A Gift That Keeps On Giving, with Jennifer Spelman

‘Tis the season for giving and getting new equipment! If a new lens is a possibility in your stocking, there are a lot of variables to explore. Zoom versus fixed, telephoto versus wide-angle, fast versus slow. Truth is, most equipment purchases are fairly personal decisions based on subject matter, weight and cost.

That having been said, there is one lens I always recommend for beginning photographers to consider. A fixed 50mm lens is small, sharp and able to photograph in extremely low light. Want to capture the essence of those holiday lights? Snap candids at a dinner party without using your flash? The 50mm is your lens. With aperture possibilities of 1.4 ($350) or 1.8 ($100) you receive a lens that can gather a lot of light and photograph with an extremely narrow depth of field. In essence, a fixed 50mm is a lens with unmatched creative control ... and that's a gift that keeps on giving.


Basics of Digital Photography
with Jennifer Spelman
January 17 - January 21, 2011

Visit her web site www.jenniferspelman.com to see what she's up to.