What Is a Telephoto Lens and Why Would You Use One?

What is a Telephoto Lens?

A telephoto lens, with a focal length typically over 70mm, is designed to bring distant subjects closer. It’s perfect for zooming in on subjects like wildlife, sports, or portraits, allowing you to capture details that would be hard to see with the naked eye.

Pros of Telephoto Lenses:

Great for Portraits: Telephoto lenses allow for beautiful background blur (bokeh), which helps subjects stand out against a creamy backdrop.
Reach Distant Subjects: Perfect for wildlife photography or sports, where you can’t always get close to your subject.
Background Compression: Telephoto lenses can compress the distance between objects, creating interesting visual effects.

Cons:

Limited Field of View: The zoomed-in nature of telephoto lenses means they capture a much narrower scene, making it harder to shoot wide landscapes.
Heavy & Expensive: Telephoto lenses are often large, heavy, and come at a higher price point.
Shallow Depth of Field: While this is great for isolating subjects, it can be difficult to get more of the scene in focus.