Speed. When working with fast-paced action, speed is essential… …and most 70-200mm lenses won’t disappoint. 70-200mm glass offers brilliant autofocus speeds, and this is a huge benefit when working with erratic subjects such as sports players, wildlife, birds in flight, and more.

Just like with portrait photography, if you want more of the background in your photo, a 30mm lens is great. For more intimate shots, use something more “zoomed in,” such as an 85mm lens.

One of the most common uses of the 70-200mm lens is sports photography. Almost every professional sports photographer carries a 70-200 with them. Its versatility allows the shooter to capture close action while also being able to zoom in for telephoto shots.

A 70-200mm f/2.8 lens isn’t always a necessity, but it can make a big difference if your needs aren’t met by other gear. They’re heavy and expensive, but the results can be worth it as long as you know why you want one and what you plan on using it for.

They have a focal length of 135 to 300 mm. Super telephoto lenses have more than 300 mm focal length and are often used for nature and wildlife photography. Most amateurs do not need such a lens, but professional ones do. There is an advantage in using the 70 to 300mm lenses as they offer versatility.

The 18-55mm is a wider lens, which can be use to take in larger subjects at a short distance on the 18mm wider end and all around photos on the higher 55mm end. While the 70-300mm is a medium telephoto lense. Otherwise known colloquially as a “zoom lens.” Good for further away subjects.

Compact, high-performance telephoto zoom lens with VR II The compact, lightweight AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED delivers 300mm of telephoto reach (450mm equivalent on DX-format D-SLRs) with Nikon’s second generation of Vibration Reduction (VR II) for enhanced hand-held and low-light shooting.

The AF Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4-5.6G is a lightweight and versatile option for those seeking affordable telephoto zoom capability. With a 300mm maximum focal length (450mm equivalent on DX-format cameras) it brings even the most distant action closer. It’s an ideal lens for candids, travel and sports photography.

Here is an example: For a 300mm lens, divide 300 by 50 to get 6x magnification. Or divide 300 by 100 to get 3, then multiply 3 x 2 to get 6x. Another example: For a 100mm lens, divide 100mm by 100 to get 1. Multiply 1 x 2 to get 2x magnification.

The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III is a compact and lightweight 4x telephoto zoom lens ideal for shooting sports, portraits, and wildlife. This lens is compatible with full-frame and APS-C format Canon DSLRs. The optical system, construction, and exterior are the same as the EF 75-300 mm f/4-5.6 III USM.

10 Great Lenses for Portrait Photography for Canon and Nikon Shooters

• Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II.
• Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II.
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L.
• Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II.
• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II.
• Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4G.
• Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II.
• Nikon 50mm f/1.4G.

3 Lenses Every Photographer Should Own

• General Purpose Zoom. Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens. This camera lens will give photographers the ability to shoot a wide variety of photos without having to change their lens.
• Macro lens. Olympus MSC ED M. 60mm f/2.8 Lens.
• Telephoto Zoom. Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 80-400mm f.4.5-5.6G ED.

Five Lenses Every Portrait Photographer Should Have

• 85mm f/1.4. The absolute golden staple for serious portrait photographers must be the 85mm f/1.4 lens.
• 70-200mm f/2.8. Telephoto lenses sure do flatter subjects due to their perspectival compression, and that’s what makes this lens such a big hitter in the world of portraits.
• 35mm f/1.4.
• 50mm f/1.8.
• 18-55mm.
• 36 Comments.

For portraits, you want the highest image quality possible. So for the ISO set it as low as you can to avoid excess noise in your photos. Go for somewhere between ISO 100 and 400. But having said that, you also need to maintain a usable shutter speed.

ISO can be thought of as an amplifier. If you are shooting low light then a higher ISO will amplify the signal but also amplify the noise. So in most cases of less than perfect light, a higher ISO will have more noise than a low ISO. The main issue with high ISO is the reduced dynamic range.

A low ISO value (e.g. 100 or 200) means low sensitivity to light. A high ISO value (e.g. 800, 1600 or higher) means a high sensitivity to light. This helps in low-light situations where you need the camera to capture more light for a better-exposed image.

If your ISO is too high, the image will be overexposed. The key here is to balance the ISO with the aperture. When you need more light you switch to a lower shutter speed, allowing more time for light to hit the sensor so it has a wider aperture. In low light conditions, increasing ISO also helps to brighten the image.