Focal length range of Zoom Lens

Before other considerations you should determine whether you want a zoom with short, medium or long focal lengths. Is your interest mostly in the wide angle range (21mm -35mm), or possibly in the wide angle to normal range (24mm – 50mm)? Perhaps you would like a zoom to replace your unifocal normal lens: this might be a lens which ranges from a moderate wide angle focal length to a short telephoto (28-85mm or 35-105mm). or maybe telephoto work intrigues you most. In that case a short to medium (70-210mm) or a short to long (100-500mm) zoom lens might be ideal.

You can begin sorting through this bewildering array by considering only those zooms whose focal lengths fall within the range you need. However, there are a few cautions. In the interest of efficiency, try not to duplicate any of your unifocal lenses. For example, if you already have an 85mm and a 135mm lens, it would seem wasteful to buy a 70-150mm zoom, which includes both these focal lengths. A 200-500mm or a 21-35mm lens (depending upon your needs) would give you more flexibility and would avoid expensive duplication. On the other hand, just adding a longer unifocal telephoto lens or a wide angle lens might be a better solution.

If you plan to buy a zoom just so you can replace two or three unifocal lenses and save weight and space, remember that some zooms are rather heavy and bulky. Furthermore, don’t buy a zoom if you expect to use it most of the time at one focal length; buy a unifocal of that length instead. You will spend less money and have a lighter, easier to manage lens.

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More about zoom lenses

- Focal Length Range of Zoom Lenses
- Tips about Zoom Ratio
- Standard or Macro Focusing
- Zoom Lens Consideration
- Tips on Handling Zoom Lens
- Advantage of Zoom Lens vs Unifocal Lens
- Disadvantage of Zoom Lens vs Unifocal Lens