With its seemingly limitless range of options, the world of cameras with interchangeable lenses is exciting for any photographer to enter. Understandably, a digital camera lens is one of the most important purchases you'll make on your photography journey. But how do you choose the right lens for your camera, and for your needs as a photographer?
To make your next lens purchase as stress-free and successful as possible, we've put together the ultimate guide to buying a camera lens. From key terms to lens types, read on for all the information you need to buy the right lens for you.
First things first — will this lens fit my camera?
Picture this: You've got a new camera that you love, and are starting to develop specialty skills in a specific type of photography, whether this is macro, landscape, aerial, or astronomy. You're interested in broadening your tool kit with a new lens, but don't know where to start.
To begin, it's essential to understand which lenses are compatible with your camera. This varies between brands. Brands such as Canon and Nikon have a few different lens mounts, including those for their mirrorless and DSLR camera offerings. Within these mounts, there are certain lenses that are only compatible with certain models (Full-Frame or Crop Sensor). If you're not yet across understanding the differences between full-frame, APS-C, and Micro Four Thirds sensors, that's a great place to start before diving into lens compatibility.
Other brands, such as Panasonic and Olympus, currently operate using a Four Thirds or Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system for which all MFT lenses will be suitable. Manufacturers provide this essential compatibility information using a selection of letters or acronyms, the meanings of which are provided below.
How to choose the right lens mount
The lens mount is the most basic piece of information that you need to know when buying a new camera lens. The brand and mount of a DSLR or mirrorless camera determine which lenses will be compatible with it. With the exception of Panasonic and Olympus and their Four Thirds and MFT mounts, lenses from one mount cannot physically be mounted directly onto a camera with a different mount.
| Brand | DSLR | Mirrorless |
| Canon | EF, EF-S | EF-M, RF |
| Nikon | F | 1, Z |
| Sony | Alpha | E |
| Fujifilm | — | XF, GF |
| Pentax | KAF | — |
| Olympus | Four Thirds | MFT |
| Panasonic | Four Thirds | MFT, S |