Memory cards are an essential part of digital photography. They record your precious files and keep them safe until you’re able to transfer them to your (hopefully) full-fledged storage solution – which means that it’s essential that you understand how to use memory cards correctly.

After all, a properly cared-for memory card will often perform flawlessly for years – while a poorly looked-after card will be prone to errors, corruption, and loss of files.

In this article, I share 18 tips for keeping your memory cards in good condition. I explain how you should correctly eject your cards, how often (and when) you should format your cards, and more.

Let’s dive right in!

1. Carry backup cards whenever you shoot

Card failure is unpredictable, and the last thing you want is to miss a once-in-a-lifetime shot because your only card decided to act up.

Therefore, I’ve made it a habit to carry at least three cards with me on every shoot. And while it might seem excessive, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Imagine you’re capturing a breathtaking sunset or a candid moment at a child’s birthday party. Suddenly, your camera stops working due to a card error. If you have a backup, you just switch cards and continue shooting. But without a backup, that moment is lost forever. (Of course, it’s not just about having extras; it’s also about ensuring you have enough storage to keep shooting without worries.)

For different shoots, the backup cards you choose can vary. For a casual day out, a couple of smaller capacity cards might suffice. But for a professional gig, you might want to carry a handful of larger, high-speed cards. These backups will be your photography lifeline.

By the way, one thing I’ve noticed that’s true, at least for myself: having backup cards provides immense peace of mind. When you’re focused on getting the perfect shot, the last thing you want is to worry about storage space or card failure. The backups serve as a guarantee that no matter what happens, your photography can go on uninterrupted.

2. If disaster strikes, stop shooting

If you’re in the middle of a photoshoot and you run into a memory card problem – for instance, you accidentally delete your images or see a card error message – then stop photographing immediately.

Turn off your camera, eject the card, and store it in a safe place. When you run into one of these problems, all is not lost, and you may still be able to recover the images. However, it’s important that you stop using the card; otherwise, you might overwrite the files. Data recovery services and other tools are often very effective, especially when recovering accidentally deleted files, but once an image is overwritten, then it’s often lost forever.

If you do have a memory card issue while shooting, you can always continue the session with another card. The key is to safely remove the problematic card as soon as possible.

3. Treat your cards well

It’s crucial to treat your memory cards with care, especially when you’re out in difficult conditions. In the heat of the moment, switching cards quickly might seem necessary, but it’s also essential to take the time to handle them properly. I’ve seen too many instances where a little negligence led to big problems. A few tips here:

First, always ensure your hands are clean when handling memory cards. Dirt and oils don’t mesh well will the delicate connectors. And hold the cards gently by the edges, avoiding the gold contacts. This might sound like overkill, but it’s these small habits that can prolong the life of your cards.

Another key point is to be focused when handling your cards. Distractions can lead to accidental drops, especially in outdoor environments. I’ve heard of photographers dropping cards into puddles. Don’t let that be you!

Proper storage is also vital. When not in use, keep your cards in a protective case to shield them from dust, moisture, and physical damage. Avoid extreme temperatures and magnetic sources as these can damage the data. Think of your memory cards as fragile; that way, you’ll have the best shot at preserving the images they hold.

4. Avoid deleting files one by one on your camera

Did you know that repeatedly deleting images from an in-camera card while the card is still in your camera can actually shorten that card’s life? It’s true.

The rule is that the fewer times you add or remove data on your card, the better. So instead of selectively deleting files as you shoot, aim to erase all the images at once after uploading them to your computer. That way, you delete the files in a single cycle, not one at a time.

(Or better yet, use the Format function on your camera to wipe the card before each new photoshoot!)

5. Remove cards safely from your computer

It’s tempting to connect a memory card to your computer, transfer the images, and then pull it out of the card reader slot.

But that’s an easy way to cause problems, so after uploading images to your computer, make sure you take the time to eject the card before removing it from your card reader.

(If you use a Mac, you’ll probably need to right-click the relevant drive and hit Eject. If you use a Windows PC, you’ll need to use the Safely Remove Hardware option in your system tray.)

6. Multiple small cards can be better than one big card

These days, you can grab memory cards that store 128 GB, 256 GB, and beyond. But while these products do offer significant advantages – you need to carry far fewer cards, for one! – they also come with a significant drawback: You’re reliant on one (or a few) cards to get you through lengthy photoshoots and even week-long photo adventures.

I myself learned this lesson on a recent trip; I had a memory card die on me, and if I only owned one huge card, I would’ve been unable to continue using my camera. That’s why it’s at least worth considering multi-card storage solutions (plus, if you do lose the data on one card, not all of your images from a shoot will be lost).

7. Keep your cards organized

With memory cards, a little organization can go a long way! It’s easy to mix up cards when you’re juggling multiple shoots or locations. You don’t want to reach for a card during an important shoot, only to find it full. Or worse, realize that you just formatted a card that holds valuable images.

I’ve found that a clear system can be incredibly helpful. I use a memory card case for this purpose. My fresh cards always go on the left side, and the used ones on the right. It’s simple but effective. When I’m in the field, this system saves me from second-guessing. I always know exactly where my empty cards are.

Of course, what works for me might not work for you. Some photographers prefer labeling their cards with stickers or using different colored cases. The key is consistency. Stick to your chosen method so it becomes second nature.

8. Avoid filling your cards completely

My friend recently had an issue with a memory card. When he took it into the store, the clerk asked if he’d completely filled the card with images – and when he nodded, he was told that this could occasionally cause problems with some types of cards.

Let me be clear: I’ve not heard this advice before, and I’m somewhat skeptical about it myself, but it’s probably worth keeping in mind. The advice would be to regularly take images off your cards rather than only removing images when the cards are full; this is a good idea anyway because it’ll prevent significant heartbreak if you lose the card or the files are corrupted.

9. Periodically reformat your cards

This memory card tip is quick but essential:

Reformat your memory cards every so often, and do it with your camera, not your computer. This will clean the card and get it ready for a new batch of images. Of course, you should only do this after you’ve downloaded all files – otherwise, you’ll lose them!

10. Format your memory cards in the right camera

As I discussed in the previous tip, it’s a good idea to format your memory card in a camera. But you shouldn’t format the card in just any camera; instead, make sure you format it in the camera you plan to shoot with.

For instance, if you’ve been using your card in your Canon DSLR but want to start using it in your Canon mirrorless camera, you should safely store all the images, then reformat the card when you put it in the mirrorless camera for the first time.

11. Switch off your camera before removing the memory card

Years ago, it was said that a camera could give a card “voltage shock” when the card was pulled out of the camera without first turning the camera off. But while manufacturers seem to have since made improvements in this area, it’s better to be safe than sorry! That’s why I recommend you always turn off your camera before you remove a card.

(Additionally, if your camera is on, it might still be in the process of writing images – and if you remove the card, those images may become corrupted or go unwritten.)

12. Transfer photos as soon as you can

There’s a simple rule I follow: transfer your photos as soon as possible. Why? Memory cards are reliable, but they’re not infallible. The longer your images sit on a card, the higher the risk of loss, either through card failure or misplacement.

I’ve made it a habit: every time I return from a shoot, I transfer my images to my desktop hard drives. Then, once the images are safely transferred and backed up, I delete them from the card. This routine ensures I always have a fresh card ready for my next adventure.

But there’s another reason for this habit: untransferred images are easily forgotten. You might capture an amazing moment, only to forget about its impact and relevance when it sits unseen on a card for months.

13. Keep your camera up to date

Every so often, camera manufacturers will release firmware updates, which keep your camera up to date and include fixes for errors or problems that are identified with the camera.

Some of these fixes can relate to the camera’s interaction with the memory card, so I encourage you to check for camera firmware updates every few months and download them as needed.

14. Periodically update your cards

Memory cards can last a long time – even years. However, like all electronics, they wear down with constant use, so it’s important that you update your set of cards periodically to prevent issues.

Fortunately, memory card prices are always dropping, so updating your cards has become a surprisingly inexpensive task!

15. Replace batteries before they die

When you’re on a photoshoot, it’s important that you keep an eye on your battery levels – and if the battery does get low, either pause for a recharge or swap it out for a fresh one.

You see, when a battery runs out just as you take a shot, it can prevent your camera from writing the image to your card. This can also cause card errors, so make sure you keep an eye on those batteries!

16. Don’t switch off your camera too quickly after shooting

This one really depends on your camera model. If you fire off a burst of photos, your camera will need a little time to write all of the data to the memory card – and if you switch the camera off during this process, some cameras will simply lose the images and even end up with errors.

However, recent models will continue buffering even after you switch them off (thus avoiding the problem). If you’re not sure how your camera handles the issue, check the manual or do some Googling.

17. Keep your memory cards safe

Perhaps this memory card tip should go without saying, but whenever you’re shooting, do what you can to keep your cards safe.

Make sure the cards stay dry and clean – a dedicated memory card case is perfect for this – don’t expose them to extreme temperatures, don’t drop, bend, or puncture them, and don’t expose them to electromagnetic currents.

That way, your cards remain in good condition for years!

18. Prepare your cards in case they’re lost

This last one is optional, but if you’re afraid that you might lose your camera and/or memory card, you might try taking a picture of a luggage tag or business card complete with your contact details, then keep it as the first image on each of your memory cards.

Then lock the image so it’s not deleted. If you lose your camera or card and an honest person finds it, they’ll hopefully see the image and get in touch!

How to use camera memory cards: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know how to take care of your memory cards – and you’re well-equipped to prevent common card errors.

Bottom line: Having backup cards, organizing them effectively, transferring photos promptly, treating them with care, and more – these aren’t just recommendations, they’re necessities for any photographer who values their work. Implementing these habits will save you from the heartache and frustration that come with memory card mishaps.

So remember the tips I’ve shared, keep your memory cards safe, and (with a bit of luck) you won’t run into any issues.

Now over to you:

Do you have any memory card tips that I missed? Share them in the comments below!

The post How to Use Camera Memory Cards: 18 Essential Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

This article was updated in January 2025 with contributions from Tom Ang and Kim Brebach.

What is an ultra-wide angle lens? What type of effects do ultra-wides produce? And should you use them in your photography?

