Choosing a camera lens for your shooting sessions can be a daunting task, but if you already know the subject you're capturing, the decision is much easier. The type of lens your camera requires varies on the shooting scene you are going to work on and the location of the subject. Keep in mind that lenses play a significant role in the outcome of your photos, so planning ahead with your subjects and environments is always beneficial for top quality images. While we already covered how to read a lens and understanding the equipment, it's time to figure out which types work in which environments. To help you out, here is Photo Savings' camera lens subject guide to the most common shooting scenes and the best lens to use for each type.
Landscapes
If you are trying to take panoramic shots, such as a tropical ocean view or a vast flower field, it is best to opt for a wide-angle zoom lens. Landscapes and wide-angle lens are an excellent recipe for beautiful photos, as the wide-angle’s perspective helps captivate viewers into the scene, adding a sense of depth that also makes the horizon appear further away than reality.
Indoor
Shooting indoors typically means that there is far less light than outdoors, so it is suggested to look for a lens that carries a higher maximum aperture. A wide-angle lens is recommended for scenes that are meant to capture an entire room, as this type will be able to include furniture, people and all of the aspects of the room.
Nature
Selecting a lens that can best capture life out in the wild can be a bit tough, as there is a lot less control over the subjects, being that it consists of moving animals and plants. We would suggest considering a telephoto lens for the distant wildlife shots, while the macro lens is perfect for unveiling the deeper details of plants.
Sports and Action
When shooting for scenes that are moving, such as athletes playing sports, you’ll need fast, high power lenses with a lot of reach to freeze the action on the field. Look for a lens with telephoto capability and large maximum aperture to captivate every dramatic moment, even while it's in mid-air!
Portraits
Prime lenses are the most convenient choice for low light scenes and subjects, as it allows you to take photos with faster shutter speeds or lower ISO. Due to its wider maximum aperture as compared to a zoom lens, prime lenses are ideal for portrait photography.
Food
Food photography has become a huge trend nowadays and is continuing to explode. Whether you want to display your culinary masterpiece or just brag about what’s on your dining table, a macro lens will help you show off micro details and capture even the most intricate features of the subject.
Finding the perfect camera lens and understanding them can be tedious, but the trial and error process is essential for the best quality shots. This guide can serve as your starting point in your lenses search, which you can navigate through in our lenses section here. Never forget that photographers all have varying opinions on what lens to use for particular scenarios, but the key is experimenting.Try them out for yourself in different scenes as you continue on with your exciting photography journey.