Langford's Advanced Photography, 8th Edition

3 Choosing lenses

Fine image quality depends a great deal on having a good lens, but you will find that even good lenses are only intended for a limited range of working conditions. Optics which excel under one set of circumstances can give quite poor results under another. This chapter explains some of the problems faced by lens designers and manufacturers, and shows how every product is a compromise between what today’s technology will allow and what we as photographers will actually buy. It also helps you to understand the lens quality data in manufacturers’ technical literature, and what to look for when buying a lens, new or secondhand. Special types of lenses are discussed too, in terms of practical handling and suitability for different ...