Zoom Lense Practice

Focal length, measured in millimeters (mm), determines two main things in photography: how much of the scene the camera captures (angle of view) and how magnified the subject appears. 

• Smaller numbers (e.g., 18mm): Mean a wider angle of view, capturing more of the scene but making distant objects look smaller. This is great for landscapes or architecture.

• Larger numbers (e.g., 300mm): Mean a narrower angle of view (more "zoomed in"), making distant subjects appear larger and closer but fitting less of the overall scene into the frame. This is ideal for sports or wildlife photography. 

The 75-300mm Zoom Lens we'll be using TODAY at CSUN is a telephoto lens.

The 75-300mm is a telephoto zoom lens. 

• It offers a versatile range of magnification: You can adjust the focal length anywhere between 75mm and 300mm without physically moving your camera.

• At 75mm: It provides a mild telephoto view, suitable for portraits or general travel shots, where you can still include some background context.

• At 300mm: It acts like a powerful telescope, bringing very distant subjects into sharp focus, such as birds, athletes on a field, or other subjects you cannot get close to.

• Perspective: Longer focal lengths (like 300mm) also tend to compress the distance between objects in the photo, making the background appear closer to the subject. Shorter focal lengths (like 75mm) make distances appear greater.