When to Use a Telephoto Zoom

When you want to get up close and in tight, this is the ticket. Now, you could just get a telephoto lens (one where the length is fixed, like a 200mm telephoto), and not a telephoto zoom (where you can zoom in from one length, like 80mm, all the way through to a really close view, like 300mm), but then if you hold the camera up and you’re either too close, or too far away, your only option is to physically move up close, or back up. With a telephoto zoom, you can simply zoom in tighter, or zoom out if you’re too close, which makes all the difference in how you’ll compose your shots. I use telephoto zooms for everything from portraits to sporting events to architectural shots (I prefer to zoom in and focus on an interesting aspect or individual part of the building, rather than trying to show the whole thing at once). I GRAB THIS LENS FIRST WHEN...I’m shooting portraits or sports.