Learn about Lens numbering??

[Teddykhil]

G'day All, Yep, I'm a newbie on this site. I have a Canon 500D with 18-55IS + 55-250IS, both these lenses come with the body. This was an insurance claim as my first DSLR, 400D was taken without my concent while not home. (A.H's) Never mind, get over it. I'm enjoying the T1i with all the settings I'm able to change and learn to mix and match. What I'm wanting to learn and know, I can get around some of the number's that each lens will have, but would like to have a list or chart that I can look at and then follow to work out what a lens is capable of doing what. Plus, what lens's would be a good start to get to combine with the two that I have at present. I'd like to get into some portrait taking, but my main area of wanting to learn is landscape. Any sugestrions please.

Thanks, Kev.

[arthurking83]

G'day Kev.

First up, use the NTP(New To Photography section to get a grip of the numbers on the lens, before you try to commit those numbers to memory.

ie. there's no point in really explaining the numbers on the lens, if you can't grasp the basic fundamentals of what they do, or how each variable alters the resultant image.

So have a browse through the basic area of NTP first up, use what lenses you have to fully appreciate why the lense syou have may be limiting(your ability to produce certain types of images) and then the understanding of the numbers on the lens will come naturally.
Once(probably in only a few days) you start to understand what the aperture values really mean, and there's still a question you want answered, feel free to post that question.

first of all... do you have a tripod?
(if not, you need one!)

[ricktas]

Welcome to AP and agree with AK, you need to get an understanding of what the numbers mean etc and what they do. As he says, check out the New To Photography forums for more info.

But in general each brand uses similar nomenclature for lenses (but different) so a chart would be quite confusing, to those that don't use a particular brand. Take something simple like the IS part of your lens. Canon call it IS, Nikon call it VR, Sigma call it OS...etc

So the best way to find a chart relevant to your Canon lenses would probably be the Canon website, they should at least have a list of the nomenclature that is for Canon lenses.

[etherial]

+1 for what Rick and Arthur said Look at what focal length, aperture etc is first so the numbers will start meaning something.

But as you read, this might help explain some of the differences and what all the letters mean.

http://www.overclockers.com.au/wiki/...ions_Explained

Be sure to ask plenty of questions though, the people here won't bite! They put up with plenty of my silly questions and haven't banned me yet!

[Kym]

The lenses you have are more than sufficient for Portrait, Landscape etc.
So I would put my time into using them and learning at this stage.
As said - use the New To Photography leaning plan here on AP and in six months you will have a much better feel for why you need more advanced glass.