Could someone technically explain what a telephoto lens, and a macro lens? And explain the differences one would see in a cheap lens than an expensive lens.
Thanks.

A telephoto is a lens that isolates a distant subject, often 70mm or longer. 200mm would be considered medium-telephoto and 400-600mm super telephoto. As for technical specifics, you would have to be more specific with the question. Macro is a type of lens that has a high magnification factor and a short minimum focus distance, specifically designed for macro shots.

With a cheap lens, you will get less than stellar results with it wide open. (Soft images, distortion, etc.) Once you stop down a cheap lens, it performs well, but an expensive one will usually be ultra sharp wide open, and will only improve a tiny bit when stopped down. Also, more expensive ones are usually faster (have a larger max. aperture) and are better built.

ok Thanks. (im not sure how to ask my question correctly, but you pretty much answered it). Now with macro lenes, you said it would offer a high magnification factor. I always though that the mm number represented the magnification... But most macro lenes dont have a very high mm number. So could you explain what the mm number represents?

Hey Tony, found this basic lesson on Google.

thanks, that helped a bit.

Yes, there was not much about macro. With macro lenses, the greater the focal length the farther you can move away from the subject while maintaining the same object size. For instance a 50mm macro may produce a 1:1 life size image at 5 inches while a 180mm macro will produce the same size image at 18 inches. It allows you to move farther away from the subject which is desirable for those skitish creatures. It is really a lesson in physics;-)

hm...interesting.. I always thought that telephoto was to capture far away objects...and macro was for close.... and wide angle is for like lanscapes (mountaing...etc..) is that correct?

Exactly, Tony. Some telephoto lenses also offer macro capability.

oh ok. BEcause my Quantaray lens has a a macro mode. But its a telephoto lens.

telephoto and wide angle are one category, while macro is a completely independant category. you pretty much understand tele/wideangle thing, macro is just saying how close (magnification factor) you can get. a lens with a 1:1 factor will let you fill a 35mm frame with a bug 35mm wide, while a lens with a 1:2 would let you fill the frame with something 70mm wide that will be in focus. telephotos make better, but more expensive macros because they allow you to be further away, as well as get less distracting things in the background.

I was invited by Darryl (mayne) to join in this discussion. Here is my two cents worth.

Macro Photography. This term is one of the most misused terms in photography. Most of the data that I am using as reference can be found in the International Center of Photography Encyclopedia.

With that said let me attempt to explain a few things that I hope will clear up the definitions and the use of the term Macro. Macro is the term used to mean photography used to create photographs at closer than normal distances. Close up photography records images form about one tenth (0.1X) to full size (1.0X or 1:1). These images can be produced by a normal lens and the addition of supplemental or close-up lenses. These can be purchase as sets of three and generally come in three magnifications, +1. +2, and +4. These lenses are simple single element lenses and can be used by screwing them together. For this reason there is usually no +3 and a +1 and +2 will make a +3. Macro photography starts at images that are recorded at full size (1:1) and continues to a size of 50X (50:1). Anything larger gets into Photo Microphotography (through a Microscope).

Macro lenses are the next step in the chain of things to use for photographs that will be taken at closer than normal distances. Take a close look at the macro settings that are inscribed on the lens barrel. None of the standard lenses on today’s market are true macro lenses. The term has been misused to sell lenses. This can be seen by looking at your lens barrel and understanding the numbers represented as magnifications. Example; I am using a very fine lens (No brand name will be given as this is not an endorsement). The lens has Macro settings on it. They read; 1:4, 1:3and 1:2. All of these "Macro" settings are really close ups. The numbers break down like this 1:4 is one quarter the original size, I:3 Is one third the original size and 1:2 is one half the size of the original image. As the image size of Macro photography starts at an image size of 1:1 (full size). It should now be clear that you do not own a macro lens, unless you are lucky enough to own a Nikon 105mm Macro lens.

Macro photography work. In order to get closer than normal distances to do your macro work the lens must be removed from the camera and some type of spacer must be added between the focal plane and the lens to DOUBLE the focal length of the lens. There are two types of spacers, extension tubes and bellows extensions. While extension tubes will give you the same results each and every time I feel that the bellows allows for greater freedom in selecting the size desired. Look at a bellows, as many different sizes of extension tubes

Doubling the focal length will produce an image that is 1:1 doubling the focal length again (4X, will produce am image that is twice the size of the original (2:1).

As Darryl (mayne) implied. The longer focal length lens that you use the farther away from the subject you can work. Advantages? It is easier to light a subject when you are not so close as to impede the lighting units. HOWEVER, the longer the focal length of the lens used means that the doubling of its focal length will use up more space. Example: doubling a "normal" 50mm lens brings the lens from the camera 100mm. A 135mm lens will require 270mm to achieve the same results

I hope that this has cleared up some of he questions about the Macro mystery. If you still have questions or would like to learn more about the subject I have written an article for EPIC (Evidence Photographers International Council) magazine. It was published in their Spring/Summer 2000 issue. If you would like find my e-mail address under my Profile. E-mail me with a request and I will attempt to send you a copy. I mention attempt. My Internet Explorer browser has had so many virus and spam killers added by Microsoft that I sometimes can not send any file attachments.

fotobob

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thanks a lot for the help

Tony, I've created a rudimentary tutorial on the different types that you had inquired about. It's here

Thanks. By the way, that stadium picture is awsome!

Good morning
Thanks for the information on lenses. At this point (early morning, only one coffee under my belt, no breakfast) most of the numbers went into the head and settled in that vague but comfortably numb area and promptly fell asleep. Have taken a print of this thread, as this is the sort of info I need when I start looking at a new camera.
Romane