Different Types Of Focal Length Comparisons
INTRODUCTION
A lens is the very basic and yet the most important part of photography. Photography has several different styles that include fashion photography, sports photography, wildlife photography, street photography, nature photography, portrait photography, etc. To get the best out of these styles, you need to have good knowledge of different types of lenses and their focal length comparisons.
Figuring out which lens is the best to shoot your subject takes you halfway to get the desired results from your photography also, you get the flexibility to experiment as much as you want with your pictures. Different focal lengths capture different pictures.
So it is important to understand different focal length comparisons to find out the best one for your style of photography. In this guide, I have explained different lenses so that you could get a better idea about focal length comparisons.
It is quite confusing to understand the focal length in technical terms. If I simply put it together, the focal length is the distance between your lens and the sensor of your camera. It is calculated in millimeters. We use different numbers in mm to express different focal lengths.
Focal length gives us an idea about the angle of view. It tells us that how much of the scene you can capture in a single frame? What would be the magnification of the picture? and How small or large are elements in the picture going to be?.
Short focal length gives a wide angle of view and low magnification, while long focal length ensures the narrow angle of view and high magnification.
two types of lenses
You get to experiment more with the zoom lens due to its variable focal lengths. You don’t have to change the lens, again and again, to capture different pictures as you can zoom in and zoom out the lens easily.
At the same time, you get fixed focal lengths with prime lenses. They are usually lightweight with a high aperture range for better low light shooting, shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh effect.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOCAL LENGTH COMPARISONS:
1. Wide-angle focal length (14-35mm)
The wide focal length captures the background scenery beautifully. It gives you the perspective that your object is far away when it is not in reality. You get natural distortion-free images at this focal range. Hence it is widely used for landscape and nature photography. They cover a wider area with a good field of view. Therefore it is also used to shoot documentaries, films and large group photos.
2. Standard focal length (35-70mm)
The standard focal length captures as close as we can see through the human eye. With minimum distortion, this lens flatters the object in the picture well. Its large aperture allows enough light to enter, making it perfect for shooting in low-light conditions.
This focal length is the most commonly used in lenses, available in both prime and zoom formats. You can use it to shoot anything from nature to action sequences to portraits, streets etc.
3. Telephoto focal length (70-105mm)
You can capture close-up shots from a distance using telephoto focal lengths. This focal length is mostly preferred for wildlife photography but can take portraits and product shots well, too, as its perspective captures the details of the human face and objects naturally. It separates the object from the background in such a way that you don’t get the vibe of artificial isolation.
4. Super telephoto focal length (105-300 mm and above)
Super-telephoto focal length is used in scenarios where a photographer is not allowed to go close to the subject to capture it. Hence this lens is loved by sports and wildlife photographers as in both these cases, and you can’t get too close to your object. It is used to capture the buildings, mountains etc.
Super-telephoto length flattens the perspective of the scene and hence not suitable for landscape photography, but you can capture portraits using this lens. Its subject separation and background compression add a unique touch to your portraits though its long working distance may not be the best suited to take intimate images.
5. Macro focal length (60mm, 105mm, 200mm)
Macro focal length is the best range to capture the details of an object. You can focus very closely on an object and produce images in the ratio of 1:1. This focal length is most popularly used to capture small products, flowers, insects etc., where capturing detail is the prime factor.
CONCLUSION
To create beautiful stories through photography, you need to know different focal lengths and their technical aspects in detail. By experimenting with different focal lengths, you can click versatile images and shoot video clips. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, playing with focal lengths is always a tricky business.
There might be particular lenses assigned for a particular type of photography, but it’s up to you and your creativity how you break the convention and click unique pictures using different focal lengths of different lenses.
