We get a lot of questions about selecting the right lens for a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. If a particular model is compatible with the camera or what characteristics you need for certain type of photography. So we’ve compiled this useful Q & A list of common questions submitted by photographers.
Explore the lens questions that other photographers have had in the past. Or feel free to submit your own question. We’d be happy to help you figure out what gear is best for your situation.
A lot of the questions we get are lens related questions, but we also get more camera specific questions. So if you are trying to find an answer to a a different question you can explore the page we have dedicated to answers to camera questions.
I have a Canon T5i camera and looking at the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 vs the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 (or any other you might suggest?). Any pros/cons between these two as I’d like to get some good closeups of insects, animals, etc.
Thanks for the question.
Of those two I’d definitely suggest the 60mm. If you’re interested we have an article about recommended lenses for the T5i, and towards the bottom you’ll find our section on Macros. If you notice the date, with so many other posts we haven’t had a chance to update this post recently but the details and lens recommendations are still good.
Particularly with insects you’ll want to have a longer focal range so you can be a bit further away from your subject. Since the T5i has a crop factor that will effectively increase your focal range by 1.6, meaning the 60mm becomes equivalent to 96mm.
Make sure you’re also getting a true Macro lens, which will have a 1:1 ratio. I’m not sure if the 35mm you were looking at is truly a Macro. It’s probably a good lens, and I’m happy to take a look at it if you want to confirm the one you’re looking at but I don’t think it’s designed as a true Macro.
Our post also lists a Canon EF 100mm and a Tamron 90mm. Price wise if you’re looking for something a bit longer then I’d take a look at the Tamron. It’s a really nice lens and quite a bit less than the Canon 100mm.
Although I think you already found a great option with the Canon EF-S 60mm Macro.
If you have other questions or want any other suggestions I’d be happy to help.
Question
Nikon D3100 Auto-focus
Nikon
Hi I have a D3100 which i am aware needs an auto focus motor in the lens. I wanted to get a lens for further away shot for wildlife/ sports and I was looking at tamron or sigma lenses because of potentially being a cheaper option. However I am unsure what i need to look for to ensure they do auto focus? Any help would be great, thanks!
Thanks for your question.
Our two favorite lenses for the D3100 if you’re looking for a Wildlife and Sports lens would be the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6 or the Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6, you can see our review of them on this post for the D3100. Both of these have a Micro-type Ultrasonic motor which is responsible for the Auto Focusing.
For a Nikon Lens you typically just need to look for AF-S in the lens name. That means it has an Auto Focus Motor. I’ve included an excerpt from an article on DP Review that explains this a bit further.
“AF-S lenses have their own focus motor built in. Nikon uses ultrasonic motors, which they call “silent wave”. Makers of third party AF-S compatible lenses such as Tamron, Tokina and Sigma have their own names for this type of motor. (Each company also has their own name for what Nikon calls VR, vibration reduction, which moves a lens element in real time to counteract camera movement during the exposure.)”
The VR is also important for the type of photography you mention. I’m not sure your specific budget but both of these Nikon lenses are pretty budget friendly.
I did a quick search of some Sigma and Tamron lenses that looked like they had a similar focal range, but these all turned out to be much more expensive. I’d have to dig in a bit more to try and figure out why. It might just be because they go up to 400mm. The Sigma 120-300mm is more expensive because it has a 2.8 Aperture.
Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Tamron 100-400mm F4.5-6.3 Di VC USD
Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM
Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM
If you have more information about the specific types of photography you’re wanting to do I’m happy to provide some more direction. For example, if you’re wanting to do Bird Photography then you’d want to go at least with the 300mm, and maybe higher. Although if it’s just wildlife in general then the 300mm is a good range.
We also have a post on Nikon Wildlife Lenses if you wanted to explore a little further. Although there we only have one Sigma recommended.
Let me know if you have any other questions, or if you come across a lens and want an opinion on it just let me know.
Question
Best Low Light Lens for Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Canon
We’re planning a visit to Big Bend National Park in April during a New Moon. Our goal is to see the Milky Way for the first time with our kids and take some amazing pictures. I currently have the Canon EFS 55-250mm and EFS 18-55mm lenses for our Canon EOS Rebel T6i. However, neither of these lenses takes good pictures at night or in low light. I’m looking for expert advice on what lens will work best for taking pictures at night, with just starlight and no moon. I’d like to be able to zoom if possible, but really I’m hoping for some amazing wide-angle photos, with or without immediate scenery in the foreground (tents, family, etc.). Any help you can provide would be truly appreciated.
