Lens News

Lomography’s new Neptune Convertible Art Lens System offers photographers a lightweight, modular approach to shooting, with a universal base unit that mounts to both film and digital cameras and three interchangeable front lens elements.

Long lenses are wonderful photographic tools. Their longer-than-"normal" focal lengths magnify everything, allowing you to get "close-ups" of subjects you can't (or don't want to) approach closely. The shorter long lenses (those in the 85--120mm range, for 35mm cameras) are ideal for portraits, because they produce a good head size at a...

Our favorite weird lens guru Mathieu Stern has found and used one of his rarest lenses yet: the Helios-65. This lens is so rare that there are no available mounts on the market to adapt it for use on an existing camera.

There are an abundance of inexpensive adapters available that enable photographers to use vintage lenses on modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, and it’s often possible to pick up a premium legacy lens for far less than the cost of a current entry-level or mid-priced lens.

When most photographers think of macro photography the first things that comes to mind are the balmy days of spring, and the warmth of summer. During those times interesting subjects abound, from budding plants and blooming flowers to colorful insects and other creepy-crawlies just about everywhere you look.

Most landscape photographers’ weapon of choice is a wide-angle lens—typically in the range of 24-35mm. But if you’re lucky enough to own an ultra-wide lens, and know how to use it properly, it’s possible to capture truly breathtaking photos of expansive vistas.

When people asked legendary editor Herbert Keppler why he sometimes wrote about cameras costing more than the average photographer could afford, he told me it was because of the Maserati factor. “Most people,” he said, “can’t afford a Maserati but like reading about them.” And I get that. My personal dream car is a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT, which sells for north of $450,000. Fortunately, medium format cameras, while expensive, cost less than that.