What Is a Superzoom Lens and Why Would You Need One?
Reading Time: 4 minutesIf you’re tired of lugging around multiple lenses, consider a superzoom. It will have you covered in a wide range of scenarios.
Are you a fan of fast prime lenses? Or do you enjoy the versatility of the zoom lenses? No matter which side you tend to lean to, there are advantages to both types of lenses. But have you heard of superzoom lenses? A superzoom lens is a type of zoom lens you may want in your camera bag.
Want to learn why? Let’s dive in.
What Is a Superzoom Lens?
When you first hear the term, you may confuse it with a super telephoto lens that can zoom to longer focal lengths like 600mm or 800mm. On the other hand, a superzoom is a lens with a more extensive zoom range, often from wide-angle to telephoto range.
Nikon’s 28-200mm, Canon’s 24-240mm, and Sony’s 24-105mm are some examples of superzoom lenses.
The main advantage of superzoom lenses is that they can cover a wide range of focal lengths, and thus they are very versatile. Having different focal lengths for various subjects in a single camera and lens combo is a boon for travel photographers who want to travel light.
Why Do You Need a Superzoom Lens?
If you’re predominantly a prime lens user who loves the speed and quality of a prime lens, you should give a superzoom a try for the following reasons.
Cover Different Focal Lengths
Are you a fan of the favorite nifty-fifty lens? The famous lens is sure to make you a better photographer, no doubt. It’s lightweight and has a standard perspective suitable for most needs. But it can be very limiting if you want to take photos of your family in a small room or want to shoot an animal that catches your eye.
With a superzoom lens, you have the flexibility to shoot indoors, landscapes, portraits, and some distant things like animals and birds. And you don’t have to carry different lenses for that.
Versatile for Different Photographic Needs
Again, a prime lens is an excellent tool if you only concentrate on one type of photography. For example, a prime macro lens like Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 or Canon 100mm f2.8 can be ideal for macro photographers but not for architectural photographers.
But, if you enjoy photographing many subjects, your best bet is a superzoom lens. So, say, you’re shooting a lake early in the morning and happen to see a beautiful bird nearby; you don’t have to miss the bird shot. Instead, zoom in, and just like that, you have a bird photo from your session.
You also get more creative flexibility. For example, instead of one wide-angle or telephoto shot, you can take as many photos in different focal lengths. Then, you can choose the best look during post-production.
Lightweight for Travel
Travel photography is where a superzoom lens truly shines. You’re literally packing a punch when carrying a superzoom lens for travel. If you’re an active traveler who loves to hike and be active, you know the pain of having multiple pieces of equipment on your trips.
With a superzoom lens, you don’t have to lug around different camera bodies and lenses to satisfy your photography needs. In short, a superzoom is your one-size-fits-all.
If you’re a mirrorless camera owner, you have all the more reason to rejoice. With a compact camera and one lens combo, you can travel lighter than ever before and get amazing travel photos.
Save Time and Effort
Do you usually carry more than one lens or camera? Then, you know the inconvenience of changing lenses and shuffling between cameras. You save an incredible amount of time by using a single lens for your session.
Also, when you constantly change lenses, you’re exposing your camera’s sensor to elements. So there is more chance of dust, sand, or moisture getting into your camera. It is not an easy feat to meticulously clean the camera’s sensor. One slight shake, and you can damage thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
With one lens, you can just fit it and forget it. No special care is necessary except for the usual lens maintenance.
One Filter Is All You Need
Whether you use a UV filter to protect your lens or a polarizing filter to cut off reflections, filters have become an integral part of our camera bags. Some photographers also like to add more than one filter to their lenses. The problem is different lenses have different diameters and need filters in those specific sizes.
If you use multiple lenses for your photography needs, you may be shelling out a lot of money buying different filters for each one of them.
With a superzoom lens, you have a single lens for multiple types of photography. And you need only one filter. This is a huge relief for your wallet.
There Are Some Caveats, Though
Superzoom lenses used to be notorious for their image quality, and professionals shunned them for their lack of quality in the past. But times are changing. Superzooms are now available in faster apertures like f/4, which can produce significantly better quality images than the standard f/5.6-f/6.3 counterparts.
As with any other zoom lenses, it is a good idea not to use the lens at either end of their focal lengths to avoid quality issues. A zoom lens has more mechanical elements than a prime lens, so you may see artifacts and other issues when fully zooming in or out.
If you’re a stickler for quality, try to find a constant aperture superzoom like Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 rather than Nikkor 24-200 f/4-6.3. Constant aperture zoom lenses are usually optically superior because they are made of higher-quality materials and perform better in low light.
Also, look for models with image stabilization or vibration reduction built in. This can help you use a faster shutter speed and improve the quality of your images.
Bring a Superzoom Lens for Your Next Adventure
From its solid build quality and gorgeous bokeh to impressive low-light capabilities, there are so many reasons why you may prefer a prime lens. But try to give the superzoom lenses a chance. You’re sure to be impressed by the many possibilities.
You can avoid any quality issues by following our tips above.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/what-is-superzoom-lens/
Ref: makeuseof
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