In preparing this course we wondered which lesson would be the most popular. In contrast, we figured most people would be likely to skip this lesson on lenses. Everyone thinks they know what lenses are and what they do. After all, how many different types of lenses can there be? I have a friend who’s been a professional photographer for over 30 years. Until last year she used only the 18-55 mm lens that came with her camera. She recently decided to buy a telephoto lens and now uses it almost exclusively. It’s possible to become so set in your ways that you don’t realize other options are available.
If you skipped it, you might want to read our lesson on focal length. Focal length determines the outcome of most pictures. Most lenses have a fixed focal length, which means your pictures will be limited to the capabilities of the lenses you’re using. The more pictures you take, the more you’ll realize maybe, just maybe, you need different lenses to achieve the effects you’re looking for.
Normal lenses are also called standard lenses. They create a picture that closely represents what you would see with the naked eye. A normal lenses does very little to what appears in the picture. They don’t magnify the outcome or change the perspective seen by the naked eye. With a normal lens, what you see (with the naked eye) is what you’ll get (in the picture.)
Wide-angle lenses have a shorter focal length than normal lenses. Read our lesson on focal length if you’re not sure what this means. Shorter focal length means the lens has a wide angle-of-view. Specialized wide-angle lens such as the fisheye lens have such a wide angle-of-view you can often ‘see’ 180 degrees. Because of the short focal length, wide-angle lenses are awesome for making objects that are close appear to be even larger.
Telephoto lens have longer focal lengths. Telephoto lens are available in sizes from 70 to 500mm and larger. Telephoto lenses are best known for their ability to make distance objects appear closer. Of course, with the longer focal lengths these lenses have a very limited depth-of-field. Telephoto lens are also great for isolating nearby objects from their surroundings. You can snap a close-up of a frog while blurring the surrounding lily pads.
Zoom lenses are often confused with telephoto lens. Zoom lenses offer varying focal lengths from 18 to 500mm. One of the greatest benefits of a zoom lens is its ability to offer both wide-angle and telephoto options without changing lenses. You might be photographing a nearby butterfly when suddenly a deer runs across the field 100 feet away. The zoom lens can easily photograph both with a simple twist of the barrel.
Macro lenses are normally used for super close-ups. Some manufacturers refer to these as micro lenses. When in doubt, simply ask if the lens can be used for close-ups. Macro lenses are normally 18 or 24mm. Since they have such a short focal length, the quality of close-ups is incomparable. Despite the short focal length, macro lenses can also be used as a normal lens. The subject will appear very small in the picture compared to one taken with a normal lens, but macro lenses take incredible pictures of normal scenes.
Teleconverters are also called extensions. Normal magnification for teleconverters is 1.5X and 2X. That means the teleconverter increases the lens by 150% or 200%. If you use a 2X teleconverter with a 50mm lens, the effective magnification of the combination then becomes 100mm. Teleconverters are a very cheap way of increasing the magnification of your lens. Most photographers dream of owning that all-elusive 500mm lens but can’t afford the price. Placing a 2X teleconverter on a 70-300mm zoom effectively increase the lens to a maximum of 600mm. On the downside, teleconverters add considerable weight to the camera. With a long zoom lens and teleconverter, you’ll probably need to use a tripod. Most teleconverters focus rather slow. Overall, however, teleconverters are great if you have a tripod and the time to capture the shot.
Choosing the right lenses is a matter of personal taste and budget. For most photographers, the 500mm is considered the top of the line. It’s also the most expensive lens. Most camera manufacturers now offer a variable zoom lens that goes from 18 to 200mm. Some offer 18-300mm. These zooms are great for most pictures. If you plan on taking extreme close-ups you might want to check out a 18mm or 24mm macro lens.
Some photographers do mostly portraits. Some specialize in wildlife photos. Others just keep a camera handy as they drive around the countryside. If you’re planning on taking pictures professionally, sooner or later you’ll have to bite the bullet and start buying a variety of lenses.
Receive a free Certificate of Completion for this photography course. Pass a 40-question test on this course with a score of 70 or higher and receive a certificate of completion. Visit our Basics of Digital Photography Certificate of Completion page for more information.