How to Use Telephoto Lenses
Right Image: 35mm SLR, 300mm f-2.8
APO lens, Fuji Provia 100, Bogen tripod and ball head.
Spot meter, exposure not recorded. Aperture priority and autofocus.
Some people amaze me. Recently I saw a guy
with a Canon EOS-3 and a Sigma 170-500mm zoom lens. This outfit had cost him around $2000.
He was standing next to me by a lake photographing birds. I could not believe he was using
2000 dollars worth of equipment without any kind of support. I was thinking he must either
be using a 1600 ISO film (not the best film choice) since his Sigma had a wide aperture of
f-6.3, or had the most rock solid hands on earth. Many people don't realize that telephoto
lenses require a solid support, either a tripod or a monopod. They switch from a 28-80mm
zoom to a telephoto zoom and believe they can still handhold a camera. Any small vibration
will show up in your pictures. This is especially true with telephotos. It doesn't matter
whether you own fixed or zoom telephotos. A 300mm lens is a 300mm lens whether built into
a compact zoom or a fixed f-2.8 lens.
If you want to see the quality you paid for your
cameras and lenses, use a tripod or at least a monopod especially in telephotography. If
your lens has a tripod collar, attach the lens to the tripod instead of the camera. This
lets you quickly change from horizontal to vertical shots and also puts less stress on
camera's lens mount. Hold the camera by your right hand and press the shutter release
gently without shaking the camera. It is not necessary to hold the lens if you use a solid
tripod. Working with monopod obviously requires you to hold the lens. In this case use
your left hand and hold the front bottom of the lens.
Use a fast shutter speed to minimize
any vibration. If your camera has mirror lock-up, use it to reduce mirror vibration for
stationary objects. Use a lens hood at all times to reduce flare and also protect the
front element of your lens. Whenever possible, close the lens down two or three stops. All
lenses are at their sharpest when closed a couple of stops. Telephoto lenses, especially
telephoto zooms, are not at their best when shot wide open. Corner sharpness may suffer at
wide apertures. Avoid shooting through haze with telephoto lenses. Haze will greatly
reduce overall sharpness even if you use the most expensive lens.
It is best to use
shorter focal lengths than longer ones. If your 300mm covers the shot you want, don't use
your 500mm. If you use teleconverters make sure you use extra support and care. Your 300mm
lens with a 2X converter attached is a 600mm lens. All problems associated with telephotos
are now doubled as well. Use quality teleconverters and avoid using them with zooms and
mirror lenses. Zooms and mirror lenses do not work well with teleconverters. Sharpness
will suffer and resulting small f-stops give dangerously low shutter speeds.
Recommended reading: Telephoto Lens Photography
A basic guide to using telephoto lenses, with chapters on telephoto advantages, choosing a lens, getting the best image quality, and taking pictures of wildlife, people, sports, and landscapes. Also covers travel photography, close-ups, and telephoto composition. Includes a question-and-answer section.
Recommended Lens
Tamron SP AF 200-500mm/F5-6.3 Di LD (IF)
This is a
new zoom lens from Tamron that lets you bring your far away subjects
up close while compressing the distance between the main subject and
the background for professional-looking results. Even while covering
up to a 500mm that enables you to take ultra telephoto shots of
subjects further than the eye can see, its design is extremely
lightweight and compact. When mounted on an APS-C size digital SLR
camera, it provides a focal length equivalent to a 760mm for super
ultra telephoto imaging.
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