12-01-2024 01:46 AM
I have what some may find to be a stupid question, but what exactly is a S lens? (EF-S, RF-S) What is different about them and in what circumstance would I want one over a EF or RF lens? Thank you very much for your time.
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12-01-2024 03:21 AM - edited 12-01-2024 03:23 AM
Canon use the "-S" suffix to indicate a lens or camera which is designed for a so-called "crop" sensor, also called APS-C, roughly equivalent to Super 35. As opposed to "full-frame", which has a larger sensor.
So a "-S" camera will have a sensor about 23mm × 15mm. A "-S" lens will create an image big enough to cover that sensor, so it will work fine. A full-frame lens -- i.e. no "-S" -- will create a larger image, which will also be fine.
A full-frame camera -- i.e. no "-S" -- will have a sensor about 36mm × 24mm -- quite a bit larger. A full-frame lens will cover this no problem, but a "-S" lens will not. The camera will handle a "-S" lens by reading out only a part of the sensor ("crop mode"), which will give you a drastically reduced resolution. Your pictures will be OK, but with nowhere near the resolution you paid for.
The benefit of a "-S" lens on a "-S" camera is that it will, in general, be smaller, lighter, and cheaper than a full-frame lens; the drawback is that if you later upgrade your camera to full-frame, then the "-S" lenses won't work well.
A "-S" camera, or a full-frame camera in crop mode, will also have a narrower field of view; so your lenses will all be a bit more telephoto. Multiply the focal length by around 1.5 to get the "equivalent full-frame focal length". So a 100mm lens on a "-S" camera is still a 100mm lens, but will give you the field of view that a 150mm lens would give you on a full-frame camera.
If you want to know more about lens mounts, I wrote an article which tries to explain this stuff: https://moonblink.info/MudLake/gear/lenses
Hope this helps.
12-15-2024 03:07 AM
Thank you very much. I THINK I keep it mostly at landscape, I am getting pretty tired though and may have that wrong. If I am even thinking of the right thing, I know it says standard, just am to tired to remember where at this time. I never knew you replied by the way, very sorry about that.
12-19-2024 09:22 PM - edited 12-19-2024 09:24 PM
Just wanted to let you know that yes we were speaking of the same thing and I have been keeping it at landscape. I have switched it to standard for now and will see if I like it more. Thank you for the advise.
12-19-2024 02:25 PM
People all too often don't want to hear critique--even if they ask for it--but where I lose patience is when someone represents something as garish as a Thomas Kinkade painting as an image SOOC.
As a working photographer with 45 years of experience in the field, for my own creations I really like grain/noise, so I shoot to get it. If I display a result in a group, I preface the commentary with what I was going for, but that never stops the know-betters from chiming in anyway.
12-02-2024 09:41 AM - edited 12-02-2024 09:42 AM
Interesting and like the landscape photo.
The only stupid question is the one not asked- Dad.
12-15-2024 03:08 AM
Dad was a wise man. Thank you.
12-20-2024 10:43 AM
Like LeeP stated it is and does come down to what you as the photographer want and like. It is not my place to say different. I used to sell my work, I am retired now, so I tried to do what other people like and want. It's a different mind set. Please ignore my comment and do as you like and suits your taste.
12-20-2024 01:07 PM
I understand what you mean in part about what other people like, I like taking pictures of waterfalls but I do not like that ribbon effect very often, I think it looks fake and like it is overdone to an extreme amount, I prefer to show the power in the falls like in this shot. Not my best but it shows what I mean. I do not mind a ribbon on a weaker falls like this.
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