Thanks for your question.
That sounds like a great trip. I had lived in West Texas for awhile but was never able to make it down to Big Bend, but have heard how beautiful it is.
I checked the specs on the two lenses you have and it appears the apertures are about f/4 and either f/4 or f/3.5.
For low light conditions, such as night shots with no moon, you’ll definitely want to have a bigger aperture. Sometimes you can compensate with your camera ISO but then you’re reducing your image quality.
You can review our post on the best T6i lenses for more info if you haven’t already but I’d recommend the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8.
It’s a little more expensive than other lenses with this same focal range but you get a Zoom lens with an awesome aperture! It also puts you in that wide angle range.
If you’re not familiar with Sigma, they make really quality lenses, in some cases better than Canon. I’m not sure your budget but I just checked and see it’s under $700 right now.
I know this is in the same range as your 18-55mm, which I’m guessing is the kit lens from when you bought the camera. But despite that I’d still recommend this lens since it’s going to give you some really good pictures and it’s pretty versatile even beyond your trip to Big Bend.
There are a couple other options you can consider if you’re wanting something slightly different.
The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 is a good telephoto zoom that would be pretty good for low light. The drawbacks are it’s much more expensive and much bigger of a lens. Although a great lens if you want that telephoto zoom and low light performance.
There’s also a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 which would be a great prime lens option. It’s less expensive and would have good low light performance but you’re not getting the zoom or the wide angle.
If you have other questions or a certain budget you’re trying to hit I’m happy to answer any additional questions you might have.
Question
New lens for Nikon D7000
Nikon
My teenage daughter has a Nikon D7000 from her grandfather & Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-105mm lens. She wants to get a new lens for Christmas (was thinking a Macro). Would the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR Lens be a good complement to the lens she already has?
Thanks for the question.
Yes, the Nikon 40mm would be a great Macro/Micro lens. It might limit her in some ways depending on the type of things she wants to shoot with it. For example it’s harder to get up close to bugs since it has a relatively short focal distance and you might end up scaring them away.
So if she was exclusively looking to photograph insects I would probably recommend the Nikon 105mm Micro lens. Although I’m guessing she’ll be photographing a lot of different things so the 40mm is a great lens for a lot of different things.
The only downside is right now I don’t see any available. I checked both Amazon and B&H Photo, which are our go to retailers and both say they are currently out of stock. Amazon says they won’t have more until late January. They did have some used lenses if you wanted to consider that.
Then I checked Nikon’s site and it looks like it might be available through there. I think you can buy from them or it might give you some suggestions of local retailers in your area that might have it in stock.
I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Question
Nikon Macro 70-210mm lens fit my Nikon D7200?
Nikon
I own a Nikon D7200 camera and loving it so far, as a beginner photographer. Will a Kiron 70-210mm macro lens fit my Nikon D7200? (We’ve just realized we have this Kiron lens around the house so trying to see if we can make use of it and safely attach it to my Nikon D7200. So far, my gentle attempts aren’t successful.)
Thanks for your question.
As far as I can tell the Kiron lens is designed for a Pentax K mount. Which means it wouldn’t fit on to your Nikon D7200. The physical mounting design is such that it won’t work. If you bought a Pentax K to Nikon F mount adapter then you could make it work (I’m not positive if one of these exists, but I would guess it does). So if you have a lot of Pentax K lenses then it might be worth looking at an adaptor.
However, if that’s the only one you have then I think it’s best to put that money towards a lens that is specific for your Nikon. Adaptors are good to leverage existing equipment you have if you upgrade or change cameras but otherwise we prefer just having a lens that doesn’t require an adaptor.
If you are considering buying a lens for your D7200 we have a post on our site of the best lenses we’d recommend. There’s a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 DI VC USD lens that would be most comparable to the Kiron as far as focal range goes.
Although as a beginner photographer some other ones you might consider would be the following:
Best 1 all-around choice -> Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM
Budget telephoto zoom -> Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
Best all-around and also cheap -> Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S
This third one is a Prime lens. It’s a great lens, and takes wonderful pictures, but if you’re not used to shooting with a Prime lens (which just has the one focal distance), it will take a little getting used to.
https://bestphotograph.wpenginepowered.com/best-lenses-nikon-d7200/
If you have other questions let me know. I’m happy to help.”
Question
Another Lens for Nikon D3400
Nikon
Hi! I have a Nikon d3400 and I just recently got into doing mini sessions for families. I use the kit lens but I’m looking to add another lens and wondering what would be the best one for taking family photos. Clear and crisp. Thank you!
