UNIT 4: SES AND OTHER ACCESSORIE Structure 4.0 Introduction 4.1 Learning Outcomes 4.2 Photographic Lenses 4.3 Photographic Lens : Important Features 43.1 Focal Length 43.2. Angle of View 433° Aperture 43.4 Focus 4.4 Types of Photographic Lenses 4.42 Classification on the Basis of Focal Length 4.42 Classification on the Basis of Flexibility to Change Focal Length 4.43 Classification on the Basis of Speed 444 Macro Lens 45 Accessories 4.6 Lens Care 47 Let Us Sum Up 4,8 — Further Readings 4.9 Check You Progress: Pos le Answers 4.0 INTRODUCTION Inphotography we see and record the world through lenses. Therefore, the lenses have an effect on the observed and recorded world. It shows the importance of lenses in photography. As a photographer we must know these lenses properly and only then we can use them efficiently for our needs. In this unit, we shall discuss in detail the various aspects of photographic lenses. 4.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES After going through this unit, you will be able to: + explain the different features of photographic lenses; + describe the various types of photographic lenses; and + dis scuss the uses of different accessories in photography. 4.2. PHOTOGRAPHIC LENSES he lenses used in photography are not simple lenses, they are quite complex. They contain many optical elements and by combining those optical elements a photography lens is made which can produce a better and sharper image. Many elements are combined in making a photography lens, but when we see their overall effect, it is a converging effect. Lens is also an important topic of science and studied with great depth. Lens designing or optical designing is a 47Digital Photography & Videography 48 highly specialized field. But in this unit, we shall discuss photography lenses according to the need of a mass communication student. We shall focus on the aspects of photography lenses that a photographer requires to know. Front Diaphragm element Image 4.1 Cross-section of a photographic lens Image Source: Rama, Inspired from _en:File:Symmetrical.png_ by en:User:Anoneditor, made from scratch by Rama, CC BY-SA 2.0 FR , via Wikimedia Commons 4.3 PHOTOGRAPHIC LENS : IMPORTANT FEATURES Inthis section, we shall discuss about various important features of photographic lenses. These are focal length, angle of view, aperture and focus. First we discuss the focal length, 4.3.1 Focal Length Focal length is the most common and important feature of any photographic lens. We identify camera lenses by their focal length. Every photographic lens must have its focal length mentioned on it But what is the focal length? Is it the physical length of the photographic lenses? No, not at all. Please do not get confused between the physical length of the lens and the focal length. Actually, focal length is the distance between the optical centre of the lens and the image sensor. The image sensor is placed at the focal plane. Focal length is measured in millimetres (mm). For example ~ 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 200mm, ete. Focal length plays a very important role in photography. It affects the angle of view or view field or the area captured, It also affects the depth of field. Bigger focal length, lesser depth of field. This means that a photograph taken with a 50 mm lens will have a greater depth of field than a photograph taken with a 100 mm lens, Now we shall discuss about angle of view. We shall also examine the relationship between focal length and angle of view. 4.3.2 Angle of View In photography, angle of view refers to the angular range of a scene that is captured by the camera in its image, Angle of view can be measured horizontal, vertical and diagonal. For example:i Angle of view of 50mm lens Diagonal - 46° , Horizontal - 40° , Vertical - 27° ii, Angle of view of 35mm lens : Diagonal - 63° , Horizontal - 54° , Vertical - 38° This range also gives an idea of the field view. The angle of view determines how much of the scene will be covered by the camera in its image. More angle of view means more area and things will be covered in image and less angle of view means less area and things will be in picture. Let us try to understand it with an example - you are taking a group photo of a large group of your classmates. You are using a lens that covers all your classmates. Now you change the lens and choose a new lens with less angle of view. If you don't change the distance between the group and the camera, some of your classmates standing on the outer edges of the group may disappear from, the picture. ‘The angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens and the camera format (the size of the image sensor). If the camera format is constant, then the focal length and angle of view have the following relationship: Longer Focal Length —> Narrower Angle of View For example (Canon lenses for 35mm format) : a, Angle of view of 50mm len: Diagonal - 46° , Horizontal - 40° , Vertical - 27° b. Angle of view of 85 mm lens : Diagonal - 28°30" , Horizontal - 24 , Vertical - 16° Angle of view of 800mm lens Diagonal - 03°0S', Horizontal - 02°35’ , Vertical - 01°40" All the above examples (a,b & c) show that the angle of view (diagonal, horizontal and vertical) decreases as the focal length increases. Another factor that affects Angle of View