I’ve been working with ultra-wide angle lenses for well over 30 years, and in my view, they’re incredible. They offer plenty of practical benefits, they’re a great way to improve your photography, and they’re lots of fun to shoot with, too.

In this article, I explain everything you need to know about ultra-wides, including what they are and why I highly recommend them. I also include plenty of examples, so you know exactly what ultra-wide lenses can do, and I close with a handful of ultra-wide angle photography tips!

Let’s dive right in!

What are ultra-wide angle lenses?

Ultra-wide angle lenses are extreme versions of wide-angle lenses. Instead of producing a field of view that’s subtly wider than the human eye, they offer a field of view that’s far wider. They create a beautifully expansive effect:

Notice how, in the photo above, I’ve managed to capture over half of the room. That’s the power of an ultra-wide lens!

So what focal lengths correspond to ultra-wides?

Well, as you may already be aware, a 50mm lens (on a full-frame camera) closely approximates the field of view of the human eye. And wide-angle lenses feature smaller focal lengths, generally from around 24mm to 49mm.

Therefore, ultra-wide angle lenses have focal lengths that are wider than 24mm. A 10-20mm lens, for instance, is an ultra-wide zoom, while a 14mm lens is an ultra-wide prime.

(Note that these focal lengths are approximate; there’s no single agreed-upon set of focal lengths for wide and ultra-wide lenses.)

Take a look at this image, which is taken with a wide-angle (28mm) lens:

Then see how an ultra-wide focal length (11mm) widens the scene even further:

So while wide-angle lenses and ultra-wide angle lenses have a broad field of view, the ultra-wide effect is much more extreme.

When should you use an ultra-wide angle lens?

Ultra-wide lenses are hugely helpful, but you don’t want to use them all the time. For instance, trying to shoot a distant bird with an ultra-wide lens will get you nothing but a landscape and a distant blotch of feathers.

On the other hand, you can use ultra-wide lenses to capture entire scenes in a single shot. For instance, you can photograph an entire city skyline from end to end. Or you can photograph a beautiful mountain scene and include a foreground, a middleground, and plenty of mountain background.

Here are a few genres where ultra-wides are useful:

• Landscape photography
• Architectural photography
• Real-estate photography
• Cityscape photography

And here are a few genres where you should generally avoid ultra-wides:

• Bird photography
• Wildlife photography
• Portrait photography
• Product photography
• Street photography

Of course, you don’t need to follow this breakdown to the letter; it’s just a guideline. But it can be helpful, especially when you’re just starting out!

6 reasons to use ultra-wide angle lenses

In this next section, I share my six top reasons to work with ultra-wides. By the time you’re finished reading, I guarantee you’ll want to work with an ultra-wide angle lens or two in your own photography!

1. Ultra-wides immerse the viewer in the scene

Ultra-wide angle lenses draw the viewer into the situation.

They surround the viewer with the scene, and for that reason, the resulting shots feel stunningly real and full of detail.

And ultra-wides don’t just immerse the viewer in the scene; they immerse you, the photographer, which can be a wild experience.

As you shoot, you’ll feel like the entire scene is wrapping around your head. You’ll be pulled into the action, which is a great place to be!

2. Ultra-wides help you avoid perspective distortion

Perspective distortion causes vertical lines to converge, and it’ll even make buildings look like they’re falling backward. While it’s possible to fix distortion in post-processing, it’s much more efficient to avoid it in the first place – and ultra-wides can help you out.

You see, perspective distortion is produced when you tilt your camera downward or upward to photograph a scene. For instance, you might point your camera up to photograph a cathedral like this one:

And it’s that movement – that tilt up – that results in distortion.

But ultra-wide lenses are so wide that you often don’t need to tilt the camera when capturing a building. Instead, you can point the camera straight ahead and just…shoot. You’ll avoid distortion, and you’ll get a beautiful architectural image.

3. Ultra-wides reverse scale

Ultra-wide lenses tend to make objects that are close to the lens look enormous, while they make objects that are farther away look tiny. The wider the lens, the greater the effect!

(This is another consequence of perspective distortion, which I discussed in the previous section.)

While such distortion isn’t always desirable, it can look stunning when carefully incorporated into your photos. You can use it to magnify interesting foreground subjects:

Or you can use it to enhance visual flow:

4. Ultra-wides can create pseudo-panoramas

A panorama encompasses a huge portion of the scene and is generally far longer than it is tall, like this:

Unfortunately, panoramas are difficult to do well. You generally need to work on a tripod and take multiple images while carefully moving your camera. Plus, panoramas require significant post-processing.

But with an ultra-wide lens, you can create handheld panoramas with very little effort. Here’s what you do:

First, capture an image using an ultra-wide focal length:

Then open it in your favorite post-processing program and slice off the top and bottom of the frame:

That’s all there is to it! You’ll end up with a stunning panorama, and you won’t need to learn any additional techniques to get it right.

5. Ultra-wides are great for reflection shots

Do you love working with reflections? Do you want to take photos that feature expansive reflections, like the one displayed below?

Then use an ultra-wide angle lens! They’re so wide that you can easily include puddles, lakes, and reflective metal in every scene. Just make sure you get as close to the reflection as possible – don’t be afraid to place your camera on the ground – then shoot away.

6. Ultra-wides include so much detail

Every ultra-wide lens includes a huge field of view…

…and thanks to the huge field of view, you can include nearly everything in a single shot.

If you want to photograph a beach landscape, you won’t just get the water and the sky. You’ll get the sand, the rocks, the people on the beach, and maybe even your own feet.

And if you want to photograph a cathedral, you won’t just get the artwork on the ceiling or the stained-glass windows in the distance. Instead, you’ll get everything, from the ceiling and the pews to the windows and the walls. Ultra-wides are wide!

Capturing entire scenes isn’t always desirable, but when you encounter a sweeping scene that takes your breath away, you’ll be glad you had your ultra-wide angle lens!

Tips for capturing beautiful ultra-wide angle photography

Ultra-wide lenses are powerful, but in order to create amazing shots, you have to use the right approach. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Pay attention to the distortion

The first thing you notice is the exaggerated perspective, the distorted edges, and the relationships between foreground and background objects that are stretched, sometimes unnaturally. Wide-angle scenes can contain many objects at different distances, which helps to draw the viewer in.

You’ll also get a different perspective compared to other lenses. As a rule, you’ll find yourself moving much closer to the subject, stepping right into the scene. Think of ultra-wide lenses as the opposite of tele lenses where you tend to back away from objects. Telephoto lenses tend to flatten the scene, ultra-wide angle lenses exaggerate it. This makes background objects appear further from foreground ones than they actually are.

If your camera is even slightly tilted, verticals will converge. Buildings will develop a lean, which adds a sense of drama to otherwise dull scenes like this one:

Sometimes you don’t want this effect, and then it’s best to make sure your camera is perfectly level. You can correct perspective distortions in post-processing, but you’ll end up with much smaller images by the time the edges are chopped off.

2. Focus manually

On ultra-wide lenses, the auto-focus also faces new challenges since objects just a few meters away can be quite small and hard for the AF to lock onto. Beyond the first few meters, ultra-wide lenses tend to take a guess at focus, and that doesn’t help with sharpness – manual focus can often be a better way to go. The main thing is to decide on the visual centre, and focus on that.

3. Watch for flare

Flare is a real pain with ultra-wide lenses, blowing out highlights with little provocation. The broad field of view means you often have a source of bright light not far from the frame, and that’s enough to do the damage. The best times to use these lenses are the magic hours of early morning and late afternoon, outside, or middle of the day inside.

4. Use a tripod whenever you can

By now, it should be pretty obvious that pointing and shooting is the wrong technique for ultra-wide photography. Shooting early or late in the day, or inside, and stopping down to f/11 or more, means using a tripod. Add manual focusing and we’re back in the good old days of carefully composing each shot, following a set of rules. Not a bad idea for landscape and architecture photography, but not practical for action or street photography.

5. Avoid close-up portraits

Ultra-wides don’t make good portrait lenses unless you’re looking for cartoon-like comic effects. In close-ups, you can get plenty of distortion that exaggerates the bits in the foreground, like noses and foreheads. Ultra-wides are useful though when you want to capture people in their environment, in a shop or office or artist studio, and want to show a lot of their surroundings. Perhaps a bit too much in this case:

Ultra-wide angle lenses: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about ultra-wides. You know what they are, when you should use them, and what makes them so special.

So grab an ultra-wide angle lens. Head outside, practice, and have plenty of fun!

Now over to you:

Do you plan to buy an ultra-wide angle lens? What will you use it for? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Ultra-Wide Angle Lenses: A Guide (+6 Reasons to Love Them) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Peter.

Zoom lenses are cheap, effective, and incredibly popular; they’re used by hordes of photographers around the globe. For many beginners, a nice kit zoom is an amazing way to get started with photography, and for many professionals, a high-quality zoom is pretty much always mounted to their camera.

But what actually is a zoom lens? And what advantages does a zoom offer over a prime? In this article, I share all the basics, from a simple zoom lens definition to a handful of reasons why you should add a nifty zoom to your camera bag.

So if you’re ready to become a zoom glass expert, then let’s get started!

What is a zoom lens?

A zoom lens refers to any lens that offers multiple focal lengths. In other words, when using a zoom lens, you can capture images with several different fields of view simply by twisting the zoom ring on the lens barrel.

An 18-200mm zoom lens, for instance, can capture photos at 18mm, at 200mm, and at any focal length in between.

A prime lens, on the other hand, only offers a single focal length, so if you want to adjust your image field of view while using a prime, you have to physically move forward or backward. An 18mm prime lens would allow you to capture wide-angle shots but not telephoto files, while a 200mm prime lens would allow you to capture telephoto shots but not wide-angle images.

While pretty much every camera manufacturer offers a variety of zoom lenses, here are a few common zoom focal lengths to keep in mind:

• 24-70mm
• 18-55mm
• 70-200mm
• 16-35mm
• 200-400mm
• 70-300mm
• 75-300mm

Note that some zooms offer far wider focal length ranges than others. A 12-24mm model, for instance, only offers ultra-wide and standard wide focal lengths, while an 18-300mm model boasts wide-angle, standard, telephoto, and even super-telephoto focal lengths. Of course, as I explore below, not all zoom lenses are equally effective, and their prices can vary wildly, too.

