Buying a telephoto lens: What you should pay attention to

Buying a telephoto lens: What you should pay attention to

Kamera Express

With so many different types of lens on the market, it is sometimes hard to know exactly which lens you need. There are wide-angle lenses, prime lenses, zoom lenses, telephoto lenses and more. In this buying guide we explain everything about telephoto lenses and when they are best used.

What is a telephoto lens?

A telephoto lens is a lens with a long focal length and a narrow angle of view. It lets you photograph subjects that are further away with ease, by bringing them closer. This is particularly useful for nature photography, but a telephoto lens is also ideally suited to sports photography. Telephoto lenses come in various focal lengths, from 55 mm up to 600 mm. A distinction is made between short telephoto lenses with a focal length of 55-135 mm, medium telephoto lenses with 135-300 mm and super telephoto lenses with a focal length of 300 mm or more.

Short telephoto lenses are extremely versatile. They are excellent for portrait photography, photographing your pets, street photography and much more. Medium telephoto lenses are ideal for wildlife photography, landscape photography, sports photography and event photography. Super telephoto lenses are often used for sports photography from a long distance, wildlife photography of shy or small animals, bird photography and photographing the moon. When choosing a telephoto lens you can also opt for either a fixed focal length (prime) or a variable focal length (zoom). A prime lens is helpful if you want to take photos with better quality and a greater depth of field. A zoom lens, on the other hand, offers a lot of flexibility, which can be very useful when photographing wildlife.

Advantages of a telephoto lens

✔ You can photograph your subject from a distance with ease

✔ Offers a beautiful depth of field

✔ Little image distortion

✔ Ideal for photographing birds, wildlife and (sports) events

  

Disadvantages of a telephoto lens

✘ Large and heavy

✘ Prone to motion blur (without image stabilisation)

When should I buy a telephoto lens?

If you often photograph from a long distance, a telephoto lens may be the best choice for you. A telephoto lens brings the action closer, so you can take impressive pictures. That is especially useful when photographing birds, wildlife and (sports) events.

What do I photograph with a telephoto lens?

The long focal length of a telephoto lens lets you bring distant subjects closer and opens up the possibility of creating unique perspectives. With a telephoto lens you are effectively looking through a pair of binoculars. That is especially useful when photographing the moon, wild animals or athletes. Thanks to the shallow depth of field, you can separate your subject from the background effectively, which is particularly beneficial for portraits or close-ups. In short: a telephoto lens is ideal for shooting from a distance and for showing off your subject to full effect.