How the lens (focal length) can affect photography

Understanding the effects created by different lenses and focal lengths will help you select the right lens. For example:

• Using a wide-angle lens will create a panoramic background effect
• Using a telephoto lens will blur the background and emphasise the subject

The series of photographs opposite show how lenses with different focal lengths photograph the same subject.

• The shorter the focal length (15mm fisheye) of the lens, the wider the scene coverage
• The longer the focal length (800mm), the narrower the scene coverage