Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide

Chapter 5. Selecting and Using Lenses

The choice of lenses today is much more vast than it was just as few as five years ago. With the advent of dSLR cameras and the DX sensor format being so popular, most camera and lens manufacturers quickly realized that the standard focal lengths being used for traditional film cameras were not quite adequate. The demand for true wide-angle lenses was so great that lens manufacturers were forced to come up with brand-new lens designs that were optimized for the digital era. This has been a great benefit for today's digital photographer as the lenses that are being made today are truly the world's best, many of which can be purchased at reasonable prices. However, because there are now so many lenses to choose from, selecting one can be a daunting task. This chapter is designed to provide insight into all of the different types of lenses available.

The ability to use a variety of lenses is one of the main advantages of using a dSLR camera.

Introduction to Lenses

A lens is one of the most important parts of a photographer's kit, arguably more important than the camera body itself because a good lens usually outlives the camera body. A lot of my lenses have been with me for over a decade while I've been through about a dozen camera bodies!

One of the great things about photography is that your lens choice allows you to show your subjects and surroundings ...