However, once you make that choice, you need to select the right lens or lenses. Choosing lenses for a DSLR camera can be complicated due to the sheer amount available. You might be looking for a plethora of different lenses, a holy trinity set of three that covers everything, or a single one that fits your personal needs.
Here are the best DLSR camera lenses available today.
Q: What Lenses Make Up a Holy Trinity Set?
A holy trinity set of lenses covers all photography styles. They are all zoom lenses, which offer more versatility, but you will need to compromise on the quality that prime lenses give. The ideal maximum aperture should be f/2.8 to allow low-light shooting.
Tracking subjects like animals on the move or a predatory striker in a soccer game is a breeze, thanks to the excellent 3-mode 4-stop image stabilizer. Coupled with the fast USM-powered autofocus, you can shoot these images instantaneously, and the motor allows manual override at any given time. However, since its widest aperture is f/4.5, you may wish to experiment with higher ISO settings.
On the other hand, it’s also a good portrait lens, especially for taking candids where there will be a bit of distance between the lens and the subject. The nine diaphragm blades isolate your subject with a beautifully smooth, rounded bokeh. Additionally, it combats color distortion well, no matter the optical length, while the Air Sphere Coating reduces backlit flaring and ghosting problems.
This stabilizer gives the photographer much more freedom than usual. Pesky tripods and cumbersome flashes are unnecessary, and you can capture expressions more naturally and informally. Handheld wedding photography is especially a breeze, from outdoor ceremonies to indoor receptions.
The stabilizer element features an Air Sphere Coating to correct any spherical distortion and minimize backlit flare and ghosting. It also has a premium GMo aspherical element for all-around sharpness and detailed contrast. Autofocus is also fast and accurate, and you can override it with manual focus at any time.
It is a little on the heavy side, however, so shoulders may start to ache after extensive use. That said, the vivid captures of personalities and emotions with each shot are well worth it. You can even capture weddings on the beach that experience an unexpected thunderstorm, thanks to its durable weather sealing. The happy couple will enjoy timeless shots for years to come of guests clamoring for shelter as the heavens open!
In addition to action shots, it also excels in portraiture, whether a planned shot or a candid face picked out from a crowd. You’ll get nice blurry backgrounds to isolate your subject, and the long optical length will pick out expressions from afar in crisp detail.
Combining different styles is a joy. You can shoot elephants while on safari before quickly capturing the awe on your child’s face from close up. This swift transition is primarily due to the fast autofocus of Tamron’s Ultra-Silent Drive technology, which you can easily override with the manual focus ring when needed. Furthermore, with four stops of exposure, the Tamron image stabilization technology, which they call Vibration Compensation, is highly effective.
The lens prevents chromatic aberration and sharpens contrast with the Low and Extra-Low Dispersion glass, giving an overall upright performance for this price range. Additionally, it has a Broad-Band Anti-Reflection coating to diminish flare and ghosting. However, panning isn’t as easy as with more premium lenses; tracking faster subjects may take a bit of practice.
The lens restricts light dispersion inside by using LD glass elements which stop chromatic distortion. Additionally, the rounded 9-blade circular diaphragm gives smooth bokeh behind your subject, which could be a ladybug or a blooming flower. Thanks to a comfortable minimum shooting distance of just over five and a half inches and a quiet yet fast internal focussing system, you won’t disturb those subjects either. Coupled with its excellent stabilization technology, handheld shots from very short distances produce outstanding results.
Additionally, it’s a good lens for action photography, and you can create sharp in-the-moment images in vivid detail. The Hyper-Sonic Motor is silent and swift and will help your autofocus track and capture fast-moving trains, jumping pets, or stampeding wild animals.
It’s a great choice if you travel and need a Jack-of-all-trades lens. It will capture excellent-quality landscapes and close-up portraits while it excels in street photography. You can record city breaks handheld both day and night, indoors or outdoors, because this lens takes excellent dim-light images. You can capture all the neon lights and evening ambiance of any city you visit, including interior shots at restaurants or museums.
There is no LD element in this lens. Instead, it fights chromatic aberration using a single aspherical element, and the Nano-Crystal Coating, the mark of a serious Nikon lens, combats ghosting and flare.
The internal-focussing system is hushed and has a swift Silent Wave Motor autofocus with full-time manual override. However, as it is a prime lens, there is no zoom feature. So, you will need to move into position the old-fashioned way. Be sure to pacify any large cats if you decide to do this while on safari!
If you are looking to buy a set of holy trinity lenses, this 70-200mm from Tamron is a great choice to include and is compatible with Nikon FX mounts. The 5-stop Vibration Compensation (image stabilization to most people) is superb, and the rapid autofocus is one you can trust. This lens will give you sharp and detailed portraiture, landscape, architecture, and action images that you can be proud of. However, if you need to zoom even further, for example, when bird-watching, you can seek a compatible teleconverter.
It’s a durable, well-built lens that still manages to remain lightweight and transportable. It will undoubtedly prove to be a bit of a bargain for amateurs and professionals alike.
For those with a keen interest in capturing the heavens, a 14-24mm ultra-wide angle lens is perfect for astrophotography. It’s also an excellent choice for landscapes and architecture. It shoots dramatic mountain ranges and abstract buildings in vivid detail. In fact, it’s difficult to find any problems with the optical quality of this lens. Images are sharp, and there is no evidence of chromatic aberration or other distortion. This quality is apparent even at full zoom, with picture edges having sharp enough detail to compete with most premium-priced lenses.
Although a little heavy, it is still comfortable to hold and use and is robust and weather sealed. It’s an excellent addition to any lens set and will prove to be a lot of fun to use.
An ultra-wide angle lens covering anywhere from 10 to 35mm takes care of landscapes, architecture, and astrophotography. You can even use them to get creative with portraits, weddings, or parties.
A 24-70mm gives you more intimacy with portraits and landscapes and is generally an all-around lens. It’s an excellent choice for travelers requiring versatility and the one to choose if you only want to take one on vacation with you.
A 70-200mm or higher lens completes the set. It lets you get creative with candid or close-up portraits, compressed landscapes, and unusual architectural angles. Additionally, you get excellent action shots, thanks to the optical length, when capturing sports events or wildlife.
Q: Is It Better to Have a Good Camera or a Good Lens?
The lens has such a significant bearing on image quality that it is hard to suggest that a premium camera is more important. It is easier to spot image deficiencies produced by a low-quality lens on a high-quality camera than spotting one made on a substandard camera using a high-quality lens.
Lenses are also more durable and often only need the elements replaced after a time. Therefore, you can use your lenses with many camera bodies.
