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Which Lenses Should I Shoot With?
Which Lenses Should I Shoot With?
by Keenan Hursh
Have you ever wandered down an aisle in a grocery store only to see about 50 different offerings of pretty much the same thing? Different brands constantly vying for your attention so you’ll buy their “healthy” whole grain cereal or “long-lasting” AA batteries. As a consumer in today’s world, we are surrounded by more options than ever before, and this is no different in the photography world.
Big brands like Canon, Nikon, and Sony are constantly one-upping each other. A company will announce an exciting new release with top-notch specs only to be surpassed in the coming months by a competitor. This is a never-ending cycle that creates a surplus of options in the market and we can't ignore all the third-party brands that produce even more products that are often compatible with your camera but at a cheaper price. All these options and products can be incredibly overwhelming
In today’s article, we’re going to dive into camera lenses and discuss the different types and styles as well as what lenses are right for each of us as unique photographers with different styles and at different steps along our photography journeys. The purpose of this article is to educate and inform readers on what Is currently out there and to hopefully reduce any anxiety and make the market more approachable.
So, let’s get into it. Which camera lenses are right for you and what should you shoot with?
Big brands like Canon, Nikon, and Sony are constantly one-upping each other. A company will announce an exciting new release with top-notch specs only to be surpassed in the coming months by a competitor. This is a never-ending cycle that creates a surplus of options in the market and we can't ignore all the third-party brands that produce even more products that are often compatible with your camera but at a cheaper price. All these options and products can be incredibly overwhelming
In today’s article, we’re going to dive into camera lenses and discuss the different types and styles as well as what lenses are right for each of us as unique photographers with different styles and at different steps along our photography journeys. The purpose of this article is to educate and inform readers on what Is currently out there and to hopefully reduce any anxiety and make the market more approachable.
So, let’s get into it. Which camera lenses are right for you and what should you shoot with?
Why are Lenses so Important?
Camera lenses are an absolutely essential component of photography and will greatly affect the outcome of a photo. Lenses control the amount of light entering your camera, the sharpness of your image, the depth of field, and many other significant elements of the image you’re creating. Many photographers actually choose to invest more money into their lenses than their actual cameras.
There are many different types of lenses suited for different situations and styles of photography. Many serious photographers will often carry multiple lenses with them to be prepared for a variety of circumstances when in the field. Having a better and more complete understanding of the different types of camera lenses and how they work will help photographers choose which lenses to add to their arsenal.
Camera lenses are an absolutely essential component of photography and will greatly affect the outcome of a photo. Lenses control the amount of light entering your camera, the sharpness of your image, the depth of field, and many other significant elements of the image you’re creating. Many photographers actually choose to invest more money into their lenses than their actual cameras.
There are many different types of lenses suited for different situations and styles of photography. Many serious photographers will often carry multiple lenses with them to be prepared for a variety of circumstances when in the field. Having a better and more complete understanding of the different types of camera lenses and how they work will help photographers choose which lenses to add to their arsenal.
What do you want to photograph?
Before we get into all the different types of lenses, I think it’s crucial for every one of us to ask ourselves what we want to photograph. If you primarily want to shoot wildlife that is far away and fast-moving, you’ll want one type of lens. If you want to shoot landscapes and capture a large panoramic view, you’ll want another type of lens. And if you want to take pictures of people and capture stunning portraits, you’ll want yet another type of lens.
If you’re new to photography, you might not know exactly what you want to shoot just yet. You may want to experiment with different styles of photography. Worry not, there are lenses that are great for this and allow for flexibility and versatility.
So, before you start researching the seemingly ten thousand options on the market today, take some time and really think about what you specifically need for your photography.
Before we get into all the different types of lenses, I think it’s crucial for every one of us to ask ourselves what we want to photograph. If you primarily want to shoot wildlife that is far away and fast-moving, you’ll want one type of lens. If you want to shoot landscapes and capture a large panoramic view, you’ll want another type of lens. And if you want to take pictures of people and capture stunning portraits, you’ll want yet another type of lens.
If you’re new to photography, you might not know exactly what you want to shoot just yet. You may want to experiment with different styles of photography. Worry not, there are lenses that are great for this and allow for flexibility and versatility.
