A deep dive into the long lens line-up
The do-it-yourself/buy-it-yourself blog series is all about ways you can upgrade your mediocre camera equipment, mostly by throwing money at the problem. We’ve been focusing lately on getting rid of the kit lens in favor of more specialized lens choices.
In this installment, we discuss options for going well beyond the outer limits of normal lenses into the telephoto and ultra-telephoto range. This should interest you if you are looking to get more into wildlife, sports, or other types of action photography at a distance. Be forewarned, once you start looking at quality telephoto glass, the size, weight, and, of course cost start to get higher. For this blog, we’re limiting this to choices that will be within the price range of the typical photo enthusiast.
What you need to know
As of the last 10 years, every camera or lens you buy is very high in quality, and can take great images in the right hands. Buying a more expensive camera or lens will not make you a better photographer. Your purchases should be towards equipment that can do things that your existing equipment cannot, rather than upgrading towards something “better” for the sake of it.
The capabilities of your next lens boil down to two things: Focal length and maximum aperture. Other factors such as sharpness, distortion, and more nitty gritty things are so well-controlled across all modern lenses that we would argue they’re not worth worrying about, while focal length and maximum aperture have no substitute.
The focal length is the first number, or range of numbers, in millimeters, that identifies the purpose of a lens. It represents how wide or narrow the perspective of a lens is - a wide lens is best for landscapes, whereas a telephoto lens is better for portraits, wildlife, or sports. A wide angle lens would have a low number like 16mm, while a telephoto lens would be 100mm or more. A mid-range focal length like 50mm would be considered “normal”, because it is neither wide nor telephoto.
A “prime” or “fixed” lens has only one focal length, such as 14mm, or 105mm. A zoom lens contains a range of focal lengths, such as 18-55mm, or 24-70mm.
The maximum aperture is the next number that identifies a lens, and represents how wide the aperture of the lens can open to let in more light. A lens that has a lower maximum aperture number can open wider, and is therefore better for low-light situations. For instance, a “14-24mm f/2.8” is a wide angle zoom lens that can open up to f/2.8 at it’s largest aperture, and is ideal for landscape photography, including low-light and night situations. An “85mm f/1.8” is a prime telephoto lens with a very large aperture suited for portraiture. Generally, lenses with larger maximum apertures are bigger, heavier, and more expensive.
Don’t be enamored by a zoom lens that has a wide range of focal lengths, such as 24-270mm, and claims to “do it all.” That might be the one situation where you end up a bit disappointed by a noticeable lack of sharpness. Lenses that are specialized tend to perform better than those that try to cover too much ground.
Lenses are made for two types of camera bodies: Full-frame (35mm sensor size) cameras, and crop-sensor cameras (smaller sensor sizes). The focal length numbers represent different fields of view depending on what sensor size you are using.
Choose your lens based on the shots you intend to make and the type of camera body you have. A lot has changed in the world of photography in the last few years, and nearly every photographer has turned to mirrorless over DSLRs. This guide is specifically geared towards the mirrorless models of today’s leading camera brands.
For mirrorless cameras
The versatile telephoto zoom
Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8
In the days when the DSLR was king, the 70-300mm was the go-to lens for Canon users looking for more reach while maintaining versatility and affordability. Now that mirrorless camera bodies have taken over, Canon has decided not to create an updated version of the 70-300mm, but instead offers us a reasonably affordable version of the 100-400mm for mirrorless users, which was once a focal range only found in the high-end “L” series. What’s the compromise? This version of the lens gives you max apertures that are not particularly bright across its range of focal lengths. While not a strong choice for portraiture, which requires shallow depth of field and more moderate focal lengths, this lens would be a good entry point for wildlife shooting.
Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8
Nikon likewise has abandoned the 70-300mm lens for its mirrorless line-up, leaving it to third-party brands like Tamron to take the reins of that particular focal range. Interestingly, Nikon seems to have taken the opposite approach from Canon and introduced a lens with a smaller focal length range, but a nice, bright fixed max aperture of f/2.8 across the whole range. This ups the price past the $1000 mark, since bright lenses are always more expensive to manufacture. This offering would appeal to portrait and event shooters who need more moderate telephoto focal lengths coupled with good low-light performance, rather than wildlife shooters who rely on longer focal lengths.
Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 for e-mount
Sony is still offering us the “traditional” 70-300mm in its mirrorless line, and as expected, it’s still expensive. The good news is that it’s a very good lens, with smooth silent focusing that’s great for stills and video, and nice image stabilization. When it comes to whether or not it’s worth paying this much for a lens, you don’t really have a choice! While most lens manufacturers give you a budget option and a higher priced option in this zoom range, Sony just gives you one option: the best. If you’re getting into the Sony mirrorless system, be prepared to spend.
The more specialized super-telephoto for wildlife enthusiasts
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L
The aforementioned Canon 100-400mm “L” series lens has been succeeded in the mirrorless lineup by this snazzy and expensive entry that extends the reach even further on the long end. At first, the difference between 400mm and 500mm may not seem like much when you look through the viewfinder, but the more specialized you become in shooting certain subjects such as small animals and birds, the more you’ll care about the subtle improvement in reach. Unfortunately, a lens that goes beyond 400mm brings up the cost much more than the incremental jump in reach: The retail price of the newest version of this lens is over $2500. Is the renowned quality of the L series lenses worth it to you? Maybe you should rent this one first and see how you like it.
Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Nikon’s Z series mirrorless lineup now includes a 100-400mm zoom that costs nearly as much as Canon’s 100-500mm. That must mean it’s good. 400mm and higher focal lengths are for those who rely on that little bit of extra reach for wildlife and sports subjects, and only you can decide if the price tag is worth it to you. The strong image stabilization (Vibration Reduction) is key in a lens this size, in case you want to shoot handheld. This is another case of rent-before-you-buy, or even rent-only-when-you-need-it if you aren’t a frequent super-telephoto shooter.
Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Now that everyone is producing shockingly expensive mirrorless lenses in this focal range, Sony’s doesn’t seem so bad anymore! Since Sony has been focusing on mirrorless for longer than most other brands, this lens is considered the old tried-and-true at this stage. At $2400, you’d expect it to be amazing in every way - and apparently it is, because people are still dropping the big bucks on it five years after its launch, and it’s price has not really budged. This built-like-a-tank lens was clearly modeled after the Canon L series telephoto, but it’s no poser - it’s the real deal.
Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Since Fujifilm only makes APS-C sensor cameras, this is the only telephoto zoom listed here that isn’t designed for full-frame bodies. Therefore, it is smaller and lighter than its counterparts (because its optics only need be large enough to project a crop-sensor image), and due to the crop factor, its focal lengths translate to a full-frame equivalent of 150-600mm! That’s a nice bonus! The price also sits below $2000, which no one will argue against. As with all Fujifilm equipment, the build quality and weather sealing are sturdy and dependable, and as far as image quality, no one will ever suspect you are shooting with a crop sensor.