Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D Digital Field Guide

Chapter 4: Using Lenses with the Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D

How do the pros get such sharp, vibrant photographs? A photographer’s skill and experience play an important role, but when it comes to equipment, lens quality is extremely important. The image that you shoot travels through the lens before it reaches the camera’s digital sensor. If the lens is of poor quality or defective, it affects the outcome of your photograph. The Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D is a dSLR (digital Single Lens Reflex), which means that you can change the lens. This is helpful because it means you are not limited by the quality or type of lens attached to your camera. This chapter covers the camera’s lens, and how you can make better decisions about the lenses you purchase and use.

This photograph was taken using a fisheye lens.

Choosing a Good Lens

Before talking about lenses, let’s make sure that you know the basics, such as the proper way to hold your camera and attach a lens. The idea is to use your arm as a tripod to support your camera and lens from the bottom. The larger the lens, the more important it is to properly support it, as shown in Figure 4.1. The EF (electro-focus) lens is Canon’s standard model. EF-S lenses are designed for Canon cameras, such as your Rebel T4i/650D, because they have a smaller mirror and sensor than full-frame sensor cameras (resulting in a 1.6 crop factor). The S