Chapter 4: Using Lenses with the Canon EOS Rebel T5i/700D
Have you ever wondered how professional photographers get such beautiful, colorful, and sharp photographs? The photographer’s skill plays an important role, but when it comes to equipment, the lens is the key to creating sharp images. No matter how good the camera body is, light travels through the lens before it reaches the camera’s sensor. If you use a poor quality or defective lens, it is much harder to create high-quality imagery. The Canon EOS Rebel T5i/700D is a dSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. This means you are not limited to the range and quality of a fixed camera lens. You can change the lens on a dSLR to suit your needs, vision, or photographic opportunities. In this chapter, I attempt to answer many of the most often asked questions about lenses.
This photograph was taken using a fisheye lens.
Choosing a Good Lens
Before talking about lenses, I’ll start with the basics. Understanding the proper way to attach a lens and hold your camera helps you take better photos. The idea is to use your hand as a base and your arm as a tripod to stabilize the camera and lens from the bottom. The larger the lens, the more important it is to properly support it, as shown in Figure 4.1. The EF (electrofocus) lens is Canon’s standard model. EF-S lenses are designed for Canon cameras, such as your Rebel T5i/700D, because ...
