This website helps you choose your next lens based on the photos you like

Thinking of buying a new lens, but not sure which one you’d like? There’s a new fun website called What the Lens, and it helps you choose the lens based on the photos you like. After the fun website that helps you find your film soulmate, this one pairs you and your camera with the perfect lens.

Photographer Willie C created the website to help undecided photographers pick out the lens that would be best for them. It analyzes the exif data of the photos you choose and suggest a lens based on them.

When you visit What the Lens, you will have a gallery of photos to scroll through. In order to get the lens suggestion, you should pick 20 photos that you like best. The website sources photos from 500px and examines their data as you choose them. When you tick all the pics you like, you get a suggested lens.

There are six categories of photos: Landscapes, Macro, Animals, Travel, People, and City. You can pick one of those, or choose All and browse through photos of all sorts.

The website is certainly fun, and it can help photographers determine what type of lens they should buy next. It’s especially useful for newbies who still don’t know quite well what they can achieve with which lens. However, there are some limitations as well.

First of all, the website is limited to Canon only, so it suggests only the lenses from this manufacturer. I don’t know if it also allows you to browse only through photos taken with Canon. Still, even if you use a different camera brand, you can take the suggestion. Just find the lens with the same or similar focal length for your camera.

A much bigger problem is the price of the suggested lenses. One of the models I got as a suggestion was Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L III USM. It costs $2000 on discount. If I had $2000, I’d be writing this from Maldives with a cocktail in my hand. So, this probably doesn’t work for many of us.

Despite the downsides, Willie C points out that he will work on the website further. He plans to add new features such as Nikon lenses (thanks, Willie) and budget feature (even bigger thanks). He also plans to make the website mobile friendly. So, although What the Lens still has some improvements to make, I think it definitely has potential, so keep an eye on it. If nothing else, then at least just for fun.

[via No Film School]