is the camera format or the size of the image sensor. Image sensors replaced films in photography and digital cameras use different sizes of image sensors, For example - Full frame (36x24mm), APS-H (Canon) (28.7x19mm), APS-C (Nikon, Sony, Fuji, etc.) (23.6x15.7mm), etc. If we use the same lens of a fixed focal length with full frame and APS-C cameras, it will give a wider angle of view in full frame camera than with APS-C. 4.3.3 Aperture Aperture is an important feature of photographic lenses. It is a hole or opening of the lens through which light enters the camera, You can change its size. It can be increased or decreased. If you increase its size then more amount of light will enter the camera and if it is reduced then relatively less light rays will be able to enter the camera, The entire amount of light falling on the outer surface of the lens does not cross the lens and go inside the camera. The amount of light that will be able to cross the lens is determined by the size of the aperture itself. Lenses and other Accessories 49Digital Photography & Videography 50 The size of the aperture is denoted by fnumbers or f-stops. For example: £/1.4, £12, £12.8, etc. Here, we should always keep one thing in mind that if the number is increasing, it means that the size of the aperture is decreasing. For example: If you compare f /22 and f/8, the aperture size of f/22 will be lesser than that of f/8. We shall discuss more about aperture in unit-7, 43.4 Focus The sharpest image in photography can be obtained at the focal plane and as we discussed above the light gathering surface of the image sensor is placed exactly at the focal plane. If the image is formed exactly at the focal plane, it will get maximum sharpness but images formed before or after the focal plane will be blurred, So in photography, it is important to ensure that the images are formed exactly at the focal plane. To achieve this accuracy, we adjust the distance between the subject, the lens, and the image sensor. This process is called focusing, Photographic lenses have both options - AF and ME. AF stands for automatic focus or autofocus and MF stands for manual focus. If you choose manual focus, you must rotate the focusing ring available on the camera lens to focus on your subject. Once you have achieved proper focus you press the shutter button. In the case of autofocus, the focusing ring locks and your camera automatically focuses on the subject. You cannot move the focusing ring in AF mode. Here, when you press the shutter button halfway down, a motor moves the optical elements in the lens to focus the subject. Check Your Progress : 1 Note: 1) Use the space below for you answers. 2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit. 1. What is focal length ? 2. Explain the term ‘Angle of View’ and how does it impact photography ? 4.4 TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHIC LENSES Lenses can be el: different types of len 4.4.1 Classification on the Basis of Focal Length On the basis of focal length, lenses can be classified into three following categories: section we shall discuss the classified on different bases. i. Normal/Standard Lens ii, Wide-Angle Lens iii, Telephoto Lensi, Normal/Standard Lens: A normal or standard lens gives almost the same perspective as the human eye. The viewing experience it provides is very close to that of the human eye. That’s why it is called normal or standard. The focal length of a normal lens varies with the format of the camera or the size of the image sensor. Generally, a lens with focal Jength approximately equal to the diagonal of the image sensor is called a normal lens, For a full frame camera (36x24 mm), the diagonal of image sensor is 43mm, so 50mm lens will be considered normal lens for this camera, In common terms 35mm to 50 mm lenses are considered as normal. ii, Wide-Angle Lens: Lenses with shorter focal length than the normal lens are called wide-angle lenses. Usually lenses smaller than 35mm focal length fall into this category. It gives wider angle of view or field of view and greater depth of field. These lenses can be used to photograph landscapes, architecture, large groups of people, etc. Wide-angle lenses are available as both prime and zoom lenses. Fisheye lens: Fisheye lenses are ultra-wide or super wide. They give angle of view of 180° or more. These lenses have very short focal length (usually less than 18mm). Fisheye lenses are used in landscapes, architectures, crowd, artistic photography etc. Barrel distortion is common in fisheye lenses. These lenses are available as both prime and zoom. For example: 16mm fixed focal length fisheye lens, 8-1 5mm. zoom fisheye lens, ete. iii, ‘Telephoto Lens: A lens which has significantly longer focal length than the normal is called telephoto lens. Generally, lenses 85mm or more fall in this category for full frame cameras. These lenses have narrower angle of view and lesser Depth of Field (DOF). Telephoto lenses bring distant objects closer and are popularly used in sports and wildlife photography. In wildlife photography you want to capture animals” ‘movements but you cannot get close to them. If you get close to animals they will not behave naturally and sometimes it can be dangerous. So, telephoto lenses, are the best option. Even in sports, you won't be able to