Better Information Retention

 

 Choosing the Right lens

When it comes to taking photos, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But the differences between lenses are a lot more significant than just personal taste. And they can easily change the way you see a scene. Right now, for example, I'm using my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens and I am capturing colors in a completely different way than if I had used another lens with its own color filter system (CFS). Did you know that there's an entire spectrum of differently-colored lenses available for your DSLR?

And, by the way, there's a reason why certain popular lenses from Canon and Nikon come in a variety of colors.

The Color Filter System (CFS) is the reason why photographers love the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens and its different colored versions. And, after experiencing it myself, I would say that it's one of the most beautiful things you could experience when taking photographs with your DSLR.

The main advantage of using CFS is that the color filter acts as a "look at" filter that will make you see everything in a more colorful way than normal. This is especially helpful when you are capturing portraits. The red filter in the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens will, for example, make skin look more natural and, at the same time, it will make eyes pop out against a blue background. And this is just one of several scenarios where the different colors of lenses can help you with your photography.

The only disadvantage of CFS is that they tend to be more expensive than regular lenses. And if you're buying for yourself, going with a version with different colors can end up being overkill by itself: there are actually two versions available (orange and white), but they are pretty much identical in terms of quality and performance.

However, if you are buying a lens as a gift for someone who is new to DSLR photography, then the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens is one of the best options out there. Even if your loved ones end up choosing not to use this lens for anything else, they will still be able to use it as an "art piece" on their coffee table . 

So, what are some of the other ways CFS can be used?

One way that many photographers find helpful when using CFS lenses is by mounting them directly onto their camera and shooting in low-light conditions. Instead of having to wait until it gets completely dark, CFS lenses allow photographers to capture scenes where the lighting is a bit dimmer than normal. A good example of this would be shooting at sunset time, when the sky is still illuminated, and you want your photo to have that warm orange glow.

But how exactly does this help?

The reason using a CFS lens for low-light photography works so well is that the lens has its own built-in light-reducing filter. By adding an additional layer of red on top of the image sensor, there's less light that will pass through – and this allows you to take photos in darker situations than normal.

Now, do you remember how I mentioned that there are two versions of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens?

The main difference between them is that one of them has a red ring around the lens (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II) while the other doesn't have a ring of any color (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8). 

In terms of price, they are pretty much identical: your best option is just to buy the orange version (with a red ring), since it shows you're really serious about using CFS lenses in your photography.

And, if you're going to buy a lens from a store (rather than it coming directly from Canon), the most important thing to keep in mind is that, if you see any of the following labels on the packaging, don't hesitate to skip it :  

1) If the product is not shipped from Canon. All CFS lenses are manufactured by Canon and thanks to that, they can be found on every local camera shop. And buying them there will guarantee that they are genuine and have only been produced by Canon (and not some other manufacturer).

2) If the packaging has only one color. In my opinion, if there's only one color on the packaging, then it's not worth buying. And if you're buying from a camera store, then sometimes the shop might not even know what CFS lenses are for and they just sell whatever is in stock.

3) If the package includes other items unrelated to lenses. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens comes with a lens hood , for example, which is an optional accessory (and not included on this list).

So, as you can see, there are plenty of reasons why you should always buy your CFS lens directly from Canon. And if you do, then you should expect to pay a little bit more.

However, there are some other products that also come with the CFS (like the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens, for example). And if you're not sure whether or not they're genuine, then why not ask a local camera shop? Chances are that they will be able to answer your questions without taking too long.

Here's what I would recommend when looking for CFS lenses:

If you already own a DLSR camera and making the switch from regular to CFS lenses is something that interests you , then I would recommend spending around $100 on the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens . The smaller and more portable the camera you are using, the more important it is to take advantage of the different colors that are available from CFS lenses. And this is especially true if you are looking for a lens with a similar perspective as the 50mm f/1.8 II (due to its wide angle perspective).

If you're buying a gift for someone new to DSLR photography , then I would recommend picking up either one of the orange versions of Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lenses . Again, since they are nearly identical in terms of quality and performance, there really isn't much reason not to go with the orange version unless you prefer it over white.

Conclusion

While CFS lenses are not necessarily an "important" addition to your photography, it definitely can make a difference in the way you see the world. And if you want to get the most out of these lenses, then you'll need to invest a little bit more into them than usual. It's just an added bonus if you're passionate about making sure that your photos are taken at (or close to) dusk or in low-light conditions.