the 1st LENS Beginners Should BUY!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 7 мар 2023
- 🌟Get My FREE 30 Minute Lightroom Essentials Course🌟
markdenneyphotography.com/fre...
In this week’s episode, we discuss the first lens beginners should buy for landscape photography and how it can help you improve your photography fast. It can be rather overwhelming when trying to determine what your first lens purchase should be as the options available are innumerable. And after using many lenses over the years, I've come to the conclusion that there's one lens available that's the best option for beginner photographers to start with for outdoor and landscape photography. This lens will not only help you create highly immersive and exciting photographs, but more importantly, it will help you improve your composition much faster than other available lens options. I hope you enjoy this week's video and as always thanks so much for watching! - Mark D.
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
🔘1st Option (Telephoto Lens) 1:20
🔘2nd Option (Mid-Range Lens) 4:13
🔘3rd Option (Wide Angle Lens) 6:48
🔘VERDICT! First Lens Should Be: 10:18
MY MAIN LENSES:
🔘Fujifilm 20-35mm: geni.us/widezoom
🔘Fujifilm 32-64mm: geni.us/midrangelens
🔘Fujifilm 100-200mm: geni.us/longishlens
🌟2023 & 2024 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
🔘geni.us/markdenneyworkshops
RECOMMENDED GEAR PAGE
🔘geni.us/myfavoritegear
📸 MY CAMERAS & LENSES
🔘Big Camera: geni.us/B0sKNO
🔘Video Camera: geni.us/x-t4
🔘Point & Shoot: bhpho.to/3wWKri9
🔘Action Cam: geni.us/oRhupMT
🔘DJI Mavic 3: geni.us/nKRMkt
🔘Fujifilm 23mm: geni.us/23mmprime
🔘Wide Lens: geni.us/fuji10-24
🔘Super Long Lens: geni.us/longtelephoto
🧰 MY FILTERS & ACCESSORIES
🔘Best Filter Kit: geni.us/filterkit
🔘Black Mist Filters: geni.us/blackmist
🔘Top Camera Bag: geni.us/favoritecamerabag
🔘Favorite Tripod: geni.us/rrstripod
🔘2nd Tripod: geni.us/fotopro
🔘Top Ballhead: geni.us/aspenballhead
🔘Full Photo Kit: geni.us/photokit
📺 WATCH THESE PLAYLISTS NEXT
🔘Composition Tips: geni.us/composition
🔘Beginners Guide: geni.us/BeginnersGuide
🔘Editing Tutorials: geni.us/Editing
🔘Tips & Tricks: geni.us/TipsandTricks
As an affiliate marketer & Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I earn a small commission on the above links if you decide to purchase the item at no additional charge to you.
#landscapephotography
*LETS CONNECT*
Newsletter: markdenneyphotography.com/join
Instagram: / markdenneyphoto
Facebook: / markdenneyphoto
Twitter: / markdenneyphoto
TikTok: / markdenneyphoto
🔥QUICK QUESTION: What was your 1st Camera? And, Do you still have it?
The first camera that I ever got semi-serious about photography with is my trusted Sony a3000. It is a complete dinosaur now but I still break it out every so often and have many photos I am super proud of with that gem.
First camera was a D3200 and I do still have it. Made my first upgrade last September to a Z5. Was time to move up! Got the same starting lens for both. 24-200 do-it-all. (28-200 for the DX). I'm not a pro so versatility and the capability to experiment without needing 3+ lenses was most important. The image quality of the new one is fantastic so can't beat it.
My first camera was an Olympus XA-3 with flash module. Gave it to a collector a few years ago.
@@FINS4x3 That's awesome that you still have it!
@@MarkDenneyPhoto I'm kind of a hoarder but in truth I have a lot of great memories with that little beast so I couldn't get rid of it.
Not sure I'd make the same choice. Wide angle is an especially tough nut to crack and could be too hard for some. I think something like a 28-105 gets you a feel for wide, mid and zoom. After you've had it for a while you can decide where you like to take most of your photoss and go wide or tele for your next lens.
