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What Are Zoom Lenses Used to Photograph?

Zoom lenses refer to camera lenses that have the ability to change their focal length, which affects the angle of view and the magnification of the lens. Zoom lenses provide flexibility, because they can photograph a variety of conditions and change settings quickly. However, zoom lenses are not ideal for photographing all subjects.

Zoom Lens Strengths
- Zoom lenses are ideal for shooting pictures of far-away objects you cannot physically move closer to, such as birds in trees or animals in the zoo. They can also make it easier to take portrait photos because you can increase your zoom instead of moving closer. Zoom lenses that have wide-angle options also take good landscape photographs.
Zoom Lens Weaknesses
- Zoom lenses are less effective at macro, or very close-up shots, which look best when shot with a macro lens. In addition, zoom lenses are more expensive and heavier than prime lenses, or lenses that only have one focal length. Prime lenses are also more effective than zoom lenses in taking photographs in low-light conditions, such as indoor sports areas, because they gather light more effectively.
Optical vs. Digital Zoom
- Digital cameras typically list both the optical and digital zoom capabilities of a lens, sometimes adding them together. For example, a camera with 3-times optical zoom and 3-times digital zoom may be advertised as having 6-times zoom. However, digital zoom is not true zoom; it crops the picture, reducing the image quality. Cropping pictures on your computer is more effective than using digital zoom. When shopping for a digital camera, only pay attention to the optical zoom numbers.

Photography