I’m happy to provide some advice.
The Nikon D3400 is an APS-C, or crop sensor, camera. This means it accepts both DX (designed for APS-C cameras) and FX (designed for Full Frame cameras) lenses. However, it doesn’t have an AF motor built-in so you need to make sure the lens you’re thinking of buying has DX in its name. It’s quite hard to find a lens without a motor in this age, but it doesn’t hurt to know.
We actually put together a post on the lenses we’d recommend for this camera so you can check that out here.
There we’ve broken it up into the type of photography, such as Portrait, Action, etc.
For your situation I would recommend either the Nikon 35mm, 50mm, or 85mm. These are all under the Portrait section of our post.
I’m assuming the kit lens you have is the 18-55mm. If you know what range you’re usually shooting at currently that may help you decide which of these Prime lenses best fit your style. For example if you’re usually zoomed out to 55mm then the 50mm lens may feel the most comfortable.
Any of these Primes will be much sharper over your kit lens, plus they each have a f/1.8 aperture so that will help with low light and blurring the background. We feel like the 85mm is the sharpest but all of them are really nice lenses.
If you haven’t shot with a Prime lens before or if you’re wanting to have a zoom lens then let me know and we can chat further about other possible options.
I hope this information helps. If you have any additional questions or are looking for other recommendations please let me know.
Question
Landscape Lens - Canon Rebel sl3
Canon
I have a Canon Rebel sl3 and I am taking a road trip to several national parks at the end of the month. I am currently on a budget, but wanted to know the top/best lenses for landscape/wide angle lens for under $400. I had some people suggest the 24mm 2.8, but I am new to photography and don’t know if that’s the best. I currently have a 50mm and some factory lens the camera came with. Any help would be greatly appreciated! thank you
Thanks for reaching out, that’s a great question. Sounds like a wonderful trip as well. I’m not sure where you’re headed but if you pass through Utah make sure to check out Arches National Park. I’m a bit partial though since I’m from Utah 🙂
So a couple things to keep in mind first off. It looks like the SL3 has a APS-C sensor meaning that it will have a 1.6 crop factor. That means that a 24mm lens will act more like a 38.4mm lens. If that doesn’t make sense let me know.
In general, for landscape photography you want to have a wide angle lens. Focal Lengths between 24mm and 35mm are considered “wide angle”. If you go to 8mm – 24mm that would be considered ‘ultra wide angle’. I don’t think you need to go into that range but with the crop on your camera just remember you’re going to be a bit longer than what the lens says. Our sister site, Smashing Camera, has an article on APS-C cameras if you want to learn a little more about the cropping. It has a visual as well that might help. Your camera isn’t listed there but it does have the same sensor.
If you didn’t get a chance to review our article on the best canon landscape lenses take a look at that as well. We have three lenses that are specifically recommended for an APS-C camera.
Based on your budget I would go with the Canon EF-S 24mm (around $130) or the Canon EF-S 10-18mm (around $280). The 24mm is a Prime, and those will give you a bit better image quality over a Zoom. Plus it’s really compact so it would be easier to travel with. The 10-18mm is a Zoom, that will be equivalent to a 16-29mm if you were using a full frame camera. So you’ll have a wider angle and be able to capture more of the scene. You also get the benefit of having a bit more control framing the scene without having to move around. With the prime you’ll have to be a little more active and move to where you want to be rather than just using the Zoom. If you haven’t used a Prime before that will take a little getting used to.
Both add up to just a little over your $400 budget. I think you’d be happy with either one, but they will be different shooting experiences. For new photographers a Zoom might feel a little more comfortable for you, if the suggestions above don’t sway you one way or the other.
You’ll give up a little on the aperture size, meaning you may need to slow down your shutter speed to let a bit more light in or increase your ISO if it’s cloudy. Though you will probably be shooting during the day so lighting shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Plus most landscape photography is taken with a smaller aperture, like maybe a f/8, since a smaller aperture puts more of the scene in focus. We also have a guide on aperture if you are interested.
If this is a lot to take in or if something doesn’t make sense feel free to reach out with any additional questions you have.
Question
Lens Compatibility Nikon D3100
Nikon
I have just purchased a Nikon D3100 for my son which comes with two lenses, the DX AF-S 55-200mm and the DX AF-S 18-55mm. My son is very much into wildlife photography, in particular, birds. I was looking at the Nikon ED AF 70-300mm, could you be so kind as to let me know if it would be compatible please.
