Upgrading Your Camera Lens – How To Choose Your First Step Up

You can learn a lot about photography with the glass that came with your kit, but like every photographer, you’ll soon consider upgrading your camera lens.

Choosing that first step up lens can be daunting – after all, there’s so much choice! But with our help, you can save money, find the perfect lens for you, and enjoy the benefits of improved performance.

That’s the million-dollar question! Fortunately, the answer to this is often easier than you might think. If you’re already thinking about upgrading your camera lens, then you must be finding limitation in your kit lens. Perhaps you’ve developed an interest in wildlife photography, and the kit lens doesn’t have the reach; maybe you like the idea of macro, and you can’t get close enough – the answer is usually right in front of you!

If you’re still struggling to find the perfect upgrade, you can look at your image catalogue for inspiration. Do you have hundreds of photos of people? Have you naturally gravitated towards landscapes or architecture? The photos you love taking often hold clues for your next upgrade.

Don’t worry if you’re still nervous about investing in a new lens – there are ways to try out new glass before you buy. If you’re considering a sizable purchase – maybe a big telephoto for wildlife, or a fast prime for portraits – you can hire lenses from companies like lensesforhire.co.uk or join a camera club where friendly photographers will probably let you try theirs.

50mm prime – pound for pound there’s nothing better than a 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 for general photography. They allow you to shoot with narrower depth of field and in low light, and they usually have great image quality.

Fast zoom – a standard zoom (roughly 18-50mm on a crop body or 24-70mm on full-frame) with an f/2.8 aperture is the perfect upgrade for many occasions. A great walkabout lens that you can put into service for landscapes, portraits and family functions. There’s a reason that these are the wedding photographer’s ‘go-to’ lens!

Macro – a macro lens opens up whole new tiny worlds. A 60mm will be long enough if you want to shoot static objects, but if you’re interested in bugs you’ll need something with a focal length of 100mm or over.

We hope that this quick guide to upgrading your camera lens is helpful, and leads to many years of happy shooting and fabulous canvas prints to hang on your walls as a result!