The week the subject or focus of discussion is "Big Glass". So let's start off by defining what it is. It is a loose definition of a physically large telephoto lens and corresponding aperture size but may equally apply to an exotic wide angle as well. Both the telephoto and wide angle big glass share common traits:

• Commonly used by professional photographers
• Sturdier construction and build. Usually it will built of both metal and plastic carbonate materials
•  Building a lens to these specifications usually means an increase in weight
• Weather sealing from the elements
•  Considerable increase in price

Here are some examples of Big Glass:

• The Nikon 14-24 2.8 wide angle zoom lens
• The Nikon 200 f2 lens
• The Nikon 400 f2.8 lens

The main reasons why photographers purchase this type of equipment is to enable usage in low light, to isolate the background and to limit your depth of field. The a wide angle zoom would have the inverse which would introduce more elements into your picture and increase your depth of field.

The next question an amateur photographer asks about these exotic pieces of glass is around the subject of price.  As a general rule of thumb big glass starts at $1500 and quickly escalates from there. Big glass is usually reserved for automotive sports racing, architectural photography, wedding and other specialty areas where the finished image must be of very high quality.

If you are an amateur photographer with requirements for big glass but cannot afford the price tag there are options. There are definitely trade offs when using these options; such as an decreased aperture size. There are also some positive aspects; such as decreased weight. In the table below I have laid out some options for the amateur photographer and a comparison to the appropriate level of pro equipment.

The Nikon consumer lens choices offer a reasonably level of performance, weight and aperture size. If you have a consumer budget you might want to purchase one of these. But only if you intended to use it quite a bit over the long term. Otherwise, the recommendation would be to rent the appropriate lens as required. The images below were all shot with Nikon consumer glass which confirms that you can can get some very good shots with this equipment.

Watsonphotography.ca creates unique images of fashion, models, people, travel, nature and racing sports by Toronto photographer Peter Watson.