Welcome to the newest section of our blog, No Fear Photography! We’re here to help photographers learn to make the most of their cameras, to take creative control, to explore, and capture amazing images all along the way.
The greatest thing about interchangeable camera lenses is the variety of optical designs, from ultrawide to supertelephoto and everything in between, that offer an incredible amount of variety for visual expression, creativity, and optical performance optimized for different photographic situations. And while it may be sometimes completely and totally obvious what types of photography a certain lens excels at—for example, everyone knows that Macros are designed to capture close-up details; telephoto lenses are great for long-reach wildlife and sports from the sidelines—many styles of camera lenses have lesser-known secret superpowers that can be called upon to make a photo. Let’s take a look!
Supertelephoto Lenses
Long lenses, like the Sigma 150-500mm F5.6.3, or 300-800 F5.6 to name two, are known to be great for making sports and wildlife images. Wide open, these lenses can isolate the subject from the background to really make the images pop. And of course, the wide apertures which give very shallow depth of field feel also yield the fastest shutter speeds, which are necessary to freeze a bird in flight, or an athlete on the move.
Everyone knows supertelephoto zoom lenses are great for long-reach photography at widest apertures for freezing active subjects, like wild birds, with fast shutter speeds. Here, the Sigma 150-500mm is trained on an American Anhinga, at 500mm, wide open at F6.3.
And Landscape, or should we say sky-scape, photographers also know that longer focal lengths also can make for huge suns and moons, the effect of which is amplified when the celestial orb is near earthbound features in the frame. Continue reading Somewhat Secret Superpowers of Camera lenses
Our new video quicktips series offers advice for photographers who are looking to understand more about the techniques and technologies that can help them make better pictures. Each episode is just a few minutes long and looks to explain and offer advice in an easy-to-grasp way. Check back on this posting all month long as we continue to add new episodes to this series.
Our First Episode demonstrates how to Hold a Big Camera Lens:
And here we explain How, When, and Why to Use Optical Stabilization:
Got a topic you’d like us to tackle? Leave a comment for consideration!
Whether you are staying close to home or hitting the road or for your big summer vacation, Sigma has a great advice for which lens, camera, and flash may be right for you!
This fast-aperture standard zoom is a great one-lens choice for a weekend down the shore that’s wide enough for sunrise and long enough to zoom in on rides at the boardwalk. On the beach, you don’t want to change lenses if you don’t have to, because, well, sand, sea spray and such, and on the boardwalk, you don’t want to be lugging a whole camera bag. Faster apertures and Optical Stabilizer works to keep sharp shots at slower shutter speeds around sunrise and sunset, without a tripod on this Contemporary lens designed exclusively for DSLRs with APS-C size sensors.
The Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM | C is a fantastic everyday zoom lens for photographers looking for a compact, high-zoom ratio lens for their small DSLRs without sacrificing image quality or build quality. This 11.1x zoom is just slightly larger than the typically bundled 18-55mm kit lens paired with a Canon EOS Rebel or Nikon DSLR, but offers much greater versatility in terms of creative composition including macro capture; and a noticeably higher build quality feel than the usual starter camera lens.
The Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM | C lens is a versatile, compact all-in-one zoom lens that covers wide angle to telephoto and macro close-up photography. It is available for the most popular DSLRs. Here, for example, is a purple rose as seen through this lens on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. 1/60 F6.3 ISO 400 at 200mm.
For DSLR photographers looking for a very compact one-lens solution, the new Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 very well may be the answer. On APS-C DSLRs, such as the Canon EOS Rebel series and the Nikon D3200 or D5200, the Sigma 18-200mm equates to about a 28-300mm zoom lens, covering wide-angle to telephoto, with a close-focusing setting at 200mm offering 1:3 macro magnification. And yet it weighs less than a pound is is just 2.8 x 3.4 inches in size. Optical Stabilizer, which counteracts camera and lens movements at slower shutter speeds, adds to the on-the-go abilities of the lens, by helping to keep shots sharp at slower shutter speeds without a tripod. (Learn much more about OS here.) Continue reading The Great Everyday Lens: Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM | C
I’ve spent much of the past month with the Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM supertelephoto zoom lens photographing birds along the New Jersey shoreline and in ponds in Central Florida and have come away with renewed appreciation for this variable-aperture telephoto zoom lens. The combination of supertelephoto reach with zoom versatility in a lens that only weighs about four pounds means it is easy to carry all day on photo hikes and easy enough for many photographers to handhold without a tripod or monopod.