get close to players during game, so the only way to get your subject closer is with a telephoto lens. Telephoto lenses are available as both prime lenses (fixed focal lengths) and zoom lenses. For example: 100-400mm, 70-300mm, ete. There may be another sub category in the category of telephoto lenses called super telephoto. Generally, lenses over 200 mm fall in this category. For example: 400mm, 600mm, 800mm, ete. 4.4.2 Classification on the Basis of Flexibility to Change Focal Length On the basis of the flexibility to change the focal length, photographic lenses can be divided into two following classes: i, Prime lens ii, Zoom lens i. Prime lens : Prime lenses are lenses whose focal length cannot be changed, They are also called fixed focal length lenses. In these lenses, Lenses and other Accessories 51Digital Photography & Videography 52 we do not have the flexibility to change the focal length. These lenses are optically less complex than the zoom lenses and generally their images are sharper. Since prime lenses are made up of a combination of fewer optical elements, they are also less prone to distortion. Prime lenses are smaller in size and cheaper than zoom lenses. It also offers wider aperture size than the zoom, so your image sensor gets more light. Wider aperture also allows for faster shutter speeds. For example — 50mm, 85mm, 200mm, ete ii, Zoom lens: Zoom lenses are such lenses which have a range of focal length and within that range we can change their focal length as per our requirement, For example, we take a zoom lens whose focal length is from 50mm to 200mm. In this case, we can change the focal length of this lens anywhere between minimum 50mm and maximum 200mm as per our needs. Zoom lenses are popular because photographers feel comfortable using them, There is no need to cary multiple fixed focal length lenses if you have a zoom lens. Zoom lenses also provide speed. You can take pictures of different situations without changing your lens. You just need to change the focal length in the same lens, We shall understand it with an example, Suppose you are a tree with a 50mm ens and suddenly you saw a beautiful bird on it. Now you want to capture it, but you need a telephoto lens to take that bird's picture. If you are using fixed focal length lens then you need to replace 50mm lens with 200mm telephoto lens. This takes time and it is possible that the bird will not be available due to this delay. Now just imagine that you were shooting with a 50mm-200mm/SSmm- 200mm zoom lens. So in this case, there is no need to replace the lens. You can quickly change your focal length to 200mm and capture the bird. There are different categories of zoom lenses available in the market. For Example: Fisheye zoom : 8mm-15mm Ultra-wide zoom ; 14mm-35mm, 10mm-18mm, 16mm-35mm, etc. Standard zoom : 18mm-5Smm, 1 8mm-135mm, 24mm-105mm, etc. Telephoto zoom : 70mm-200mm, 100mm-400mm, 100mm-500mm, etc. There are many advantages of zoom lens but some disadvantages too. Generally prime lenses have wider maximum aperture than a zoom, Since zoom lenses are quite complex and are made up of multiple optical elements, the chances of distortions are also high. Cheap zoom lenses are prone to distortions and good quality zooms are quite expensive, Zoom lenses are bigger and generally we tend to compromise on the perspective when using a zoom lens. 4.4.3 Classification on the Basis of Speed Lens speed is linked to the shutter speed allowed by a photographic lens, It depends on the maximum aperture size of the lens. If a lens has a larger maximum aperture, it can allow faster shutter speeds. On the basis of this criterion, photographic lenses can be classified into two following categories:i Fast Lens ii, Slow Lens Fast Lens: Fast lenses are lenses with large maximum aperture. In general, lenses with maximum aperture of {12.8 or higher fall into the category of fast lenses, The larger aperture allows more light to enter the camera. So we can go for a faster shutter speed without reducing the amount of light required for photographs. Since these lenses have wide maximum aperture, they will be useful in situations where we shoot in low light conditions or we need to use a fast shutter speed without compromising on exposure. We can understand this with an example. Suppose you have to shoot an indoor sports event, You need to go with fast shutter speed to freeze the actions of the players but you also need proper light on your photos. So, if you have a fast lens with a large maximum aperture, you will increase the shutter speed as well as the size of the aperture to freeze the motion with proper exposure. We shall discuss these things more in Unit 7. ii, Slow Lens : Slow lenses are lenses with relatively small maximum aperture, Since they have relatively small maximum aperture, they need to go with slower shutter speeds to get the optimal exposure 4.4.4 Macro lens Macro lenses are used for extreme close-up photography. If you want to capture a small beautiful insect with all its details then you need a macro lens because with normal lens it will be difficult to focus the insect very closely. These lenses enable us to record 1/2 life size to life size images without any accessories. 