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It is a Canon Rebel 15.1MP. I am an amateur and want to start doing nature/landscape photography, and I don't know what lenses are the best for this.
All Answers To QuestionsAnswer 1
"Landscape Photography" is an enormously varied topic. I mean, you can always hazard a guess at what lenses paparazzi photographers, sports photographers and portrait photographers are using, but landscapes are infinitely varied.
Landscape photography isn't about "getting it all in"; on the contrary it's the same as all photography, capturing the moment in a way that tells the story of what the moment is. To capture your landscape, you may decide that requires a wide lens to capture a variety of acclivities, colours and moods all in one shot, or you may want a longer lens for something more acute.
I suppose the only real requirement for a lens in good landscape photography is respectable sharpness in the lens. Answer 2
Landscape by definition means that you are capturing the full extent of the lands view. Thus a super wide angle lens like a 10-22 mm is what will best portray the scene.
Nature photography on the other hand includes both macro and wildlife shots. Macro in the field is best shot using the Canon 100 mm macro lens. Wildlife gets a lot more costly. George Lepp uses prime lenses which include a 300 mm f/2.8, 400 mm f/2.8 and 600 mm f/4.0. When you run the numbers on those lenses, you will see that you will have to decide between buying a BMW Z4 or the lenses. Answer 3
Landscapes are usually captured best with wide angle to normal lenses (normal being close to human eye angle of vision). With your camera, that would be somewhere along 15-35mm. Distant objects would mean more pulling power so you will need a telephoto, 50mm and above. So far, these focal lengths should be well covered by an 18-55mm kit lens, the one you most probably already have.
Nature photography is too varied. You must be armed to the teeth from super wide (for capturing a bazillion flamingos on the entire state shoreline) to super telephoto (for capturing the eye of rampaging bull elephant). Since you're just starting, your kit lens will have to do.
The farther the object you want to pull in, the longer your lens should be (more mm). You can buy an additional 200mm or more lens or a 55-120mm or a 75-200mm or any other combination as long as the last (or only) number (in mm) is as long as you can afford. If you really want to get that far, like the canine of a lioness, get a 1000mm lens (and a tripod)! It is not always about long lenses. It is more about framing so 200mm is fairly enough for most shooting conditions. Prices climb steeply after that so sometimes it is better to zoom using your feet. If you have the courage to approach that lioness, you have saved yourself a bundle of cash!
For closeup, you will need a macro lens. Depending on how close you would like to be, there are normal macro and tele macro lenses. The normal macro lens will get you as close as kissing that lioness literally. No kidding. You really are nose to nose with the lioness. Macro is making small near objects large (magnifying) while telephoto is making far objects near (telescope).
Macro lenses tend to be very expensive so you may try a cheaper alternative. Close-up filters. They come in different strengths, +1, +2, +3. You only have to screw them in front of your existing lens and instantly have poorman's macro. To vary the strength, you can use them one at a time or in combination. The details won't be as clear as true macro lenses can produce.
Another method of doing macro is to reverse the lens, attach it front end back. There are adapters for this and you will most likely find one at eBay. You, however, would be forced to shoot at full manual mode in this case. Then there are those bellows that also will make you use your existing lens but most likely also force you to shoot at full manual. << GO BACK to questions
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