National Geographic Logo - Home

    Taken with a Canon EOS 5DS, Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens.

    Karine Aigner
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
    • Photography

    A Photographer’s Toolbox

    Every photographer has an arsenal of lenses at the ready – find out which lenses are best for every situation.

    Published September 15, 2016
    • 7 min read
    This content was written by and is brought to you by our sponsor. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic or its editorial staff.

    Every artist has a toolbox to help create their art — the same stands in photography. A photographer is an artist, with each specific lens being the “brush” through which they apply their ‘paint’. The lens is their eye, so lens type, and lens quality, matter. But, all lenses are not created equal. There are many differences and compromises to think about, including: expense, physical weight, light limitations, speed, and glass quality. All are considerations when buying a lens. The options are endless, and the choices are sometimes confusing. The deviations lie in durability, speed, aperture range, and weight. In the end, it is price and need that will become your deciding factor.

    National Geographic interviewed contributing photographer, Karine Aigner, to get her take on lenses.

    Q: With so many lens choices, how do you choose what to use?

    A: Choosing the best lens for the job really depends on what the desired result is and knowing a lens’ capabilities. These are things you must contemplate before you make purchasing choices. If I’m going on a wildlife safari, there is no doubt that a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens and a 500mm or 600mm are coming with me as they are the best lenses for bringing what’s far away closer. But, I might also want landscape shots, so, I’d also pack a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

    If I’m looking to make a portrait of someone standing a far distance from a background (let’s say it’s a bridge), where I’d like the structure as an ‘element’ rather than as part of the main subject, I might choose the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. This would allow me some zoom flexibility, and the ability to compress the scene, all while using a shallow depth of field. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens offers the same possibilities with an even shallower depth of field, but as a fixed lens it’s more of a commitment. One of my favorite portrait lenses, giving me the option to have a bit more space between myself and my subject, is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens. This is a stunning, sharp lens with a very quick depth of field drop off at its widest aperture that results in a beautiful ‘bokeh’ effect.

    If I want to carry one lens around a city, I might choose the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens. With its shorter zoom range and f/2.8 aperture, I have the ability to zoom in and get some smaller detail shots, while at the same time having the option to capture the wider scenes and structures of the streets I’m walking in.

    Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

    Karine Aigner
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

     

    Q: Can you briefly describe the following lenses and what environment they’re best for? Macro, Telephoto/Zoom, Wide Angle, Standard/Normal

    A: The Macro lens is great for up close intimate details—think individual lashes around an eye or the expressive face of a jumping spider. Interested in veins of a flower petal, or threads of a dress? If so, a macro lens is for you. A Macro allows you to get up close and personal with the details and might be considered a more “artistic” lens, allowing for an intimate perspective.

    A Telephoto lens allows you to bring far away things closer. Think a wildlife trip to Yellowstone, or little birds in your backyard—your telephoto lens will bring the critters ‘closer’ to you.

    A wide-angle lens is used for capturing more, from wide natural landscapes with ‘big sky’ to all the bodies in a room full of people. The wide-angle lens allows you to get everything in the shot.

    A ‘normal’ lens is one that has a perspective closest to what the normal eye would see. The 50mm lens (prime) is a great workhorse that can teach you much about composition. A ‘non’ zoom lens forces the photographer to be more intimate with their subjects, requiring them to move themselves closer or further away for the right composition. These lenses are also great for nighttime use as they have the widest apertures.

    Q: Speaking of nighttime, do you have a favorite lens for these shots?

    A: My favorite lenses for night scenes and starry skies are the wide-angle lenses: The Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens and Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM Lens. A great option to consider is using the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens with the Canon EOS 80D, which performs well in low-light shooting even without the flash. All sporting lower aperture options, these lenses allow the most light to hit the sensor, and also have a wide capture breadth allowing for a “big sky” look and long exposures.

    Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Sunset at Dead Vlei, Namibia.

    Karine Aigner
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    Q: Is there a best “all-in-one” lens for the Canon EOS 80D?

    A: The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens is one of the most versatile lenses Canon has ever made. Portraits, street photography, travel photography—the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens has a wide aperture and at f/2.8 can nicely blur the background for a shallow depth of field. The zoom to 70mm gives the user a bit of range, and the constant f/2.8 aperture through and through allows for tight portraits at 70mm, with a nice soft background. If you are just starting out, but want a quality option you can’t go wrong with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

    At the end of the day, a lens is a lens, and having more lenses in the toolbox is beneficial to every artist. The variety of lenses on the market is endless. The best choice of lens comes down to what kind of art you are trying to produce. Any photographer can use Canon’s top notch line of lenses. Knowing which one to choose comes from knowing your subject preference, budget, and the kind of images you’d like to make.



    Read This Next

    How the Holocaust happened in plain sight
    • History & Culture

    How the Holocaust happened in plain sight

    Six million Jews were murdered between 1933 and 1945. How Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party turned anti-Semitism into genocide.
    The most ancient galaxies in the universe are coming into view
    • Science

    The most ancient galaxies in the universe are coming into view

    The James Webb Space Telescope is discovering distant clusters of stars that formed surprisingly early—presenting new mysteries about how the universe evolved.
    ‘Microclots’ could help solve the long COVID puzzle
    • Science
    • Coronavirus Coverage

    ‘Microclots’ could help solve the long COVID puzzle

    Scientists are starting to detect clots in long COVID patients’ smallest blood vessels—which might help explain the condition’s debilitating symptoms.
    How Spain’s lust for gold doomed the Inca Empire
    • History Magazine

    How Spain’s lust for gold doomed the Inca Empire

    Obsessed with a treasure city, conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa. To spare his life, the emperor offered up the largest cache of gold the Spanish ever acquired in the Americas.

    Legal

    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your California Privacy Rights
    • Children's Online Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    • About Nielsen Measurement
    • Do Not Sell My Info

    Our Sites

    • Nat Geo Home
    • Attend a Live Event
    • Book a Trip
    • Buy Maps
    • Inspire Your Kids
    • Shop Nat Geo
    • Visit the D.C. Museum
    • Watch TV
    • Learn About Our Impact
    • Support our Mission
    • Nat Geo Partners
    • Masthead
    • Press Room
    • Advertise With Us

    Join Us

    • Subscribe
    • Customer Service
    • Renew Subscription
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Work at NatGeo
    • Signup for Our Newsletters
    • Contribute to Protect the Planet
    • Pitch a Story

    Follow us


    National Geographic Logo - Home

    Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved