Ultra-wide lenses are commonly used when you want the widest possible angle of view, making it a popular choice for landscape photographers shooting epic scenes. One concern with ultra wide angle lenses is that some can introduce significant distortion.
When you want to shoot ultrawide, think about whether or not you want distortion. Lenses with focal lengths of 35mm or less are considered to be wide angle lenses. Wide angle lenses are not only good for shooting landscape and architectural photography as seen with the ultra wides above , but also for full body portraits where you want to see more than just the model.
Normal lenses are those that most accurately recreate the angle of view that one would have when looking at a scene in real life. Theoretically, this works out to be a lens with a focal length equal to the diagonal length of a sensor, or roughly 43mm for a full frame sensor. Because there will be variations in how the image will be viewed e. Telephoto lenses have focal lengths longer than 70mm. This makes different lenses suitable for different uses, even while remaining in the same category.
Mid-range telephoto lenses, such as those from mm to mm, are popular among sports and wildlife photographers who can get relatively close to their subjects but must still keep some distance.
Super telephotos longer than mm are behemoths of lenses that are used when you have to keep a lot of distance from a subject. They are most commonly used when photographing wildlife that requires you to stay away, either because of their fearfulness such as birds or their danger such as large predators.
Super telephotos are so large and heavy that they will mostly be used with tripods or monopods to support their weight and eliminate the camera shake that is inherent in such a long lens. Macro lenses are not tied to a focal length but are determined by how much magnification they can achieve. In order to be considered macro, a lens has to focus closely enough that it can create a reproduction onto the camera sensor.
The most common macro focal lengths are around mm, but there are both longer and shorter macro lenses available. Shorter focal length macro lenses will need to be closer to the subject, which might be useful when shooting inanimate objects in a small studio although they might be so close they interfere with the lighting.
Longer focal length macro lenses allow you to be farther from the subject which can be more comfortable when shooting living things and give you more lighting options. For landscapes, tight interiors, and using perspective distortion creatively, an ultra wide angle is recommended.
Examples of our most popular ultra wide lenses:. The most popular of these zooms is the mm:. It best approximates how the normal eye sees, which is why it is such a great length to learn with. You can go with a prime lens, which is fixed at one length, or choose a zoom that will run the gamut from wide to normal and into short telephoto. Of these, the most popular and flexible are the mm lenses. Beyond this, you start to get into more specialized and expenses lenses suitable for wildlife and sports.
However, our most popular lens of all is the mm. This length range is excellent for portraits and sports alike. See all of our mm lenses here. Every focal length is going to affect the final image in specific ways. By learning how to choose a focal length, you can take a more mindful approach to your photography , getting the shot you want.
Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. You might ask: why do we use complex, multi-element designs and large lens housings if a single lens will also provide an image for much cheaper? There are many reasons for this. First, to use a lens for photography, you need to make that lens focus somehow. But it does require a mechanism that allows the user to move the lens closer to or further away from the sensor.
If designers want to seal off the moving element, it means two more elements on the front and on the back. Because of different wavelengths being present at the same time, colours shift very noticeably, causing a distracting effect. Special elements and coatings are necessary to counter this. These elements, however, might introduce additional geometric distortions to the image. So, even more lens elements are needed potentially. They, too, are there to provide a cleaner image with more detail and less distortion.
Zoom designs are a whole new world. They often use more than a dozen lens elements, sometimes even Ultimately though, their angle of view and focal length can be compared to single lenses. These lenses are often considered speciality items.
Usually, they are not included as part of a starter kit. They create such a wide angle of view that can feel unnatural to work with at the beginning. This is down to the lens having to fit more of the scene into the image than what your eyes can see at once. Ultra wide-angle lenses are often used in event and architectural photography. They help to get a lot into a photo when shooting in a confined space.
These lenses are not suitable for portraits. They enhance the perspective so much that facial features can look unnatural. Landscape photographers and adventurers, however, love them. An ultra-wide lens is able to distort perspective in ways that these genres value.
When used for journalistic scenes, ultra-wide-angle lenses can provide a dramatic, interesting angle. A mm or mm zoom, for example, is a crucial tool in the bag of a press photographer. These focal lengths can be found in the lineup of most manufacturers. Rectilinear wide angles project an image in which the straight lines remain straight.
Fisheye lenses distort the scene into a spherical shape. Fisheyes are rather special tools. Wide-angle lenses are used by photojournalists for documenting situations. This is because they are wide enough to include a lot of the context, whilst still looking realistic. The widest lenses commonly used in movie production also fall into this range of focal lengths. Their field of view is ideal for showing plenty of the environment.
But thanks to the wide aspect ratio, subjects can be far enough away to not appear distorted. I like to use this range when shooting on the street or with friends in a closed setting.
Examples would be at the dinner table or the pub. Standard lenses as called standard for a reason — these are the most common lenses, in both prime and zoom format. It will provide excellent results. A prime lens will always provide better results than your kit zoom lens, as it is built with a single purpose. It does one job well. Kit zooms also fall into this category.
Glossary Off On. What is Lens Focal Length Focal length, usually represented in millimeters mm , is the basic description of a photographic lens.
Standard Lens FX format approx. Telephoto Lens FX format approx. Super Telephoto Lens FX format approx. More Like This More articles like this. Article Collections. Articles like this, right in your inbox. First Name required. Last Name required. Email required. Popular Topics. More from Nikon. Close Window Share this article by email. Your email has been sent.
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