Photography 101: Conversion lenses

For certain more specific photo disciplines such as macro photography, landscape photography, nature photography, etc., it is advisable to use the right lenses for these types of photos. For landscape photography, for example, a wide-angle lens is recommended, while a telephoto lens is more suitable for sports photography. But sometimes, when our budget does not allow for the acquisition of a new lens, conversion lenses come into play.

What are conversion lenses?

Conversion lenses, as the name suggests, are lenses that convert the lens of your camera. They will give the lens a particular property depending on the type of lens. If it's a wide angle lens, it will widen the field of view and if it's a macro lens, it will bring small elements closer together and magnify them. But we're not going to go into detail just yet, because we're going to explain the different types of conversion lenses in more detail.

One of the things you need to know about these conversion lenses is that they are installed on the front of the lens. They must therefore have the same diameter as the lens to be compatible. They are installed using the same system as the filters. You have to get filters of the same diameter as your lens. Well, with conversion lenses, it's the same thing, except that conversion lenses usually come with several adapters so that they can be used on lenses of different diameters. To find out the diameter of your lens, look at the image below:

Types of conversion lenses We will now introduce you to the different types of conversion lenses that exist on the market. You will then know which type of lens will suit you for each discipline or photo technique you wish to specialise in.

Wide angle

Are you interested in landscape or architectural photography? Then you need a wide angle lens. With a wide-angle lens, you can widen the field of view of your lens and thus encompass more space in the image, to the benefit of more information in your pictures. The image will enlarge depending on the conversion factor of the lens and the type of lens you have. If you have a lens like DZO Vespid Prime or Meike 25mm, and you add a conversion factor of 0.5x to it, then you will get a new focal length of 14mm.

Fish eye

Fish-eye lenses are ultra-wide angle lenses that greatly increase the camera's field of view. In other words, they are similar to the wide-angle lenses discussed above, but they also introduce a change in perspective that is very original for many types of shots.

Fish eyes cause distortion and curvature at the edges of the image, giving a curious "eyecup" effect, hence the name. The fish eye lens is therefore the right lens for your equipment, if you are looking to give your photos a more original touch.

Telephoto lens

If you want to go further with your camera, for sports or nature photography, then you will need to add a telephoto lens to your equipment. With a telephoto lens, you can bring even the most distant elements closer together. And if your passion is bird photography, then go ahead and get a telephoto lens. If you add a 2.2x telephoto lens to a 300 mm telephoto lens, the focal length of your lens will increase to 660 mm.

Macro

Macro photography is a passion for all those who discover it. It is fascinating to be able to immerse oneself in the world of the little one. Many photographers who love this discipline often regret the high price of macro lenses. But this is not the case with macro conversion lenses, which can give very good results at an affordable price. You can get closer or closer to the subject you want to photograph depending on the number of dioptres of the lens. Take this factor into account when purchasing this type of lens.

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