I have a body that keeps the 24-105 f4 on it at all times. If I can only have one body and one lens for "almost" anything this lens is it. Having said that, sometimes with landscape the 24 is just not wide enough without going to pano's
Thanks Mark, Another informative video. You’ve given great examples to help beginner photographers think about what it is that they want to capture….. so many lens choices out there and you’ve definitely simplified it. Thanks for your time and for sharing your own photographic journey with all of us. Already looking forward to next week!
Very engaging as usual, Mark! My first camera was a Brownie Box camera, followed by an Instamatic 33, circa 1968, and yes, I still have it along with all the others since then, but now a Fuji XT4 user and very happy with my kit lenses, 18-55 and 55-200
First camera: Ricoh point and shoot. I still have it, but haven’t picked it up in years. I agree that using a wide angle lens helps you get a better feel for composition since you have to see everything in the scene. My latest lens is a prime 12 mm 2.8 manual lens. That is lots of fun to play with since it gives me a reason to move around to find good composition. I also have an 18-35 mm zoom 1.4.
Beautiful photos, Mark! I love them all!
I started with a Kodak brownie as a teen, then had several instamatics. My first serious camera was a Pentax spotmatic in 1971. I still have it. When I decided to take the plunge into digital I bought a nikon d3500. Learned a lot with that camera, but have moved up to d7500 with a 18 to 140 zoom kit lens. I like this combination very much.
From a compositional standpoint, I do agree 100% that learning with a wide angle is a good start point for landscape. A difficult one with limitations, but a good one that forces you to think. A safe start would be a mid range. A typical 18-55 or 24-70 is definitely a safe bet, but zooming into the longer range negates forcing you to shoot a difficult situation that could require some thinking for a great image.
That being said, the Fuji 70-300 has been my main lens for everything about 85% of the time. Photographing my kids outside, wildlife, and some landscape. It’s been perfect for my needs. So at the end of the day, it all depends on one’s needs.
Great video as always and as usual, great images and comparisons.
Always good to refresh what you sometimes overlook, basics. Thanks Mark.
Thanks Steve!
Great explanation of lenses. I started on fullframe on a 17-40 lens. Now I am using mostly a 24-104, and I learned a lot of my wide angle lens
My first digital camera - Canon Power Shot SD1000, which got me back into photography. Still used to plan photo trips. From my basic Canon DSLR kit lens, I bought a 55-250mm, then a 10-18mm lens. Remembering the 50mm prime lens of my first film camera, a Canon A1 (which I still use, shooting B & W), I purchased 50mm and 24mm prime lenses for the DSLR. I enjoy the creational aspect of multiple genre photography. Next? maybe a 60-600mm for aviation & wildlife.
In 2012 my dad bought a Canon T3 for my birthday although he used it a lot more than me. we were just new immigrants and couldn't afford anything else, so we stuck with the Canon for like 6-7 years with its kit lens. After many years working hard we were able to afford buying, testing, selling few more Canons, but we still keep that T3 with us. I bought the x100v when it released, and Fuji in general and the x100v in particular make me fall in love so much mode with photography. Thats why I recently sold my Canon R and bought an XT4. My dad however is still a Canon fan with his 5D, and we sometimes argue or make fun of each other about which of our camera/brand is better lol
I’m a little late to this post, but I find myself in the same situation you were(inmmigrant), also planning to buy my Fujifilm xt4 🥹
Could you recommend me any len for the Fuji? I’m a beginner and I’m lost haha. Thank you so much
Interesting perspective. Thanks for the great explanation.
Great discussion. Thank you very much! 🙏🙏😊
After renting a few zoom lenses I settled on the XF 16-80. Gives me a lot of flexibility. I recently traveled again in Switzerland and found that this lens enabled me to carry 1 lens all day. There are other lenses that have a greater range but found this to be a good choice in terms of sharpness, dynamic range, ergonomics and flexibility.
