I still remember the first time I picked up a camera.
I thought the magic would live inside the sensor, in circuits and code.
But an older photographer leaned in and whispered: “Photography begins in the lens, not the sensor.”
I’ve carried that truth ever since.
He told me the history like a craftsman passing on a secret.
In the 13th century, people played with magnifying glass, curious about bending light.
Then came Galileo’s telescope in 1609, aiming glass at the stars.
By the 1800s, photography demanded faster, brighter lenses.
A mathematician named Joseph Petzval made portraits sharp and bright again in 1840.
After that, innovation never rested.
Makers invented multi-element designs, coatings, and aspheres.
Autofocus came, stabilization followed, and lenses became living machines.
I asked who the masters were.
He chuckled: “The Big Five—Canon, Nikon, Zeiss, Leica, Sony.”
- **Canon** established in 1937, known for fast autofocus and its iconic L-series.
- **Nikon** with roots in 1917, famous for color fidelity and toughness.
- **Zeiss** since 1846, delivering legendary micro-contrast and 3D pop.
- **Leica** synonymous with luxury since 1914, beloved by street photographers.
- **Sony** the young disruptor, dominating mirrorless with G Master glass.
He described them as voices in a conversation, each with its own tone.
He described the clean rooms like temples.
Optical glass selected, ground to curves, coated in layers invisible to the eye.
Fluorite to tame colors, mirrorless starter lens package magnesium alloy barrels for strength and lightness.
The soul of the lens depends on alignment within microns.
I finally saw: a lens is both equation and imagination.
The chip collects light, but the lens tells the story.
Filmmakers use glass the way poets use verbs.
By the end, I wasn’t holding a device, I was holding centuries of craft.
Since then, I pause before every shot to respect the lens.
It’s the quiet artist at the front of every story.
visit store https://ghalyastories.blogspot.com/