3 reasons to use a zoom lens

Zoom lenses come with a handful of key benefits, including:

1. Zooms are convenient

What’s the main reason photographers love zoom lenses? They’re unbelievably convenient.

Instead of carrying around a handful of primes in a big camera bag, you can mount a nice zoom lens onto your camera and literally never take it off. It saves you the hassle – and the danger – of changing lenses, which will in turn ensure that you never miss a shot because you were trying to switch to a different focal length.

Plus, if you like to take photos while traveling and space is limited, a zoom lens can be a lifesaver. You’ll manage to capture all the same shots, but without sacrificing tons of storage space and/or luggage weight bringing an array of primes.

Of course, depending on the type of photography you do, a single zoom lens may not be enough. And there may be times when you’ll need to switch to another lens, especially if you tend to shoot a mix of ultra-wide and super-telephoto images.

But in general, a zoom will dramatically decrease the weight and volume of your equipment, allowing you to travel and photograph with much greater freedom.

2. Zooms can save you money

As I mentioned above, zooms come at a range of price points. And as I discuss down below, you have to be careful when purchasing a zoom because optical quality isn’t always top-notch.

But if your goal is to cover a range of focal lengths and you buy a zoom, that means you won’t need to purchase a slew of primes. So while you may need to spend quite a bit to acquire a high-quality zoom lens – more than a single high-quality prime lens would cost – you’ll potentially save money in the long run because you can grab one lens rather than three, four, or five.

Imagine, for instance, you’re hoping to do portrait photography with a range of focal lengths, from a standard-wide 24mm all the way to a short-telephoto 60mm, 70mm, or 80mm.

A nice 24-70mm zoom lens will be a real investment. But it may end up costing less than the price of a 24mm lens, a 28mm lens, a 35mm lens, a 50mm lens, and an 85mm lens, all of which together will deliver the same range of focal lengths as the 24-70mm glass.

Note: This math will change depending on the focal lengths you hope to cover, the quality of the lenses, the maximum apertures, and so on. Always do a careful comparison before buying to make sure you’re marking the right choice!

3. Zooms can capture a variety of images

Some photographers prefer the simplicity of prime shooting, and they do have a point: Working with a single 50mm lens offers a certain wonderful straightforwardness that just isn’t present when shooting with a 24-70mm lens.

But what if you’re photographing a scene that features a wide array of subjects? When traveling in a national park, for instance, you might encounter distant wildlife, stunning vistas, and interesting close-up details. That 50mm prime lens won’t get you the shots you’re lens looking for, and unless you’re prepared to carry and swap multiple lenses – and unless you can do it all at high speeds – you’ll be forced to pick one type of subject and sacrifice the others.

With the right zoom, however, you can quickly adjust your focal length as you shoot, and you can capture everything: the distant deer, the nearby patterns in the rock walls, and the entire mountain landscape.

Zoom lens drawbacks

I’m a huge zoom lens fan, but these lenses are far from perfect. Here are a few reasons why you might want to avoid buying a zoom:

1. Optical quality is often lacking

It’s true: Zoom lenses tend to offer softer and more distorted images compared to their prime counterparts (especially when looking at primes versus zooms in the same price range).

Zoom lenses tend to be especially weak at the extreme ends of their range, and while there are plenty of zooms that avoid this problem and offer pro-level image quality, they can cost a significant sum. On the other hand, you can grab a very sharp prime lens for a few hundred dollars – and while you’ll lose significant flexibility, depending on the type of photography you do, that may not matter.

Before you reject zoom lenses due to image quality issues, however, it’s important to identify the purpose of your images and determine whether any reduced optical quality will really make a difference. Even cheap zoom lenses often create passably sharp images, and you can improve sharpness further by narrowing the lens aperture when shooting.

2. The maximum aperture can be variable (and narrow)

Many zoom lenses, especially zooms that are designed for beginners, feature a variable maximum aperture (often written like this: f/3.5-5.6). Therefore, as you extend the lens, the maximum aperture value will change. If you’re using an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, you’ll be able to use an aperture of f/3.5 at 18mm – but as you start to zoom in, the maximum aperture will change, until you’re forced to shoot at f/5.6 and narrower.

This may not matter at all if you like to use a narrow aperture to keep the entire frame sharp – but if you frequently work in low light or hope to capture files that boast gorgeous background bokeh, this aperture narrowing can be very frustrating.

Relatedly, even the best zooms don’t offer maximum apertures quite as wide as many primes. You can purchase a 24-70mm lens with an f/2.8 maximum aperture, but you can grab a 50mm lens with an f/1.8, f/1.4, or even an f/1.2 maximum aperture instead!

Who should buy a zoom?

I highly recommend purchasing a zoom lens if:

• You need to change focal lengths while shooting and don’t have time to switch lenses
• You aren’t too concerned about optical quality or you have the money to buy a pro-level lens
• You frequently travel and want to keep your gear size and weight to a minimum
• You plan to shoot casually and like the convenience that a zoom can provide

On the other hand, I’d recommend avoiding zoom lenses if:

• You want to maximize optical quality as much as possible
• You don’t mind changing lenses or working with a single focal length
• You work in low light and therefore need ultra-wide apertures

More specifically: If you plan to photograph events, landscapes, or travel scenes, a zoom could be a very good buy. But if you’re looking to capture products or portraits in low light, you may want to consider buying a prime (or three) instead.

Zoom lenses: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about zoom lens photography – and you’ve hopefully determined whether a zoom is right for you.

At the end of the day, both zoom and prime lenses have their benefits, and it’s tough to go wrong with either. If you’re really struggling to decide, you can always rent a few different models and see what you think!

Now over to you:

Do you plan to buy a zoom lens? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Zoom Lenses: Your Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Pretty much every professional photographer has has done 50mm photography at some point in their lives – and many of them still use their 50mm glass on a regular basis. In the industry, we often affectionately call this lens the “nifty fifty,” and for good reason.

Why? Because 50mm lenses are incredibly versatile. They can capture great photos in tons of situations, and they offer plenty of other amazing benefits, too. I myself use a 50mm lens all the time, and in this article, I share everything you need to know about 50mm photography, including:

• Key 50mm lens features
• What genres of photography are best suited by a 50mm focal length
• My top reasons for doing 50mm photography

Let’s dive right in.

What is a 50mm lens?

To start, it’s a prime lens, which means it has a fixed focal length. You can’t zoom in or out; what you see is what you get. But trust me, that’s a good thing. It forces you to engage more with your surroundings, making you move to find the perfect shot.

The 50mm lens is often dubbed the “standard lens” because its perspective closely resembles that of human vision. There’s a natural feel to the images it captures. The view is neither distorted nor overly compressed; it’s just like how you’d see the world with your own eyes.

It’s been around for decades, and it’s often the first lens people buy after they decide to upgrade from their kit lens. Why? Because it’s incredibly accessible. Most 50mm lenses are affordable, especially compared to other prime lenses with similar image quality. This makes it an excellent starting point for amateur photographers and a reliable choice for professionals.

Now, the 50mm lens isn’t just for newbies. Even seasoned photographers swear by it. They’ll often have at least one 50mm lens in their kit because of its unmatched combination of quality, portability, and versatility. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, the 50mm lens can be your go-to for a broad range of photography styles and scenarios.

Reasons to do 50mm photography

You’ve likely heard photographers sing praises of the 50mm lens. But why all the love?

Well, the reasons are aplenty. This section will give you a glimpse of what makes the 50mm lens a prized possession in a photographer’s arsenal. We’ll delve into how they excel in creating beautiful bokeh, perform admirably in low-light conditions, and offer incredible versatility. Each of these aspects makes the 50mm a lens you won’t regret adding to your camera bag.

1. 50mm lenses are shockingly cheap (yet the quality is great!)

Most lenses – especially the latest mirrorless lenses from Canon, Nikon, and Sony – cost a pretty penny. You can expect to pay upwards of $500 for each lens you buy, and if you go for wide-aperture lenses, you’ll pay a lot more.

The exception, however, is the humble 50mm lens. Have you looked at the latest 50mm f/1.8 prices? At the time of writing:

• You can buy the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM for just $179
• You can buy the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G for just $216
• You can buy the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 for just $248
• You can buy the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM for just $125

And despite the low prices, these lenses are impressively capable. You’ll get decently sharp photos, especially if you shoot at f/2.8 and narrower, not to mention all the other 50mm photography benefits I discuss throughout this article!

One caveat: While 50mm f/1.8 lenses tend to be insanely cheap, you’ll pay more for 50mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.2 lenses. But many shooters, especially beginners, don’t really need these lenses; in my experience, they’ll be perfectly happy with an excellent 50mm f/1.8 model.

2. 50mm lenses produce gorgeous bokeh

The first thing to catch your eye when shooting with a 50mm lens is often the beautiful, dreamy background blur, known as bokeh. This is not accidental. 50mm lenses are usually designed with wide maximum apertures. Even a budget-friendly 50mm can come with an f/1.8 or an f/2.8 aperture.

A wide aperture is the key to achieving that professional-looking shallow depth of field. When you’re shooting with your aperture wide open, your subject stays sharp and focused, but the background melts into a soft blur. This adds a certain magic to your photos, making them pop and guiding the viewer’s eye directly to the subject.

You’ll find that this bokeh effect is especially compelling in portrait and product photography. A softly blurred background elevates a simple portrait into a poignant capture of character. The same goes for product photos. That tube of lipstick or handmade necklace becomes the uncontested star of the show against a gentle haze of colors in the backdrop.

But bokeh isn’t just for portraits and still life. Imagine a dew-kissed spider web with each droplet crisp and clear, while the garden in the background takes on a painterly quality. Or a bustling street scene where the subject’s face is crystal clear, but the surrounding crowd is an impressionistic blur. The creative possibilities are endless, and that’s just scratching the surface of what a 50mm lens can do for you.