Thanks Mark for sharing your experience with great comments....I currently love my Tokina 12-24mm f4 lens on my D500 camera...it was not expensive as I am a pensioner/hobbyist photographer....my first camera was a Brownie box camera in 1950 ....lots of fun to use...I then moved to a canon film camera & then a Nikon FG20 film camera... great results...now digital gear but as yet not into mirrorless camera... cheers 😀
First interchangeable lens digital, a mirrorless Fujifilm X-S10 in June last year. The kit lens fits your recommendation being the XC 15-45mm. I have used it but prefer the longer focal lengths for most of my subject matter.
My first camera was the Kodak tele-matic 608. I still have it and the box it came in but not any flashes for it.
My first digital was an HP 215. It came with a printer. (I don't have either anymore).
I would actually recommend a mid range zoom for the first lens. The first lens I bought was the Canon 28-135. It was, what I'd consider, a very good walk around lens. Good for street photography, family gatherings, landscape. Not quite long enough for whale watching expeditions but generally a do it all lens until you figure out what kind of photographer you want to be. I could use this lens almost anywhere... especially when just starting out in a new hobby without a lot of money. (I really wanted the 24-105 f4).
I still have a 24-105 in my kit and I use it a lot. When I was shooting Canon, I also had a 17-40 f4 which you could pick up at a reasonable price. I had some fun with it too
Hi, Mark great video as always my first lens was 58mm prime on a 35mm SLR, and then after I get a 28mm to 70mm. I personally prefer a zoom lens then a prime. Thanks for all the information you are sharing with us here.
Very helpful, thanks a lot Mark
I used 24-70mm f2.8 but mostly try to use 24 mm for composition. So I agree with Mark. While at the same time I can use it for many things
Hi Mark, I actually started off in photography with may 1.6 crop sensor camera and aa 150-600 lens, mostly to do wildlife photography. I now probably do more Landscape photography with the same camera and although I have a 10-18 mm lens, my goto is definitely my 18 - 135mm (effectively 29mm - 216mm). I never go anywhere without it.
Moved on from the M50 and bought the A7iv to future proof myself. I got the Sigma 24-70mm to go along with it. I shoot a lot at 70mm but I also just pick either 35mm or 50mm and stick to that length when I go out shooting to practice compositions at those lengths. I rarely use the 24mm length.
Canon A-1 film camera was my first.Later, replaced with a Canon F-1 film camera. Still have the F-1 & it works beautifully, with absolutely no issues. This camera is built like a “tank” & I believe it was one of the best film cameras that was ever made by any manufacturer.😊
A photography RUclips channel is the last place I expected to see a Sony Walkman. Oh the memories! Hope it still works!
Also, good advice on the lenses! I. Just got a R10 and am thinking of getting the RF 24-240 mm as an all around lens for both travel and beginner sports photography.
My very first camera was a Kodak disc camera. Each disc shot 15 photos. I got it probably when I was about 9 years old (1984), as I earned it in Girl Scouts by selling 300 boxes of cookies that year. (And that was the only reason I made it my mission that year to sell that many boxes!) It eventually developed a problem where the sliding lens cap wouldn't stay open. So my dad wrote to Kodak, & they sent me the current model of that camera - free of charge. I still have some of the discs I shot back then, & of course many of the developed photos. Eventually, I "graduated" to my dad's SLR film camera when I was quite a bit older. I wasn't a huge fan, because it had manual EVERYTHING - even focus. If I needed to shoot something quickly, by the time I got the camera focused, I was often too late to get the shot. My first digital was a Canon Powershot that had a good zoom lens (built in, of course) and AUTOFOCUS! Eventually I upgraded to a Nikon D5000. Now I have a Nikon D7500. I do enjoy the ability to change lenses, use either manual or autofocus, etc. I loved this video, Mark. Thanks for all your helpful tips that you give every week. I hope you have a fabulous day! :)
My walk-around lens is a 16-80mm Nikon. A beautiful lens that gets me through a wide range of situations. I have several other lenses, but this range is the one that works most often for travel. I agree with your belief in zooms. I have several and they are used far more than my few prime lenses. An Instamatic camera was my personal first (not the family's camera). My first Nikon film camera was in the early 1980s. I move on old equipment and support the used camera industry.
Thank You! I really enjoyed your video and appreciated your honest advice.
Great to hear Robin, thank you!
Great video. Made some points I hadn't really thought of. Esp telephoto in landscape.