Thanks for reaching out!
I’m not sure how detailed of a recommendation you want but I generally try to break down the details so all the different terms make sense. If you’re just looking for some quick information the highlight in blue is the lens we’d recommend.
The Nikon D3100 accepts both DX and FX lenses. However, it doesn’t have an AF motor built-in so you need to make sure the lens you’re thinking of buying has DX in its name. It’s quite hard to find a lens without a motor in this age, but it doesn’t hurt to know.
Specifically in this case you’re going to want something with ‘DX’ in the name. This refers to the type of sensor it works with. Then there’s a type of mount, just meaning that a lens can screw on to the camera without an adaptor. In this case that would be an ‘F mount’.
The other thing you need to be aware of is whether the technology will be compatible (such as auto focus features). This is determined by the ‘AF’ designation.
On the two kit lenses you have, they both have ‘AF-S’ and would be fully compatible. However with just an ‘AF’ on the lens you are looking at you will only have limited compatibility. Which in this case would mean you could only use it as a manual focus lens, the auto focus would not work.
We have a post that provides some recommended lenses for the D3100. About half way down the page we have a grouping of the best lenses for wildlife and bird photography. Just look for the large zebra picture. It also gives a few other details to consider for that type of photography.
So we’d recommend either the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II DX or if you want an even bigger zoom the Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR DX. Both will be fully compatible with the Nikon 3100.
Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have other questions.
Question
Olympus OM E-M5 Compatible lenses
Olympus
I have an Olympus OM E-M5 I would like to upgrade to a better lens for photographing wild life and to zoom in close. I just an amateur but would like to buy a less expensive lens than Olympus which are very expensive. Can you suggest a good reasonable priced alternative to Olympus.
I’m happy to provide some advice.
As you may have heard Olympus is changing their camera division. From my understanding they may not be totally shutting it down but maybe spinning it off to another company. I’d imagine there would still be some support for Olympus stuff since there’s still a lot of gear out there. Though if you were already looking to switch to something else it’s probably a good time to.
Canon makes great gear and if you’ve used them in the past that might lower your learning curve a little bit, as opposed to learning a totally new brand. Then if you already have an idea of what features are important to you and what your budget is then that should help you narrow down the camera bodies.
For selecting a lens there are a lot out there, and I think with just about any camera body you select there will be a suitable lens for your wildlife photography. The type of wildlife you like to take pictures of would probably dictate how much zoom you’ll need, based on how close you are able to get to your subject. If you are going with a really long zoom then you may need to also consider a tripod or monopod to help hold the camera steady at such a long distance. Getting something with in-body and/or in-lens stabilization may be a feature you look at as well. Although even with that it might make sense to have a tripod or monopod since after time your arms and hands will get tired, since there’s quite a bit of patience required with wildlife photography
Then for cost you could consider a 3rd-third party brand like Sigma or maybe be Tamron. These are good brands and may not be as perfect as 1st-party gear but any minor variation in results is typically more than off-set by the cost savings.
Here are some links that may be useful if you are wanting to do some more research.
https://bestphotograph.wpenginepowered.com/?s=wildlife
https://bestphotograph.wpenginepowered.com/best-canon-lenses-wildlife-birds/
I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Question
Nikon D3100 for Surf Photography
Nikon
I have recently been getting right into surf photography.
I currently use a 55-200mm lens on my Nikon D3100, with good results but would like to get closer to the action, as I have to clamber out on the rocks to try to get good shots. I purchased a Tamron 70-300mm lens but doesn’t have a stabilizer and have returned.
I realize the D3100 is an older entry level camera but was wondering whether the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DI VC USD Lens Nikon would be compatible? Or even worth it, I’m a little confused.
I understand, every company has their own terminology, every now and then you still get a bit confused, but for Tamron etc. once you know. To help you quickly, Di (Digital, fits on both full frame and APS-C), VC (Vibration Reduction, aka also known as stabilization) and USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive, a motor for more accurate focusing).
In short, you have to know that the D3100 is an old camera, I think around ~10 years old. Because telephoto lenses need more light (because the aperture is smaller, as you can see in the name it goes from f/5 to f/6.3 = this is the maximum it can be open, so you can not go to let’s say f/2.8 or even f/4). Because of that, that Tamron 150-600 would only be okay if you shoot on sunny days, AND/OR if you have a monopod (monopod is always better if you’re shooting action, exactly because of what you said), AND/OR if you are okay with how the Nikon D3100 performs at high ISO. As you remember, older cameras weren’t too good, so it’s another factor the photographer would have to account for.
