Jargon - lenses for dummies

Hello all

So i got the panasonic lumix g3 for my first 'major' camera.
But i need a little help with all the technical words and what they mean, in regards to lenses.

I only have the basic cheapo lens that came with, and will be looking to get a nice big zoom lens, as well as a basic 'normal' lens to take whatever shots.. close ups and what not.
But what am i looking for? Focal length.. Apertures.. Focus distance etc.etc.

Bit of a novice, need some simple dumbed-down explanations please.
(And be gentle with me!)

 

My advice, and I don't know anything about the g3, is to first explore the capabilities of your 'basic lens' as some of the basic lenses that come with cameras are actually quite good and versatile. When you've found the limitations of the lens you've got and your new camera, then start thinking about what you'd like to photograph - is it wildlife with a zoom or long focus "prime lens" or close-up "macro"?
Take your time and learn to use what you've already got and that will teach you about apertures and focal lengths and speed and sensitivity and you'll then be in a better position to decide on what you'd like to invest in next.

It's a complex subject and 'dumbed down' explanations are not easy.

 

Just wondering, did it come with zoom lens?

 

It came with the very basic zoom lens, 14-42mm.
It is a manual zoom (not a problem) but does not even have O.I.S - that's all the lens does really. So to me it seems to be a very cheap basic lens, which is not surprising as it came with the body - which is pretty normal unless your spending a heck of a lot on a bundle kit.

 

oh.

What's O.I.S?

And for what its worth all SLR cameras I have ever owned all had manual zoom lens, never heard of electric zoom until I saw it on a compact.

 

Mine is a compact system
And O.I.S is the image stabilization.

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_...495350/index.html?view=&colourVar=DMC-G3KEB-R

 

I am inclined to agree with Dave's comments above regarding getting to know what you already have.

I had a quick look at some sample images taken with the Lumix 14-42 zoom and they look pretty reasonable to me and the range is about as useful as you can get in a standard zoom. My currently most used lens - by a mile - has very similar field of view and zoom range.

 

As said earlier, i would like a lens that i could take portrait and close up's with, along with the far reaching shots of wildlife.

I must admit, you do notice the lack of O.I.S a lot! The question is, was the zoom you saw images from from the cheapo lens, or the one you can buy for about £75 which is the same zoom etc. but with added plus of things like the O.I.S.?

But still, no one going to explain anything? I wanted to know what some of the terms mean - that was what this post was for. Such as what does the term 'aperture' mean etc.

 

Aperture is the hole in the lens and can be varied from small (narrow) to large (wide). It allows light to fall on the camera's sensor that in turn records the image. A small (narrow) aperture gives greater depth of focus than a wide one. So if you want to isolate a subject from the background use a wide aperture ot if you want everything sharp go the the narrow end of the scale.
Because the aperture determines the amount of light falling on the sensor a narrow aperture may mean you have to increase the time of the exposure to get enough light onto the sensor. The problem with longer exposure is the possibilty of camera shake or subject movement creating a blurred image. However you can also adjust the sensitivity (The ISO) of the sensor and make it more or less sensitive but increasing ISO will have a certain level result in "grainy" images.
Aperture + Speed + ISO sensitivity are all variables and when you have them all set correctly you'll get the image you are wanting to create.
It is a vast and fairly complex subject and there's far too much for me to go into here. There are load of books on the subject - The xxx for Dummies series will probably have one on DSLR photography and there are I know many other ones that would give you a good understanding.

 

Ah I get you. That is very interesting to take into consideration, and definitely will depend on what the subject is.

Would i then presume that a large range of aperture (in regards to details of lenses) would mean a large adjustment between sharp details images of say, a landscape; and having a focused subject such as a particular subject amoungst a lot of 'activity'? Giving you a large range for adjustment?

 

See if this article helps clarify issues of focus and depth of field. >

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html