Telephoto lenses are useful in landscape photography, but the fact that they are often heavier and/or bulkier can sometimes cause concern. How do you know which one is worth carrying?
While super wide-angle lenses are probably the most popular among beginner landscape photographers, there is no doubt that telephoto lenses offer much to talk about in terms of range and visibility. unique scene of the place. A telephoto lens not only allows you to get a closer look at the intimate details of a place, but it also helps you isolate certain patterns and shapes that would otherwise be too small or too far away to be seen.
For the most comfortable roadside landscapes, where you simply drive, tow and set up a tripod, gear weight is almost never an issue. But if you’re someone who likes to go deep into the wilderness, to the great heights, or someone who’ll be exploring for days and days, you know all too well that your gear choice strategy is of the utmost importance. important and that every gram matters. Carrying heavy equipment around can be exhausting and can greatly affect your creativity and even your safety. That’s why device efficiency and not merely weight, image quality or range should be considered.
Image quality
It can automatically consider image quality for any selected lens type. Who doesn’t want their photos to be as sharp and detailed as possible, right? Of course, this also automatically applies to landscape photographers; However, it is quite common and acceptable that we would consider a little compromise, especially since the sharpest lenses available are considerably heavy and bulky. Another consideration is other applications of the lens if you don’t particularly like having a lot of options. For example, choose a 70-200mm f/4 The variation is certainly justified if you don’t have a need for the better low-light capabilities that come with the f/2.8 variant.
Concentrate
Focusing, especially focusing speed, is probably a factor that we all barely consider because focusing in landscape photography depends entirely on accuracy rather than speed. However, it would still be wise to consider this in lens if you are using your gear for a different genre, especially if it involves people who are agile in events or sports or dynamics. animals in wildlife photography. But if you only specialize in landscape photography, this shouldn’t be too important as long as your lens is properly calibrated.
Weight
Weight and volume are perhaps the only two important factors that don’t necessarily affect the quality of an image, but are still very important to the success of the creative process. In practice, all lens types and the combined weight of them all should be considered. However, the most common is the telephoto lens that contributes the most to the entire weight of your camera bag.
Range
In landscape photography, it is generally wiser to use a zoom lens if you cannot afford to carry too many lenses with you. Wide-angle primes are common; however, when it comes to telephoto lenses, a more versatile zoom lens is probably more practical. For photographers who shoot a variety of genres, perhaps the most popular choice is the 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens, especially those with heavy usage needs with a larger f/2.8 aperture. little. However, for photographers who don’t particularly shoot in low light or who don’t require a large aperture, other options may be more practical.
The goal of using a telephoto zoom lens in landscape photography is usually to get a closer look at distant scenes and to be able to isolate different patches of the vista. This allows you to not only get a closer look at the scene, but somehow divide the scene into smaller parts to create their own unique patterns. This is applicable to capturing majestic mountain vistas, isolating details in forests, capturing seascapes and even in distant urban landscapes. If weight is not an issue, more range is always better, but of course, weight and optical quality need to be considered.
Range and Weight Efficiency
The consideration in this topic is mainly whether the telephoto lens will be used only for the same purposes as landscape photography, which does not require a larger aperture. The aim is not to sacrifice image quality for a much lighter lens to use, but rather to find a favorable average between the two.
To achieve this, it is important to consider all the options available to your own camera system and more importantly to be able to test and compare them in terms of image quality. The results of your own comparative experience as well as the feeling of holding the lens with your camera can never be taken as a criterion for lens selection. The list below shows the telephoto zoom options for three popular brands of full frame cameras and their respective lens weights. Third-party options are also possible, but are not included in the table.
Personally, I always find that Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 is a good choice as it performs remarkably optically while having almost half the weight of Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM version I. With the development of second version, (regardless of temporary costs), the added features, enhanced optics and much lighter weight of the second version have made it an attractive option. However, if I choose a telephoto lens to have, even with the additional 350 grams, 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 will be at the top of my list. This means that for an additional 350 grams (or technically 100 grams lighter if you’re coming from the first G Master version), I get twice the zoom range with the same image quality. but lower light capabilities that I never really needed. .
These findings are largely based on personal preference and application, which is why rather than recommending the same setup, it’s best to try out the lenses for yourself if possible (via reviews). demo of the store, rental or from colleagues). There is one factor that is often overlooked when making a device choice as it is one that cannot be proven through articles or online videos and that is the overall fit of the device in your hand and when you use it. An experienced and skilled photographer will be able to take their best photos regardless of the options available, but equipping the lens to suit your individual needs and abilities will definitely help you create more consistent.
