Widely used among both professional and amateur photographers, telephoto lenses are incredibly popular and can help take your photos to a whole new level.
Telephoto lenses are used in landscape, portrait and sports photography and can enhance the precision of your images. A telephoto lens has a long reach, allowing you to magnify a subject that is several meters away.
Here’s what you should know about the benefits and disadvantages of using a camera equipped with a telephoto lens
A telephoto lens is generally defined as any focal length beyond 'normal'. Put simply, this is any focal length beyond around 50mm
Some people confuse telephoto lenses and zoom lenses, usually because most telephoto lenses are of the zoom variety. However, the two are not necessarily related and one can find telephoto lenses in both the Prime and Zoom configurations. You can read more about the differences between zoom and prime lenses here.
Essentially, a camera equipped with a telephoto lens allows you to capture far-away subjects or simply have a close object fill more of the frame.
Because of this, telephoto lenses are ideal for wildlife photographers or other individuals who cannot move close to their subjects because of physical constraints or safety concerns, likewise event and sports photographers also find them essential. However, these types of lenses also enhance the artistic appeal of a photograph by blurring the background behind your subject, making them very popular for portrait photographers as well.
This is known as 'subject isolation' - allowing the photographer to eliminate distractions and ensure that the viewers focus is on their chosen subject. Telephoto lenses excell at this, regardless of where they are applied
Here are the most commonly used telephoto focal lengths:
Because a telephoto lens closes the distance between the photographer and the subject, it is perfect for capturing wildlife and sporting events.
Here are the benefits of using a camera equipped with a telephoto lens:
There are countless telephoto lenses on the market to choose from. With so many options, how do you know which one to choose? Here are three of the best-selling telephoto lenses available from C.R Kennedy:
Weather sealed and optically precise, the Pentax D FA 70-200mm f/2.8 ED Lens is one of the best lenses on the market. The Pentax has a bayonet hood and a long petal configuration that snaps easily into position and helps elminate flare without darkening the edges of your image. The hood also comes with a removable section that allows you to enable the filters without removing the lens.
Each lens comes with a clutch mechanism that allows you to manually focus the adjustments. The lens also comes with various modes of operation, including the ability to limit your focus within a selected range, greatly improving the speed and accuracy of the autofocus.
Another quality lens is the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary Lens. It’s sturdy and durable but has a lightweight construction that allows for flexibility. Designed for mirrorless cameras, it seeks to strike a balance between weight, size and optical performance. The lens also comes with an optional tripod mounting ring, allowing for maximum stability while photographing subjects.
The lens also features excellent optical stabilisation for when you need to go handheld.
The Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 Lens is very light and compact prime lens, allowing for flexibility without making a compromise on image quality
While many 135mm lenses feature faster apertures, this is often at the expense of size and weight, making this lens ideal for those looking for excellent portraits without sacrificing portability.
If you are ready to purchase a high-quality telephoto lens that is both affordable and functional, look no further than C.R. Kennedy.
C.R. Kennedy is one of Australia’s leading distributors of cameras and photographic equipment. We offer a wide range of Lenses along with Mirrorless, Full Frame, and Action Cameras.
If you need more information on macro lenses and camera lenses in general, check out more articles on the C.R. Kennedy blog.
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