How to use a telephoto lens to take clear pictures

I get a lot of questions about all different kinds of photography, and when I get asked the same question over and over again, it makes more sense for me to quickly compose a blog post and direct people to it when they have questions.

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This post, as its title implies, explains how to use a telephoto lens to take the finest possible pictures. Using a telephoto lens is easier said than done because, at close range, even the smallest motions are emphasized, and it can be challenging to achieve reasonably sharp images due to the reduced depth of field.

I will go over some of the common reasons for camera shake and out-of-focus images in this post, along with some solutions to help you get past these obstacles and capture the perfectly focused shots you intended.

against blurry or out-of-focus images. A crucial differentiation.

Prior to delving deeper, I believe it is important to clarify the distinctions between blurry and out-of-focus photographs, as they are easily confused.

  • All that is meant to happen when a subject is out of focus is that it is not in focus. Also known as “lost concentration” on occasion. The subject will appear soft and unclear instead of ghosting from camera or subject movement. It is uncommon for a whole photograph to be out of focus, even when focus is missed. This is especially true when shooting landscape images, where we typically utilize smaller apertures and a bigger depth of field. Examining the remaining portion of the image to see if any of it is sharp is one method to determine whether you missed focus. You have focused too close if there are sharp things in front of your topic, and too far back if there are sharp areas behind the subject.
  • The most common cause of blurry images is movement in the camera or subject, which is not frozen by the shutter speed. When camera shake causes blurry images, it can be identified by its consistent occurrence and ghosting-like appearance throughout the shot. On the other hand, if the subject moves, it typically appears as camera shake, but only in certain areas of the picture.

Some guidelines to help prevent camera shake while using a telephoto lens

Sharpness issues in images are frequently the result of tiny vibrations brought on by minute movements of the lens or camera. As previously said, utilizing a telephoto lens magnifies even the slightest vibrations, therefore it is even more crucial to make sure the camera remains motionless during the crucial instant when the picture is captured. In order to assist prevent camera shake when using a telephoto lens, below are some ideas or strategies.

 

Make use of a tripod

It is evident for a valid cause. Having a stable surface for your camera to rest on will assist guarantee motion-free photos, especially in dimly lit environments. I spend a lot of time taking pictures in poor light because I am a landscape photographer, and using a tripod lets me use the best camera settings and still produce clean images.

Utilize the internal timer.

You may not be aware of this, but when you press the shutter, the camera moves, and before the picture is taken, it normally takes a moment or two to settle. This is why I usually utilize the built-in timer, which is set to 2 seconds, when capturing landscape photographs. Usually, the two seconds it takes to take an image after I press the shutter are enough to stop the camera from moving. I might even set a 10-second timer if I am zoomed in at 200–300mm to give the camera even more time to adjust.

Make use of a smartphone app or a remote cable release.

The drawback of utilizing a built-in timer to slow down the shutter is that you risk missing important shots, such wildlife in the countryside or waves smashing against rocks. In some cases, you will want to capture the image at the same instant the shutter is clicked, but how can you accomplish it without causing camera wobble again? In these circumstances, a remote cable release can be useful. These are basically just cables with a shutter button on the end that you can plug into your camera to snap a picture at the exact moment you want to without even touching the device.

Although remote cable releases are quite helpful, most contemporary cameras also have a smartphone app for individuals who do not have one. These apps usually feature an integrated shutter button and connect wirelessly to the camera via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. They operate similarly to the remote cord release, enabling you to take a picture at the exact moment you want to, again without coming into contact with the camera and preventing any of the camera wobble that is typically caused by snapping the shutter.

Employ IBIS or OIS.

Not every circumstance calls for the use of a tripod; in fact, they can add weight to your equipment, and some landscape photographers prefer to take hand-held shots instead of utilizing tripods because they believe they “root” their subjects. Naturally, there are certain positions you should take when hand-held photography that restrict how much you can move when you press the shutter. However, modern cameras with OIS (optical image stabilization in the lens) or IBIS (in body image stabilization) have made it even simpler for photographers to prevent camera shake in their images. Therefore, if you do not use a tripod and have these characteristics, they will almost always help you avoid taking blurry pictures.

 

Put on a lens collar.

A lens collar is typically included with higher-end telephoto lenses, enabling you to mount the camera and lens combination on a tripod beneath the lens. A more stable setup will obviously be more balanced, which will reduce the amount of movement in the camera or lens throughout the photo shoot. The problem with less expensive/lighter telephoto lenses is that, in addition to being less likely to include a lens collar, they frequently lengthen as they zoom, increasing their vibration sensitivity and shifting the center of gravity away from the tripod.

The main reason I mention this is that I experienced this myself and it took me some time to realize that the reason my photos were soft was because the lens was unstable as it extended out while I zoomed. You can purchase after-market lens collars that fit most telephoto lenses, so if this is something you suffer with, it is worth considering.

Keep the lens hood away from strong gusts.

Lens hoods are a terrific way to prevent glare and rain from damaging your shots, but when using telephoto lenses, the extra bulk can add up. In addition to potentially destabilizing the lens by adding more weight to its end, they can also function as a sail in windy conditions. It is nearly hard to prevent vibrations at the lens’s end since the larger the lens hood, the more the wind can effect it. Therefore, my recommendation is to use them sparingly—especially in strong winds—and if you do, try utilizing some of the other ideas in this post, including slowing down your shutter speed.

 

Utilize the electronic shutter.

