- Choosing your perfect beginner telephoto lens
-
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a new lens – It can be quite daunting especially if you are new to the photography scene evaluating between the many lenses to choose from. Here are some tips on picking your perfect beginner telephoto lens.
E.g., 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
RF - Mount system
24-105mm - Focal length
f/4 - Aperture
IS - Stabilization
USM - Motor type
Telephoto lenses make your subject appear closer to the camera. They offer great magnification when shooting subjects far away.
Telephoto lenses are handy when you are taking photos of things that you can't, or don't want to get close to, such as wildlife or sports.
They can help to enhance the visual relationships between the subject and its environment, creating compression in the relationship between the two. You can also utilise these to create that beautiful blurry background for portraits. Roughly speaking, the longer the focal length and wider the aperture, the more of this blur you will get.
Here are some beginner telephoto lens suggestions for the different Canon systems:
RF System: RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM
EF System: EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM
EF-M System: EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
Here are some videos to give you a bit of an insight for telephoto lenses
Canon Photographer Jay Collier has been working as a wildlife photographer in Africa since 2004. In this insightful guide Jay shares his favourite photography locations in Madagascar, along with advice on how to master the art of wildlife photography. Learn all about the 'Great Red Island' and its abundance of rare and beautifully bizarre wildlife.
Originally from Hong Kong, Elaine Li is an experienced travel photographer and Instagram sensation based in sunny Sydney. She is immensely passionate about travel and exposing herself to new cultures around the world – always with her camera in hand. Here Elaine shares her favourite photography locations in Helsinki and Lapland. From snow-white fields to ethereal pine forests, Finland sure has a lot to offer.
Mike Langford, travel photographer, book producer, landscape photographer, educator and awards judge, shares his story.