Zoom lenses allow you to have more flexibility in your shooting than lenses with fixed focal lengths. Some zoom lenses have such wide ranges that you can shoot wide-angle and telephoto shots with the same lens. Sorting through the wide variety of zoom lenses on the market can be overwhelming. Simplify your search by focusing on lenses that will satisfy your particular shooting needs.
Instructions
Find the Right Zoom Lens
1. Decide what kind of photography you will be doing. Will you be shooting landscapes, cityscapes, interiors, portraits, sporting events, or nature or wildlife photography? Will you be bringing your lens with you when you travel and attend events? Perhaps you will be shooting a variety of subjects. Take this into consideration.
2. Look for a wide-angle zoom lens or ultra-wide zoom if you plan to be shooting landscapes and cityscapes. Wide-angle lenses have a more panoramic perspective than the human eye, allowing you to include more of a subject in your image. Wide-angle lenses can also achieve greater depth of field because of their short focal lengths; in other words, more of your picture will appear in focus. You can find wide-angle zoom lenses with small ranges, such as 10 to 22 mm, or medium ranges of 10 to 40 mm. Some wide-angle zooms have a "fish-eye" perspective.
3. Look for a standard zoom if you will be shooting in a variety of conditions, or while traveling. Standard zoom lenses offer more flexibility, often letting you transition between short and long focal lengths. You can find standard zoom lenses with ranges such as 15 to 85 mm, 18 to 135 mm, 18 to 200 mm, 24 to 70 mm and 24 to 105 mm. Entry-level standard zoom lenses are often less expensive than equivalent wide-angle or telephoto zooms.
4. Look for a telephoto zoom lens if you will be shooting sporting events, nature or wildlife. Telephoto lenses' long focal lengths allow you to get closer views of your subject. Their narrow perspective allows you to include less in the frame, however, which can make landscape photography difficult. Their long focal lengths also reduce the depth of field they can achieve. Entry-level telephoto lenses often have ranges of 55 to 250 mm or 70 to 200 mm, while more advanced or professional telephoto zooms can range from 70 mm to 300 mm or 400 mm.
5. Compare prices and consult lens reviews online. The-digital-picture.com provides reviews of Canon lenses, and Digital-photography-school.com and Naturfotograf.com provide reviews of zoom lenses. As a final test to make sure you're comfortable with the lens, go to a retail store to test it out.
Tags: focal lengths, zoom lenses, lenses with, long focal, long focal lengths, will shooting