3. 50mm lenses offer impressive close-up capabilities

No, most 50mm lenses don’t offer true macro focusing, but they can get you pretty darn close to your subject. Standard 50mm glass generally offers enough magnification to capture gorgeous flower photos, insect images, still life shots, and more. And you can capture amazing background bokeh by getting up close and widening that aperture to f/1.4 or f/1.8!

Pro tip: If you do decide to shoot at f/1.4 or f/1.8, I’d recommend focusing manually. That way, you can pinpoint the exact portion of the image you want sharp, while the rest is blurred into oblivion. Make sense?

And if you want to focus even closer using your 50mm lens, you can always try extension tubes, close-up filters, or use the reverse-lens macro technique.

4. 50mm lenses are great for low-light photography

As I mentioned above, 50mm lenses tend to boast a maximum aperture of at least f/1.8 (and more expensive versions widen to f/1.4 or even f/1.2).

Such a wide maximum aperture comes with a few perks, including enhanced background blur and beautiful shallow depth of field effects – yet the biggest benefit for many photographers is the improved low-light prowess.

You see, the wider the lens’s aperture, the more light it lets in, and the better it can handle scenes with weak illumination. Specifically, a wide maximum aperture will let you create a bright, detailed exposure at night and indoors, without forcing you to lower the shutter speed to a ridiculous level or jack up your ISO to noise-inducing heights.

Here are just a few scenarios where a 50mm lens can be a lifesaver:

• When shooting candid portraits indoors
• When shooting on the city streets at night
• When shooting nighttime events
• When shooting indoor concerts and productions

Note that I’m talking about handheld photography. It’s possible to work with any lens in low light if you have a sturdy tripod – but handholding does offer far greater flexibility, especially if you want to photograph at a fast pace. Plus, even if you have a tripod, you’ll need a reasonably fast shutter speed to capture moving subjects.

Will you be able to handhold or shoot moving subjects in pitch-black conditions? No – but as long as you have some sort of nearby illumination, such as a street light, you’ll generally be fine!

5. 50mm lenses are highly portable

Here’s yet another reason why I love 50mm lenses: They’re incredibly small and they’re lightweight, so you can take one pretty much anywhere without issue.

For instance, you can pack a 50mm lens away in a small camera bag and still have plenty of room for cameras, accessories, and other lenses. You can also mount a 50mm lens on your camera, then carry it around as you head out with your kids, go on a street photography walk, and more.

Plenty of travel photographers keep a 50mm lens as their primary glass, and many street photographers use a 50mm lens almost exclusively (including famous street shooters like Henri Cartier-Bresson!).

You can also shoot in certain public areas (such as sports stadiums) with a 50mm lens – whereas a long zoom lens may get you denied entry. And if you like to go for long walks or hikes, a 50mm lens won’t start to feel like a brick after a few hours.

Bottom line: The 50mm lens is the most inconspicuous, travel-ready lens you can buy. If you want a lens for walkaround photography, if you plan to travel frequently, or you simply like the idea of keeping a barely noticeable lens on your camera, then it’s a great pick!

6. 50mm lenses are extraordinarily versatile

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, 50mm lenses are the Swiss Army knives of the photography world. They’re incredibly adaptable, fitting perfectly into a multitude of shooting situations. Portraits are the first genre that usually comes to mind, and rightly so.

A 50mm lens excels at capturing stunning headshots with a beautifully blurred background. But don’t stop there. You can also pull back for an environmental portrait that includes a subject in their natural habitat, whether it’s a bustling kitchen or a serene meadow.

Street photography is another arena where the 50mm lens shines. The natural field of view and quick focus allow you to capture candid moments as they unfold. With the lens’s unobtrusive size, you can blend into the crowd, capturing life as it happens without drawing attention to yourself.

Lastly, let’s not forget nature and landscape photography. While wide-angle lenses are often the go-to for capturing sweeping vistas, a 50mm lens allows you to focus on the details. Think close-ups of flowers, textured bark, or the intricate patterns of a leaf.

The adaptability doesn’t stop there. Planning a trip? Pack a 50mm lens and you’re good for everything from street scenes to nature close-ups. It’s the one lens that you can count on to meet your creative needs in just about any scenario.

What types of photography can you do at 50mm?

So, you’ve heard about the 50mm lens, but what can you actually photograph with it? Good news: its versatility will blow you away.

Firstly, let’s talk about portrait photography. The 50mm lens is a favorite among portrait photographers for good reason. The focal length is incredibly flattering. It doesn’t distort facial features, and the wide aperture options help you isolate your subject from the background. It works great for both close-up shots of the face and environmental portraits. Environmental portraits capture the subject within a context, offering a more rounded depiction of their personality or lifestyle.

Street photography? Absolutely. With a 50mm lens, you can capture the world as your eyes see it. This is wonderful for capturing candid moments. People look natural, not distorted. Street scenes feel alive and dynamic. Plus, its compact size won’t draw attention, allowing you to capture life as it happens.

But wait, can you use it for landscapes? Definitely. While it won’t provide the sweeping vistas that wide-angle lenses can offer, it allows for a unique approach to landscape photography. It lets you focus on smaller, intimate aspects of nature: think a single mountain peak, a close-up of leaves, or a specific bend in a river. It’s about capturing the soul of a place, not just its face.

Event photography? Check. You’ll find the 50mm lens to be your trusted companion, whether you’re covering a wedding, a birthday, or a corporate function. The lens’s adaptability means you can switch from capturing candid moments to snapping quick portraits without missing a beat.

The best 50mm lenses for photographers

Decided you want a 50mm lens? Now, it’s time to choose the right one for you. Believe me, you’ve got options.

First off, let’s consider the beginner-friendly 50mm f/1.8. I can’t recommend this lens enough for those starting out. It’s incredibly affordable but doesn’t skimp on image quality. The wide f/1.8 aperture will let you practice creating dreamy bokeh and excel in low-light situations. It’s an ideal starting point and offers a good taste of what 50mm lenses can deliver.

If you’re ready to invest a little more, the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.2 could be your next move. These lenses have even wider apertures, which means you can create an even more isolated depth of field. Simply put, if you’re diving into portrait or wedding photography, these lenses are solid gold. But keep in mind, they come with a higher price tag and can be a bit bulkier.

Don’t disregard the used market either. Often, you can find excellent 50mm lenses that are gently used and still in fantastic condition. They’ll deliver the same quality shots but at a fraction of the price. It’s worth a look.

Last but not least, consider third-party lenses. Brands like Sigma and Tamron offer 50mm options that compete with the big names. While you might trade off some features, you often gain in terms of price. It’s a trade-off that might just be worth it if you’re budget-conscious.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• The insanely cheap Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
• The high-quality Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G
• The impressively sharp Sony FE 50mm f/1.8
• The gorgeous (but pricier) Sigma ART 50mm f/1.4

50mm photography: final words

By now, I hope you’re as enchanted by the 50mm lens as I am.

It’s the kind of lens that adapts to you, rather than forcing you to adapt to it. Whether you’re snapping candid street shots or crafting elegant portraits, this lens won’t let you down.

The versatility of the 50mm lens makes it a tool you can carry in almost any situation. It’s not just a piece of glass; it’s a creative partner.

So, if you’re still wondering whether to invest in a 50mm lens, let me make it easy for you: do it. The sheer flexibility and quality of shots you can get make it worth every penny.

The 50mm lens isn’t just another piece of gear; it’s a game-changer. Don’t miss out on elevating your photography to a new level of creative expression. Happy shooting!

Now over to you:

Which 50mm lens do you plan to buy? What do you plan to photograph? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post 50mm Photography: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christina N Dickson.

Octaboxes are a great way to improve your portraits, still lifes, and product shots – but what exactly is an octabox, and how can you use one for beautiful results?

In this article, I share everything you need to know about octabox photography, from the absolute basics (how do you pick the right octabox for your needs?) to more advanced concepts (how does octabox size affect portrait quality?). I conclude with a handful of octabox lighting setups you can use to achieve consistently stunning effects.

So if you’re ready to become an octabox master, then let’s dive right in, starting with:

What is an octabox?

An octabox is a lighting modifier with eight sides (hence the name!). It attaches to the front of a speedlight, studio strobe, or continuous light and creates a beautiful diffused (i.e., soft) effect.

Note that octaboxes come in many different sizes, from small, 12-inch options all the way up to huge 5-foot or greater models. Here’s one of my octaboxes, a medium-sized model from Rotalux:

Now, octaboxes are used by plenty of studio photographers, including portrait, product, and still life shooters. They’re a highly versatile type of lighting, and some photographers even call them “idiot proof” thanks to their flattering, diffused effect. While I wouldn’t go that far, I do agree that octaboxes are very simple to operate (which makes them a great modifier choice for beginners).

In fact, while I offer a handful of advanced octabox setups below, the simplest way to get started is to simply mount your octabox to a flash, put it on a light stand, point it at your subject, and start shooting. The result is bound to be decent – simply because octaboxes are so powerful!

Choosing the right octabox

If you’re getting started with octaboxes (or perhaps even studio photography in general), you’re likely struggling to pick an octabox model. As I indicated above, octaboxes go from quite small to absolutely massive – with plenty of options in between. So which do you buy?

That depends on the result you’re after. You see, octabox size affects your photos in one key way:

The bigger the octabox, the softer the light.

So if you want very soft, diffused, flattering light that produces very gradual shadows, you should go for a big octabox (in the area of four to five feet). Here’s a softly lit shot taken with a large octabox:

But if you want harder, higher-contrast light, then you should go for a small octabox (e.g., two feet and under). Here’s an on-location shot that features harder octabox lighting:

While neither big nor small octaboxes are necessarily bad, if you’re not sure what kind of effect you want, I would recommend a model on the larger side. Diffused light is great for most portraits, products, and still lifes, whereas high-contrast light is more niche. Make sense?

It is worth remembering, however, that larger octaboxes do cost more, plus they’re less portable and they take up a lot of space.

Also, consider that light size isn’t absolute; it is measured relative to the subject. So if you move your octabox close to a portrait subject’s face, the light will get soft (even if you’re using a small octabox). And if you take a huge octabox and put it on the other side of a gymnasium, the light effect will be hard, even if the octabox is eight feet wide!

