Understanding the Different Types of Camera Lenses

Understanding the different types of camera lenses can be a challenge if you haven’t had a chance to experiment with them. You should know what each type of lens does before you invest in an expensive piece of technology that you may or may not need. Learn about the most common types of lenses to decide which ones you should keep in your collection. Continue reading for some details about five different types of camera lenses.

Standard Camera Lenses

Standard lenses are the most common lens type. They usually come with your camera’s starter kit. There are two types of standard lenses: zoom and prime. Zoom is the most common because it gives you the most variety, but using a prime lens requires more skill. Prime lenses specialize in one focal length, requiring photographers to carry more than one at a time. They produce higher quality images than zoom lenses too.

Pro Tip: If you use prime lenses, invest in a nice camera bag. You’ll need it to carry around multiple lenses.

Wide Angle Lenses

Wide-angle lenses are great for architecture and landscape photography. They allow you to capture more of the view in your frame. Additionally, they not only focus on a subject but includes the scenery as part of the focus of the photo.

Fish-eye Lens

The most common type of wide-angle lens is the fish-eye lens. It offers an even wider angle—180-degrees—and is known as a super or ultra wide-angle view. People believe it mimics how a fish might view the world.

Macro Lenses

To produce a sharp, close-up image, you should use a macro lens. Macro photography produces images that make the subject look life-size or even larger than life. You can get a close-up of macro details of your subject with this lens. It is popular for photographing subjects such as:

• Water drops
• Flower petals
• Insects
• Food

Telephoto Lenses

If you wish to focus your zoom beyond the boundaries of a standard camera lens, you will need a telephoto lens. Though bulky, these professional lenses range from mid-range, which is a focal length between 70mm and 200mm, to super-telephoto, which is a focal length over 200mm and up to 400mm.

Tilt-Shift Lenses

Tilt-shift lenses are not common yet still offer photographers a way to advance their craft. They can be used to reduce distortion and manipulate vanishing points. Essentially, the lens can make your subject look small or even toy-like in your frame.

You’re not alone in the journey to understanding the different types of camera lenses. The art of photography is not something you pick up in one day. Still, you can give yourself an advantage with a new camera lens that does more than your kit lens. Shop new Rokinon lenses online today to find prime, zoom, wide-angle, and telephoto lenses, plus many more!