Comparison Canon 85mm f/1.4L EF IS USM vs Canon 24mm f/1.4L EF USM II

General type of lens. It is worth considering that this parameter is largely determined by the equivalent (not actual) focal length, while optical specifications usually list the actual value; for more details, see "Focal Length."

The type is specified not for every optic but only for models with a clearly defined specialization that fit neatly into a specific category. Besides them, there are so-called universal lenses — see below for more about them. Specialized models can fall into the following types:

— Prime. This category on our website includes virtually all lenses that do not allow for changing the focal length. These can be wide-angle models or optics with a long focal length that offers a high degree of magnification, as well as models with medium values; the only exception is the ultra-wide-angle "fisheye," which is classified as a separate type (see below). Due to their simpler construction, primes are usually cheaper and more reliable than similar zoom models. Their main disadvantage is their fixed focal length. Because of this, using primes for each type of shooting requires its own lens, and zooming is exclusively done by moving the camera closer or further from the subject (in professional slang — "foot zoom").

— Wide-angle. Lenses with a variable focal length, with a minimum value of up to 18 mm inclusive, and a maximum o...f up to 40 mm inclusive (both in 35 mm equivalent). This ensures a wide viewing angle with virtually no visible distortions (unlike ultra-wide-angle models, see below). "Wide angles" are often used for landscape photography, large objects, etc.; such a lens can also be useful in tight spaces where capturing the broadest possible scene is necessary (for example, a large group of people), and the setting doesn't allow stepping back far.

— Ultra-wide-angle. This type of lens is also known as fisheye. Their equivalent focal length is up to 17 mm inclusive, and the viewing angles can reach up to 180° and even more, allowing capturing a very extensive area of the surrounding space in a single shot (for example, the entire sky around the horizon). Such lenses are characterized by noticeable distortions in the resulting image: the center of the frame appears closer than the edges, and straight lines not passing through the center of the frame become curved. Because of this, fisheye lenses got their name: the view through them resembles how a fish would see the ground from underwater. Most frequently, fisheyes have fixed focal lengths, but zoom options also exist. These lenses are particularly used for creating panoramas, shooting in confined spaces, and providing artistic effects.

— Telephoto. Lenses with a long focal length and, consequently, a high degree of magnification, primarily intended for shooting over long distances. In terms of specific figures, in our catalog, telephoto lenses include models with a variable focal length, where the lower boundary of the focal length is no less than 50 mm, and the upper boundary is no less than 200 mm. Such optics are especially convenient for nature photography, sports events, and large gatherings.

— Anamorphic. A special type of lens that compresses the image horizontally during shooting, and then stretches back during playback, creating a characteristic wide cinematic format with impressive light flares (anamorphic "flares") and shallow depth of field. These lenses are used to create an atmospheric, cinematic visual style, especially sought after in video making, allowing a wide frame without losing vertical resolution.

Besides the types described above, numerous lenses are produced that meet the criteria of several types or do not fit into any of them. As an example, an intermediate option between wide-angle and telephoto lenses with a focal length from 24 to 55 mm or a model with a wide adjustment range like 28–200 mm, covering both types, can be cited. Such lenses are commonly referred to as universal. Overall, their application area is quite broad, and the mentioned "intermediate option" includes most optics supplied in a kit with DSLR cameras. However, in terms of photo quality, universal models often fall short of specialized optics of a similar price; on the other hand, a set of several specialized lenses often costs more than a high-class "universal" with the same capabilities.

The general purpose is rather conditional, and in fact the use of optics is not limited to the claimed direction — it all depends on the skills and imagination of the photographer. However, information about the specialization can greatly facilitate the choice. Considering such original options as a cinema lens and a multifunctional.

— Architectural. Lenses designed primarily for shooting buildings. Most of these models are equipped with the Tilt-Shift system (see below). In this case, this function is intended to correct the perspective when shooting tall buildings. In a photograph taken with a normal lens, straight lines can turn out to be curved, which is unacceptable in cases where an accurate representation of the building in the picture is required. Using the Tilt-Shift system allows you to avoid this phenomenon and get a reliable image that does not require additional correction in a photo editor.

— Landscape. In this case, landscape lenses include short-focus (wide-angle) lenses, which, according to test results, provide good image sharpness. In other words, not all “wide-angles” are classified as landscapes, but only those that are actually capable of providing a clear, sharp image.

