There used to be no contest in image quality between supertelephoto prime and zoom lenses. Zooms simply could not keep pace with primes, and if you wanted to create professional-level photos or work in demanding conditions, you had no choice but to shell out for a top-shelf prime. Supertelephoto zoom lenses have made tremendous progress in the last few years, however. So, do you still need to buy those ultra-expensive primes? This great video discusses the topic.
Zoom lenses have come a long way in the last decade, but primes still hold the advantage in maximum aperture, portability, and often, image quality. All this is why a lot of photographers steadfastly stick with bags of prime lenses instead of just a zoom or two. So, why would a prime enthusiast use zoom lenses? This great video essay features an experienced photographer discussing the issue.
Despite being a long-time Nikon shooter and a fan of their latest mirrorless offerings, it’s only fair to keep an eye on what the competition is doing. So, with the right level of begging, I was able to get my hands on the Canon EOS R5 and thought I would offer a few brief thoughts.
One of the biggest confusions that you might notice as you venture into astrophotography is that photographers and astronomers measure their equipment differently. Photographers tend to refer to their lenses in terms of their focal length, while astronomers refer to their telescopes by the diameter of their opening. Thus, a 75mm f/6 telescope has a focal length of 450mm. Meanwhile, a 75mm camera lens at f/6 has an aperture of 12.5mm. If a photographer is told that someone is shooting a 155mm lens hand-held, it would not raise an eyebrow, but an astronomer told the same thing would be incredulous! I can only barely lift my 155mm telescope onto its mount!
Supertelephoto zoom lenses are useful for a wide range of genres, including everything from sports and wildlife to landscapes. There are a lot of options out there, and this excellent video review takes a look at four of them, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport, Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS, Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS, and Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD.
Fall tends to be a “transitional” season for the astrophotographer. Summer constellations are still visible for early evening, but are quickly fading into the sunset. Late in the evening, some of the prominent Winter constellations are starting to come into view. In a few months these winter constellations will be high in the sky and well placed for astrophotography, so now is the time to do some planning.
100-400mm zoom lenses are some of the most popular out there, offering a highly versatile focal length range suitable for just about everything from wildlife photography to sports and more. There are many versions of such lenses at a wide range of prices, with the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM sitting at the budget end of things, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in real-world usage.
