Page 14 - Learning How to Photograph with your DSLR Camera 2nd Edition Jan 2021

Lens Classifications

A good way to categorize lenses is by focal length range and what they are use for. For
example:

Wide angle lenses are less than 35 mm and are often deployed in landscape
photography.

Standard lenses are those in the 35-70 mm focal length range. These are close to what
the eye sees and often used in portrait and travel photography. These are simply good
all-around lens for general shooting.

Telephoto lenses start at 70 mm:
• Short telephotos (70-130 mm) portrait photographers favor these, especially the
80 mm focal length.
• Mid telephoto (130-200 mm)
• Long telephoto (300 mm and up) used in wildlife photography

Prime Lenses

These lenses have a fixed focal length and are incredibly sharp. Prime lenses have the
best optics and usually more expensive than other lenses. This is particularly true as
you go up in focal length. For example, a 50 mm prime lens may go for a few hundred
dollars or more while a 500 mm prime lens may cost several thousand dollars or more.

Wide Angle Lenses

Wide angles are 35
mm and less and come
in a variety of sizes
such as a 10-35 mm
zoom. Prime lenses in
focal lengths (f) like
14mm, 20mm, 24mm,
35mm wide angles are
common. The smaller
the (f) number, the
wider the lens and
more distortion it will
have.

Figure 4 1954 Mercury shot with a 20 mm Prime Lens

14