A sandhill crane poses for my camera in front of a pond on a golf course in Florida. Thanks to the grab-and-go ease of this supertelephoto zoom lens, it was mere seconds from parking to making the first photos when I first saw this trio of birds. Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 at 500mm 1/1600 F6.3 ISO 400 on a Sony A-850.
When I say I’ve rediscovered and have a new appreciation for this lens, here is precisely what I mean. For years, like many photographers, I could only bring myself to see the negative trade-offs when considering a variable aperture zoom lens. However, I now also can see and appreciate the positive trade-offs of the variable aperture zoom lens design, as well.
An anhinga dries its wings after diving for food in a pond in Central Florida. 1/1000 F6.3 ISO 250 at 500mm on a Sony A-850.
Variable aperture zoom lenses can be more compact in design than a similar focal range constant-aperture zoom lens. True, you do lose light-gathering power as you zoom to longer focal lengths, so shutter speeds must be adjusted accordingly, but the tradeoff in terms of overall portability is well worth it in many situations. Many of the photos shown here would have been missed outright if it weren’t for the grab-and-go nature of this compact supertelephoto lens. Continue reading Rediscovering the Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 zoom lens for Outdoor Photography
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in April 2014 and featured photography made with the SIGMA 150-500mm lens. It was updated January 2016 to include current lenses in the lineup and update photos to include some images from current lenses including the 150-600mm Sports and Contemporary lenses. The SIGMA 150-600mm Sports lens has since been discontinued.
Variable-aperture super-telephoto zoom lenses like the pair of 150-600mm F5-6.3 lenses offer photographers the ability to fill the frame with distant subjects—which is incredibly rewarding for capturing wildlife, sports, on-stage performances and more. This style of lens offers a lot of reach, range, and versatility in a relatively compact package. For example, the 150-600mm DG OS HSM | Contemporary weighs in at just over four pounds and is just about a foot long in the camera bag.
Super-telephoto lenses can help bring a whole new level to your photography; and it just takes a little practice to get the hang of some of the particulars of working with long-reach lenses. Here are some top tips for making the most of super-telephoto zoom lenses.
1/2000 F6.3 ISO 400 at 600mm on a Canon EOS 6D.The herring gull catching a clam from the surf was caught wide open at 600mm on the 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary lens.
Use Aperture-Priority or Manual-Exposure mode to stay at the maximum aperture as you zoom in and out for the fastest possible shutter speed at any focal length to freeze action–whether it is birds in flight or a baserunner during a ballgame. This will also give the most shallow depth of field for great subject/background separation.
1/1600 at ISO 320 on the Sony A850.
A herring gull in flight, captured wide open at F6.3 at 500mm to allow for the fastest possible shutter speed. 1/1600 at ISO 320 on the Sony A850.
Freezing action and motion takes fast shutter speeds, so be mindful of keeping the lens as wide open as possible, and dialing up the ISO, when necessary, to keep super-short shutter speeds, especially early and late in the day.
Shutter speeds slower than reciprocal of the focal length can introduce camera and lens shake into the image, so either use a tripod or Optical Stabilizer when the shutter speed is slower than the inverse of the focal length. For example, at 500mm, you’ll need at least a 1/500 shutter speed to handhold without OS or tripod. At 200mm, you’ll need at least a 1/200 shutter speed.
Optical Stabilizer acts like an invisible tripod to minimize camera and lens movement at slower shutter speeds, so you can make sharp shots at slower shutter speeds. But fast-moving subjects may still be blurred due to subject-motion blur during the exposure at slower shutter speeds.
1/4000 F6.3 ISO 320, Sony A850.
Telephoto reach at 400mm allowed me to capture this crashing wave from a safe distance. And a super-fast 1/4000 shutter speed perfectly froze all the water in motion.
Take advantage of the ability to quickly zoom in and out to make very different takes of the same subject. The background for the same subject at the same distance from the camera can be rendered quite differently with just a simple increase or decrease in focal length.
Timing and composition count! It’s not enough just to fill the frame with a distant subject; the overall composition and engagement of the moment matter just as much as with shorter focal lengths.
1/3200 F6.3 ISO 400.
We are a half mile from Sandy Hook Lighthouse at 500mm in this image. Notice the rule of thirds placement of the Lighthouse’s lightroom. Composition counts, even with supertelephoto reach.
When tracking a moving subject, remember to continue to keep the panning motion going before, during, and until after the shutter is clicked, even at high shutter speeds. And also try stopping down the aperture significantly and using this same technique at much slower shutter speeds for panning effects on the background to really emphasize motion.
Stop down to smaller apertures to make the most of the telephoto compression effect. This can make a distant object loom larger in the frame and appear much larger and closer to the subject than normal human perspective. In addition to making landmarks appear massive, it is allows for giant suns and moons, especially near the horizon.