Glad you think so Mark!
Very good explanation its Great help
I agree with Gizmo as I use a Z 24-120 Nikkor and love the flexibility it provides
Excellent insight and tuition..... Thank you Mark..
Glad you enjoyed it
Definitely depends on the individual. I knew myself going into photography & for me, I "see" the world in "ultra wide angle", so it was an easy combo to purchase the Nikkor 14-24/2.8 (bc I knew I loved Astro). That was my main/only lens for YEARS before I started feeling like I needed to add to my kit.
For others, those just beginning, if they have a clearer picture (pun intended 😅) of what they're really passionate about photographing, then they should get whatever lens that happens to be...
If beginner & wanting to do Wildlife: 100-400mm or 150-600mm would be an excellent place to start.
If a beginner & wanting to do Portraits: 24-70mm or 24-120 [28-200], would be good choices. That 35-150/2-2.8, while pricier would be "future proof", as they grow into it & the versatility it offers is pretty much unmatched due to the focal length & aperture.
^^Just some quick examples.
My first "real" camera was a Nikon D7200...which I unfortunately took for a swim, that it did not survive 🫠. I still beat myself up over that bc I loved that camera & I really was happy with what I was able to capture with it.
But it Ultimately forced me to "upgrade" to the D810 & I still have that baby. It's now my back-up camera & my main UW rig. 🤙🏾
My first camera was a Vivitar 110….long gone! Love my zoom lenses😊 ( Pentax 55-300mm in particular)
First camera was the Nikon FG with a nifty fifty attached. Had no idea how to use it but we took it to Greece for our dream trip in 1984 BK - before kids. Came back after six weeks with over 300 shots on slide film, mostly crap when I look at them now but a lot of gems.
FYI, I still have that camera sitting on a display shelf in our library with a half finished roll inside - Schrödinger’s pics.
Current kit for landscape is: Z6ii; 20mm 1.8, 24-70 2.8; 70-200 2.8 and; most recently, 24-120 f4. Of these, my favourites and most used are the 24-120 (hugely versatile and super sharp) and the 70 -200. The 20mm is mostly for night and astro.
The suggested focal length for a wide angle zoom, or for any lens for that matter depends on whether you are shooting with a full frame or a crop sensor camera.
For crop, I would say 18-35, the Sigma 18-35 f1.8 is excellent though you can go even wider, such as a 10-20 or 8-16 or similar. The Pentax 10-17 fisheye is also a really fun lens that can be used for all sorts of situations. From landscape to crazy distorted super close up photos.
For full frame, I really like the Sigma 12-24. The Tamron 14mm f2.8 is also a really cool wide lens. The Sigma 15mm fisheye is also a really cool lens.
one of my first lenses i got was a 10-18mm and that sure made me think an awful lot more about what to shoot and how, i do really like wide angle but maybe that was a little extreme haha
thank you this was a very interesting video and also not a take i hear really as people do often say get a 50mm prime or something
My first Camera 1972 was Nikon Nikkormat EL. One lenses a 50mm 3.5 macro. I learned how to compose with my feet. Have a quite few cameras since. At the start I also developed and printed my B/W negatives and shot color transparencies. If I liked the transparency ( slide) I made an inner negative and then enlarged to a print from a studio.
Good information. My first camera wasn't even 35mm, it was a 110 camera that took a disposable flash. I had to upgrade to a 35mm and then to digital. It might be a little extreme, but I have a 10-18 zoom. My wife is a realtor so I use it for photographing her listings, but when the situation calls for it I can use it with nature photos. It's good if I need to get into a spot where I can't back up far enough (between a rock and a hard place I guess). It's definitely not my go-to, but I have a zoom lens that starts at 18 to take care of the rest.
My first camera was a Yashika Electro 35 purchased in the early 70s. It was a fixed lens range finder and I absolutely loved it. Wish I still had it and have considered buying a used one. But this camera sparked my interest in photography and I have been exploring ever since. I hear what you are saying, but I think the best first lens is a 50 mm (full frame camera) only because it will teach you to shoot what you see, not a "modified" version of the scene in front of you. It sorta gives you a baseline to work from. Once you get a feel for what can be accomplished with the 50 is it time to explore other options.