Of course, it’s best to get an octabox that most closely aligns with your needs – most of us don’t shoot regularly in gymnasiums, and it’s not always feasible to put an octabox right next to a person’s face when shooting – but just bear in mind that you do have some level of flexibility, even if you can’t afford a huge octabox right away.

How to do stunning octabox photography: five easy setups

In this section, I share five octabox lighting setups you can use to achieve beautiful results. Note that nearly all of these setups can be done with a single octabox, so no matter your gear, you should do just fine.

Also, while I share portrait examples, you can also use these setups to capture product and still life shots.

Setup #1: Octabox in the 45-45 position

A great octabox setup for beginners is the simple 45-45 arrangement, where you position your light about 45 degrees from your subject, elevated slightly above eye level:

Your subject can look directly at the camera – or they can face in either direction for slightly different effects. The goal here is to position the subject near the background, so the octabox lights both the subject’s face and the backdrop:

Note the beautiful, soft light falloff on my subject and the lovely backdrop vignette.

As for technical recommendations: Make sure you focus on the eye nearest the camera for the most pleasing look. And choose an aperture between f/4 and f/11; f/4 will give you a softer effect, while f/11 will keep the subject completely in focus.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes image shot from the side:

Setup #2: Light slightly behind the subject

This lighting setup is similar to the one I shared in the previous section, except you’ll need to position the light 45 degrees behind the subject, as indicated by this diagram:

Note that you must be more careful about your subject position – make sure your subject is turned toward the light. You want at least half of their face illuminated by the octabox, as you can see in the photo below:

This effect is known as short lighting, and it looks wonderfully dramatic. Because the light is no longer aimed at the background, you may even get a beautiful low-key effect.

Setup #3: Light from behind

This octabox setup is a little more exotic, though it’s very easy to pull off and looks amazing:

Simply ask your subject to stand directly in front of your octabox (a large octabox is a big help, here!). Make sure they get very close:

Also, allow the light to wrap around the subject’s body. And make sure your subject’s face is well exposed (and that the octabox background is blown out).

By the way, you can modify this setup to create a brighter image, like this:

Just ask your subject to move away from the octabox, then place a second light in front of the subject:

Make sure the light from the back octabox isn’t flaring over the subject’s shoulders, and be sure to keep the back octabox at an equal or lower power level than the front light.

Setup #4: The tabletop

Here’s a setup that’s very popular in fashion and editorial circles. It’ll give you a glamorous effect with highly sculpted cheekbones:

You’ll need to position the octabox directly in front of your subject (so it’s perpendicular to the floor). Then raise it up high above your subject’s head:

Make sure the light wraps down and around the subject’s body, and position a reflector to aim light back into the subject’s face and fill in shadows.

Setup #5: Hard lighting from the front

If you’re after a much edgier look, then remove the front diffusion panel on your octabox. (Some octaboxes will be left with an inner diffusion panel, which is fine, while others will completely lack diffusion.)

Position the light directly in front of your subject. Then stand in front of the octabox and make sure your body or head is blocking the center of the light; this will minimize hotspots.

The result will be both contrasty and flattering:

Octabox photography: final words

Hopefully, you’re now inspired to capture some octabox photos of your very own!

Even if you’re working with a speedlight and a single octabox, you’ll still be able to get gorgeous results.

So get out that flash, get out that softbox, and start shooting!

Now over to you:

What octabox do you plan to use for your photos? What do you plan to photograph? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post A Guide to Octabox Lighting (+ 5 Easy Setups) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Neil Creek.

On-camera flashes are surprisingly capable tools. Sure, many photographers prefer to work with natural light or an off-camera strobe, but natural light is unpredictable, while off-camera strobes are clunky and inconvenient. You can carry an on-camera flash in your bag at all times, and in my experience, you can capture pro-level, refined photos using a flash mounted to the top of your camera – if you know the right techniques.

Because here’s the thing: When you flash a subject directly, the result is almost always harsh. It’s your job to soften the light with modifiers and clever angles, and while this is doable, it does take a bit of extra knowledge.

In this article, I offer eight tips to improve your on-camera flash photography. None of them require any additional gear, so as long as you have a speedlight that mounts on top of your camera, you’re good to go.

Ready to dramatically enhance your flash shots? Then let’s dive right in, starting with my first tip:

1. Bounce the flash

When it comes to on-camera flash techniques, bouncing should be your number-one secret weapon. If you’re shooting indoors, a typical room with light-colored walls and ceilings will provide you with all the surfaces you need to make beautiful pictures. You just have to angle your flash so it hits the surfaces before it impacts your subject:

Using a bounce technique, you can achieve gorgeous softbox-style lighting without carrying around a softbox or a strobe. You see, although flash units are relatively small, when you point one at a wall or ceiling, it will reflect off like a much larger light source. The larger the light source, the softer the light, and the more flattering (generally speaking) the result.

To create a portrait with the bounce technique, I generally tilt my flash unit to hit the ceiling and wall, though the positioning depends on the effect I’m trying to achieve. The technique is very versatile as it can give you everything from very dramatic split lighting to soft, even illumination; before you fire your camera, make sure that you carefully select a flash angle, and pay attention to the angle of reflection off the bounce surface.

If you’re struggling to capture a nice directional light effect, you can always angle your flash up and behind you to fill a small to normal-sized room with beautiful light.

2. Flag the light

Most people don’t realize this, but the light comes out of your flash in a wide pattern, not a straight beam. So while most of the light is focused forward, there is also a good amount spilling out perpendicular to the flash head.

Therefore, if you’re trying to bounce your flash off a wall or ceiling, direct light can still hit your subject – even if your flash is pointed off to the side. This isn’t always a bad thing, but it can result in unpleasant shadows, especially if there is a wall or other flat surface just behind your subject.

To eliminate this effect, simply place a small piece of opaque material or black foam on the relevant side of your flash. It should be just long enough to block the “edge” light from hitting your subject. You can hold it in place with one hand, or you can lock it in position using a rubber band (see the image above). This adjustment involves very little effort, but it’s one change that can make a huge difference to the overall look of your shot.

3. Make your flash bigger

As I mentioned above, naked flashes produce harsh light because they’re small, while softboxes help produce flattering light because they’re much larger. Basically, larger light sources create smoother transitions between light and shadow (i.e., softer light), so the larger you can make your flash, the better.

One way to boost your flash size is to bounce the light off the walls and ceilings. But what if you don’t have a wall or other surface to use? Or if the wall is painted a dark color and doesn’t offer much bounce potential?

Fortunately, there’s another easy way to make the light bigger: add a simple bounce card, which is basically a piece of white card that reflects light around the scene. Because the bounce card will be at least twice as large as the flash head, you’ll get far more coverage. And as long as you’re not too far away from your subject, it’ll result in far more pleasing illumination.

Simply grab a piece of white cardboard or crafting foam, and attach it to the flash head using a rubber band:

Of course, you can orient the flash in different directions to achieve different effects.

One item to bear in mind: Indoors, a bounce card will have the added benefit of throwing light onto your subject from two directions (forward and bounced off the ceiling), so even if you do have the option to bounce the light off the walls, there’s no need to put away that card!

4. Use TTL mode

Most modern flash units offer a variety of shooting modes. When I’m working with off-camera flash in the studio, I often use my flash units in manual mode, which allows me to maintain consistent manual control over the flash’s output power in relatively static shooting situations (e.g., traditional portraiture).

TTL (through-the-lens) mode, on the other hand, gives control of the flash unit’s output to the camera and flash. Your equipment essentially works to decide how much light the flash should emit to properly expose the subject, and most modern TTL systems are really great at what they do.

In fact, TTL mode can be used in just about every shooting situation – even if you’re using your camera’s Manual mode, you’re working outdoors, or you’re using bounce techniques. And since TTL can make life a whole lot easier for you, especially when you’re faced with fast-paced shooting scenarios, there’s no reason not to use it extensively for on-camera flash work.

So set your flash to its TTL mode. Then, when you’re ready, consider learning to apply more advanced techniques, such as flash exposure compensation, in conjunction with TTL flash. They’ll allow you to make easy adjustments to your overall exposure while still letting the TTL system do most of the thinking for you.

5. Use high-speed sync

If your flash unit has a high-speed sync setting, turn it on.

You see, most normal sync speeds for your flash will be limited to about 1/250s. That’s fine for situations where you’re in a dimly lit environment, but when you’re shooting outdoors or under bright light, you’ll often want to push the shutter speed higher than 1/250s to freeze the action or prevent overexposure.

And if your exposure does require a higher shutter speed, you’ll find yourself limited by the 1/250s sync speed, which is where high-speed sync comes in handy. You see, high-speed sync will allow you to shoot at virtually any shutter speed, generally up to 1/8000s, so you can capture action and/or stop your highlights from blowing out completely. It’s especially helpful when you’re capturing outdoor portraits, where the ambient background light is rather bright and you’d like a little fill flash on your subject. High-speed sync to the rescue!

One note: Leaving your high-speed sync mode on all the time doesn’t mean it’s always in use. It’ll only activate if you’re shooting beyond the normal flash sync speed. Otherwise, the flash will behave normally.

6. Try some gels

DSLRs and mirrorless cameras allow you to control the overall color cast by adjusting the white balance – and if you’re shooting in RAW, you can always tweak the white balance after the fact using almost any standard post-processing program.

But there are times when it’s good to make sure the light coming off your flash is close to the same color as the ambient light. It’ll ensure that most of the light in your images looks similar, and it’ll result in greater harmony throughout the scene. You’ll still want to make adjustments during post-processing, but it’ll give your shots a more consistent color overall.

To bring your flash into the tungsten range of color in most ambient situations, you can add a Color Temperature Orange (CTO) filter over the flash head. Then set your camera’s WB to tungsten and fine-tune the white balance when editing as necessary.

Note that you can also use flash gels to produce interesting creative effects. For instance, you can create interesting blue, green, or purple effects – just by applying a handy little gel.

7. Use the ambient light

What’s a sign of a misused on-camera flash? The dark tunnel effect. This happens when you expose for the flash-illuminated subject but fail to record light on the environment, resulting in a bright subject on a black background.

