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Essential Lenses and Focal Lengths – What to Use and Why
- Monique Harmer
- 2 minute read
Essential Lenses and Focal Lengths – What to Use and Why
As an amateur photographer, understanding focal lengths and lenses will help you capture better photos for different situations. Let’s break it down in a simple, practical way.
1. Wide-Angle Lenses (10mm - 35mm)
📏 Short focal length = Captures more of the scene (wider view).
📸 Best for: Landscapes, architecture, interiors, and street photography.
🔹 Why?
✅ Makes small spaces look bigger.
✅ Great for dramatic shots with leading lines.
✅ Adds depth to landscape photography.
🔻 Caution:
🚨 Can distort faces if used too close (not ideal for portraits).
📷 Popular choices:
- 16-35mm f/2.8 – Great for landscapes & travel.
- 24mm f/1.4 – Amazing for wide environmental portraits.
2. Standard (Mid-Range) Lenses (35mm - 85mm)
📏 Balanced focal length = Looks natural, like the human eye.
📸 Best for: Portraits, street photography, and everyday shots.
🔹 Why?
✅ 35mm – A great “walk around” lens, perfect for storytelling and environmental portraits.
✅ 50mm (“Nifty Fifty”) – Super versatile, sharp, and works well in low light.
✅ 85mm – Ideal for portraits, giving a flattering background blur.
🔻 Caution:
🚨 85mm and longer need more space—hard to use in tight indoor settings.
📷 Popular choices:
- 50mm f/1.8 – Affordable, sharp, great for beginners.
- 85mm f/1.4 – Beautiful bokeh for professional-looking portraits.
3. Telephoto Lenses (100mm - 400mm)
📏 Long focal length = Brings far subjects closer.
📸 Best for: Wildlife, sports, concerts, and compressed portraits.
🔹 Why?
✅ Captures details from far away.
✅ Compresses background for a cinematic effect.
✅ Great for isolating subjects (background blur, separation).
🔻 Caution:
🚨 Heavier and more expensive.
🚨 Need a steady hand or tripod to avoid blur.
📷 Popular choices:
- 70-200mm f/2.8 – Great for portraits, sports, and events.
- 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 – Perfect for wildlife and outdoor sports.
4. Specialty Lenses
📸 Macro Lenses (90mm – 100mm) – For close-up shots of small subjects like flowers, insects, or jewellery.
📸 Fisheye Lenses (8mm – 15mm) – For ultra-wide, distorted creative shots.
📸 Tilt-Shift Lenses – Used for architecture and product photography to avoid distortion.
Quick Cheat Sheet – Which Lens for What?
✅ Landscapes → Wide-angle (16mm-35mm)
✅ Portraits → 50mm, 85mm, 135mm
✅ Street Photography → 35mm or 50mm
✅ Sports/Wildlife → 200mm+ Telephoto
✅ Macro (Close-ups) → 100mm Macro
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Hi I'm Monique
Personal and business brand image expert. Photographer and educator who is super passionate about empowering business women and men to have a positive self perception, with the right tools and guidance so they can share their gifts with the world.
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Essential Lenses & Focal Lengths
Download PDF version here
Essential Lenses & Focal Lengths
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