I still have my Electro 35 although I don’t use it anymore. I almost exclusively use my Nikon D500 now even though I have other Nikon DSLRs.
Interesting. I started with the old Nikon APSC 18-200 lens. It worked really well and I learned a lot.
My first camera was a Zeiss Ikon Contina in the early '70s. Dozens of cameras later and after much research when my 5D ii died, I went for a Nikon Z7 with a 24-200. I would never have considered a superzoom previously but this lens is excellent and serves 99% of my needs. The remaining 1% would be served with a 14-30
Hey Mark, love your channel. lots of great advice. I see your from NC, me too. My 1st. Camera was a Yashica , all Manuel with 50mm lens. 1973. Yes ive been at it along time, still trying to learn .I don't have it anymore, but saw it on KEH for $35.00.
I actually feel like I improved the most when I got my first 50mm prime, because of the restriction it gave me, having to work around that really made me think more about my photography
Hi there Mark,
My first camera was years ago a manual Zenit 😂But back here to nowadays, Sony alpha 6400 that came with its kit lens, then few months later i bought the Sigma trio. Last year I bought a6600 also.
My first camera was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. It was given to me for my thirteenth birthday. I no longer have my original camera, but I do have one like it that was given to me by a friend. My first 35mm camera was a Kodak Pony II,which I no longer have. My first interchangeable lens 35mm was a Canon FX which I purchased used when I was in the military in the mid 1960’s. I still have some images that were taken with my Brownie Hawkeye. Great memories.
My first cameras were all Kodak instamatic. My first "real" camera was a Minolta SRT-102. Still have it!
My first lens was a 50mm f/1.7 lens. Then I went for 35mm, then 200mm. But today, I would recommend a high quality mid range zoom. Say 24-70. It gives you the flexibility to experiment.
Hi Mark. My first camera was a Pentax Spotmatic F bought in 1975. Sadly and gladly I sold it to a very caring new owner in '79, however I have every camera that I've bought since and my mum's cameras as well.
My first camera was a graduation present from my parents 48 years ago. It was a Nikon F2 Photomic with a 50mm f/2 lens. Still have it and still use it. I also have a Nikon D750 with a 16-35mm lens. Love them both.
Nikon F2 Photomic is the first "real" camera I bought in the mid-70's. It's still a fantastic camera. Coincidentally, I too own a D750 and find it great for low light photography.
My first camera was a Fujica ST-701 with 55mm F1.8 lens. I no longer have it because I wore out the curtain shutter on it. Thousands feet of Kodak TRI-X went through that camera. The viewfinder had an exposure meter and a combination split image/grid focusing aid.
My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic. The first 35mm camera I bought was a Yashica with screw mount lenses. Don’t have either anymore but I do have my last film camera a Nikon N90s well used over the years.
You explicated and illustrated your argument really well in that caffeine-fuelled romp. Interesting also the discussion around 'simplicity' or simplifying. Yes... but busyness is also often the truth of the natural world. So, for me, there often exists this tension between the aesthetic values and 'the world as it is' - often found in, for example, dense rain-forest. I hope to one day capture a scene that reconciles the tension in a pleasing way that maintains the context... but i'm some way of being good enough yet. All the best from a cabin in a swamp in a rain-forest in New Zealand.
😂
Long story short back in my twenties I got the bug of photography and got advice on what to buy, being a technology oriented person, I decided to buy a Canon EOS 650, first film camera with autofocus lenses from Canon, I bought a 50mm and a 70-210mm lenses, it serve me well for many years but professional career took over combined with the dropping of the lens stop my photography back then, currently I own a Canon D90, purchased it with the 18-135, already bought a 100mm Macro and waiting to get my hands on 70-200 before my trip to Europe.
My first one and the one I still have is a Sony a6400 but I’m thinking on buying Sony A7R4 for landscape and a 24-70mm. Is that a good idea?? I love your videos mate
You never say what focal length wide-angle zoom lens you recommend. I was waiting for that the entire video. Love your work BTW.