I recall the moment when I was out taking pictures and, despite my best efforts, I was unable to figure out why my pictures were grainy. I was using a remote cable release, there was no wind, and my shutter speeds were not too long. It took me some time to figure out that the tiny vibrations I was experiencing during the picture-taking process were actually caused by the mechanical shutter’s movement. Once I switched to an electronic shutter, my pictures were once again crisp. Since then, I have only used an electronic shutter for my photos, and after some consideration, I can not think of a single reason why I would ever need to utilize a mechanical shutter for my particular type of photography. I have not had a reason to go back to utilizing a mechanical shutter in the three or four years since I quit using them.

I suppose I was a little ahead of my time because most recent cameras have completely done away with the mechanical shutter!

 

Use a quick shutter speed to freeze the subject.

Occasionally moving objects in the scene may be the source of a fuzzy image rather than camera shake.  When photographing a woodland, I usually notice branches or leaves moving in the wind. In these situations, shutter speed is crucial for capturing moving items in the frame.

The exposure triangle is a topic covered in this part that most photographers should be familiar with. You can utilize a higher shutter speed while still allowing enough light to reach the sensor to get the desired exposure by adjusting the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. These three parameters all have an impact on the exposure. I will not go into great detail on the exposure triangle here, but if you are new to this and are reading this, I highly recommend adding it to your list of topics to research.

It is important to remember that these work with any lens, just like many of the recommendations in this essay.

To guarantee the quickest shutter speed possible, raise the ISO.

Back in the day, you might get away with not wanting to raise your ISO because of the noise it would introduce into the picture, but things have changed, and these days, cameras are far better at handling noise. I would advise you to be more comfortable raising the ISO in order to obtain a faster shutter speed because, in most cases, a blurry photo cannot be utilized, but one with some noise can.

In addition to the fact that contemporary cameras are significantly better at reducing noise at higher ISOs, software developers have also added more sophisticated tools that allow you to edit your photographs in post-production and even completely eliminate noise. Therefore, even if your camera does have trouble at low light, high ISO settings, it is probably still possible to restore the image in post-production.

 

A wide aperture will allow more light to enter.

Similar to raising the ISO, adopting a lower f-number to increase the aperture can also aid in producing crisper shots while the subject is moving. More light may reach the sensor with a wider aperture, which means higher shutter speeds are needed to get the right exposure.

But, there are a few things to consider when deciding to use a wide aperture in order to get a faster shutter speed. To begin with, the depth of field will go shallower the more you expand the aperture. The distance that is tolerably crisp between the closest and farthest points in a picture is known as the depth of field, and the larger the aperture, the narrower that distance becomes. Depending on the effect you want to achieve, you can adjust the aperture to get a faster shutter speed in landscape photography, where depth of field is usually a creative decision.

Second, keep in mind that most lenses have some degree of edge softness when they are at their widest point because of optical aberrations. This is something to keep in mind when utilizing a bigger aperture. Though this is less of an issue with more recent lenses and less of an issue with higher-end lenses with better build quality, most photographers will eventually run into this when utilizing a wide aperture for photography.

The key takeaway from this is that you need a faster shutter speed in order to freeze a moving subject. You should know how to adjust the ISO and aperture to help achieve this, but you also need to be aware of how these adjustments may alter the final image’s appearance.

 

When using a telephoto lens, make sure not to lose focus.

Achieving sharp photos involves more than simply keeping the subject motionless and minimizing camera shake; it also involves making sure that the sharpest portions of the image are sharply focused. I have already discussed the distinctions between motion blur and soft images, and this part of the post offers some advice on how to prevent losing focus when shooting pictures.

A lower aperture will give you a greater depth of field.

Okay, I know I have already discussed how using a wide aperture can help you take sharp pictures, but allow me to elaborate a little. As I previously mentioned, there is a potential drawback to using a wider aperture: a deeper depth of field, which could mean that less of the picture is acceptable sharp. However, it will also let in more light, enabling you to use a faster shutter speed.

At this point, it is probably a good idea to point out that while “depth-of-field” and “focal plane” are similar, they differ in a subtle but significant way. The region of the image in front of the lens where the sharpest focus is obtained is known as the focal plane. The area in front of and behind the focal plane that is deemed to be reasonably sharp is known as depth-of-field, and the deeper this area of acceptable sharpness is, the narrower the aperture.

Therefore, more of the image will seem in focus and crisp enough if the light levels are good and you can use a narrower aperture and yet reach the desired shutter speed.

Again, this helps produce sharper shots. In addition to a greater depth of field, a smaller aperture can reduce or even completely eliminate edge softness when utilizing wider apertures.

Check your focus, then check it again.

I have been caught off guard by my cameras a few times in the past when I relied only on auto-focus, but happily, those days are behind now that I use my current routine when out and about taking pictures.

I turned the camera to manual focus after first assigning the autofocus feature to a different button on the back. This implies that when the shutter button is hit, the camera will no longer attempt to focus. This is commonly referred to as “back button focus,” or BBF, and it is a feature that most cameras have.

With BBF turned on, I can take advantage of the best of both worlds: I can focus manually and capture the image, confident that the shutter button will not attempt to focus again, and I can use the designated button on the back of the camera to trigger autofocus whenever necessary. It also means that I may focus precisely and press the shutter as many times as I want to capture a scene as the light changes, knowing that the focus will stay fixed.

I will initially use my camera’s back to zoom in and make sure the picture is sharp when I think I have it. Even with the above-mentioned approach, errors can occur. You can usually not get back focus if you leave a shoot having discovered that you missed it, therefore take all necessary steps to ensure that the picture is crisp before you go.

I hope this article helps if you have trouble focusing, especially when using a telephoto lens. Please feel free to leave any comments if you have any additional helpful tips or tricks for getting consistently sharp shots.