What Is a 70 300mm Lens Used For: The Basics of Telephoto Lenses
Contrary to popular belief, not all lenses work the same. It is a usual mistake of those new to the world of photography to think that the same lens can be used for any photography. It is always best to learn about the different kinds of lenses and where to use them best. For example, knowing what is a 70 300mm lens used for and how it differs from other lenses will go a long way in shooting excellent images.
Understanding Focal Length
One cannot understand the functions of the lenses without knowing what a focal length is. A focal length is the distance between the middle of a lens and its focus and is usually measured in millimeters.
Some people think that focal length is the actual length of lenses. It is instead the calculation of the optical distance from the point where the light rays meet to form a sharp reproduction or image of a particular object to the sensor of the camera located at the equipment’s focal plane. The focal length is determined whenever the lenses are focused at infinity.
A more straightforward way of understanding this concept is that focal length provides the view’s angle or how much of the photography subjects will be captured as well as magnified.
A photographer will have a narrower view angle and higher magnification with a longer focal length lens. On the other hand, one will have lower magnification and wider angle of view with a shorter focal length.
Different Kinds of Lenses
There different kinds of lenses, namely the fisheye or ultra-wide, wide-angle, standard prime, zoom, macro, and telephoto, which we will be giving more focus later on for the sake of simplifying our discussion.
The fisheye or ultra-wide lenses have a focal length of eight to 24 mm and are best for panoramic shots, landscapes, cityscapes, abstracts, and real estate. On the other hand, the wide-angle lenses have 24 to 35 mm focal length and are great for images of landscapes, architecture, interiors, and forests. Standard prime lenses have focal lengths of either 35, 50, 85 and 135 mm and are best for portraits, street, and wedding photography.
Zoom lenses have focal lengths of 55 to 200 mm and are perfect for taking shots of the wildlife, weddings, and portraits while the macro lenses have a focal length of 50 to 200 mm and are widely used for ultra-detailed photos.
What Are Telephoto Lenses?
Telephoto lenses are best for taking images of distant subjects such as sports event, astronomy, and the wildlife. These lenses are designed for the reproduction of pictures at moderate to far distances.
This kind of lens is also referred to as a long lens or a Tele lens and have a special internal construction that gives the lenses a focal length that is greater than the diameter of the lenses themselves. They are lighter, smaller and portable compared to others.
What Is a 70 300mm Lens Used for?
Telephoto lenses come either with a fixed focal length and zoom variants. Lenses with fixed focal lengths usually are of higher quality than zoom variants. Zoom lenses, however, provide greater flexibility to photographers.
Focal lengths of telephoto lenses often start roughly at 85 mm and can extend to 800 mm and even beyond. Lenses with longer focal lengths have the advantage of capturing more distant details, but they tend to be pricier, more massive and larger.
Tele Lenses can be categorized into three kinds, namely short, medium and super.
- Short Tele Lenses
Short Tele lenses are best for shooting candid shots and portraits like those in wedding photography where the photographer is quite close to the subject but also needs to keep some distance. The short tele lenses are lightweight and compact and can be held by hand for fast shooting. The focal length of these lenses ranges from 85 to 135 mm.
- Medium Tele Lenses
Medium telephoto lenses are ideal for sports and action photography where photographers can get close to the live action. They have a focal length of 135 to 300 mm.
- Super Tele Lenses
Super telephoto lenses have more than 300 mm focal length and are often used for nature and wildlife photography. Most amateurs do not need such a lens, but professional ones do. Lenses with long focal lengths are great for astrography, but they are very pricey.
Many cameras and lenses manufacturers sell the 70 to 300mm lenses, which makes many people wonder, “What is a 70 300mm lens used for?” These lenses are considered as telephoto lenses given the focal length range.
A 70 to 300mm lens a is a telephoto lens that has a zoom function. There is an advantage in using the 70 to 300mm lenses as they offer versatility. Such a lens can be used for daylight telephoto subjects including wildlife, travel, candid and portrait shots due to its wide range of focal length. These lenses are also lightweight.
This kind of lens allows for flexibility in its use as it has a working distance of close to far, which means the lens can produce sharp images of objects that are located nearby as well as those found in a far distance. Photographers who need to either travel or keep moving around with their equipment prefer the 70 to 300mm lenses as they do not have to bring multiple lenses with them since this lens is already enough for their needs.
The 70 to 300mm Lens Might Just Be What You Need
There are different kinds of lenses, and knowing what type of photography one will use the lens for will come a long way in helping a buyer know which lens to buy. Unfortunately, lenses do not come in cheap, and for amateurs or even professional photographers, it will take time to complete all kinds of lenses.
The telephoto lens with 70 to 300mm focal length is an excellent choice for those who want versatility in their lenses. After all, it has a wide range of focal distance, which means one can indulge in different kinds of photography with it like sports and live action, travel, astronomy, nature, wildlife, and portrait. This kind of lens is great for travelers, and live action photographers who value portability in their cameras, lenses, and equipment since it is lightweight.