When I started I had a crop DSLR, Canon XTi then moved to 7D. I was planning to eventually move to Full size sensor so I made sure I got EF lens (had both Canon and Tamron) because the EF-S crop lens will not mount on a Canon full size sensor like the 5D which I eventually got. Now I have switched to Sony mirrorless body (A7iii & A7iv) which mount both types with their E Mount lens. The Full size sensor will auto switch to crop mode automatically but I still get just the FE lens (full sensor). I do have a A6000 (IR) and all will work on this body with a x1.5 factor.
First camera, Pentax ME Super 35mm and yes, I still have it and yes, it still works.
Is that a new monitor I see in place of the iMac? What computer is it now attached to? And good tips on lens type and focal ranges for different situations and compositions.
twin lens Argus that used 620 film. still have it. I miss going into camera stores to finger all the stuff. it helped to see angle of view before buying.
A Yashica FX3, manual only, that camera gave me some hard lessons, but I learnt a lot from it.
No longer in my possession but I had it over 25 years 😢
Very informative video. Very 😀. 1st camera was my Mom’s Kodak Brownie (still have it). 1st SLR (film) is my Olympus OM-1 (also still have it). First digital is a canon S-40 (a friend still uses it).
Thanks so much Marty!
My current camera is a Nikon D5600 and I just recently purchased a Sigma 20mm art lens as my wide-angle lens, I'm thinking of getting a mirrorless camera but am still on the fence about that or just upgrading my D5600 to a little more professional DX or full frame
You made a perfect sales pitch for a 24-70 (or 20-70) lens since it covers all three.
i first used my dad's Kodak camera. It shot 828 ( ? not sure) roll film. My own real camera was a Konica Auto reflex (1972) that I still use. Love that 52mm lens. They offered many lenses, but I never jumped into that. Now, I'm shooting a Nikon D-7200.
My 1st was a 35mm Olympus Trip in 1978, it left me 10 years later when on a family holiday it had an unscheduled bath 😞 More recently when I was 60 after a very chequered period with lots of "Point and shoot " cameras i got a Nikon D3500 with its 18-55 kit lens, then a 70-300 and a 10-20 lens .. so for very modest money I can do most things. Recently I got a 50mm prime for night time photography.
I understand and appreciate your point of view. However most beginner photographers probably don't know what style of photography they will enjoy most, or what they have time for. Many hobby photographers spend years trying different genres before they decide what suits them best. Therefore my recommendation is to stick with the kit lens for 6months or more until you have a feeling what type of photography you enjoy most and then upgrade the lens on that basis. Remember photography should be fun.
My first camera was an Olympus Omg 35 mm film camera. I first digital was Cannon Powershot SX 150. I am still shooting Canon .I have the EOS R .I have the EF 16-35f/4 lens .I love, love ,love it used with the Adaptor ,stellar lens ! My wife has the RF 15-35 f/2.8 again over the top glass! The wide angle shots ,it appeared that some of the shots where 16mm ,where they all 16 mm or where some more to 35mm ?
I'm feeling old cuz it was my Dad's Kodak Bantam using 828 roll film. Still have it & it still works!
For me i have been using a kit lens 18 -150mm and been managing quite well. Maybe i will try a wider lens one day
I don't remember the name of my first camera, but it took film cartridges and had a built in flash. In high school and college i had a 35mm point and shoot. What got me hooked of photography was when my aunt let me shoot a roll of film on her Pentax k1000. I've had many different point and shoot 35mm and digital cameras over the years but nothing "fancy" until my wife bought me a Canon EOS rebel T3 which i still have. I now use a Canon 90D and just bought a 24-105 lens--which is big, heavy, but amazingly sharp.
On the topic of simplicity, have you ever done a video on post editing a simplistic photo? Often times I'm found myself looking at one I may have taken of for instance a snowy field with a tree or something and wondering what could be done in post to enhance it some but with the lack of colour and contrasting lighting etc I find it difficult.