So, before you start researching the seemingly ten thousand options on the market today, take some time and really think about what you specifically need for your photography.
Types of Lenses:
As I mentioned before there are many finely tuned lenses designed for specific tasks. Some lenses are priced under $100, and some can go well beyond $10,000 which is quite the price range. Some lenses can capture an extremely wide field of view and greatly warp or distort your images while some can greatly magnify your image and capture a very narrow field of view.
Let’s break down the main types of photography lenses and discuss what they are designed for and whether or not you should consider purchasing one.
As I mentioned before there are many finely tuned lenses designed for specific tasks. Some lenses are priced under $100, and some can go well beyond $10,000 which is quite the price range. Some lenses can capture an extremely wide field of view and greatly warp or distort your images while some can greatly magnify your image and capture a very narrow field of view.
Let’s break down the main types of photography lenses and discuss what they are designed for and whether or not you should consider purchasing one.
Normal/Standard
To start, we’ll discuss standard or normal lenses. These are lenses that are designed to create images that roughly resemble what we see with our own eyes. At the end of the day, no lens can perfectly replicate human vision which I wrote about last week in an article comparing cameras to human vision. But these lenses certainly come close and are probably the most accessible options for any photographer trying to create a natural look.
Normal or standard lenses are commonly prime lenses (meaning they can’t zoom in or out and change focal lengths) and usually come in focal lengths of either 50mm or 35mm. There are some options that zoom between these focal lengths but the large majority are prime.
These lenses are very common in portrait, lifestyle, street, and everyday photography. If you want the viewer to feel immersed in an image, or if you want to create a sense of emotion or add a human touch to your photos then these are great options. These do a great job of creating a natural and realistic perspective.
Normal or Standard lenses are also great for new photographers who aren’t sure exactly what they want to shoot just yet. They are very versatile and can be used in multiple styles of photography.
To start, we’ll discuss standard or normal lenses. These are lenses that are designed to create images that roughly resemble what we see with our own eyes. At the end of the day, no lens can perfectly replicate human vision which I wrote about last week in an article comparing cameras to human vision. But these lenses certainly come close and are probably the most accessible options for any photographer trying to create a natural look.
Normal or standard lenses are commonly prime lenses (meaning they can’t zoom in or out and change focal lengths) and usually come in focal lengths of either 50mm or 35mm. There are some options that zoom between these focal lengths but the large majority are prime.
These lenses are very common in portrait, lifestyle, street, and everyday photography. If you want the viewer to feel immersed in an image, or if you want to create a sense of emotion or add a human touch to your photos then these are great options. These do a great job of creating a natural and realistic perspective.
Normal or Standard lenses are also great for new photographers who aren’t sure exactly what they want to shoot just yet. They are very versatile and can be used in multiple styles of photography.
Telephoto
Next, we’ll discuss telephoto lenses. These are lenses with longer focal lengths and are primarily designed to magnify objects. If something is small and or far away and you want to get up close and personal a telephoto lens is a great option. They achieve such magnification by combining multiple lenses in just the right way to magnify or enlarge the image when it reaches your camera's sensor.
Telephoto lenses are most common in wildlife, sports, and nature photography but can be used for other styles as well. These lenses encompass anything with a focal length greater than around 85mm and can be broken up into subtypes based on focal length ranges. There are short telephoto lenses which fall between 85-135mm, medium telephoto lenses which fall between 135-300mm, and super telephoto lenses which are anything over 300mm. Some wildlife or sports photographers have lenses that can reach focal lengths of 800-1200mm for capturing subjects that are very far away.
It's also worth noting that there are both prime and zoom telephoto lenses. Prime lenses are set at a specific focal length and almost always have better optics or can produce higher-quality, sharper images. This is due to fewer moving parts and shifting lenses and higher quality glass. It’s also common for prime lenses to achieve wider apertures allowing more light to enter your camera. Zoom telephotos are nice because they allow for a whole range of focal lengths in one lens. I commonly shoot with a 100-400mm lens and Sigma even offers a 60-600mm lens which is an absolutely absurd range in focal length. The optics in zoom lenses are often not quite up to par with prime lenses but you can still find some great options and produce very high-quality images.
