Nikon Lenses: From Snapshots to Great Shots

Book description

You own a Nikon DSLR, but which Nikon (Nikkor) lens is best for your shooting style and your budget? This guide by pro photographer Jerod Foster will help you learn the features of Nikon lenses to capturevthe stunning pictures you want for a price that matches your needs.

Foster starts with the basics of using lenses in the Nikon lineup–from kit, to prime, to wide angle, to telephoto, to zoom, and more. Whether it’s portraits, landscapes, sports, travel, or night photography, you will have a better understanding of the different Nikon lenses and your choices for investing in them. In this guide you will:

  • Master the key camera features that relate to lenses–depth of field, perspective, and vibration reduction

  • Learn the difference between full frame versus cropped sensors and how they affect specific lenses

  • Understand best practices for maintaining your lenses and for taking better pictures

  • Accessorize your Nikon lenses with lens rigs, extenders, and other add-on equipment

  • Minimize lens flaws such as distortion and chromatic aberration in post processing with Lightroom

  • Grasp all the concepts and techniques as you go, with assignments at the end of every chapter

  • Beautifully illustrated with large, compelling photos, this book for beginning-to-intermediate digital photographers will help you get the image you want every time you pick up your camera. And once you have the shot, show it off and join the book’s flickr group: www.flickr.com/groups/nikonlenses_fromsnapshotstogreatshots.



    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Copyright Page
    3. Dedication
    4. Acknowledgments
    5. Contents
    6. Introduction
      1. What’s Covered in This Book?
      2. Not a Technical Manual
      3. Have Fun and Experiment
    7. 1. The Nikon Lenses
      1. Top eight considerations
      2. Poring Over the Lens
      3. Poring Over the Lens
      4. 1. Lens Nomenclature
      5. 2. Fast vs. Slow Lenses
      6. 3. Full-Frame vs. Crop Sensors
      7. 4. Autofocus vs. Manual Focus
      8. 5. Prime vs. Zoom
      9. 6. Minimum Sustaining Shutter Speed
      10. 7. The Lens Trinity
      11. 8. Investment
      12. Conclusion
      13. Chapter 1 Assignments
    8. 2. Depth of Field and Perspective
      1. Using the visual controls of the lens
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Plane of Critical Focus and Aperture
      4. Perspective
      5. Chapter 2 Assignments
    9. 3. Ultra-Wides and Wides
      1. Expansive opportunities
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. How Wide Can You Go?
      4. Keep an Eye on the Glass
      5. Ultra-Wides for Every Day
      6. Composing With Wide-Angles
      7. The Wide-Angle Portrait
      8. Chapter 3 Assignments
    10. 4. Standard Zooms and Primes
      1. Image-making with the most popular lenses
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. The Go-To Lenses
      4. Composing With Standard Zooms and Primes
      5. 50mm: Normal Perspective
      6. 85mm: Standard Portrait Lens
      7. The All-Around Lens
      8. Chapter 4 Assignments
    11. 5. Telephotos
      1. The big glass
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Go Big or Go Home
      4. Composing With Telephotos
      5. Practice, Practice, Practice
      6. Chapter 5 Assignments
    12. 6. Specialty Lenses
      1. Close-ups (macros) and perspective control
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Close-up (Macro) Lenses
      4. Perspective-Control Lenses
      5. Chapter 6 Assignments
    13. 7. Accessorizing
      1. Lens add-ons that work
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Teleconverters
      4. Extension Tubes
      5. Filters
      6. Lens Covers
      7. Chapter 7 Assignments
    14. 8. Best Practices
      1. Lens care and tips for making better pictures
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Maintenance and Good Habits
      4. Shooting Equipment and Techniques
      5. Chapter 8 Assignments
    15. Index
    16. 9. Postprocessing
      1. Minimizing lens flaws
      2. Poring Over the Picture
      3. Lens Distortion
      4. Chromatic Aberration
      5. The Vignette
      6. Chapter 9 Assignments

    Product information

    • Title: Nikon Lenses: From Snapshots to Great Shots
    • Author(s): Jerod Foster
    • Release date: November 2014
    • Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
    • ISBN: 9780133904260