The lens will determine the quality of the photo.
A photographer's journey starts with a lens. Since an entry-level camera kit usually includes the standard 50mm lens, beginning photographers often inquire about the best use for this lens and what other options for lenses are available to them. The basic three lenses are: standard, wide-angle and telephoto.
Normal Lens
A normal or standard lens has a focal length of 50mm with an angle of view of 45 degrees. This lens provides a view that is similar to the viewpoint of the human eye. This lens photographs the object in front of the lens without enhancement, just as the human eye would. It is often referred to as the "honest lens."
Wide-Angle Lens
A wide-angle lens has a focal length that ranges from 14mm to 35mm with an angle of view of 80 to 90 degrees. These lenses have a wider point of view due to the shorter focal length. A 14mm focal length is used for special effects; a 20mm focal length for extreme-wide shots; 24mm is used for wide viewpoints with distortion; a 28mm is commonly used for group shots; and a 35mm focal length is known as a standard wide-angle and is often used for documentary work.
Telephoto Lens
A telephoto lens has a focal length that ranges from 135mm to 300mm. These lenses have a long focal length which can gives pictures a compressed and flat viewing perspective. Often used in sports, portraiture and wildlife photography, the 135mm focal point is common for close-up head shots. A 200mm focal point is the best choice at sporting events, while a 300mm focal point is used for distant wildlife shots such as birds.
Tags: focal length, focal point, lens focal, lens focal length, angle view, angle view degrees