Different Types of Camera Lenses Explained

50mm Lens

A 50mm lens is the most popular lens that normally comes with an SLR or DSLR camera.   A 50mm lens is very versatile and mimics very closely what the human eye can see.   It produces excellent quality photos and is one of the best lenses to have for general day-to-day use as it’s not too big or heavy to have attached to your camera.  While this fixed focal length lens is great for normal every day use, there are a number of different camera lenses which are best suited for more specific photographic purposes.

Many photographers like to have a selection of lenses in their camera bag to cover a variety of situations, such as bringing subjects closer to the frame or capturing a wider-angled scene.  There are a great variety of lenses to choose from, some with fixed focal lengths and some with varying focal lengths to give you more versatility in one lens.

Let’s take a look at the main different types of camera lenses and what purposes or situations they are likely to be used for:

Types of Camera Lenses Explained

TELEPHOTO LENS

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A telephoto camera lens will bring the subject of your picture close up, so it’s great for shooting pictures of things that are further away than you would like or for subjects that you are unable to get close enough to.  These camera lenses are popular for capturing sporting events.  Typical telephoto lenses range between 70mm and 300mm.

WIDE ANGLE LENS

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As the name suggests, a wide angle camera lens enables the photographer to capture a wider expanse of the scene and are great for landscape photography.  Typical focal lengths for a wide angle lens range between 24mm and 35 mm.

ZOOM LENS

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A zoom camera lens allows the photographer to choose from a range of focusing lengths without having to change the lens.  Zoom lenses come in a range of variable focal lengths, such as 28mm – 105mm, or 70mm - 300mm for example.

Bear in mind that a variable focal length lens will not produce quite the same quality as a fixed length lens.  Fixed length camera lenses produce a sharper image and also produce better images in low light conditions.  But with advancing technology, zoom lenses have come a long way and for ease of use and convenience these lenses are a popular choice for many photographers.

MACRO LENS

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A macro lens allows the photographer to take close-up pictures and is particularly good for small subjects.  This type of camera lens is popular with photographers wanting to take pictures of insects for example, that would otherwise be scared away if you got too close.

FISHEYE LENS

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A fisheye lens gives a full 180 degree view.  This angle gives a distorted but unique curved appearance.  The four sides of the picture will look much further away than the centre of the picture.

TELECONVERTER

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A teleconverter is placed between your camera and the camera lens.  It acts to increase the focal length of the lens, bringing the subject closer to the camera.  A typical 2x converter therefore will increase a 200mm lens to a 400mm lens.  It is cheaper to buy a teleconverter than it is to buy a special telephoto lens, but bear in mind that the optical quality will be affected.  A teleconverter reduces the amount of light let in through the lens, so a slower shutter speed or higher ISO is required.

*Prices/discounts/shipping indicated correct at time of writing/publishing and may be subject to change anytime.  E&OE.

Related articles:

• Camera Terminology Explained Series, Part 1 (A-B)
• Camera Terminology Explained Series, Part 2 (C-D)
• Camera Terminology Explained Series, Part 3 (E-H)
• Camera Terminology Explained Series, Part 4 (I-J)
• Camera Terminology Explained Series, Part 5 (K-N)
• Camera Terminology Explained Series, Part 6 (O-R)
• Camera Terminology Explained Series, Part 7 (S-Z)
• Secrets to Taking Great Landscape Photographs
• Tips on How to Take Photographs of Night Scenes
• Tips on How to Take the Best Portrait Photographs
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Fixed Lens, Review
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Fixed Lens, Review
• Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens, Review
• Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Ultra-wide Zoom Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras, Reviewed
• Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens, Review
• Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM UD Wide Angle Zoom Lens, Review
• Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens, Review
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens, Review
• Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon EOS Cameras, Reviewed
• Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras, Review
• Rokinon FE14M-C 14mm F.2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Lens for Canon, Review
• Nikon Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens, Review
• Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED EF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens, Review
• Rokinon FE8M-N 8mm f/3.5 Ultra-Wide Angle Fisheye Lens for Nikon, Review

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