 97.9mm (at 55mm)
• Filter size: 58mm

So with that out of the way, let’s talk about what makes this little kit lens so impressive!

Size and build quality

The first thing that hits you is that the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm is almost a stop faster than other kit lenses – even with the variable aperture, you get an f/2.8 maximum aperture on the wide end and an f/4 maximum aperture on the long end – yet it’s still very compact.

Most kit lenses are cheap and plasticky, yet this lens boasts almost all metal construction and feels extremely durable. It has a nice weight in hand and fits easily in your pocket, which is convenient when you don’t want to carry around a camera bag (you can put your Fujifilm 18-55mm lens in one pocket and your Fujifilm camera in the other!). The compact size is ideal for on-the-go photography and casual shooting, but it’s also a big benefit if you travel regularly and don’t want to lug around a big, bulky setup.

When I hold my Fujifilm XF 18-55mm, I get a real sense of robustness. Out of all the kit lenses I’ve used, this level of durability is only perhaps matched by the matched perhaps only by the Nikon 18-55mm. Therefore, you can use it comfortably in the great outdoors, at events where you sometimes get jostled, around rambunctious pets, and at sports games.

And if you’re the type of photographer who doesn’t like to baby your equipment, the impressive robustness will prevent you from needing to purchase a new kit lens a few months down the line.

Optical performance

Optically, the Fuji XF 18-55mm lens is surprisingly sharp, especially when you consider that it’s a kit lens.

In fact, Fujifilm has probably done itself a disservice with this lens. It’s so good that people might not be inclined to get the more “serious” Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR, which costs around double the 18-55mm kit lens.

(Comparing the two lenses, the extra 2mm at the wide end and the fixed maximum f/2.8 aperture are definitely appealing, but with the 18-55mm being so good, I’ve easily resisted the temptation to make that purchase. I probably will go for it in the future, but I’ll keep the kit lens and carry it with me in my travel photography bag.)

I’ll also note that I’ve observed no distortion when using the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4. In other words, the optics are very solid, and you don’t have to worry about capturing amateurish-looking pictures like you might with a lower-quality kit lens.

Maximum aperture and image stabilization

As I mentioned above, finding a kit lens with an f/2.8-4 maximum aperture is fantastic. Most kit lenses can’t open the aperture very wide, which makes it difficult to shoot in low light (e.g., in your home, at night, in the shade, etc.). But when shooting the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 at 18mm, you get a maximum f/2.8 aperture. This offers the flexibility needed to capture sharp, high-quality images in tough lighting conditions.

The wider maximum aperture comes with a second benefit: you can create shallow depth-of-field photos with a very nice background blur. It’s something that very few kit lenses provide, and it allows you to capture portraits with a refined, professional look. (To see what I mean, check out the sample images below!)

There’s one other feature that’s certainly worth a mention: the optical image stabilization. This counteracts camera shake and allows you to capture handheld photos at slow shutter speeds, which can be helpful in low light or when shooting with a narrow aperture. Most of Fujifilm’s cameras don’t include in-body image stabilization, so the value of this technology shouldn’t be overlooked. The OIS is pretty good, too; I’ve found that it gives me about four stops more than the 1/focal length rule (i.e., the reciprocal rule) you’ve probably heard about.

The Fujifilm XF 18-55mm lens in use

The 18-55mm focal-length range (27-84mm in 35mm terms) is the perfect zoom for anyone getting their first camera. It covers wide-angle focal lengths for landscapes and scenic shots, but it still has enough reach on the long end to make a great portrait. (You get nearly 85mm when zoomed in completely, which is a hugely popular focal length for portraiture.) And shooting portraits at f/4 will get you some very nice background bokeh effects; you just have to make sure there’s a decent amount of separation between the subject and the background.

How you set the aperture on the XF 18-55mm is different from most other lenses. Using a fly-by-wire system, you change the aperture using a ring on the lens. But because of the variable aperture, there are no markings on the lens (unlike most other lenses from Fujifilm). It means you are dependent on the screen or electronic viewfinder to see what the aperture is set to. When you half-press to focus, the aperture opens up, focuses the shot, then goes to the set aperture.

One more thing I love about the 18-55mm focal length: You can shoot a portrait at 55mm, then quickly do a pull-back shot of the scene. That way, you can capture a mix of tight photos and more environmental images, which is a must for most photographers these days.

Sample images shot with the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4

I’ve used my XF 18-55mm lens extensively, so I’ve included some sample images that show the lens in various use cases.

First, we have a typical portrait session. Using the 18mm end of the lens, you can do a wide shot, showing the subject in full length along with the environment. You can use a wide aperture to have the background go out of focus slowly. 

As the session progresses, you can zoom in to 55mm and start shooting tighter portraits. Even though your aperture will be f/4, it’s still shallow enough to render the background out of focus for a really beautiful effect.

Even when out on a casual walk, you can capture different perspectives from the same position. For instance, you can create a shot of the woods in general or a feature of the path ahead:

The maximum magnification on this lens isn’t outstanding, but you can definitely capture some nice detail images. You can shoot a whole branch:

Or just a single leaf:

Traditionally, landscape photographers favor narrow apertures, but having the option of a wide aperture like f/2.8 means you can do astrophotography with this lens:

You can also capture landscapes at night by widening the aperture:

It’s also a great lens for shooting concerts. Concerts tend to involve very low light, which means that a fast lens is essential. The extra stop here is a real benefit and gives you more room to freeze the action compared to other kit lenses.

Is the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 right for you?

