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What Are the Most Common Lenses a Photographer Uses?

Photographers choose lenses based on focal length, maximum aperture, image quality and, perhaps most important, cost. Lenses are either fixed focal length (prime lenses) or zoom lenses that have a range of focal lengths. Lenses with wider maximum apertures are considered faster because they can be used where there is less light. In general, the wider the maximum aperture, the more expensive the lens.

Camera Sensor Size
- The 35 millimeter (mm) film cameras produce a negative 26 by 36 mm. Today̵7;s digital cameras are considered full-frame if their sensors match that size. The focal length of lenses is based on a full-frame sensor. Most of today̵7;s digital camera̵7;s have sensors that are smaller, with a magnification factor of anywhere from 1.5 to two times. A 50 mm lens on a camera with a 1.5 magnification factor becomes the equivalent of a 75 mm (50 by 1.5) lens.
Prime Lenses
- The most common prime lenses are 50 mm and 85 mm. On a full-frame camera, a 50 mm lens produces photographs that are the same size as the eye actually sees. The 85 mm is considered an ideal portrait lens, because the photographer doesn̵7;t have to get too close to the subject to produce a flattering result. On a camera with a smaller sensor, these focal lengths are about 35 mm and 55 mm to get the same results. Prime lenses generally produce higher quality results than zoom lenses.
Zoom Lenses
- Zoom lenses offer the convenience of minimizing the number of lenses the photographer has to carry. Several high-end zoom lenses offer quality very close to prime lenses, but they are expensive. Lower cost zooms still produce acceptable quality. Most common are 18 to 55, 18 to135, 28 to 135, 28 to 105, 24 to 70 and 70 to 200 mm because they are considered good ̶0;walk-around̶1; lenses, suitable for many situations. Some lens manufacturers are producing zoom lenses with ranges of 18 to 300 m. These are quite popular because they cover almost any situation the photographer will encounter. Their image quality might be somewhat lower than the highest quality lenses, but this is made up for by the convenience of having to carry only one lens.
Aperture
- A decent 50 mm prime lens, with a maximum aperture of f/1.8, costs about $150. An increase in the aperture to f/1.4 increases the price to about $400, while f/1.2 might cost over $1,000. Bear in mind that each increase in aperture lets in twice as much light, which can make a big difference in low-light situations. High-end zoom lenses, such as a 70 to 200 mm f/2.8, costs upward of $2,000, depending on the brand. Reducing the aperture to f/4 cuts the price in half. A good zoom lens, say 28 to 135 mm with a variable aperture of f/3.5 to f/5.6, depending on the chosen focal length, can be purchased for about $400. The popular 18 to 55 mm lens, packaged as a kit lens by several manufacturers, costs less than $200.

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