Mount monopods or tripods to the lens collar, never to the camera socket, with a telephoto lens, to keep the center of gravity balanced. This class of lens has some weight to it, and employing a tripod or monopod can help lighten the load during long shoots. While you may give some of the total range of motion, it does save on arm, back, and neck strain during long sessions.
Consider using Continuous Autofocus for moving subjects, Single Autofocus for still/stationary subjects, and manual focus for anticipating a moving subject to arrive at a spot. The first two are pretty obvious, but the third might not be. For example, if you know that birds frequently alight on a given spot on a fencepost, by pre-focusing in manual focus mode, you can catch the bird right as it alights, without the lens wanting to search/track for a focus point just as the action enters the frame. (Learn more here).
1/1600 F6.3 ISO 320, Sony A850.
I switched to manual focus to capture these tiny breaking wavelets so that I could fire the shutter just as the ripples began to break where I’d pre-focused. Choose Continuous AF, Single-shot AF or Manual focus depending on your subject.
Don’t get discouraged! It can take some practice to learn to frame, follow, and capture moving subjects when the field of view is so narrow. Tracking subjects at the shorter end of the focal range on a telephoto zoom lens is usually easier and a bit more forgiving, but for smaller subjects and greater distances, the super-telephoto reach helps make images with big impact. You can practice your tracking skills by following things that are moving at a constant speed—cars on a highway, for example.
This beach could be anywhere as framed here.
A slight change of composition turns this from a generic beach scene to one showing a city (Brooklyn, in this case) on the horizon across the water. You can use the narrow field of view to easily include or exclude background elements.
With such a narrow field of view, even slight change of positioning can have a big impact on the background tones and colorations to change the overall feel of an image. Use this to your advantage when you can to give the best possible background to your subject.
Most of all, remember to practice, learn, and have fun as you experiment with super-telephoto lenses.
Prime lenses are designed for exceptional imaging at a single focal length. Unlike zoom lenses that easily span a given focal range and variable field of view with a twist of the zoom ring, the field of view and focal length remains constant. If you want to take in less of the surroundings with a given prime lens, you’ve got to physically move closer, and to take in more of the scene, you’ve got to back up. But of course, as you move, the angle of view remains the same all the while.
It is true that switching to a prime for the first time may take a serious degree of adjustment for many photographers who’ve only worked with zooms, and the flick-of-the-wrist compositional versatility they offer. It is true the overall quality of zoom lenses has increased significantly over the past three decades. But there is still something, a certain charm, or a certain shift in the photographer’s eye, when the optic of choice is a single focal length lens. Continue reading Prime Time: Focus on Fixed Focal Length Lenses
Whether unwrapped as a surprise under the Christmas tree, or purchased with gift cards to take advantage of the great seasonal pricing on all sorts of photo-related gear and gadgetry this time of year, it’s a known fact that many photographers will be finding themselves the proud owners of new lenses, cameras, bags and accessories right around now. And whatever piece of new gear it is, it’s always important to check it out and run it through its paces before heading out to make a once-in-a-lifetime photo, to make sure you, the proud new owner, are both familiar with the gear, and ensure everything is working as it should.
This is the time of year for gifts of brand new photo gear!
In case you didn’t know, before joining Sigma, I tested all sorts of gear for several very popular photography magazines and websites. We’re talking benchmark testing of DSLRs and compacts, field tests of lenses, attempting to destroy overloaded camera bags and more. I’ve read more compact camera manuals cover to cover than I care to remember. I’ve worked in Betas (and even Alphas) of experimental processing software. I’ve learned a lot of things along the way, and here’s some of my best advice for quickly getting to know your new camera gear.
Let’s Start with Lenses
Unboxing and Checking AF
Unboxing a brand-new lens is quite a thrill. The new glass can offer a new way to see photographically, whether it’s a wider angle, a longer telephoto, or your first 1:1 macro lens, the acquisition of a new lens can lead to an explosion of visual creativity.
First, make sure all zoom and focus rings move smoothly. Check all switches for proper operation. Make sure the lens hood slides on easily and locks in place. And if your lens has a focus limiter, be sure it is in full range positioning before panicking that it can’t or won’t start or find focus through the full focal range.
Check all switches and zoom/focus rings are operating correctly on your new lens.
Learning how and when to use different settings and options for image capture is one of the most important parts of becoming a stronger photographer. There’s no setting or camera function that’s going to be perfect for all situations, while is exactly why there are so many options. For example, every DSLR offers a couple variations on Autofocus for either a Single-shot or Continuously tracking autofocus.
