This is our beginner-friendly guide explaining different parts of a camera lens, which ones you need to know before purchasing camera gear. We also included our recommendations for the best camera lens of 2025.
If you are a beginner in the photography and videography niche, we truly understand your pain of being overwhelmed by the plethora of specifications optical equipment comes with. And this is because of a reason: your camera lens is a sophisticated optical instrument that has tons of things going on inside and is truly a piece of engineering marvel. So, its specifications are not that “direct” to understand due to the extreme design complexity inside the lens.
But this is also a fact: no matter if you are a novice or a veteran of this industry, you need to grasp a sound knowledge of the parts of a camera lens, their specifications, and how they work in harmony to truly unlock their potential and get desirable results.
Camera Lens and Its Parts:
To help you deal with this technical jargon, we have broken down the anatomy of a camera lens and the relevant functions you need to know about. Below are the top ten parts of a camera lens that you need to be sure about and become a master of:
1. Lens Elements
The heart of the lens is its optical system, which is made up of different individual pieces of glass inside the lens body. These pieces of glass are shaped and arranged by OEM to bend light rays precisely so that they precisely converge the traveling light on the camera sensor, which then produces a sharp image as a final image. Every lens maker has its design for these elements.
2. Lens Barrel
It is the outer case of a lens that protects the inner optical glasses and also has certain mechanisms built on it, including focus rings, zoom, and more. Metal barrels are considered to be more durable but are quite costly.
3. Aperture
This is one of the most important parts of a camera lens that you have to consider. The aperture or aperture blades control how much light is entering the lens, usually measured in f-stop values like f/1.4, f/2.8, f/16, and so on.
4. Lens Mount
Consider it as a connector of a lens that lets the camera body and the lens communicate with each other. Make sure that the lens you are buying has the same mount as the camera body.
5. Focus system
Your camera lens might be manual or autofocus, i.e., it comes with focus rings to let you manually focus, or it focuses itself based on the object position.
6. Autofocus Motor
Nowadays, a lot of professionals look into the motor system through their lens, as this will affect how smoothly the lens focuses on an object. Common motor systems are USM, or Ultrasonic Motor; STM, or Stepping Motor; and linear motors. Selecting between them will directly affect the focus speed and noise in your footage and stills.
7. Image Stabilization
If you are someone who shoots outdoors, then you need to pay attention to this. Both camera bodies and camera lenses are nowadays built with onboard systems of IS, which will help your shots not be shaky or blurred. You will also get much cleaner low-light shots if your lens and camera body both have IS.
8. Filter Threads
If you are someone who frequently uses ND, polarizing, or UV filters, then you need to pay attention to filter threads before making a purchase. Look for metal threads, and they should come in standard sizes like 67mm and 77mm.
9. Lens Coating
These coatings will differentiate a good lens from an excellent one. Such coatings are thin layers applied to lens elements and function to reduce any form of reflections, glare, and flare.
10. Lens Hood
Usually made of plastic, they function to stop any unwanted light in the lens. Look for the ones that are designed as a reversible hood for storage.
Absolute Best Lens to Buy in 2025
Since you learned about different
parts of a camera lens, the next step is to spot a camera lens that has the absolute best performance at an affordable price. In the world of thousands of lenses competing against a single focal length, the
SIRUI AURORA 85mmF1.4 lens represents itself as a standout option for photographers who are seeking a premium lens without the premium price tag.
Built with an ultra-high-quality barrel, next-generation lens element design, and a wide f/1.4 aperture, which excels in low light, it is something every person in this niche dreams of having. Weighing just about 550g, the lens is built to cover a wide range of photography and videography needs with cinematic image quality and affordability, something hard to miss in 2025.
