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

Ad >>Click here to buy the Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Telephoto Lens at a competitive low price, or to view a great range of other camera lenses<<

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

Ad >>Click here to buy the Nikon 24mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens at a competitive low price, or to view a great range of other camera lenses<<

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.