In my view, allowing the ambient light and the surroundings to appear in your images will give your shots valuable context and give each scene a sense of atmosphere. What’s important here is that you deliberately drop your shutter speed and dial back your flash’s power; that way, your camera captures some of the ambient light, and the final image includes plenty of background detail:

One tip: If you’re comfortable with it, switch your camera over to Manual mode, then play with different shutter speed settings. That way, you can manually determine the perfect shutter speed for achieving the exact amount of ambient light you want in the shot.

I find that shutter speeds of 1/15-1/40s work great in most environments, including outdoors at night. Your flash’s TTL mode should still be employed to achieve a good exposure, but the critical difference is that you’ll be able to control the ambient light by raising and lowering the shutter speed.

8. Turn your flash off

No, it’s not exactly an on-camera flash photography tip. Sometimes, however, the best thing you can do with your on-camera flash is nothing at all.

As you become more proficient with flash, you might be tempted to use it all the time. But you don’t want to become dependent on it. After all, most situations do have plenty of good light available, and there is a real difference between a flashed and an unflashed image. There’s nothing wrong with using flash, but in scenarios where you’re after a different look, it’s important that you know how to take a step back and turn that flash off.

Of course, make sure you don’t get rid of the flash completely; when you do need a bit of extra light here and there, it’s nice to know you can always slap on that flash and get great shots on demand.

On-camera flash photography: final words

On-camera flash is a great way to light your subjects, whether you’re shooting indoors and need to add a lot of light, or you’re working outdoors and just want a bit of fill.

So bring out that on-camera flash and start by practicing the techniques I shared above. Learn to bounce the flash well, learn to adjust your shutter speed to account for ambient light, and see what you can create!

Now over to you:

How do you plan to use on-camera flash? Do you have any tips that I missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post 8 Tips for Beautiful On-Camera Flash Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Guest Contributor.

Struggling to choose between a wide-angle and a telephoto lens? You’re not alone. Picking the perfect focal length can be tricky, especially because wider and longer lenses each have their benefits (and their drawbacks).

Personally, I like both lens types, but particular focal lengths do suit certain shooting styles and subjects. In this article, I explore the key differences between wide-angle and telephoto lenses, and I share when you might want to use one over the other.

Let’s dive right in!

Wide-angle vs telephoto lenses: the basics

Here’s the fundamental difference between wide-angle and telephoto glass:

Wide-angle lenses offer an expansive view – that is, they show more of the scene. Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, zoom in close so you can capture highly detailed images.

Of course, there’s a lot of variation among both wide-angle and telephoto models. Wide-angle lenses span the gamut from around 10mm to around 45mm, with 10mm featuring an ultra-wide perspective, and 45mm featuring a perspective that’s barely wider than the human eye’s. Telephoto lenses span the gamut from around 60mm, which is good for close-ups of large subjects, to 800mm, which is used almost exclusively by bird photographers, wildlife photographers, aviation photographers, and astrophotographers.

But despite this range, it’s important to keep in mind some essential advantages and disadvantages of the two lens types:

1. Telephoto lenses emphasize the details

As you know, wide-angle lenses give you a wide view, while telephoto lenses give you a narrow view.

In practice, this means that wide-angle lenses are great for showing off expansive scenes, such as breathtaking seascapes, mountainscapes, and cityscapes. They’re also a good way to create more environmental images – that is, shots that showcase subjects within the broader landscape.

Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, let you get close to your subject – without physically moving forward. They’re essential tools if you want to photograph skittish wildlife, such as birds, or inaccessible subjects, such as athletes on the field. Telephoto glass is also perfect for capturing tighter portraits (e.g., headshots) without intruding on your subject’s personal space, and it’s a solid way to create intimate close-ups within a wider landscape or cityscape scene.

In the two images below, you can see a wide-angle and a telephoto lens in action. Both images were captured from Olmsted Point in Yosemite National Park, but notice the dramatic difference:

In the first image, the wide-angle lens shows off the total landscape. It documents both sides of the valley, the textures of the foreground rocks, and the far-off peak of Half Dome. In the second image, the telephoto lens brings the eye right up to the mountains, showing off their shapes and the details of the geology.

Another pair of images (below) shows this difference even more dramatically. The first image is not just a wide-angle image, but an aerial shot taken from a small airplane over the Okavango Delta in Botswana. From this vantage point, all of the individual elements of the landscape become incredibly small and the viewer’s eyes pay more attention to the overall arrangement than any individual shapes:

The second image is also from the Okavango area but was captured from the ground, and a telephoto lens was used to draw attention to the beautiful curves of a single acacia tree:

Neither of these effects is better than the other, but it’s important to recognize a) whether you prefer to capture more expansive or tighter shots and b) whether you’re physically capable of getting close to your subject.

2. Wide-angle lenses offer a deeper depth of field

The second major difference between wide-angle and telephoto lenses has to do with the depth of field they produce – that is, the area of the image that’s in focus. Here, a shallow depth of field refers to photos with only a small sliver in focus, while a deep depth of field refers to photos that are in focus from foreground to background.

Put succinctly, the longer the focal length (i.e., the more telephoto your lens), the shallower the depth of field. In practice, this means that when you’re shooting wide, it’s much easier for you to get everything in focus, from the grass at your feet to the ridge on the horizon.

However, a shallower depth of field is much better for isolating your subject from the background, and that’s where a telephoto lens comes into play. By dialing in a wide aperture (such as f/2.8) and getting close to your subject, you can create beautiful background bokeh, like this:

The two images below are perfect examples of this effect. In the first image, the wide-angle lens brings the whole landscape into focus, from the close-up sunflowers to the far-off mountains. But in the second image, the telephoto lens blurs out the more distant flowers and mountains, turning them into a nice soft background for the main sunflower.

Certain photographic genres rely heavily on the shallow depth of field effect, including portrait photography, wildlife photography, and sports photography. Other photographic genres tend to move in the other direction; landscape and still-life photographers, for instance, often obsessively pursue sharpness throughout the frame.

One caveat to keep in mind: Technically speaking, a wide-angle lens only deepens the depth of field compared to a telephoto lens when photographing from the same place. So a wide-angle lens won’t get you a deeper depth of field when shooting the exact same composition as a telephoto lens; rather, a wide-angle lens will get you a deeper depth of field when capturing a larger slice of the scene.

3. Telephoto lenses compress the scene

Telephoto and wide-angle lenses encourage different types of perspective distortion, which is an unavoidable part of photography and will subtly affect your images.

You see, wide-angle lenses generally force you to get close to your subjects, and this expands the sense of depth in your shots by enlarging elements in the foreground and shrinking those in the background. It’s great for creating landscape and street images that make you feel like you could step right into the frame. (That said, you do run the risk of making towering, awesome mountains in the distance look like puny hills.)

Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, generally compress depth and cause objects near and far to appear more similar in size. A compressed sense of depth is great for abstracting a scene and bringing out its graphical qualities. Colorful forest canopies, layered mountain ridges, and curving sand dunes are all great subjects for this kind of shooting; you can also create beautiful portraits, wildlife shots, and sports photos this way.

In the left image below, notice how the wide-angle lens exaggerates the size of the flowers in the foreground at the expense of the mountains in the background. The mountains are so tall that they’re shrouded in clouds, but the lens keeps them from looking especially grand. But pull out a telephoto lens, and you can zoom straight in on the mountain to show off the contrast between the rugged outline of the peak and the soft wispy form of the cloud (right).

Here are two more images, both taken at the same location in Big Bend National Park, that show off the compression effect. In the first image, you can see that the wide-angle lens increases the size of the plants and rocks in the foreground while shrinking the large desert mountains in the background:

In the second image, the telephoto lens flattens out the depth of the many desert ridges, calling attention to their graphic patterns and outlines:

Summary: space versus object

Have a hard time remembering all these details? Here’s an easy way to summarize it with a simple idea:

Wide-angle lenses show off space, telephoto lenses show off objects.

The wide-angle lens’s big field of view, ease of uniform focus, and depth-distorting abilities are great at showing off big, expansive scenes. However, they take focus away from individual elements within the scene in favor of showing the whole.

Telephoto lenses are naturally the opposite: they’re great at showing off the size, shape, and intricacies of individual elements. But their narrow field of view, small depth of field, and depth-compressing qualities make it hard to capture wider scenes.

You can analyze this final pair of images to see exactly how all of these techniques work together. First, see how a wide-angle lens fits the whole landscape into the frame, from close-up rocks to far-off peaks and sky:

Because of the lens’s deep depth of field, the whole landscape is in acceptable focus. The lens’s depth distortion is readily apparent, as well: the foreground rocks look very large, creating a pleasing sense of depth and emphasizing the leading lines that draw the eye from the edges of the frame to the center. Overall, you get a very good sense of the space and the expansiveness of the valley.

This next image was taken in the same place, but a telephoto lens captures it very differently. The photo brings out a single element of the landscape; look closely and you can see this peak in the previous shot.

Because of the telephoto lens’s narrow depth of field, the sky is slightly out of focus while leaving the details of the peak itself perfectly sharp. And most of all, the compressed sense of depth flattens the image, showing off the rocky mass of the mountain and calling attention to the beautiful curve of the ridgeline. Overall, you get a great sense of the mountain as a solid object rather than a bounded space.

Which lens should you use?

If you can only purchase (or access) one of these two lens types, it’s important that you think carefully about the subjects you hope to shoot and how you hope to shoot them. Wide-angle lenses are great for breathtaking landscapes and cityscape scenes. They’re also a great way to create more environmental street and portrait photos.

Telephoto lenses, however, are perfect for tight portraits, wildlife shots, and sports photos.

If possible, purchase both types of lenses and carry them in your camera bag. Then, when you head out with your camera, carefully evaluate the scene. Ask yourself: Am I looking to highlight individual details? Or do I want to show the scene as a whole?

Then make your choice accordingly!

Now over to you:

Which lens type do you plan to use, wide angle or telephoto? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Wide-Angle vs Telephoto Lenses: Which Is Right for You? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Peter.

Camera equipment is not cheap, nor is it easily replaceable. And while some models are more durable than others, they’re all frustratingly easy to break. In other words, if you don’t take care of your equipment, you could find yourself in a tough situation – one that could cost you thousands of dollars or (potentially worse!) a ruined trip.

