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SPONSORED BY Park Cameras was established in 1971 in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. For over 40 years they have forged a reputation
across the photographic industry as one of the top independent photographic retailers in the UK, serving the needs of
all photographers, from enthusiasts through to professionals, through the very highest level of customer service.OUR GUIDE TO THE SUFFIXES USED BY LENS MANUFACTURERS
AF Nikon AF lenses driven from camera
AF-S Nikon lenses with Silent Wave Motor
AF-P Nikon lenses with stepper motors
AL Pentax lenses with aspheric elements
APD Fuji lm lenses with apodisation elements
APO Sigma Apochromatic lenses
ASPHAspherical elements
AW Pentax all-weather lenses
CS Samyang lenses for APS-C cropped sensors
D Nikon lenses that communicate distance info
DA Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors
DC Nikon defocus-control portrait lenses
DC Sigma’s lenses for APS-C digital
DG Sigma’s designation for full-frame lenses
Di Tamron lenses for full-frame sensors
Di-II Tamron lenses designed for APS-C DSLRs
Di-III Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras
DN Sigma’s lenses for mirrorless cameras
DO Canon diffractive optical element lenses
DT Sony lenses for APS-C-sized sensors
DX Nikon’s lenses for DX-format digital
DS Canon’s Defocus Smoothing technology
E Nikon lenses with electronic apertures
E Sony lenses for APS-C mirrorlessED Extra-low Dispersion elements
EF Canon’s lenses for full-frame DSLRs
EF-S Canon’s lenses for APS-C DSLRs
EF-M Canon’s lenses for APS-C mirrorless
EX Sigma’s ‘Excellent’ range
FA Pentax full-frame lenses
FE Sony lenses for full-frame mirrorless
G Nikon lenses without an aperture ring
HSM Sigma’s Hypersonic Motor
IS Canon’s Image-Stabilised lenses
L Canon’s ‘Luxury’ range of high-end lenses
LD Low-Dispersion glassLM Fuji lm Linear Motor
MP-E Canon’s high-magni cation macro lens
OIS Optical Image Stabilisation
OS Sigma’s Optically Stabilised lenses
PC-E Nikon tilt-and-shift lenses
PF Nikon Phase Fresnel optics
PZD Tamron Piezo Drive focus motor
RF Canon full-frame mirrorless lenses
S Nikon’s premium lenses for mirrorless
SAM Sony Smooth Autofocus Motor
SDM Pentax’s Sonic Direct Drive Motor
SMC Pentax Super Multi CoatingSP Tamron’s Super Performance range
SSM Sony Supersonic Motor lenses
STF Sony and Laowa Smooth Trans Focus
STM Canon lenses with stepper motor
TS-E Canon Tilt-and-Shift lens
UMC Ultra Multi Coated
USM Canon lenses with an Ultrasonic Motor
USD Tamron Ultrasonic Drive motor
VC Tamron’s Vibration Compensation
VR Nikon’s Vibration Reduction feature
WR Weather Resistant
Z Nikon’s lenses for mirrorless camerasDSLR Lenses
Interchangeable lenses come in
a huge array of types for shooting
di erent kinds of subjects
Maximum
aperture
Wider apertures mean
you can use faster,
motion-stopping
shutter speeds.Lens mounts
Each manufacturer has its own
lens mount and most aren’t
compatible with one another. For
example, a Canon DSLR can’t use
Nikon lenses, although you can
use independent brands if you get
them with the right mount.Filter thread
A thread at the front of
the camera will have
a diameter, in mm, which
will allow you to attach
a variety of filters or
adapters to the lens.Built-in focus motor
Most lenses now incorporate an internal
motor to drive the autofocus, although
some are still driven from the camera
body. DSLR lenses often use ultrasonic-
type motors for fast focusing, but some
now have video-friendly stepper motors
as widely used in mirrorless systems.IN GENERAL, the easiest way to
expand the kinds of pictures
you can take is by buying
different types of lenses. For
example, telephoto lenses
let you zoom in on distant
subjects, while macro
lenses enable close-ups
of small objects.
Large-aperture lenses
allow you to isolate
subjects against blurred
backgrounds, or shoot in
low light without having to
raise the ISO too high.
Meanwhile, all-in-one
superzooms cover a wide range
of subjects, but usually with
rather lower optical quality.
Our comprehensive listing of key specifi cations for DSLRlenses
Buyin
Guide
294
lenses
listed &
rated