Lens Fundamentals

About this course

Lens choice shapes everything about your images, and in this course, Instructor Allison Anderson shows you how to pick and use the right glass for any shoot. She’ll break down the essentials – mounts and sensor size, focal length and field of view, aperture and depth of field – then dive into key lens features like AF/MF switching, focus and zoom rings, aperture rings, Optical SteadyShot and more. You’ll learn when to choose primes vs. zooms, how lens compression works for flattering portraits, and the focal lengths that shine for landscapes, wildlife/action, and travel. Then explore specialty options like macro and fisheye, and get hands-on with filters. Allison closes with real-world kit-building advice and favorite lens picks so you can stay light and versatile no matter where your creativity brings you.