The many features of the Fuji XF 18-55mm lens make it the king of kit lenses for me. None of the others combine such outstanding robustness and a wide maximum aperture, and many don’t offer such impressive optical performance or image stabilization.

I certainly recommend the XF 18-55mm, especially for photographers seeking a great travel lens, a workhorse model, or a durable lens for everyday photography. The biggest drawback to this lens is the price – compared to other kit lenses, you’ll pay a significant amount – but it’s still not wildly expensive, and given the quality it provides, it’s likely worth the cost.

You can check out the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 on Amazon!

The post A Practical Review of the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sean McCormack.

Do you want a sharp, well-built lens? Of course you do! Everyone does. As many photographers already know, the lens makes a huge difference to your photos (even more than the camera, in fact!).

But if you’re like me, browsing through the latest high-end lenses can be a little depressing. The cost of luxury-grade glass can easily peak in the thousands of dollars, which is prohibitive for most folks and means that it’ll probably be a long time before you get your hands on brand-new class-leading lenses.

However…

What if I told you that you could have excellent lenses without breaking the bank?

You see, I recently discovered a method for retrofitting older film lenses to function with our modern cameras, and that is what I plan to share with you today! Take a look:

The value of old lenses

The great news is that the majority of lenses designed for film cameras are built like photographic tanks and possess extremely capable optics. These lenses are also readily available and affordable on almost any budget. You won’t find them new, but there are some great used copies to choose from.

The bad news is that these lenses are mostly manual-focus prime lenses. As a result, your autofocus won’t work, and you’ll need to develop your manual focusing skills in order to capture sharp photos. Also note that metering won’t work with these old film lenses (with at least one exception; we’ll talk about it later).

Of course, old lenses come with another major downside: they’re rarely natively compatible with newer camera equipment. A modern mirrorless camera and a 30-year-old film lens aren’t designed to fit together – and if you force the fit, you risk damaging both pieces of equipment.

So how is it done? How can you make a twenty-, thirty-, or even forty-year-old piece of gear work with today’s advanced camera bodies?

Adapting your old lenses to new cameras

Believe it or not, the answer is deceptively simple. For virtually every lens and camera combination, there is an adapter that will enable you to use the lens with the camera, regardless of manufacturer. Here’s an example:

I have an old analog Nikon F3 that was given to me by my father along with a couple of lenses: a Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8.

The entire kit remained mostly forgotten in a camera bag, and I kept it in storage for years. One day I stumbled across some information about how a few photographers were using old M42 Zeiss screw-mount lenses with their DSLRs using adapter rings.

They were producing outstanding photographs, and that got me thinking – if it was possible to find adapters for these old M42 lenses, could there also be manufacturers who produced similar adapters for other lens types?

Almost instantly, the old Nikon F3 leaped from some distant corner of my memory. My main shooting body (at the time) was a Canon 7D MkI. Could I possibly use my thirty-year-old Nikkor film, Canon 7D? Shockingly, the answer was “yes!” All I needed were these unassuming aluminum adapter rings, which I sourced on eBay for about $12 USD each.

The side of the ring matches the Nikkor mount:

My other ring mates with Canon camera bodies:

The entire process is very simple; the adapter simply snaps onto the lens:

And here’s another image, this time without the adapter in place:

Then it’s business as usual when attaching the adapted lens to the camera. Just line up the indicator dot with the mounting dot on your camera body, apply a slight twist, and wait for the lens and camera to lock together.

You’re done!

Tips for adapting old lenses

If you decide to switch adapters for whatever reason, don’t worry; the adapters should be removable! You simply need to depress a small spring catch. (Most brands have these.)

And remember, as I said earlier, old film lenses are completely manual models. This means that you’ll need to focus the lens by hand (i.e., using the focus ring on the lens barrel). It also means that you’ll need to adjust the aperture by hand (using the aperture ring on the lens barrel) instead of letting your camera do this for you.

At first, manual focus and manual aperture adjustments might seem like a pain. But that might change over time! Personally, I enjoy the deliberateness this action forces. You have to think about your composition so much more, and you get to experience the effects of the aperture adjustment literally firsthand.

(It might seem trivial, but the latter point is a big one! When you’re shooting with a particular window of sharpness in mind, you don’t have to constantly press the depth of field preview button. You can instead just turn the manual aperture ring, then watch as the plane of focus changes in real-time.)

Don’t worry if this manual operation doesn’t appeal to you. Like I said, it takes some getting used to, but pretty soon, you’ll be using various manual settings like a pro.

Additionally, for those who are really against manual focus, manual metering, and the like, the exception concerning the adapter rings I spoke of is that some are now being made with focus indicator chips built into the adapter. While this chip doesn’t enable you to use autofocus, it does allow the lens to communicate with the camera when the selected point of focus has been obtained. This is completely personal preference. I opted for the non-autofocus indication adapters because I wasn’t comfortable using aftermarket electronics of that type with my camera. Again, this is completely subjective.

Please Note: Neither the author nor Digital Photography School are responsible for any damages to your camera or lens as a result of using aftermarket devices. Please be an informed photographer prior to attempting any modifications to your precious gear!

Now, here are some images produced through a little Frankensteinish innovation.

Adapt some amazing film lenses!

Well, there you have it:

An effective way to use amazing film lenses to create beautiful photos – with a little help from an adapter or two.

If you have any old film lenses lying around that you think could make a good candidate for adaptation, go for it! And if you can’t find any suitable equipment, you can always go to your nearest camera store (or head over to a site such as eBay) and purchase some inexpensive new versions. Have fun working with your cheap and high-quality lenses.

The post How to Use Old Film Lenses With New Digital Cameras (A Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.