Definitely, the performance of photography or videography largely depends on the lens you mount on the camera.
Hence, it’s wise for a photographer to understand different types of camera lenses and when to use them.
This way, a photographer can attach the right lens for the specific purpose of photography and enjoy the precise result.
In this post, we have briefly discussed all the main and common types of camera lenses along with their usage.
We also include a table of various lens sizes with their specs for your convenience.
The Main Types Of Camera Lens
It can be overwhelming for a starting photographer to choose the right camera lens for certain purposes from a wide range of options.
![The Main Types Of Camera Lens](https://ronspixguide.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Main-Types-Of-Camera-Lens.webp)
This is where understanding the types of camera lens play its role, as it can help pick the preferred one informally.
In general, camera lenses are mainly two types, which you can then put into various subcategories. So let’s start by knowing the main types and their usage:
Zoom Lens
As a primary type, zoom lenses are extremely versatile camera lenses and suitable for a wide range of photography, whether it is street or wildlife.
The focal length of the zoom lens is a range of 70-200 mm, which means the lens also has to zoom from 70mm to 200mm.
Hence, the photographer can shoot both close-up and long-distance photography and use the lens for hiking outdoors, sporting events, or family photography.
If you are a budding photographer or need to photograph in a variety of conditions or scenarios, go for a zoom lens to enjoy its unbeatable adaptability and quality.
Even a zoom lens is an all-around lens that is handy for any type of photographer.
However, the error side of the zoom lens is that it’s quite heavy, especially compared to the prime lens, and isn’t quite sharp.
The aperture setting of the zoom lens is also going slow, resulting in difficulty shooting in low light.
Prime Lens
![Prime Lens](https://ronspixguide.com/wp-content/uploads/Prime-Lens.webp)
The next camera lens type is a classic-style prime lens, which is available right from the beginning of the camera.
The focal range of this lens is fixed, so you won’t be able to zoom in or out.
The key benefit of a prime lens is that it has just a single focal length, making the length preferable for specific types of photography.
Therefore, a prime lens delivers more optimum image quality than a typical zoom lens.
However, make sure you are using the right focal length for the situation.
For instance, a 50mm prime lens is ideal for portrait photography as its focal length can see too close to the human eye.
Likewise, the 35mm prime lens is perfect for landscape photography.
In addition, a prime lens is also preferable for the situation when you need to shoot a stationary subject and the photographer can easily move around, such as weddings and streetscapes.
Another preferable situation for using a prime lens is in low light conditions or night photography.
The prime lens also delivers sharper and faster performance while being lighter to carry around.
But the downside of this camera lens is that the prime lens doesn’t allow you to zoom in.
So the photographer may need to carry several lenses or may lose a shot while changing lenses.
Common Type Of Camera Lens
Apart from the zoom and prime lens, the other types of camera lenses are:
Telephoto Lens
![Telephoto Lens](https://ronspixguide.com/wp-content/uploads/Telephoto-Lens.webp)
Telephoto lenses are quite big lenses, and these are effective enough where ordinary lenses don’t work.
It comes with multiple focal lengths and is mainly suitable for tracking faraway subjects.
The focal length of a telephoto lens ranges from 100 mm up to 600 mm or even more.
These types of camera lenses are also heavier and usually require a tripod for support.
Telephoto lenses are highly recommended for professional wildlife, night sky, and sports photographers while the average person can’t afford their budget.
A sports photographer also uses a telephoto lens to deliver an intimate sense of the subject on the field from the bleachers or sidelines.
You can also make a sub-type of telephoto based on its size, weight, and price.
Wide-Angle Lenses
![Wide-Angle Lenses](https://ronspixguide.com/wp-content/uploads/Wide-Angle-Lenses.webp)
Among different types of camera lenses, a wide-angle lens is a must-have, particularly for landscape photographers and to step up the game.
It has a wider focal field to allow it to shoot more of the scene and create brighter photos.
Wide angle lenses are also ideal for architectural photography as they allow you to capture the entire building in front.
The focal length of the wide-angle lens ranges from 16 to 35 mm.
Fisheye Lens
The fisheye lenses are perfect for capturing a wider field of view as these can create a fisheye effect as same in the GoPro image.
You can also consider it an ultra-wide angle lens, as it offers a massive field of view.
