Lens for long distance shooting

[Captain]

If i want to take pictures zoomed in from a long distance away but keep the picture quality sharp, what sort of lens do i need for this?

Tried getting some pictures today but the kit lens isn't up to the job.

I'm watching loads of Youtube tutorials at the moment but nothing beats personal opinions.

I see 50-250mm zoom lens cheaper than 15-55mm for example, why is that?

Cheers.

 

[Captain]

£15,000 for an 800mm lens ill take 2!

I take a lot of pictures when I'm out on my bike, weight isn't a big issue as it'll be on my back.

I'd like to get some pictures of my bike with a lot of scenery in the background but I'd also like to get closeups and get a good depth of field.

I also have a weekend away at Christmas and I'll be visiting a few docks in Spain so will be getting close up and long range shots of yachts.

 

[Captain]

What camera do you have now?

Some idea of budget would help.
If you only have £50 some extra petrol to ride a bit closer may be your best option.

I have the Canon 1300D with the 18-55mm kit lens. Budget is hard to calculate as i don't really know the prices or what i actually need yet.

 

[Captain]

Don't approach it as "l like to take pictures of things far away".

Approach it as "I like photos like these and to recreate photos like these"

Then get gear that do that kind of jobs.

Why? Because I find that almost everyone start photography wanting the zoom, it's almost the first lens they buy after the kit lens, may be something to do with the cool element of it but to be honest most "tell photo zoom" photos are crap. It takes a lot of skill to frame something like that properly and look good because most of the time at that kind of compression there is little to no context so everything relies on the moment or expression of the subject.

I have a new iPhone coming on Friday and i would like some really sharp up close pictures, what would be the best mode to shoot in? I can take them in the conservatory as it has really good light.

 

[Captain]

I think the iPhone automatically focuses up close, it won't be a problem for it.

Sorry i should have said, i want to use my DSLR to get some pictures of my new iPhone.

 

[Captain]

Getting your iPhone stand up vertically would be the hardest part ! What I mean is, think about the kind of shot you want to take, have it lie on the table looks crap, I would think of something more interesting. Then you can think about background, think about surfaces, think about lighting.

I may have a small stand that the iPhone will fit in, which would make getting good pictures so much easier!

 

[Captain]

Close up photos can be challenging:

- lenses will have a minimum focus distance, with a zoom lens it will vary with focal length. A macro lens will let you get closer than a normal lens
- depth of field become an issue up close, closing the aperture down (using a higher f number) will get more of your subject in focus but less light will hit the sensor so lighting becomes important or you can use a slower shutter speed (however camera shake becomes an issue so a tripod is useful)

You’re going to best shooting in manual and experimenting.

Cheers.

What's the use of the really low mm lenses? I've seen some that are 12-18mm, what are they used for?