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What Is the Purpose of a Telephoto Lens?

If you have ever tried to take a picture of your child down the length of a playing field, you have likely discovered the frustrating limitation of a standard camera lens--if you want close-ups, you have to be close. Perhaps it's time to consider adding a telephoto lens to your camera bag.

Purpose
- A telephoto acts like binoculars for your camera. It brings distant objects closer, allowing you to focus on a specific object in the wider viewing field.
Telephoto vs. Zoom
- Telephoto and "zoom" lenses are not the same. A telephoto has a single fixed focal length measured in millimeters (28mm, 50mm, etc.); a zoom lens has the ability to bring an object up X number of times (4x, 10x, etc.).
Uses
- Using a telephoto lens, photographers can not only bring distant objects closer but also manually blur the background around the central object to achieve more interesting pictures.
Considerations
- For more control over your images, acquaint yourself with the different types of telephoto lenses. You might need a different lens to photograph flowers than you would for capturing sports action or birds in flight.
Bottom Line
- Remember that not all "long" lenses are telephotos, but all telephotos have the same basic function: bringing distant objects closer, for more focused and more interesting pictures.

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