Photography Basics

List of Terms

Cost Factor: The cost of a lens can range from inconsequential to mind-numbing. Let's start with a few perspectives. Cheap lenses tend to be low magnification, small aperture (f/4, f/5.6, f/8), and are often of poor optical quality. Some may even be plastic lenses instead of "good glass." For the rest of the examples, we'll use standards such as all lenses are good glass, well made, and share a particular feature that is the same for all lenses in the group.

• Magnification level: All other things being equal, the lower the mm rating, the cheaper the lens.
• Fixed aperture rating: Again, all other things being equal, the lower the f/stop rating, the more expensive the lens. An f/2.8 is a typical starting point for "expensive" glass. An f/2 lens would be significantly more expensive. An f/4 would be significantly cheaper and f/5.6 and higher would be much cheaper.
• Stabilized versus non-stabilized lens: Stabilization is expensive, potentially doubling the cost of the non-stablilized lens. If shooting from a tripod, stabilization is typically deactivated by the lens technology or the manufacturer suggests you turn off the stabilization. How you expect to do the majority of your photography can definitely influence your selection of stabilization or the lack of it. As stabilization technology advances, and sensors process data more quickly, it is becoming harder to find new production, unstabilized lenses, especially in the longer focal lengths.
• In camera stabilization: As described in the stabilization term page, sensor movement is utilized to help keep images in focus as they are captured by the moveable sensor. While this makes possible the use of non-stabilized lenses, my personal belief is that lens stabilization has benefits that sensor stabilization cannot replicate. The primary benefit is lens stabilization while shooting stationary or slow-moving subjects hand-held. Lenses with tracking stabilization minimize movement perpendicular to your tracking movement. That action really helps stabilize heavier lenses and makes them easier to move smoothly as you track your subject. The fact that in-lens stabilization can cause shake when used on a tripod or when shooting at very high speeds, is about the only reason I might consider a non-stabilized lens. In newer cameras, in-camera stabilization can be used with stabilized and non-stabilized lenses but trying to mix those technologies from different manufacturers tends to be difficult and can reduce the inherant benefits of each.
  

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