Bottom line: Keeping your camera equipment safe and in working order is an essential part of photography. Below, I share five tips to ensure that your camera stays as good as new, even if you travel through wet, sandy, or dangerous areas.

Let’s dive right in!

1. Regularly clean, repair, and service your equipment

There’s an age-old saying: “Prevention is better than the cure.” So your first step in ensuring that your camera is in good working condition is to keep it that way. Get into the habit of regularly cleaning your camera. There are plenty of good camera cleaning products out there, and the process only takes a few minutes. Simply wipe your camera clean of dust and any other dirt or debris. You should also clean your lenses, but be warned: Lens elements are easily scratched, so make sure that you work carefully and always use lens-compatible materials.

Some photographers like to clean their camera sensors, but I’d really recommend avoiding touching or cleaning this unless you know what you’re doing. Instead, if you notice dust spots on your sensor, take it to your local camera shop for a quick clean.

Another piece of advice: If you notice a problem with your camera – even if it’s minor – get it fixed right away. Don’t leave it for later; small irritations can turn into major problems, especially if they cause an issue during a paid shoot.

It’s also worth getting your camera serviced professionally every now and again. Yes, it might be an annoying expense, but it is a small price to pay to ensure your camera remains in perfect working condition.

2. Be aware of the elements

Water and sand are two of the biggest dangers your camera will ever face. Anyone whose lens or sensor has been scratched by sand knows how problematic even a few grains can be, and water (especially sea spray) can also cause serious issues. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your camera safe from sand and water, even when you’re working in beach or desert environments (or, at least, to minimize the risk).

First, you need to know how sealed your camera is. Some high-end cameras are heavily weather sealed, whereas other cameras offer no protection whatsoever. You should use this as a baseline when determining how to handle your camera in tricky conditions, though even if your camera boasts pro-level weather sealing, you should still be careful. Here are some tips to follow (and while you can be slightly more relaxed when dealing with rugged camera bodies, it’s better to be safe than sorry):

• Always carry a plastic bag with you. They’re great for protecting your camera from rain and water, and they’re dirt cheap! However, if you plan to frequently shoot in rain, sand, or sea spray, you might consider investing in a rain cover.
• Carry a small towel at all times to wipe your camera clean. This is especially vital near the coast where the salt in seawater can be corrosive.
• Avoid changing lenses, especially when it’s windy; a lens change is a perfect time for dust, sand, and water to head straight for your sensor. If you must change lenses, do it quickly and make sure you protect your camera from the wind.
• After you finish your shoot, remember to wipe and clean your camera. Sand has a way of making its way inside cameras and lenses, so even if you think your camera is clean, give it a wipe anyway.

3. Know your surroundings

Like sand and water, theft can be a major camera danger. Fortunately, with a little bit of common sense and caution, you can avoid being a victim. The key is to know your surroundings and take action accordingly.

For example, if you’re walking on a busy sidewalk, keep away from the curb and keep your camera away from the roadside where snatches and grabs on motorbikes do happen. If you’re sitting at an outdoor table at a restaurant, put your camera in your bag or wrap the strap around your arm. And if you need to grab a piece of equipment from your bag, don’t leave your camera on a tripod and turn away.

It’s important to take precautions even in quiet countryside parking lots. Don’t leave cameras or valuables on display; hide them away, or – better yet – take them with you. As long as you use common sense and know what is happening around you, you shouldn’t run into any problems.

Pro tip: If you plan to take your equipment into populous areas, it can be a good idea to purchase an insurance policy. That way, even if your gear is stolen or damaged, you won’t have to shell out for a whole new camera system.

4. Use your tripod wisely

I’ve only ever had one accident with my camera, and it was when I was using a tripod. Basically, I rushed to mount my camera, and in my haste, I didn’t clip it in properly. The camera fell straight into a muddy puddle! Lucky for me, the mud stopped my camera from bouncing off into the river that I was photographing, and my camera also avoided the rock I was standing on. With a bit of cleaning up, I was able to use the camera straight away. In other words, I was very fortunate.

That said, you may not be so lucky. Make sure you use your tripod carefully. I am always astonished when I see people setting up tripods without evenly distributing the weight; this can cause the entire setup to topple over. I’ve also seen people setting expensive cameras on cheap tripods that are not secure enough to take the weight of the rig.

Whenever you’re using a tripod, the key is to take your time. Work deliberately, ensure the head is secure, and be certain the legs are balanced. When you set your camera on the tripod and let go, hold onto the strap for a few seconds to ensure it’s not going to fall. Only once you’re completely confident the tripod is stable should you let go. Also, be especially careful when there are high winds – it seems ridiculous, but a sudden gust can easily knock over your setup.

5. Store your equipment safely

Here’s my final tip for keeping your camera in good working order: Be very careful about how you store it when not in use.

After all, no matter how frequently you take photos, you’ll run into stretches of time when your camera isn’t in your hands (even if it’s just for the night). And if you’re not careful, humidity and sunlight can cause problems.

So what should you do? First, avoid storing your equipment in places of high humidity, like laundry rooms and damp basements. Moisture can cause fungus, which will make its way onto your lens elements and wreak havoc.

You should also avoid leaving your camera in direct sunlight. Try to store it in a cupboard rather than just leaving it out to gather dust. A great tip is to keep your equipment in your camera bag and place your bag in a cupboard. Not only will this protect against dust, but it’ll also ensure everything is in one place and out of sight.

If you have the money and you’re concerned about your gear, you may wish to invest in a dry cabinet. These units will regulate the humidity and keep your equipment at safe levels, and while they do cost a few hundred dollars, the cost can be worth it (especially if you live in a high-humidity environment).

How to keep your camera safe: final words

There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing an amazing photo opportunity in front of you and not managing to capture the shot – either because your camera is broken or because you haven’t prepared for the environment.

Fortunately, with a little bit of care, forward planning, and common sense, you can avoid any issues by keeping your camera safe and in working order. So remember the tips I’ve shared above, and add them to your workflow!

Now over to you:

Do you have any additional tips that we missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post How to Keep Your Camera Safe (and Working): 5 Essential Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christina N Dickson.

Inexperienced photographers tend to think that the camera matters far more than the lens – however, as veteran shooters know, the lens is a hugely important part of photography. After all, a lens influences image sharpness, autofocusing speed, field of view, background blur, low-light shoot flexibility, and so much more.

But once you own a good lens, how can you get the most out of it? How can you learn its features, its focal lengths, and its unique way of rendering the world so that you can use it to create gorgeous photos?

I’ve handled a lot of glass over the years, and as a result, I know how to get to know a new lens (or improve your understanding of the lenses you already own). In this article, I share my top tips for working your way through this process, including a few handy tests and exercises as well as more general tips for approaching new glass.

Are you ready to master your lenses? Then let’s dive right in!

1. Use one lens exclusively for a month

In the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell put forward the now-famous idea that true mastery of a skill takes 10,000 hours of practice. I’d say that the idea of putting in 10,000 hours applies to photography as a whole rather than photography using a single lens, but by using the same lens for an extended period of time, you’ll certainly get to know that lens really, really well.

If you own multiple lenses and need to use them regularly (e.g., for upcoming paid sessions), you don’t have to be super vigilant about this. Just try to take a single lens out on a shoot, and if you can maintain the streak for a few days in a row, that’s fantastic.

If you like how it feels to just use a single lens, try taking it further by extending the exercise out for a week, a month, or even longer. It’s up to you, but the more time you spend with that one lens, the better you’ll get at visualizing its field of view before you raise the camera to your eye. You’ll be able to create compositions before you look through the viewfinder, and your keeper rate will grow dramatically.

This exercise is best done with a prime lens, but it works for zooms, too. If you do work with a zoom, you may want to start by picking a single focal length and sticking to it. Of course, you’ll eventually need to test out other focal lengths if you want to really get to know a lens’s capabilities, but beginning in one place can be a good idea.

One recommendation: Before you head out with your lens, spend a bit of time thumbing through the manual. Make sure you’re familiar with all of its features, including any switches or rings on the barrels. Then be sure to practice using these different elements when out shooting!

2. Test your lens at every aperture

Part of mastering a lens is getting to know how it performs. And the fact is that every lens’s performance varies across its aperture range, so I highly recommend you spend some time with the glass you’re looking to master and really assess it at all apertures.

Print off a test chart or make your own, then mount your camera on a tripod and take a series of photos as you go from the lens’s widest to its narrowest aperture. All lenses are softer at their widest and narrowest aperture settings, so don’t be surprised if that’s the result you get – but the details matter, too. How sharp is your lens at its widest aperture? How do you feel about the level of detail? How about at its narrowest aperture? What are your thoughts?

Here, it can help to take notes for each aperture (after all, it’s a lot to remember!). And once you’re finished with your tests, spend some time thinking about what the results mean for you photographically.

For instance, if you often use small apertures when you take photos, then you’ll need to figure out when blur due to diffraction starts to become a serious problem. And if you prefer to use wider apertures, consider whether shooting wide open will net you some reasonably sharp images, or whether you’ll need to stop down slightly.

If you like that shallow depth-of-field look yet your lens struggles at wide apertures, remember that the key is to find a balance between bokeh and image quality. For example, I find that when I make portraits with a short telephoto lens, I get the best results at f/2.8. The f/2.8 aperture ensures that most of my model’s face is in focus, yet the bokeh still has a beautiful quality:

Of course, you might prefer a different aperture, and that’s okay! The point is to spend some time testing and thinking about the results.

Note: If you’re working with a zoom lens instead of a prime lens, carefully read this next section:

3. Test a zoom lens at different focal lengths

Prime lenses are relatively easy to test: You print off a test chart, you set up your camera, and you take images throughout the aperture range.

The situation becomes a little more complicated with zoom lenses, however. This is because you have an extra variable: focal length. Not only does sharpness vary according to the aperture, but focal length also has an effect. Very few zoom lenses offer outstanding optical quality across their entire focal length range. Therefore, if you really want to understand your lens, you’ll need to test it at a variety of focal lengths.