Wide angle zooms are a good idea, but personally I think a good first lens a photographer should buy is a travel zoom (after their kit lens). They can add a wide angle zoom too I guess, but I think for a beginner that's learning about photography, composition, and exposure, a travel zoom is a good option and usually not too costly. Now, granted they aren't the sharpest or best lenses out there, but they do let you experiment without breaking the bank. If you have good discipline and can zoom with your feet and not your lens at times (so you understand perspective at different FLs) then a travel zoom can be a valuable learning tool. Too bad many don't go wider than about 20mm or 24mm but it's still a good value that goes from mostly wide to (24mm) to 200mm (telephoto) in most cases (some go even longer like the Canon RF 24-240.
I was thinking the same lens for similar reasons.
I do exactly that. 14-28 then 28 to 280 and a 50 f1.7 for low light. All I need. I’m an amateur and I travel. Panasonic g95 and gx85 so no lense changes required if I’m walking around with one in my camera bag!
I'd respectfully disagree with both of you guys. I'd recommend a "normal" fast (or relatively fast) prime lens for beginners. For ASP-C crop sensor cameras, something like a 35mm F 1.8 is ideal. For full frame digital for film, 50mm, also with F 1.8 or better. There's really quite a lot you can do just with this one lens, and you can get quite good quality glass for pretty cheap.....And IMO, it's also good for new photographers to learn early on that you typically *don't have to* zoom with your lens. You can simply zoom with your feet.
....Yeah, obviously there are certain situations where you really need a good telephoto lens, or macro (often the same lens as one's telephoto), or super-wide lens, etc. But for a whole lot of photography, regular "normal" lenses work great, and the low price point for a quality fast (wide aperture) lens makes them a no-brainer in my book!
I love my 28-200mm on the Sony full frame. It gives me pretty much all focal lengths for landscape photography. I do have a couple of prime lenses, but the 28-200 is my go to lens and sits on my camera 95% of the time.
I picked one up as my all-in-one for lighter weight travel in February and have enjoyed it a lot so far. I think I still might grab the 20mm f/1.8 as a lightweight wide angle to complete the range, but I'd feasibly only use it at most 20% of the time.
@@reiddickson I have 16mm APSC lens (24mm equivalent) and have tried for landscape, but I don't get good photos. Too wide for my liking. Also it may have something to do with my skill level. Anyway, 28mm on the Tamron is pretty wide for my use. I did grab Samyang 45mm 1.8 for occasional portraits and if I want to shoot something in low light.
First camera Coronet Ambassador (box camera) 8 images on 120 film, 6x9cm film images. Broken decades ago. The images were big enough to make usable contact prints and even to-day the negatives it made were not bad. Some time I will print some big to really see how good (or bad) they are.
I agree with your statement about Prime lenses, they are usually more expensive than Zoom lenses.
Great video Mark.
I'm not sure if this is actually true - at least not if one's doing an "apples to apples" comparison. If it's a cheap zoom lens, you've prob got something like F3.5-5.6 as your maximum aperture (depending on what focal length you're at). If you want to get a higher quality "fast" zoom lens with a fixed maximum aperture throughout the zoom range, that's gonna be significantly more expensive, and typically just with F2.8 as your max aperture.
With a good prime lens, it's more often F1.8, or even F1.4 (though those are a bit more expensive). But a basic 35mm or 50mm F1.8 is gonna be fairly cheap, while also having very good quality glass, and a lens that's specifically optimized just for that one focal length.
Yeah, obviously there are certain situations where having a zoom lens is ideal, but personally I'd recommend a 35mm (on DX) or 50mm (on FX or film) "normal" prime as lens as a beginner's first lens to start with 🙂
My first lens was an 18-55 kit but then I went for an 18-35 sigma f1.8 Art. I then went for a 105mm f1.8 Art which I loved and after that I bought my Nikon Z7 and went for a 24-70 f2.8 and the 70-200 f2.8. I think if you go for those two lenses the 24-70 and the 70-200 your equipped for almost anything
My first camera was a Zenit 35mm film. Spent most of my time trying to load the film correctly.
I would recommend a 50 mm. Use that for a period of time to figure out what you like to shoot. Do your shots reveal the need for wide angle or telephoto?
