The Basics of Lenses and Focusing

What’s the best lens for landscapes? What about portraits? Where do I focus? Do I need a filter? Prime or Zoom? What’s your favourite F stop?

New photographers tend to have a lot of questions about lenses and focusing but, what do you really need to know? People tend to get pretty bogged down in academic discussions about chromatic aberration, UV filters, hyperfocal distances etc. but the truth is, there’s just a few fundamental things you really need to know about lenses and focusing to successfully master this important aspect of photography.

Dan Bannister is a professional advertising and portrait photographer and in this class, he’ll tell you everything you really need to know and don't need to know about focusing and lenses. Dan will show you some of his favourite gear, tips and techniques and help you understand what’s important about choosing the right lens and how to focus it properly to make the best pictures you can make, whether it's portraits, landscapes or sports.

• Intro
• Leica Rangerfinders
• Canon SLR
• Hasselblad Medium Format
• Leica
• Hasselblad
• Canon DSLR
• Where and how to focus your camera
• Assignment Demonstration
• 10 With Fade Out
• Conclusion