The Different Kinds of Camera Lenses Professionals Use

Whether you’re a hobbyist photographer or a budding professional, your photos will benefit greatly from a variety of lenses. Have a few different types available to capture unique shots! Learn about the different kinds of camera lenses professionals use and choose the ones that will encourage your natural creativity.

Telephoto Zoom

There’s only so much you can do by zooming in with a regular lens. The further in you zoom, the more you risk that shake and blur will affect your shot. A telephoto lens is perfect for projects like shooting wildlife from a safe distance; it also works well for taking sports photographs from the stands.

Wide-Angle

These lenses have a shorter focal length, which allows you to get a wide, expansive view. Landscape photographers often use wide-angle lenses with their cameras. No matter what kind of camera you’ve got, there’s a lens out there that will fit it perfectly. A Samyang lens for Canon EF attaches conveniently to a compatible Canon camera, so you can easily shoot landscapes or city scenes.

Fisheye

A more specialized (and extreme) type of wide-angle lens, the fisheye lens expands your field of view to a full 180 degrees. The lens creates a distinct visual distortion to fit an entire panoramic view into a single image and is popular with artistic photographers.

High-Speed

High-speed lenses come in a variety of types, like wide-angle and fisheye. The high shutter speed, however, allows you to take multiple photos with a single click. If you like to photograph your subjects in motion (whether they’re dancers or wild animals), choose a lens with a high shutter speed. You’ll capture that movement more crisply and have more photos to choose from.

Cine

Cinema lenses are fundamentally different from photographic lenses because they’re built to capture moving footage instead of still images. Cine lenses are larger than photo lenses in order to accommodate extra features like a large focus throw. That throw allows the cinematographer to find the perfect focal distance for a scene.

To shoot photos or videos like a pro, invest in pro-level camera gear. Pick up a couple of different lenses and play around with them to discover how they can work for your specific project. The different types of camera lenses professionals use offer a wide range of options, from distance photography to extra-wide angles.