If you have the money and you know you want a specific focal length such as 600mm then you should consider purchasing a prime telephoto lens. If you want more flexibility in your telephoto lens and aren’t sure which focal length you will primarily need then a zoom lens might be right for you.
Next, we’ll discuss telephoto lenses. These are lenses with longer focal lengths and are primarily designed to magnify objects. If something is small and or far away and you want to get up close and personal a telephoto lens is a great option. They achieve such magnification by combining multiple lenses in just the right way to magnify or enlarge the image when it reaches your camera's sensor.
Telephoto lenses are most common in wildlife, sports, and nature photography but can be used for other styles as well. These lenses encompass anything with a focal length greater than around 85mm and can be broken up into subtypes based on focal length ranges. There are short telephoto lenses which fall between 85-135mm, medium telephoto lenses which fall between 135-300mm, and super telephoto lenses which are anything over 300mm. Some wildlife or sports photographers have lenses that can reach focal lengths of 800-1200mm for capturing subjects that are very far away.
It's also worth noting that there are both prime and zoom telephoto lenses. Prime lenses are set at a specific focal length and almost always have better optics or can produce higher-quality, sharper images. This is due to fewer moving parts and shifting lenses and higher quality glass. It’s also common for prime lenses to achieve wider apertures allowing more light to enter your camera. Zoom telephotos are nice because they allow for a whole range of focal lengths in one lens. I commonly shoot with a 100-400mm lens and Sigma even offers a 60-600mm lens which is an absolutely absurd range in focal length. The optics in zoom lenses are often not quite up to par with prime lenses but you can still find some great options and produce very high-quality images.
If you have the money and you know you want a specific focal length such as 600mm then you should consider purchasing a prime telephoto lens. If you want more flexibility in your telephoto lens and aren’t sure which focal length you will primarily need then a zoom lens might be right for you.
Wide-Angle
Wide-angle lenses have short focal lengths and are designed to capture a wide field of view. This is the opposite end of the spectrum from telephoto lenses. If you want to capture an entire scene or landscape and aren’t trying to focus on one subject and nothing else then a wide-angle lens is a good option.
I shoot lots of landscapes and like to use focal lengths anywhere from 14mm-35mm. I find that this range is most commonly what I end up using and more often than not I’m on the wider side of that range. If I want to capture a lake with a forest around it, mountains surrounding that, and clouds in the sky I will always use a wide-angle lens.
There are also super wide-angle or fisheye lenses that capture such a wide field of view that they start to distort your image. These can produce very interesting and dramatic effects but be warned elements on the edge of your image will start to stretch more than elements in the center. I like to use my 8mm fisheye lens to capture images of the milky way in the night sky as I can capture almost the entire thing from one horizon to the other in a single image.
Wide-angle lenses are very versatile and if you want to focus on photographing landscapes or large scenes then consider shooting with one of these.
Wide-angle lenses have short focal lengths and are designed to capture a wide field of view. This is the opposite end of the spectrum from telephoto lenses. If you want to capture an entire scene or landscape and aren’t trying to focus on one subject and nothing else then a wide-angle lens is a good option.
I shoot lots of landscapes and like to use focal lengths anywhere from 14mm-35mm. I find that this range is most commonly what I end up using and more often than not I’m on the wider side of that range. If I want to capture a lake with a forest around it, mountains surrounding that, and clouds in the sky I will always use a wide-angle lens.
There are also super wide-angle or fisheye lenses that capture such a wide field of view that they start to distort your image. These can produce very interesting and dramatic effects but be warned elements on the edge of your image will start to stretch more than elements in the center. I like to use my 8mm fisheye lens to capture images of the milky way in the night sky as I can capture almost the entire thing from one horizon to the other in a single image.
Wide-angle lenses are very versatile and if you want to focus on photographing landscapes or large scenes then consider shooting with one of these.
Macro
Macro photography is a very specific style that many beginner photographers might not know much about. Macro photography focuses on capturing very, very small subjects and maintaining high levels of detail. If you want to see what an ant looks like in a razor-sharp image highlighting all the microscopic hairs on their body, then check out macro photography.