1/2 life size means 1:2 reproduction ratio and life size means 1:1 reproduction ratio. Here you need to understand what the reproduction ratio is. The reproduction ratio is the ratio between the size of the image recorded on the image sensor and the actual size of the subject. It can be calculated by dividing the size of the image recorded on the image sensor by the actual size of the subject. So if the size of the image recorded on the image sensor is equal to the actual size of the subject then itis said to be life size (reproduction ratio 1:1) and if the size of the image recorded on the image sensor is half of the actual size of the subject, itis called 1/2 life size (reproduction ratio 1:2) Check Your Progress : 2 Note: 1) Use the space below for you answers. 2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit. 1, What is a zoom lens and how is it different from a prime lens? 2. Differentiate between wide angle lens and telephoto lens Lenses and other Accessories 53Digital Photography & Videography 54 45 i ACCESSORIES Lens Hood : Lens hood is a device which is placed at the end of a photographic lens. It blocks the rays of light (from strong light sources) coming into the lens from side angles and causing glare or lens flare. By doing so it improves the image contrast. Lens hood is also useful to protect the front element of camera lenses from scratches, accidental impacts, fingerprints, etc. Generally there are two types of lens hoods available in market - Cylindrical and Petal-type. Cylindrical lens hoods should be avoided with wide angle lenses, When using a lens hood, we need to be careful for two things - the lens hood shouldn't get into your photos and it shouldn't block your built-in flash. Image 4.2 Lens with and without lens hood Source: Tom Rocleveldfrom Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons UY Filter : UV filter means ultraviolet filter. It was very useful in the days when photography cameras used films. Tt reduces the amount of ultraviolet rays entering the camera to improve the image. Photographic films were quite sensitive to UV rays. But now in the age of digital photography there is not much need for additional UV filters to cut off UV light as digital cameras are less sensitive to UV rays. But UV filters are also used to protect lenses. It is like an additional protective shield on the front surface of your photographic lens. Sometimes accidental seratches can occur in the lens. If you use a UV filter, then instead of expensive lenses, there will be scratches on the filter. It is advisable to use a good quality UV filter to maintain your image quality. Cheap UV filters may spoil your image quality. Tele-converter : A teleconverter can be used to enhance the telephoto effect of a lens. It is attached between the camera body and the lens If you have a 70mm-200mm lens and you use a 1.4x magnification teleconverter you can get the effect of a 280mm lens. And you can get the effect of up to 400mm lens if you use a 2x magnification teleconverter. Teleconverters are small in size and are cost effective. If you have 70mm- 200mm lens but you want to shoot with 400mm lens then you have two options. Buy a 400mm lens or go with a compatible 2x magnification teleconverter, Teleconverter option will be quite economical for you.Lens speed or loss of light and possible decline in sharpness are some of Lenses and other the disadvantages of using teleconverters. Accessories iv. Extension Tubes : Extension tube is an accessory used between the ‘camera body and the lens. It increases the distance between the lens and the image sensor. It is also called extension ring. Extension tubes help in closer focusing and enable you to do macro photography without a true macro lens. v. Reversal Ring Adapter : This adapter helps to fit the lens with the ‘camera in reverse position, First fit this adapter to your camera body and then you can mount your lens on the camera in reverse position, This technique is used for macro photography. vi. Lens Case/bag : The lens case is used to store or transport lenses safely. These cases/bags are available in different sizes. Lens Cap: Lens caps are very useful as they protect the camera lens from scratches and fingerprints. 4.6 LENS CARE Lens is one of the most important components of our camera and must be taken care of properly. By keeping the following things in mind, we can protect our photographic lenses + We should always use lens cap + Donot carry the camera on your shoulder + Do not carry the camera in a bag containing other loose items without lens protection + Clear glass UV filter can be used to protect the lenses + Lens hoods are also useful for protecting the photographie lenses - Clean the lens with lens cleaning fluid + Never clean the lens with a dirty or rough cloth as it can scratch the lens + Lens fungus is also a threat to photographic lenses. To keep the lenses safe from fungal growth, they should be kept away from dust and moisture. Always keep lenses in a cool and dry place. + Ifyou are not going to use your camera lenses fora long time, keep them ina dust-free and moisture-proof cabinet with a silica gel packets. These silica gel packets absorb moisture. ‘Activity 1 Take pictures of the same subject from the same distance with lenses of different focal lengths. You can also use a zoom lens and take pictures by setting different focal lengths. Compare all photographs and write down your observations. Check Your Progress : 3 Note: 1) Use the space below for you answers. 