What kind of lens is that?

Prezwoodz

So I bought my first DSLR from Charlemange here on the site and while I wait for it to show I decided to check out my lens options! Okay now my question is what do all the letters mean?

IF , IS , EF, ect...

Also I notice the second numbers such as /1.8 (which im guessing is apature) seem to make a cheaper lens if it is higher. How much of a difference does it really make?

ya....im a total noob.

David_S85

Ahem, cough... It would help to know the lens brand.

20DNoob

Well you bought the 20D so here goes.

IF= Internal focusing.

IS=Image stabilizer.

EF=What mount the lens/camera body is.

Your right about the 1.8 being the aperture and generally speaking the bigger the number cheaper the price. That being the front element gets much bigger the lower the number having to allow more light in. Bigger better grade glass equals more money.

Take the 50mm versions for example.

50mm 1.8= $79.95(B&H)

50mm 1.4= $309.95(B&H)

50mm 1.2= $1,599(B&H)

50mm 1.0= $3,959(used in EX condition@KEH)

The smaller the number, the greater the depth of field(DOF) also referred to as bokeh(DOF/bokeh=background blur).

Click here for examples of the 50mm 1.4 shooting the same scene but changing apertures(from f/1.4 to f/8) to show the effect. Not my stuff, just something I found for demonstration purposes.

I hope this helps out a little, if I'm wrong here about anything I hope others here will chime in to correct me. Lol, it's late and I haven't been sleeping much lately.:crazy

Good luck.

Scott_Quier

20DNoob wrote:

The smaller the number, the greater the depth of field(DOF) also referred to as bokeh(DOF/bokeh=background blur).

Depth of Field refers to the distance range in the shot that is in focus. The smaller the number, the larger the diameter of the light gathering aperture and the NARROWER the depth of field.

Or, said another way, the smaller the number, the more of the shot will be OOF.

Decreasing the aperture (increasing the f-stop number) will tend to, all else being equal, increase the distance range that is in focus.

HiSPL

To simplify things even more.... If you plan on taking any shots indoors or at night you should really look for something with a f stop of 2.8 or less.

You will be happier in the long run if you put your money into a lens that can be used at almost any time of day or night.

Sigma and Tamron make some fine lenses, but they also make lots of dogs, so pay attention to the reviews before you commit.

2 Lenses that I recommend when you are first starting are Canon's 50/1.8 which is super cheap, but the image quality is just fantastic for what your paying, and the Sigma 28-70/2.8 EX DG zoom. The Sigma is in the middle range when it comes to build quality and imaqe quality. It works and feels really good, and my wife and I are very happy with ours, but it is not a Canon L series. It also does not cost more than your 20D!

If you pick up one of these lenses (or something similar) you should be able to figure out where you want to go in terms of lenses. You could go longer for sports and wildlife, or shorter for landscapes and people. Faster for low light, slower for outdoors and hiking (fast glass weighs alot).

Whatever you do, stay away from the hundreds of "kit lenses" on eBay, Canon's 18-55 EF-S is a good example. if the deal seems to good to be true then it probably is. If you find a lens for sale, google it and find some reviews and read, read, read....

Good luck!

claudermilk

20DNoob wrote:

Well you bought the 20D so here goes.

IF= Internal focusing.

IS=Image stabilizer.

EF=What mount the lens/camera body is.

Your right about the 1.8 being the aperture and generally speaking the bigger the number cheaper the price. That being the front element gets much bigger the lower the number having to allow more light in. Bigger better grade glass equals more money.

Take the 50mm versions for example.

50mm 1.8= $79.95(B&H)

50mm 1.4= $309.95(B&H)

50mm 1.2= $1,599(B&H)

50mm 1.0= $3,959(used in EX condition@KEH)

The smaller the number, the greater the depth of field(DOF) also referred to as bokeh(DOF/bokeh=background blur).

Click here for examples of the 50mm 1.4 shooting the same scene but changing apertures(from f/1.4 to f/8) to show the effect. Not my stuff, just something I found for demonstration purposes.

I hope this helps out a little, if I'm wrong here about anything I hope others here will chime in to correct me. Lol, it's late and I haven't been sleeping much lately.:crazy

Good luck.

Good info. To expand on the nomenclature a bit:

EF: Canon's current all-electronic control lens mount. You'll want this type, not the older FD.

IS: Adds the image stabilization feature to help with camera movement on hendheld shots.

IF: Internal focus means all the focus movement is inside the lens, so the front element does not move. This is really helpful whn using polarizers and gradient neutral density filters.

There's a whol list of other cryptic abbreviations they use, and I'm certain there's a publication describing them all, I just cannot find it easily right now.

Prezwoodz

Thanks guys for all the help. Definatly exactly what I was looking for! Im in debt to buy the camera so the lens it came with will have to do for now! heh but atleast now I have a better idea of what I should get.

claudermilk

Really the only bits that you have to look out for is that the lens is an EF, or EF-S lens (since you apparently have a 20D, it can take the EF-S lenses), beyond that the focal length and max apreture are far more important, followed by whether or not you need IS on the lens. Everything else is just clues as to how it's built.