In short, the Tamron fits, and is an amazing lens, but the “”downside”” is because of its aperture, it’s only good outdoors on a relatively sunny/overcast day. You will have to raise the ISO a bit once it gets darker. A monopod is definitely recommended, especially because after ~30minutes of shooting your hands will get tired. Then again, it depends on how serious the rocks are. The lens is amazing for animals and other sports as well, actually one of the best for the money.
Question
Lens for D3400 Nikon
Nikon
I am new at photography… wanting advise on buying a lense… we are travelling so it is going to be used mainly for landscapes sunsets and buildings and everything else we take photos of when we are on holiday. I have a Nikon D3400…
Check out the Sigma 18-300mm for Nikon, it’s great and costs under $500 (USD).
Question
CANON REBEL T6 1300d
Canon
I WOULD LIKE TO CARRY JUST ONE ALL AROUND LENS,FOR BASIC PHOTOS AND A GOOD ZOOM. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
Do you own the 18-55mm already? If you want something even better, check out the Sigma 18-300mm, it should be perfect for you and it’s around $400-$500.
Question
Camera lens for Nikon d7000
Nikon
I have Nikon d7000 with 18-140 VR II lens, I am mostly going to take family(one kid 8 years old) photos around beaches and home, can you please suggest me which lens to buy, I got confused between 1.8g 35mm vs 50mm vs 85mm), if there is not much difference I will go with low cost, Thank you.
Definitely get the 35mm f/1.8, it’s perfect for the D7000 and it’s not too long. At max, the 50mm f/1.8 would be okay but the 85mm is too long unless you want 100% portraits of faces.
Question
Regarding lens for Nikon D7100
Nikon
Just read your article & thanks for this article. But I want to know a little bit more. I am not a professional photographer but love photography very much specially portrait. I have a Nikon D7100 with 18-140mm kit lens & 50mm 1.8G prime lens. But while I am doing wedding photography I need to change my lenses all the time as for single pic used 50mm coz it’s blurry background. For group pic need to use 18:140mm. It is difficult for me to change lenses all the time.
That’s why seeking your expert opinion that is there any single lens which cover all my requirements. Blurry background portrait, group photo all things.
Looking forward to receive your reply.
Note: Does Tamron 24:70mm cover all my requirements & support my Nikon D7100 DX camera?
Thanks for your question. The key here is the main needs you have. From what I can tell that would be a lens that will give you the blurry background (or great bokeh) and then a focal range that lets you go wide for those large group shots.
Budget is something you’ll need to consider as well as quality. To take care of the blurry background you’ll want something with a large aperture, at least 2.8 in my opinion, and then the focal range needs to be 50mm+.
The 24:70mm you mention is a great range lens, and one of my particular favorites. You need to make sure you are getting one with the large aperture since many lenses in this range will only have f/4. So this would be a great lens as long as you think the 70mm is going to give you the reach you need. On the wide end, 24mm might be enough for you. Plus you may want to be careful about going all the way to 18mm with large group shots since you can get a little more distortion in people’s faces the wider you go.
Another option you have it so get a second camera body, so then you have to cameras on you that are fitted with different lenses. That’s a common solution some event photographers use to cut down on having to switch lenses all the time.
Question
Canon rebel T6 Lens suggestions??
Canon
I just bought a Canon rebel T6 (just opened the box!). It came with, EF-S 18-55mm IS II and EF 75-300mm III lenses. I haven’t had a digital camera in a long time and not sure what other lens I may need, and was hoping for suggestions. I am on a budget. I like nature photography, (close up and landscapes), night time skies, animals. If I could only buy 1 lens, what would be my best fit? Thanks so much before hand for the help.
Hopefully I’m not replying too late. Check out the Sigma 18-300mm, if you want 1 all-around lens on a budget that’s going to be tough under $400-$500. The 18-55mm is alright, but the Sigma is the best for the money for max zoom.
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First and foremost, I’m a husband and father. Then professionally I’m photographer, designer, blogger, and Esty store owner. My homebase is near the stunning Wasatch mountains in Utah but I love traveling with my family as part of our homeschooling journey. I also love teaching and helping out others. My faith is one of the biggest aspects of my life and brings be a consistent joy that I haven’t found in anything else. My main blog is BestPhotographyGear.com and I strive to make photography simple for anyone looking to learn or find gear for their individual needs. By nature, I like to study, research, and analyze things and I use that help provide the best advice and reviews I can.