However, fisheye lenses are more specialized types and aren’t necessary for most photographers unless they are photographing indoors or for design work.
This camera lens has a lower focal length of 8 mm.
Macro Lenses
![Macro Lenses](https://ronspixguide.com/wp-content/uploads/Macro-Lenses.webp)
Microlenses are mostly used for close-up and macro photography.
It comes in a unique design, and a macro lens can deliver sharper images even at an extremely close range.
This camera lens is also perfect for nature photography as it allows one to capture a vast amount of detail in a single image.
Standard Lenses
Standard lenses are suitable for a variety of photography and their focal length ranges from 35 to 85mm.
A standard-type zoom lens can capture wide-angle and full-frame photos.
Tilt-Shift
![Tilt-Shift](https://ronspixguide.com/wp-content/uploads/Tilt-Shift.webp)
Using a tilt-shift lens, a photographer can distort and adjust the viewpoint of the shot.
The optic of this lens is also tiltable and shiftable with regard to the camera sensor to manipulate the focal plane.
Apart from that, this tilting lens offers greater control over the field depth. The photographer can also deliver almost infinite depth at the far end.
Despite shifting the lens, the photographer will have better control over the viewpoint.
Combining these, tilt-shift lenses are suitable for architectural photography, especially for shooting tall buildings.
This way, the authorities can easily determine if the building is leaning over or can easily keep the vertical line vertical.
The viewpoint control also delivers brilliant creative options. For instance, the photographer can use this tilt-shift while shooting with mirrors.
It also allows you to shoot the shot from the mirror side but adjusts the perspective to look as if the photo was taken directly in front without viewing the camera in the photo.
The Tilt-shift lens is also a stylish piece of equipment that is relatively expensive but incredible for visual effects and taking almost impossible shots.
Hence, many real-estate and architecture photographers highly appreciate this tilt-shift lens.
Ultra-Wide Lenses
Lastly, the ultra-wide lens is an amazing option for architecture and landscape photography, as well as interior design experts.
This type of camera lens delivers a wider field of view compared to the typical options.
This ultra-wide lens allows a photographer to shoot more of the background to deliver an awe-inspiring view.
You can also use this camera lens to capture more information and frame images creatively.
Despite this, the ultra-wide lens helps get a unique effect on photos, making them unreal.
Lastly, the best thing about this camera lens is that it allows one to shoot a picture without moving a foot.
Different Size of Lenses with Specs
As the size of the camera lens highly matters, it’s wise to learn about some of the common lenses to decide on the better one:
Specifications | 16mm Lens | 35mm Lens | 50mm Lens | 85mm Lens | 200mm Lens |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angle of view | Very wide | Wide | Normal | Medium telephoto | Telephoto |
Description | Most wider angle and perfect for landscape photography | Able to capture as a cell phone and perfect for street photography | Same as the human eye sees and great for all types of photography | Can separate a subject from the background and is ideal for portrait photography | Can pick out a distant subject and perfect for compressing subject and background |
Depth of field | Keep everything in focus | Keep everything in focus except close subject | Offer deep or shallow depth of view | Offer shallow depth of field | Offer shallow depth of field at a close distance |
Distortion of space | Makes the subject look farther away than actual | Lower spatial distortion than an ultra-wide lens | Very little or even none | Makes the subject look closer than actual | Makes the subject very closer than actual |
FAQs
How To Pick The Right Camera Lens For Your Needs?
You should consider the performance of key aspects of a camera lens to pick the best one.
Some of the key features are aperture, focal length, crop factor, fixed or zoom, distortion, and perspective.
How Many Lenses Should A Photographer Collect?
If you are an amateur, professional, or videographer, you should own each of the main types of lenses if they are affordable.
This’ll deliver improved versatility over any type of photography or videography with precise results.
What Kind Of Camera Lens Do Most Photographers Use?
Most photographers use a standard zoom lens as it is suitable for almost everything.
The camera lens also comes in various focal lengths, allowing you to zoom in and shoot crisp details close up.
Final Words
Ultimately, you get a deeper understanding of different types of camera lenses and when to use them.
I hope this guide helps you invest in the most preferred camera lens for your specific photography or the most versatile one for all-around purposes.
If you are an amateur photographer, start with a versatile one to improve your skills in various sectors, and then start collecting specific types for a precise result.