Lenses

When you move to an SLR there’s very little point sticking to just the kit lens… you’re buying into the idea of a system, so make the most of it! Choosing which lenses to add to your bag isn’t to be taken lightly, you aren’t Madonna picking children! Here I’ve gathered a few of my favourites together to help you navigate your first steps into a lens collection.

The Nikon 24mm f1.4 is a new fast aperture wide-angle lens designed for creating a beautiful shallow DOF and low-light photography on FX digital SLRs. Packed full of ED and aspherical lens elements, the 24mm f1.4 is probably the closest Nikon aficionados can get to wide-angle optical nirvana…

A new FX wide-angle zoom has just been announced by Nikon and it looks like an absolute corker: The Nikon 16-35mm f4 features 2nd-generation Vibration Reduction, Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass and a Silent Wave Motor (SWM). If you aren’t drooling already, the features list doesn’t end there…

Canon has announced a New Years gift for all the L-series addicts out there: A shiny new 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM EF lens, featuring a revised optical design, optimised AF performance and reduced minimum focus distance to 1.2m (the original was 1.4m).

Just in case the new Nikon 70-200mm VR II didn’t have you reaching for the bank manager’s phone number, details of Nikon’s latest pro telephoto lens may tempt you: An AF-S 300mm f2.8 ED VR II Nikkor lens with the latest generation Vibration Reduction and a new A/M focus mode. Because it’s nearly Christmas, Nikon have also released a new 2x teleconverter, the TC-20E III, which has a completely new optical design.

A new weather resistant Pentax 100mm f2.8 macro lens has been revealed today, designed to complement the class leading weather sealing of the Pentax K-7 digital SLR. In addition to the WR construction, the lens features Super Protection (SP) coating to protect against dust & grease and reduce reflections to deliver clear high-contrast images.

This new Micro Nikkor is Nikon’s first DX macro lens, designed for entry-level digital SLR owners who want to jump into the world of macro photography. Just like the Nikon 35mm f1.8G AF-S DX lens released recently, the new 85mm f3.5 AF-S VR DX lens is tailored perfectly to beginners needs.

We’re big fans of Lensbaby lenses; they’re superb tools for adding a dash of creativity to your photography and the images are definitely eye-catching. If you’re feeling a little low on photographic inspiration then it’s time to jump into the Lensbaby world!

There are so many choices available whilst selecting your photography kit that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Join us in celebrating the 50mm lens – the essential tool that should be in every photographers camera bag!

As if the new Canon EOS 7D wasn’t strong enough already, Canon have released two new EF-S lenses to compliment the new 7D: A 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM lens, and a 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM lens.