This style of photography also utilizes specific lenses that have a very high magnification ratio (like some telephoto lenses) but instead of focusing on objects very far away, they focus on objects very close. Imagine looking at a flower through a magnifying glass. This is what you can achieve with macro lenses.
For a true 'macro' lenses, you should look for a 1:1 reproduction ratio and a close minimum focus distance.
Macro photography is a very specific style that many beginner photographers might not know much about. Macro photography focuses on capturing very, very small subjects and maintaining high levels of detail. If you want to see what an ant looks like in a razor-sharp image highlighting all the microscopic hairs on their body, then check out macro photography.
This style of photography also utilizes specific lenses that have a very high magnification ratio (like some telephoto lenses) but instead of focusing on objects very far away, they focus on objects very close. Imagine looking at a flower through a magnifying glass. This is what you can achieve with macro lenses.
For a true 'macro' lenses, you should look for a 1:1 reproduction ratio and a close minimum focus distance.
Conclusion
Now that I’ve provided a rundown on different types of camera lenses and the styles of photography they’re designed for, I hope you have a better idea of what lenses you should be using. If you’re new to photography, consider getting either normal/standard lenses or something with a nice range of focal lengths like a 24-105mm lens as these are well suited to a wide range of photography styles. If you’ve been shooting for a while or want something more fine-tuned to specific styles then consider some nice wide-angle, telephoto, or maybe even macro lenses to your arsenal.
As someone who has been shooting for a long time, I enjoy having a wide variety of lenses so that I can practice many different styles of photography. I can go out with my gear and capture both up-close wildlife shots as well as all-encompassing landscape photos.
I hope this article has been informative and helpful and has provided some clarity into what types of camera lenses are out there. Let us know what you primarily shoot with and if you’re thinking of getting any new lenses in the future.
As always, I implore you to get out there and experiment with your photography gear, especially your lenses, and enjoy the journey!
Now that I’ve provided a rundown on different types of camera lenses and the styles of photography they’re designed for, I hope you have a better idea of what lenses you should be using. If you’re new to photography, consider getting either normal/standard lenses or something with a nice range of focal lengths like a 24-105mm lens as these are well suited to a wide range of photography styles. If you’ve been shooting for a while or want something more fine-tuned to specific styles then consider some nice wide-angle, telephoto, or maybe even macro lenses to your arsenal.
As someone who has been shooting for a long time, I enjoy having a wide variety of lenses so that I can practice many different styles of photography. I can go out with my gear and capture both up-close wildlife shots as well as all-encompassing landscape photos.
I hope this article has been informative and helpful and has provided some clarity into what types of camera lenses are out there. Let us know what you primarily shoot with and if you’re thinking of getting any new lenses in the future.
As always, I implore you to get out there and experiment with your photography gear, especially your lenses, and enjoy the journey!
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AUTHOR
AUTHOR
Keenan Hursh is a Photographer, visual designer, and creative story teller based out of Bozeman, Montana. He draws inspiration from his frequent excursions into the natural world and always brings his camera along to capture whatever adventures he finds himself in. Keenan is passionate about documenting and sharing fleeting moments from the natural world and focuses primarily on wildlife, landscape, and adventure photography.
When it comes to gear, he primarily shoots digital with his Canon EOS R5 and EOS 6D mark ii but also has several 35mm film cameras that get out every now and then.
At a very young age, Keenan started bringing a camera along on his excursions and immediately fell in love with the art of photography. He started out with his parent’s cheap point and shoot and has continuously improved his craft and gear refining his shooting style and producing more compelling and intriguing images.
Growing up in the foothills of Boulder, Colorado, surrounded by mountains and wilderness, Keenan has developed a deep passion for many outdoor activities. When he’s not out on a shoot or using his camera, Keenan enjoys skiing, climbing, hiking, backpacking, cycling, whitewater rafting, and paragliding. If he’s outside, away from the distractions of society and civilization, he’s in his happy place.
Keenan studied Emergent Digital Practices at the University of Denver while minoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Since earning his degree in 2019 he was worked with a wide range of clients, companies, and organizations throughout his career. Apart from photography he specializes in content creation, writing, brand development, and graphic design.
You can view Keenan’s portfolio on his website at www.keenanhurshphoto.com
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"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2024
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