Each has it strengths and purposes, and even with that, there’s still times when switching the lens to manual focus is the best way to ensure that your chosen subject and focal point is sharp in the image. In this piece, we’re going to look at three photos of seagulls to briefly explore and explain the reasons why to choose one type of AF or manual focus over the others.
Single-Shot Autofocus
This laughing gull was perched on a telephone pole for several minutes. I set my camera to Single-shot AF so that once it locked onto the bird, I could fire off a few frames. I choose single-shot for stationary and effectively stationary subjects, such as this.
In a nutshell, here’s how single-shot autofocus works: You aim your lens at the subject and press the shutter button to engage autofocus. Once the AF algorithms determine that there is something in focus at the selected AF points, autofocus stops, and the lens stays at the focal distance until either the shutter is fired or the autofocus is reengaged by letting go of the shutter button to restart AF. This mode of Autofocus is best suited for stationary subjects, such as a family sitting on a bench for a posed portrait, a child napping in a crib, a posed shot of a child in their team uniform, a non-sentient subject such as a statue, or as shown here, a laughing gull sitting atop a telephone pole at water’s edge.
Continuous Autofocus
Here, again, we’ve got a gull, but this time, it’s in flight. Continuous AF keeps adjusting focus to ensure whatever is in-frame at the given focus point is sharp in the captured image, perfect for tracking a bird in the air.
Continuous Autofocus strives constantly to keep whatever is in the active AF point perfectly sharp. So long as the shutter button is held halfway down, the camera and lens keep working to ensure that whatever is in that AF zone is sharp when the shutter is fired. This is handy for moving subjects, such as runners approaching a finish line, horses trotting across a meadow, a child riding a trike down the lane, or a herring gull in flight over a bay. Tracking subjects in motion is trickier than capturing still subjects, and depending on the camera, lens, and subject contrast, it is likely that some shots will be missed. But remember, at the end of the day, it’s not about what you miss, but the shots you do succeed in capturing that truly count!
Skipping Autofocus and Opting for Manual Focus
Here is an example of when I’ll skip autofocus and switch into manual focus. I was waiting for gulls to alight on these old pilings, and I want to camera to snap the exposure the second a bird enters the frame, without searching for something to lock onto–since I’ve already locked onto where I anticipate the action to take place!
Despite the artificial intelligence of camera’s AF algorithms, there are times when good old human intuition should be employed to override the camera’s processors. And that’s why every camera and lens still offers a manual focusing ring. Continuing with our gull theme, one very good reason to switch to manual focus is when you can anticipate where the focal point is going to be, even if the subject hasn’t yet arrived there. So, for example, in this photo, we focused on the empty piling, then switched to manual focus, so that when one of the gulls in the area decided it was time to come if for a landing, we’d be ready instantly to snap the frame–without the camera engaging autofocus and searching out to the horizon and potentially missing the moment.
Another very good illustrative example of when and why to consider manual focus is the “stealing second base” scenario in baseball. There are times when it is very likely that the runner on first is going to make a break for second, and that’s where you’ll want to be focused, even if there’s nothing happening there at the moment. There’s only the bag to pre-focus on before the pitch, and you don’t necessarily want the base directly in center of the frame. But you can manually focus on the bag and recompose the frame so the bag in focus is lower in the frame and wait for the pitch. Then, once the pitch is away, and the runner sprints from first, you’re ready to fire off a series of frames as he enters the frame from the right and slides in while the 2nd Baseman enters the frame from the left and tries to make the catch and tag-out. There’s no AF search and confusion with the two moving subjects as the lens is in manual focus.
In short, this explains how, when, and why I choose a certain focus for a given photo situation. There are times when I might break these rules for various reasons, but more often than not, a photo situation can be mapped to one of these three gull-based scenarios.
If it is standing still, I choose single-shot.
If it is flying, I choose continuous.
If I am anticipating a takeoff or landing at a given point, I choose manual focus.
One of our key missions here with the No Fear Photography blog is to teach photographers to take more creative control of their cameras in order to make stronger photos because taking the camera off full-auto-everything puts the power of shutter speeds, ISO and F-stops firmly in your hands. There’s many more variables, too, such as white balance, single/continuous Autofocus or manual focus, and so on to be tweaked and tuned. And the more controls you adjust, the more chance there is, that at some point in your photography, you are going to miss a shot due to operator error.
This was supposed to be a photo of two ducks. It was captured at 1/60 second at F2.8 ISO 100 in broad daylight, which was absolutely not the proper settings for this situation! (look very closely near the middle of the frame and you can just about make a few dark smudges of tailfeathers…)
Don’t worry too much about it. It happens to everyone, every now and again.
