The essence of quality photography lies in the right lens choice. Photography is about perspective. Although the human eye can capture a particular viewpoint, the right Nikon camera lens can showcase an emotion or even highlight something that was overlooked. Whether you are purchasing a prime or zoom lens, it is important to consider the variety of elements that separate one lens from another.

The length of the lens plays a huge role in the type of image a camera will capture. A 50mm Nikon camera lens is considered to represent what the human eye sees. A wide-angle lens has a shorter focal length. It essentially warps the perspective slightly (more so, the wider the lens) in order to capture a wider perspective of information. This leads to a wide depth of field, meaning that the majority of the image will be in perfect focus.

Telephoto lenses have a longer focal length and are known for magnifying distant objects. These lenses also have a much shallower depth of field. This means that only a limited range within the lens will be in sharp focus. Telephoto lenses are typically used to create stirring close-ups in which only the subject is clearly visible.

In addition to prime lenses, Nikon and other leading manufacturers also offer zoom lenses. This Nikon camera lens allows photographers to have a variety of focal lengths from a single item. In many cases, this even means having a lens capable of producing wide angle and telephoto shots. Nevertheless, as useful as zoom lenses may be, they are typically slower and do not produce the exact focal lengths that primes do.