2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit. 55Digital Photography & Videography 56 1. List five things that should be kept in mind to protect photographie lenses. 2. Explain the uses of any three camera lens accessories. 4.7 LET US SUM UP Lenses play an important role in photography. If you want to become a good photographer, then you must have proper knowledge of photographic lenses. Understanding lenses and their features helps us to choose suitable lenses for various photographic assignments. In this unit we have discussed various aspects of photographic lenses. We talked about the important features of camera lenses ice. focal length, angle of view, aperture and focus. We also discussed the different types of lenses and their uses. And lastly, lens accessories also help us in photography. We have also discussed about these accessories in this unit. 4.8 FURTHER READINGS Kelby, S. (2012). The digital photography book. Po Langford, M., Fox, A., & Smith, R. S. (2015). Langfords basic photography: the guide for serious photographers. 10th Edition. Amsterdam: Focal Press/ Elsevier. chpit Press. Peterson, B. (2016). Understanding exposui with any camera. AmPhoto books. Judge, A. (2013). Understanding DSLR Lenses: An Illustrated Guidebook, }ow to shoot great photographs 4.9 CHECK YOU PROGRESS: POSSIBLE ANSWERS Check Your Progress : 1 1. Focal length is the distance between the optical centre of the lens and the image sensor. The image sensor is placed at the focal plane. Focal length is measured in millimetres (mm). For example - 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 200mm, ete. Focal length is the most common and important feature of any photographic lens, We identify camera lenses by their focal length Every photographic lens must have its focal length mentioned on it. 2. Inphotography, Angle of View refers to the angular range of a scene that is captured by the camera in its image. Angle of view can be measured horizontal, vertical and diagonal. For example: Angle of view of 50mm lens (diagonal - 460 , horizontal - 400 , vertical - 270), Angle of view of 35mm lens (diagonal - 630, horizontal - 540 , vertical - 380 ). This range also gives an idea of the field view. The angle of view determines how much of the scene will be covered by the camera in its image. Moreangle of view means more area and things will be covered in image and less angle of view means less area and things will be in picture. Check Your Progress : 2 1 Zoom lenses are such lenses which have a range of focal length and within that range we can change their focal length as per our requirement. For example, we take a zoom lens whose focal length is from 50mm to 200mm, In this case, we can change the focal length of this lens anywhere between minimum 50mm and maximum 200mm as per our needs. On the other hand, prime lenses are lenses whose focal length cannot be changed. They are also called fixed focal length lenses, In these lenses, we do not have the flexibility to change the focal length. Lenses with shorter focal length than the normal lens are called wide- angle lenses. Usually lenses smaller than 35mm focal length fall into this category. It gives wider angle of view or field of view and greater depth of field. On the other hand a lens which has significantly longer focal length than the normal is called telephoto lens. Generally, lenses 85mm or more fall in this category for full frame cameras. These lenses have narrower angle of view and lesser Depth of Field (DOF). Telephoto lenses bring distant objects closer and are popularly used in sports and wildlife photography. ‘Check Your Progress : 3 1 By keeping the following five things in mind, we can protect our photographic lenses . ‘We should always use lens cap. + Do not carry the camera in a bag containing other loose items without lens protection, + Lens hoods are also useful for protecting the photographic lenses. + Never elean the lens with a dirty or rough cloth as it ean scrateh the lens. Use lens cleaning fluid to clean the lens. + If you are not going to use your camera lenses for a long time, keep them in a dust-free and moisture-proof cabinet with a silica gel packets. These silica gel packets absorb moisture. Lens Hood: Lens hood is a device which is placed at the end of a photographic lens. It blocks the rays of light (from strong light sources) ‘coming into the lens from side angles and causing glare or lens flare. By doing so it improves the image contrast. Lens hood is also useful to protect the front element of camera lenses from scratches, accidental impacts, fingerprints, ete. Tele-converter : A teleconverter can be used to enhance the telephoto effect of a lens. It is attached between the camera body and the lens. If you have a 70mm-200mm lens and you use a 1.4x magnification teleconverter you can get the effect of a 280mm lens Lenses and other Accessories 37Digital Photography & Videography 58 Extension Tubes : Extension tube is an accessory used between the camera body and the lens. It increases the distance between the lens and the image sensor. It is also called extension ring, Extension tubes help in closer focusing and enable you to do macro photography without a true macro lens