Introduction
When you’re first starting out with photography, you might think that all you need is a camera. But the truth is that this will only take you so far. In order to really make it as a photographer, you need to learn about all of the different types of equipment that are out there for taking pictures and what each one does. Here’s everything I learned about camera equipment when I started shooting professionally:
Camera body.
A camera body is the main part of a DSLR, and it’s what you will be using to take photos. It holds the lens in place and has a sensor for taking pictures, as well as a viewfinder for framing your shot.
If you’re trying to decide whether or not to buy one, you should think about how much space you have on your countertop or desk when making your decision. The best way to choose the right starter body is by looking at what kind of photographer/videographer you want to become as well as how big of an impact budgeting will have on your photography/videography career.
Zoom lenses.
Zoom lenses are good for travel and everyday shooting. They’re also great for portraits, sports, and wildlife. If you want to capture expansive landscapes or close-up details such as flowers and insects, a zoom lens is a way to go.
Prime lenses.
A prime lens is a single focal length lens—it does not zoom. In contrast, a zoom lens will change its focal length (through the use of moving optics) to achieve different focal lengths.
What’s the difference? The first thing you should know about prime lenses is that they tend to be smaller than their zoom counterparts, which makes them easier to carry around and less expensive. Zooms can cost upwards of $1,000 USD while you can typically find high-quality primes for under $300 USD. However, there are some tradeoffs with using a prime over a zoom: since they have fewer moving parts inside them and only one fixed focal length, they tend to have lower image quality than zooms on account of having less glass in front of the sensor/film plane that captures your image (this means more light passes through each piece before reaching your eye).
This also makes them slower to react when focusing at different distances from what you’re shooting; if you want something like that there are options like autofocus lenses or other options where autoexposure is involved but these aren’t as precise as manual focus primes so I wouldn’t recommend them unless it’s really necessary!
Fast prime lenses.
Prime lenses are fixed focal length, meaning they can’t zoom in and out like your typical lens. They’re great for sports photography because they have a wider field of view, meaning you can get more of the action in your shot.
Though prime lenses are often cheaper than their zoom counterparts, they perform better than most zooms when it comes to image quality and contrast.
What’s more, prime lenses offer a high maximum aperture (f/1.4), which makes them ideal for low-light photography or portraits where shallow depth-of-field is desired (you want your subject to be sharp while everything else is out-of-focus).
Macro lenses.
The final type of lenses you’ll need for your camera is a macro lens. Macros are used for close-up photography, such as photographing insects or flowers in detail. You can also use them to take photos of small objects like jewelry and coins, which can be useful if you’re interested in selling your photos online. Your macro lens will have a narrow depth of field (DOF) and it should be able to focus on very tiny subjects at close range—the minimum focusing distance will determine how big an object the lens can focus on.
The tradeoff with using a macro lens is that they tend to be expensive (the more expensive ones are often called “macro primes”). However, it’s worth noting that most digital cameras come with relatively cheap kit lenses that have 1:3 magnification (1:4 or 1:5 if you were lucky). This means these lenses won’t give you high-quality images but they will allow you to practice using some basic photography techniques before going out and buying one of the pricier options mentioned above!
Lens converters/extenders.
Lens converters and extenders are used to increase the focal length of a lens. Lens converters are designed to fit between the body and the lens, while extenders fit in front of the lens. Converters are typically used for macro photography since they allow you to get closer without actually changing your lens’ focal length; this is helpful because it means you can use all of your camera’s features, including auto-focus and image stabilization. Extenders work by adding elements over top of your existing lenses; this allows you to capture greater detail with less light fall-off than would be possible otherwise—especially important when photographing distant objects like stars or galaxies (or sunsets on a beach).
Both types come in different sizes depending on their magnification power: 0.5x (half) is more compact but has less magnification power than 1x or 2x versions that produce larger images but require more space inside a camera bag
Teleconverters.
Teleconverters are a great way to increase the focal length of your lenses without having to buy a new one. They can be stacked together to increase the focal length even more, but you might want to consider getting a lens with an even longer focal length than the teleconverter(s) allow for if you’re planning on stacking them up (which is unlikely).
Teleconverters work best with prime lenses because they have no zoom capability and therefore don’t need any extra correction. However, if you’re using a zoom lens, it’s best not to use or stack any kind of teleconverter unless your camera has image stabilization built-in. Otherwise, your images will be blurry at full size due to camera shake caused by hand movement while shooting handheld with longer focal lengths and higher magnifications.
Tilt-shift lenses.
Tilt-shift lenses are a bit of a mystery to many photographers. They’re like normal lenses, but with some special features that make it easier to get certain types of shots.
If you would like to know more about tilt-shift lenses, read on!
Filters.
Filters are used to correct exposure, color, and contrast. They can also be used to enhance a photograph’s look. Filters come in different types:
- Neutral density (ND) filters reduce the amount of light passing through your lens. This is useful when you need a slower shutter speed while still maintaining proper exposure. For example, if your camera’s maximum shutter speed is 1/1000th of a second, but you want to blur moving water or clouds with longer exposures, then you will need an ND filter to dim the amount of light entering your lens so that at least some part of the image will remain sharp.
- Circular polarizers work by reducing glare from reflective surfaces such as glass windows or waterfalls and enhancing contrast—they’re particularly effective on bright days where there isn’t much shade available for shooting subjects such as landscapes surrounding lakes or rivers where glare from distant objects might otherwise create distracting reflections in these areas.”
Flash, triggers, and off-camera flash cables.
Flash is a creative tool for photography and can be used in both studio and outdoor environments. Flash is commonly used to fill in shadows and add light to areas that are not well-lit by natural light. It can also be used to create interesting effects like the silhouetting of your subject against the background, creating a rim light on their face, or even shooting through a glass jar onto them (if you’re into that kind of thing). The most common use of flash is when you want to freeze motion by using multiple flashes at different angles around your subject so they have no choice but to stay still while they’re being photographed.
The more equipment you know how to use, the better your photography will be!
The more equipment you know how to use, the better your photography will be! Knowing how to use the equipment will make you a better photographer. You can take better photos with the right equipment.
You can learn how to use it by taking classes or online courses.
Conclusion
As you can see, there’s a lot of different equipment out there that you can use to improve your photography. If you’re just starting out, it can be overwhelming. But don’t worry! The best thing to do is take baby steps and learn how to use each one individually before moving on to the next piece of equipment. Once you know what each piece does and how it works together with other pieces of equipment, then start experimenting with new types of photography until you find something that fits your interests perfectly!
