What is the most important part of your camera? To all those who answered “lens”, you’re on the right track! There are many who believe that the power of the camera lies in the body or the accessories, but let’s take a close look at whether that is true.

The megapixel wars

Circa 2000, digital cameras started gaining in size, megapixel size. From the time when a digital camera cost almost Rs 10,000 for a 1.3-megapixel version, we are today at a stage when a 7.1-megapixel consumer camera costs far less. A natural result of this was that a myth got popular that higher the megapixel count, better the camera and the photos it takes. To be honest, this is as true as the age-old “size does matter” adage!

In reality, if you think about it, what good is a fabulous 5 (or 7) megapixel sensor if the lens that is passing the light to it is substandard? Answer: no good! So when you apply the same logic to your SLR (whether digital or analog), you have to realise that the sensor won’t do magic with the quality of light being passed on to it through the lens. So it really doesn’t matter if you have the best camera body, stablest of tripods, fanciest of film (or the largest of memory cards) if the lens simply isn’t up to scratch.

But with the advent of the digital SLR came issues with its 35-mm-equivalent size. In lay terms, that simply tells you what the sensor size is compared to the conventional 35-mm frame. How this affected the quality of the image was by reducing the size to fit the ‘equivalent’ sensor. Which only meant that one needed better quality lenses all the more.

Zoom lenses

There was a time when only ‘prime’ or ‘block’ lenses were the norm. However, with the passage of time and technical advances, zoom lenses became the norm. A 28-80mm zoom lens became standard and these lenses employed complex structures of say 16 glass elements in 13 groups causing the light to go through way too many more ‘filters’ than necessary. A block lens on the other hand employed as few as 6 or 8 elements keeping the light and subsequent image quality ‘cleaner’.

When looking for a zoom lens as well, it is important to consider the internal parts that will move. Of course, if your work demands that you have a 400mm zoom lens, you can’t do much, but for the regular user, it is recommended to stagger the zoom range over three or four lenses. So a kit can include a 28-80mm, an 80-200mm, a 200-400mm lens (if you must, that is) to ensure quality.

Meaning?

What this means is that while the sensors in digital cameras will get larger and finer, they will only bring out the deficiencies that the lenses offer. So while a sensor is looking for the finer details to use the full range of its 12, 15 or 20 megapixel sensor, the lens is not up to the mark to deliver this. The easiest solution of course is to shift entirely to prime lenses. But that is not necessarily the most practical solution. For one, it will increase the investment while also fattening the kit you carry around.

It is also recommended that you be prudent in your investment of lenses. Don’t buy a telephoto zoom if you are only going to use it once in a very long time. Be practical and buy smaller zooms that will also make it less intimidating when you shoot.

Most importantly, if you have no clue what we’re talking about here, borrow a prime lens from someone and try a few shots. You’ll know the difference.