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buy SLR lenses
KIT LENSES - Many SLR cameras are availabe as a "kit or bundle" with a digital camera body bundled with a choice of one or two lenses with perhaps a standard zoom lens (28mm to 80mm) plus the option of a telephoto zoom (80mm to 200mm) to give you two lenses covering a zoom range from 28mm to 200mm.
ZOOM LENSES - One of the benefits of buying an SLR digital camera is the flexibilty to choose the SLR lens of your choice. So it may be worth considering an alternative of a single zoom lens with a zoom range of 28mm to 300mm, Take a look at the difference in price offered between the bundle price of camera body and lenses, and the body only plus single lens 28x300mm option, then consider the convenience of only carrying around one lens, and the flexibility of having one lens on your camera with a range likely to cover 95% of your photo oportunities.
Top quality zoom lenses have a fixed aperture, for example f2.8 across the whole zoom range, where the norm may be f3.5 to f4.5 which means as you zoom in you loose a stop.
PRIME LENSES - In a time when ZOOM lenes rule the roost, standard and prime lenses are often forgotten. The "Standard Lens", 50mm in 35mm terms, captures a scene similar to the way the naked eye see's the world. Prime lenses or fixed focal length lenses, because they generally have less glass, offer sharper, punchier images which may really amaze you. Some famous photographers have shot the world using just a standard lens, so they may be worth thinking about if ultimate quality is your goal.
All camera manufacturers supply a range of lenses as part of their SLR systems but there are also a number of specialist lens manufacturers offering excellent quality alternatives. Include these names in your research -
Sigma , Tamron and Tokina all offering great quality lenses usually at less money than the camera manufacturers option.
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