Personally, I like to think of zoom lenses as several prime lenses in one package. For example, when I owned a 17-40mm zoom, I tended to set it to 24 or 35mm for most of my shots. At other times I would use 17mm – if I wanted a real ultra wide-angle effect – or 40mm. So to me, it was four lenses in one – a 17mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 40mm lens.

These photos show the difference between the 17mm and 40mm focal lengths:

But remember: Breaking your lens up into a few specific focal lengths is essential. Do the corresponding tests, and as you become more familiar, you can expand your sense of each subject.

4. Zoom with your feet

Regardless of whether your favorite lens is a prime or a zoom, it’s helpful to practice zooming with your feet rather than using the zoom ring (also, if you have a prime lens, you have no choice in the matter!). Zooming with your feet is an expression used to describe the process of moving physically closer to or farther away from your subject to change its size in the frame rather than using the zoom ring on a zoom lens.

For zoom lens owners, this comes back to the earlier idea of a zoom lens essentially containing three or four prime lenses in one. If you have an 18-55mm kit lens, for instance, then your lens behaves very differently at different focal lengths. At 18mm, it’s a wide-angle lens that’s ideal for subjects like landscapes. At 55mm it’s a short telephoto lens that you can use for portraits.

In terms of perspective, both focal lengths are very different. You will only learn about perspective and the way it changes as you move closer to or further from your subject if you stick to using your zoom lens at a single focal length. If you use the zoom ring to change the subject size, you won’t learn about perspective.

For example, with an 18-55mm lens set to 18mm, you need to get fairly close to the subject to obtain the dramatic perspective associated with wide-angle lenses:

But if you’re further away from the subject, the perspective is much less dramatic:

5. Shoot different subjects

We tend to think of lenses as associated with specific subjects. For example, wide-angle lenses are ideal for landscapes and short telephoto lenses are perfect for portraiture.

But what if you mix it up a little? What happens if you use a short telephoto lens for landscape photography or a wide-angle lens for portraiture? The idea is to take yourself out of your comfort zone and find creative ways to use your favorite lenses, which will expand your understanding of the glass.

If you use a wide-angle lens for portraiture, you’ll soon find that if you get too close to your model, you’ll end up with some very unflattering effects. But what if you step back and include more of your environment? Suddenly, you’re taking a very different approach! Experiments like these can add new skills, new understandings, and new ways of working to your repertoire.

6. Push your compositions to the limit

My final tip for mastering a lens? Really push yourself. Take each technique to the extreme and see what you can do with it. Only by really pushing your equipment can you really understand it!

If you have a wide-angle lens, what happens if you get as close to your subject as you can? What happens if you use the lens’s widest aperture setting?

And if you have a telephoto lens, how can you maximize the compressed perspective that the longer focal length offers? What subjects can you shoot to make the most of the layered effect?

That’s the process of experimentation. Not all of your experiments will work – but when they do, you’ll be adding new skills to your repertoire!

Tips for mastering your lenses: final words

Hopefully, these tips have given you some ideas for working with and getting to know your favorite lenses. Instead of fantasizing about the next lens you are going to buy, spend some time getting to know the glass you already own!

You may find that pushing the lenses you already own to their limits can be deeply rewarding.

Now over to you:

How do you plan to master your lenses? Do you have any additional tips that we missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post 6 Tips for Effectively Mastering Your Lenses appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Andrew S. Gibson.

Digital photography equipment – especially top-notch mirrorless cameras, DSLRs, and lenses – is expensive. While big manufacturers do continue to add more affordable options to their lineups, what if you need a high-level camera or lens but don’t have $3000+ to spend?

That’s where used gear comes in handy. If you approach the used market correctly, you can often obtain near-mint cameras and lenses at incredible discounts. But shopping on the used market comes with plenty of pitfalls, and without a careful strategy, you may find yourself wasting time, effort, and money on defective or damaged equipment.

As a photographer who relies constantly on the used market, I know how to avoid these problems, and below, I share a step-by-step approach so you can successfully purchase used gear of your own.

Let’s dive right in!

Step 1: Price check used items before buying

Just about every online camera retailer has a used section on their website. Availability of items is obviously variable, but a simple item check can pull up estimates for the current standard used prices of the items you want. Before you hit that “Buy Button,” I encourage you to look at multiple websites, identifying the average and lowest prices, with the aim of determining the best purchase for your needs.

But don’t simply be drawn in by rock-bottom prices! Be sure to note the quality rating and the description for each item and see how it compares to your expectations. Often, used items that are priced too low have some sort of cosmetic or mechanical problem, so if you think a deal is too good to be true, then it probably is.

Another reason to be suspicious of outrageously low prices? The item might be gray market, which means it essentially comes with no factory warranty. The best way to check this is to find the serial number and reference it in the camera maker’s database.

The advantage of buying used gear online – as opposed to in person – is that the gear has often been checked out and issued a rating by the retailer. Additionally, online used gear, especially when it comes directly from users, tends to be far cheaper than used gear purchased from a dedicated brick-and-mortar retailer. There may also be some flexibility in terms of exchanges and returns in case you aren’t happy with your purchase.

Pro tip: Before buying, be sure to double-check and make sure the seller has a good reputation, especially on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

Step 2: Ask any relevant questions

If you walk into a camera shop and do a hands-on inspection of the gear you wish to buy (see the next step), this may not be necessary. But if you’re buying online, you’ll generally be working with a limited description of the item, and if you’re not careful, you may end up purchasing a camera or a lens that doesn’t meet your expectations.

That’s why it’s important to read gear descriptions carefully and ask specific questions to gather any missing information. Some sellers simply aren’t aware of certain relevant tidbits, and it takes a bit of prompting before you can get the information you’re after. Others will deliberately hide relevant information, and it’s important that you ferret out the truth before buying.

You might be thinking: If a seller fails to disclose relevant information, I can just return the gear, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Depending on the return policy, you may only be able to return the item if it’s not as described. And if the description is very vague, you may have trouble obtaining a no-cost return – whereas if you had asked specific questions, you would’ve had a much easier time!

So make sure you submit lots of relevant questions. When buying a used camera, ask:

• How many shutter actuations does the camera have?
• Does the sensor have any significant dirt or dust spots?

When buying a used lens, ask:

• Does the lens have any fungus or haze?
• Does the lens have any scratches on the front or rear element?
• Does the lens have any large pieces of dust?
• Does the lens autofocus work well?
• Does the lens autofocus mechanism contain any sand?

Some of these questions may seem outlandish, but you’d be surprised by what can turn up in a camera or lens. Better to be safe than sorry!

Step 3: Inspect the gear

If you plan to buy your gear in person, you can generally do an inspection before agreeing to purchase the equipment. But if you buy your gear online, you’ll need to do a thorough inspection upon receipt. After all, you don’t want to use a lens for a month, only to realize that a certain feature doesn’t work!

This inspection should differ depending on the item you’re buying:

How to inspect a used camera

Used camera bodies can be tricky to assess, but the right approach will save you a lot of headache down the line. While it’s perfectly normal for bodies to have physical signs of wear and tear, pay attention to your initial impression of the camera. If the camera appears badly worn and heavily used, it probably doesn’t look any better on the inside.

However, the most telling part of the camera body’s lifespan is the shutter, which is very expensive to replace. People sometimes sell their cameras when the shutter is about to die, meaning the new owner will soon have to spend a lot of extra money to replace it. That’s why it’s important to always assess the shutter count as soon as you receive the camera; how to check this, as well as how the number of actuations that are acceptable, depends on the camera make and model. Google searches and forums should offer some resources.

Make sure you also test the camera’s autofocus capabilities. Make sure that both single and continuous autofocus performs as expected, and examine the mount to make sure the lens interfaces securely with the camera.

I’d also recommend taking a few test shots and examining the results at 100% magnification. Look for significant dust spots and any areas of blur, which can indicate potential mistreatment (and can dramatically impact your images).

How to inspect a used lens

Lenses are relatively straightforward to assess. First, investigate the lens thoroughly and look for common problems such as fungus, dust, and scratches. Shine a light through the lens and identify any imperfections. Note that some problems, such as dust and small scratches, are effectively cosmetic and generally won’t affect overall image quality. However, any signs of fungus should be a complete deal breaker as it is incredibly difficult and costly to remove. You should also check the lens contacts to make sure they look relatively clean and in good condition.

Second, do a mechanical test of the lens to see how it performs. It’s best to have your regular camera with you to see how the lens fits. Make sure the aperture blades are clean and can move freely, and try out both the zoom and focus rings. Depending on the lens model, it’s not uncommon for the rings to offer some resistance, but be sure they both operate relatively smoothly. Check out the lens’s autofocus capabilities and make sure focusing is smooth.

Finally, capture some test photos – you can find a test chart online – and zoom in to 100% to assess image quality. Look for unusual amounts of chromatic aberration, front- or back-focusing issues, unusual softness, and significant changes in sharpness across the frame. Be sure to capture test shots at a range of focal lengths and points of focus. (Note that many lenses do vary in sharpness from the center to the corners and from the middle of the zoom range to the extreme ends. But a dramatic loss of sharpness from one side of the frame to the other, or from one end of the zoom range to the other, is not a good sign.)

Step 4: Keep the gear (or send it back)

If you follow the previous steps and you’re pleased with your purchase, then go ahead and keep it! You’ve likely managed to grab a great camera, lens, or accessory at a very cheap price.

However, if you noticed some problems during your inspection, it’s up to you to decide whether the equipment is worth returning. If the issues are minor but significant, you can often ask for a discount from the seller. And if the issues are serious, I’d recommend just returning the gear; trying to fix problems yourself or send the gear in for repairs often isn’t worth the cost or the hassle.

How to buy used camera gear: final words

Well, there you have it:

My step-by-step guide to purchasing used gear.

Remember: Whether you’re an amateur or a professional, it’s completely acceptable to purchase equipment on the used market. Just be sure to do your research, and have a thorough understanding of the product you’ are considering’re buying. Always use reputable sources, and always inspect the item as soon as you receive it!

Now over to you:

What used gear do you plan to buy? Where will you buy it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post How to Buy Used Camera Gear: A Step-By-Step Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.