What Photography Lens Should You Take on Vacation?

What Photography Lens Should You Take on Vacation?

With SLR and DLSR cameras, the ability to swap out lenses makes a camera much more versatile. Rather than being committed to one focal length, you can adjust for the types of photos you’re taking. The downside of these cameras is having to carry around different lenses to achieve different looks. Often, the lenses contain think, heavy glass, making the notion of carrying more than just one a daunting task.

With summer approaching, and possibly your next family vacation, have you given any thought to which lens will best suit your photographic ambitions? To help you avoid having to carry around multiple heavy lenses, we outline some common focal lengths and break down best use scenarios:

Macro

Macro Lens – Macro lenses are ideal for taking extremely close up photos of subjects. They have the ability to capture small details and give a magnified view of small objects. The ideal use is photographing items that have more interest when viewed under a microscope.

Best for taking photos of:

• Small insects
• Intricate foliage or flora
• Interesting textures

Wide Angle

Wide-Angle Lens (18-30mm) – Wide-angle lenses are ideal for photographing scenery and wildlife. Because they can distort proportions of people and animals, it’s not the best choice for creating realistic portraits, but can be used for more artistic portraits.

• Best for taking photos of:
• Scenery
• Architecture
• Sunset/Sunrise

Fish Eye

Fish Eye Lens (12mm or less) – Fish eye lenses are best meant for artistic photography or landscapes where a 180 degree view would allow you to capture more of your surroundings in a single photograph.

Best for taking photos of:

• Architecture
• Scenery with a lot to take in

Fixed

Standard Lens (35-85mm) – Standard lenses are typical fixed focal lengths. If you’re a seasoned photographer or have learned your skills using a fixed focal length, these lenses can produce stunning images. They also cause little to no distortion of people.

Best for taking photos of:

• People
• Animals
• Places of interest

Telephoto

Telephoto (100-300mm) – Telephotos lenses allow you to take photos of things from a distance, though they can also be used to create good background blur for portraits. Pay close attention to your vanishing point when using telephoto lenses for portraits, as it can be easy to distort proportions if you’re not careful.

Best for taking photos of:

• People
• Sporting events
• Animals or wildlife

Super Telephoto

Super Telephoto (200-400mm) – Super telephoto lenses are extremely cumbersome to schlep around, so they’re not really practical for taking on a vacation. There are instances where they can come in handy, such as taking photos of places that are extremely far away or areas with limited access, such as a guided tour.

Best for taking photos of:

• Concerts
• Sporting events
• Guided tours with limited access

If you’re interested in learning more about photography, we have numerous online courses dedicated to various aspects of photography. Check out our online photography courses!