The right lens Lenses come in a broad array of focal lengths that will help you realize your vision. They are generally grouped into three different categories--wide-angle, standard, and telephoto--each with its own inherent qualities that affect the way it "sees." Lens char- acteristics impose their own view on a scene, so part of the compo- sition process is shaping the lens' view to suit your creative vision. The lens serves two main pur- poses in photography. It gathers light from a scene, focusing it onto a common point--the camera's sensor; and it controls