Quick and Informative Intro to SLR Lenses for Beginners

The world of camera lenses can be a bit daunting when you first start out, and so a videographer and photographer have joined forces to put together a fun (and funny) introduction to all the basic lens options, what they do, and what situations you might use them in.

The video is useful for the video and photo junkies among us, as we get both the videographer and photographer perspective. They cover everything from fast lenses, to telephotos, to wide-angle lenses, to fish-eye lenses.

Obviously a four-minute video isn’t enough to get comprehensive about all of the myriad lens options within each of these categories, but for someone just starting out, it’ll help them navigate the world of glass and decide, if not which, then at least what type of lenses to buy.

Admittedly, all of the lenses they cover in the video are pretty expensive — not many beginners can afford to pony up for a 50mm f/1.2 if they need a fast lens. But the lesson is about the types of shots you can get with specific types of lenses, not about the lens within that category you need to buy. If you’re a beginner, just get a nifty fifty (50mm f/1.8) if you want a fast lens.

Check out the video at the top to get a bit more detail, and you experienced folk feel free to drop further explanations or more tips in the comments for our beginner readers.