— Portrait. The hallmarks of a classic portrait lens are: first, the...fixed focal length, which is usually over 50mm (35mm equiv.); secondly, high aperture (most often not lower than f / 2.8, although occasionally there are exceptions). This combination of characteristics allows you to shoot portraits with beautiful background blur, placing the camera at a fairly significant distance; the latter can be useful in studios where additional lighting equipment is used — it is advisable to install the camera behind lighting fixtures so that it does not give a shadow. Speaking of a fixed focal length, it is worth recalling that "fixes" are simpler, lighter and cheaper than zoom lenses, and the ability to adjust the magnification when shooting portraits is rarely required — most often you can completely get by with "zoom with your feet".

— Multifunctional. This direction includes lenses of a universal type (see above), offering the buyer a good value for money; in other words — multi-purpose models with good performance and at the same time relatively inexpensive (namely, "comparatively", the actual price can be quite high). When choosing models in this category, the quality of filming was evaluated according to the results of real tests.

— Film lens. The main feature of cinema lenses is the ability to fine-tune the aperture. The aperture can be closed / opened by 0.1 or even 0.01 mm, while in photo lenses the aperture setting step cannot be less than 1 mm. Additionally, in cinema lenses, aperture is expressed by a T-number, and in photographic lenses, an F-number is used. The operator can shoot multiple cinema lenses with the same aperture, without the need to change the lighting. And when using photo lenses with the same aperture, you often have to adjust the lighting for each optic separately. Cinema lenses are meant to be shot from a tripod, which is reflected in their design features and design — such models are usually larger and heavier than their counterparts for photography.

The result shown by the lens in the DxOMark rating.

DxOMark is one of the most popular and authoritative resources for expert testing of photography devices. According to the test results, the lens receives a certain number of points; The more points, the higher the final score.

This parameter determines the size of the area of the scene being shot that falls into the frame. The wider the viewing angles, the larger the area the lens can capture in one shot. They are directly related to the focal length of the lens (see "Focal length"), and also depend on the size of the specific matrix with which the optics are used: for the same lens, the smaller the matrix, the smaller the viewing angles, and vice versa. On our website, in the characteristics of optics, viewing angles are usually indicated when used with the matrix for which the lens was originally designed (for more details, see "Matrix Size").

Minimum focus distance (m) - the smallest distance from which you can focus on an object and take a photo. Usually it ranges from 20 cm for wide-angle lenses to several metres for telephoto. In the macro mode of the camera or with the help of macro lenses, this distance can be less than 1 centimeter.

The degree of magnification of the object being shot when using a lens for macro shooting (that is, shooting small objects at the maximum possible approximation, when the distance to the subject is measured in millimetres). The degree of magnification in this case means the ratio of the size of the image of the object obtained on the matrix of the camera to the actual size of the object being shot. For example, with an object size of 15 mm and a magnification factor of 0.3, the image of this object on the matrix will have a size of 15x0.3=4.5 mm. With the same matrix size, the larger the magnification factor, the larger the image size of the object on the matrix, the more pixels fall on this object, respectively, the clearer the resulting image, the more details it can convey and the better the lens is suitable for macro photography. It is believed that in order to obtain macro shots of relatively acceptable quality, the magnification factor should be at least 0.25 – 0.3.

Lenses using the internal focus system. In such optics systems, focus is carried out only due to the movement of elements inside the lens body; the outer parts remain completely fixed and the size of the lens does not change. This provides additional convenience — in particular, it allows you to easily use petal hoods and those types of filters for which the correct position on the lens is important (in particular, gradient ones). In addition, the absence of moving elements from the outside has a positive effect on security and resistance to dust / precipitation (although the specific degree of dust and water protection may be different).

The number of elements (in fact, the number of lenses) included in the design of the lens, as well as the number of groups in which these elements are combined. Usually, the more elements provided in the design, the better the lens handles with distortions (aberrations) when light passes through it. On the other hand, numerous lenses increases the dimensions and weight of the optics, reduces light transmission (for more details, see "Aperture") and also puts forward increased requirements for the quality of processing, which affects the cost of the lens.

The number of blades provided in the design of the diaphragm (for details, see "Minimum aperture"). In fact, this parameter is important when shooting scenes with pronounced bokeh (blurred background) and a small depth of field: the more petals the aperture has, the smoother the glare from out-of-focus objects will turn out, while with a small number of petals they can look like polygons. The number of aperture blades has almost no effect on other shooting parameters. Modern lenses have an average of 7-9 petals; the smoothing provided by them in most cases is considered quite sufficient.