Compare Lenses 2 – Ricoh Imaging Canada

Digital interchangeable lens choices are not limited to the almighty and easy-to-use standard kit lens. There are many other distinctive lenses that can expand your enjoyment of photography! Among those lenses, we would especially like to recommend the following four PENTAX interchangeable lenses. We hope you will put their capabilities to good use in a diverse range of situations. (Standard kit lens = The lens which can be purchased as a set with the camera body)

Which of these lenses would you choose? One more lens just right for you

Situation 01

With the DA 50mm F1.8, subject depth can be expressed using beautiful bokeh blurring effects.
Even an ordinary, everyday subject can result in a memorable image through the skillful use of bokeh.

smc PENTAX-DA 50mm F1.8

In order to give the blurred foreground leaves as soft a feel as possible, the photographer placed the focal point on the portion of the window frame farthest away. Compared to the image of the kit standard zoom lens, the impression given by the foreground blurring is similar, but there are differences in the softness of the part of the window frame not at the focal point and in the bokeh of the landscape reflected in the window.

Standard zoom kit lens

Compared to the image of the fixed-focal-length lens, the softness of this image feels somewhat lacking. Using only the kit standard zoom lens, you would likely have little chance to experience such differences. By changing lenses to learn about the atmosphere created by bokeh, you will be better able to understand and picture bokeh effects even when using this zoom lens.

Situation 02

For shooting portraits with contrasting sharpness, we recommend the DA 50mm F1.8.
It is brighter than the kit lens and beautifully blurs the background so you can shoot images that focus attention on the person.

smc PENTAX-DA 50mm F1.8

When you are ready to do portrait photography with something of a professional feel, the easiest lens to use is a bright medium telephoto lens with a large maximum aperture. Placing the model in shadow softened the impression given by her skin. With the kit standard zoom lens, the presence of the background inevitably becomes a concern.

Standard zoom kit lens

Differences between subject and background are one element that can make a photograph memorable. Using a bright fixed-focal-length lens reduces the limitations that background can exert, thereby making it possible to freely photograph a variety of scenes. Even the kit standard zoom lens can make up for problems in background selection.

Situation 03

With the DA 50mm F1.8, you can create expressive bokeh blurring that makes the subject stand out while also depicting the surroundings.
The presence of the subject can be further enhanced by skillfully narrowing down the range of what is in focus.

smc PENTAX-DA 50mm F1.8

The best approach is to find flowers that are beautiful and that stand out among the surroundings. First of all, look for the flowers that are to be the subject. Then, by paying attention to the nearby surroundings, you can compose the image in a way that makes use of soft foreground bokeh like that found in this image.

Standard zoom kit lens

Flowers that seem to stand out when viewed with the naked eye can recede into the surroundings in the resulting photograph. Slight angle differences can be a causal factor. Even when you are using the kit standard zoom lens, take a moment to visually check the angle one more time.

Situation 04

The DA 50mm F1.8 is a strong ally in the photography of moving animals.
The ability to softly blur the difficult-to-control background leaves you free to fully concentrate on tracking the subject.

smc PENTAX-DA 50mm F1.8

The appeal of this lens is evident in the bokeh blurring in which the background seems to melt. Unlike the kit standard zoom lens, this lens’s bright maximum aperture means that even indoors you can shoot with a relatively fast shutter speed without using an excessively high sensitivity setting.

Standard zoom kit lens

The kitten’s expression is cute, but the more you look at this photograph, the more the background atmosphere feels problematic. Children and animals such as cats will not in many cases move in a way that the photographer wants them to. When it is not possible to select an ideal background, one solution is to rely on the power of bokeh.

A lens with which you can easily enjoy the special photographic effects of bokeh blurring

Medium telephoto lens

smc PENTAX-DA 50mm F1.8

This lens has a medium telephoto angle of view. A distinctive characteristic of this angle of view is that it makes it easy to isolate your target area from the surrounding scene. Since it has a bright maximum aperture, the lens makes it easy to obtain soft bokeh blurring effects, and thereby use bokeh to further clarify your target subject. Choosing a main subject that is a little farther away than usual will help you frame a composition that can utilize foreground and background bokeh.