If you have been around digital SLR photography for any length of time you will have heard that the glass (camera lenses) in front of the camera is as important, if not more important, than the camera itself. It is definitely true.

After agonizing over the choice about which digital camera you will settle on, the choice of a lens or camera lenses for that camera is just as important. And that is not an easy choice, either. Every new photographer comes to the realization that choosing a lens is a time for self-control and patience. There is no place for impulsive behavior here. You must match up your needs with what is available, and, if you have the cash on hand, you make the purchase.

Choosing The Right Camera Lenses

There is some good news when it comes to making a camera lens purchase. Some camera lenses may suit your needs for more than one type of photography. Your first lens purchase could be one of those lenses that satisfies more than one type of photography. Usually, folks get a multi-focal length, or zoom, lens as their first lens. That one lens, if well planned, can be a general, all-purpose lens for every day pictures, but it can also be an excellent portrait lens, a medium telephoto lens for taking pictures from a distance, and a normal lens.

A lens such as a zoom lens of 18-105mm (or somewhere in that range) is just the kind of lens that can fill many photography needs. Take your time selecting that first digital SLR lens because it is an important one. As your photography experiences develop, you probably be deciding which direction you want to go as a major focus in the special type of photography you want to concentrate on. This decision will affect the lenses you will want to add to your kit.

For instance, if you want to specialize in "people photography," you can narrow down your lens choices to include a medium telephoto lens, and that choice will differ greatly from that of someone else who wants to specialize in landscape photography, since their choice would probably be a wide-angle lens that would be good for their particular type of pictures.

Specialty Camera Lenses

A macro lens, while perfect for close-up photography, is one of those lenses that can be used for more than one type of photography. Many folks do not realize that macro lenses are excellent portrait lenses as well as medium telephoto lenses. One good macro lens can do the job of several lenses, and do it well. You may also want to add a “normal lens” to your photography kit.

While 50mm is not technically “normal” for every camera, it is an excellent choice for almost every photographer because there are so many things you can do with that focal length and aperture. The wide aperture of almost all 50mm lenses is quite wide, so it will give you the benefit of being able to shoot in low light that some of the zoom lenses (especially the less expensive ones) do not have. In addition, 50mm lenses are good for portraits and street photography as well as doing a pretty good job with all but the most demanding of close-up images.

Finding camera lenses shouldn't be an impulsive decision. Each lens should be chosen with much thought and consideration as to the impact it will have on your goal as a photographer.