Yes and no....I think your recommendation makes sense if one's using a "full frame" FX or film camera, but for DX (which more beginners are prob using), a 35mm F 1.8 is a great starter lens. It's more of a "normal" lens if you're using a DX (ASP-C) crop sensor camera. I still gave you a thumbs-up though, as your comment is the first I read here that's even in what I would consider the right ballpark :D
My first camera was a Nikkormat 35mm film with a 50 mm f2.0 lens. Still have it.
The elephant in the room is whether you're shooting with a full-frame or crop-sensor camera. My 16-35 zoom would effectively function as a 25-56 on an APS-C camera, which barely gets me into the wide angle ballpark.
My first camera was a Canon FTB with a 55/1.4. My first digital camera was a Canon point and shoot. My first DSLR is a Pentax K-10D. I currently use an Olympus EM1.2. I think a lens to buy after a kit lens should be a fast 35-50 prime.
Olympus OM10 which I gave to a relative. I still have my OM2 (working) and OM4 (dead), plus my first medium format ETRS and I still use the lens on my OM-E1 and GFX50SII.
My first camera was a fancy 110 film camera with wide and telephoto lenses, no zoom. I wish I still had it, but I made the mistake of letting someone borrow it and never saw it again. I don't have any of my early cameras, the one I've had the longest is a Pentax SLR that I bought my last year of college. My first SLR and my first 35mm point and shoots are long gone at this point, although I do still have the lenses from that first SLR - a Sears branded camera with Pentax K mount lenses.
Great examples for the topic. First camera was a Konica Autoreflex TC. No longer have it.
Thanks so much!
Excellent video and yes, you were speaking quickly 🙂
Hahaha yes! Thanks for sticking with me😬
A 16-35. Seems to be a very popular lens, I thinkmy first lens was a 24-105 which I still love.
Great comparison of the merits of different focal lengths. I'd just add that sometimes I have "fixed" a wide-angle scene with too much sky by employing a cinematic (16:9) crop or similar. Great stuff, Mark!
Thanks a million Roger!
Zenith EM. Built like a tank!
Canon 24-105mm L is the best workhorse lens I have ever shot. It's the one I always need to have with me. Gives me the best of both worlds. And cheap for the quality of glass.
Your compositions were really good when you first started.
My first 35mm SLR camera was a Canon AE-1 Program that my parents got me when I graduated from high school 1978. I wish I still had it, but I ended up selling it to buy a Nikon FE-2.
Canon FTb w/ 50mm f1.8, and yes I still have it.
an ultra wide lens is one of the last lenses I bought and I wish I'd got it earlier. My pictures are far closer to how I wanted them now. So many other youtubers/shops tried to steer me away from ultra wides and I'm a little mad at them for it!
I started pretty recently (3 years ago) with a Nikon d3500 and kit lens. Then went to a6600 with tamron 17-70. Then a7iv with sigma 24-70 and sony 70-200 gm ii. I think I will slow it down now lol
Nice monitor, do you feel you have to calibrate it?
Pentax K1000 and yes I still have it. It’s a classic.
Thanks!
You're the best! Thanks so much!
Hi Mark, not sure if you’ll see this but
Im a beginner who recently brought a Nikon D610 and have a 50mm prime lens with it so I can practice portraits.
I’m looking for a zoom lens that can be used as a walk around lens as well as for landscape (mainly woodland, countryside hill) photography.
Do you have any suggestions? I’ve been doing some research and have narrowed it down to either; 16-35mm, 18-55mm or 24-85mm. Any suggestions / guidance would be appreciated!
I've had many cameras over the years, but I would never consider them my first camera for my shooting career, as they were more just gifts that I used, but never with the intent to be a great photographer. My first camera was a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. It is a camera I still use very often. During a tour, I discovered I had instincts of a photographer and decided to pursue. I then got myself a Canon T7 Rebel that came with a 18-55mm lens and 75-300mm lens. Both are of cheap design. Actually I bought the camera as a kit. I also got myself at the same time a GoPro 8 with waterproof housing. Three cameras at my disposal. For Christmas I got 50mm lens and a flash.
Mark, where are you focusing in these wide angle shots?