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Interchangeable Lens Cameras

Interchangeable lenses

A camera which is reasonably compact, easy to operate, and can take a whole range of lenses opens up dozens of new possibilities for any photographer. Telephoto lenses for sports action pictures and better portraits, wide- angle lenses for depth in sweeping landscapes and pictures in cramped spaces, or close-ups of insects using a macro (close-focusing) lens. The pentaprism SLR camera can provide all these things. It is the most popular interchangeable lens camera, widely used by amateurs and professionals alike. There are others with interchangeable lenses—for example medium format SLR cameras and some viewfinder cameras—and these are discussed in detail later on.

Special features of the SLR

The advantages of the SLR camera to the enthusiast are enormous. It is unrivalled for flexibility and can be used in nearly every photographic situation. If you can afford it, there is a lens, filter, or accessory to fit each occasion; but every SLR camera has certain basic features which make this flexible approach possible.

The range of lenses: when you buy a 35mm SLR camera it usually comes with a lens of about 50mm focal length. This photographs a view familiar to the human eye and is called a normal or standard lens. But on either side of the 50mm lens there is a large number of lenses extending to wide angle on the one hand, and telephoto on the other. First start with a 40-55mm standard lens and get used to the camera before deciding on your next lens. Your choice of an additional lens will depend on the sort of pictures you really like to take. Are they portraits, buildings or landscapes, close-up photographs of flowers and insects, or recording the excitement of sporting events? The answer will help you choose your next lens, but always buy the best quality you can afford.

The viewing system: the SLR has a unique viewing system. The image in the viewfinder is the same image seen by the lens. The viewfinder shows how much of the subject will be photographed, whether the lens is focused correctly, and the effect of the chosen f number or a filter. In fact, you can preview the finished picture before pressing the shutter. A pentaprism (five-sided prism) mounted between the viewfinder and the focusing screen shows the image both right way up and right way round, whether the camera is held horizontally or vertically.

TTL metering: exposure metering in art SLR camera can share the advantages of seeing through the lens by taking the light reading through it as well. This feature is called through the lens or ‘TTL’ metering. Instead of using an external ‘eye’ the TTL meter reads from inside the camera system and thus works perfectly with all types of lenses and attachments.

Exposure control: getting the correct exposure is a combination of f number (aperture size) and shutter speed for the amount of light available. To help the photographer most SLRs have a built-in exposure meter which measures the brightness of the light entering the lens. The right choice of shutter speed and f number will make a needle in the viewfinder line up with a marker (or a small light shine). The exposure is then correct.

A large number of SLRs have automatic exposure control which makes things even simpler for the photographer. There are two kinds of automation : aperture priority and shutter priority. Both have their advantages and the one you choose depends on the sort of photographs you want to take.

Aperture priority tends to suit still subjects in which accurate control of depth of field is important, such as landscapes and portraits. It is up to the photographer to set the f number he wants, and the camera automatically sets the correct shutter speed.

Shutter priority gives the photographer control over the shutter speed—a better solution for capturing movement. Once the shutter speed is set the correct aperture is selected automatically and shown in the viewfinder. Some of the most expensive and sophisticated models have both shutter and aperture priority settings. You can switch from one setting to the other at the flick of a lever, getting the best of both worlds.

Even on cameras with automatic exposure control there is usually some provision for manual override. Once they have some experience, many photographers feel that they like to have total control over the camera’s choice of settings.

Many SLRs with built-in meters still have manual control of aperture and shutter. You set the shutter speed to suit your subject-1/125 for still subjects and up to 1/500 for something moving—then alter the aperture settings until the exposure meter needle (or signal light) in the viewfinder indicates the correct exposure. This works equally well if you set the shutter speed first.

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