This article is about which properties a lens has with which focal length, what effects will arise from this, and what helps to choose a lens correctly for different usage scenarios.
In general, the lens can be divided into two categories: zoom lenses with variable focal length and prime lenses, whose focal length is fixed due to their design. Furthermore, lenses can also be classified by focal length into wide-angle lenses, standard lenses, telephoto lenses, and macro lenses.
Zoom lens and prime lens
A zoom lens means a lens with a variable focal length, for example 24 mm to 70 mm or 70 mm to 200 mm. A zoom lens is characterized by its variable focal length and combines wide-angle and telephoto lens functions. Therefore, it is suitable for a variety of scenarios. You can adjust the focal length as needed.
The SIRUI Jupiter 28-85mm T3.2 cine full-frame zoom lens is a good alternative among zoom lenses. This lens covers a zoom range from wide-angle to medium telephoto (28 mm to 85 mm). With a focal length of 28 mm, it is suitable for landscape and architectural shots because the angle of view is wide, while at a focal length of 85 mm the depth of field becomes shallower and the background becomes blurrier, thereby making the main subject stand out from the background, which is especially ideal for portraits and distant landscapes.
A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length determined by its design. Due to their often simpler optical construction, prime lenses can offer higher image quality and tend to have less distortion, which can be especially advantageous for beginners. Thanks to the lightweight design, a prime lens is also more compact than a zoom lens. It is therefore ideal for travel or outdoor photography.
Wide-angle lens, standard lens, telephoto lens, and macro lens
Lenses with different focal lengths are classified according to focal length into wide-angle lenses, standard lenses, telephoto lenses, and macro lenses.
Wide-angle lens
A wide-angle lens is characterized by a large field of view and is also referred to as a short focal length lens, with a focal length of less than 40 mm for full-frame SLR cameras, for example 35 mm, 28 mm, 24 mm, 17 mm, or 14 mm.
Thanks to the wide angle of view, the wide-angle lens can capture expansive scenes with excellent clarity, which is especially suitable for landscape photography. However, when using the wide-angle lens, distortion at the edges of the image is usually unavoidable, so it is advisable to position subjects and people in the center of the image during shooting.
Standard lens
Standard lens is a generic term for lenses with a viewing angle of about 50°, whose focal length generally ranges between 40 mm and 50 mm. A standard lens with a focal length of 50 mm is quite classic, and its image effect closely resembles the human visual impression. With an aperture of F1.4 to F1.8, a soft and blurred background can be created. It is suitable for indoor portraits and everyday shots without distortion.
Telephoto lens
Telephoto lens means a lens with a focal length between 75mm and 200mm. It is advantageous for shots of subjects at a distance. With a long focal length, the subject appears larger and the depth of field is shallower, which creatively highlights the main subject, making the telephoto lens ideal for moving subjects as well as distant portraits.
The Aurora Series 85mm F1.4 Lens is excellent among telephoto lenses. The 85 mm focal length, the F1.4 aperture, and the precise autofocus provide an outstanding portrait experience. Thanks to the use of aspherical lenses, ED glass, and HR glass, not only is the image quality improved, but the weight is also reduced to only 540 g. It is ideal for both photos and video recordings and allows for longer handheld shots or working with gimbal stabilizers.
Macro lens
Normally, the standard macro lens refers to the lens with a medium focal length of 90mm to 105mm, characterized by 1:1 magnification. A macro lens is perfect for close-up shots and macro photography of special subjects, such as insects and flowers. Additionally, a macro lens is very effective in detail representation.
Conclusion:
Only when you know the characteristics of the lens with which focal length and which lens with which focal length is suitable for which scenarios, can you correctly choose a lens for different use scenarios. In portrait photography, prime lenses, zoom lenses, wide-angle lenses, and macro lenses each have their own strengths. With a prime lens, you can precisely control the focal length, while zoom lenses offer better flexibility and allow you to quickly adapt to changing subjects. For specialized approaches, macro lenses and wide-angle lenses are good.
