By having the right lens to capture the moments as they happen you can be sure you won’t lose out on that winning snap.
Yet, if you aren’t super used to photography or its equipment just yet, then knowing which lenses to use can be hard.
Moreover, it can be hard to know what sources to trust. In this article we are going to cover some of the best lenses to capture nature as well as where you can buy them.
Keep reading to learn more about photography equipment and nature photography in our article, so you can capture nature’s beauty today.
A normal lens is around 40mm to 55mm, and your eye operates normally at 50mm so these lenses are normal in that a standard lens is very close to the aperture of your eye already.
This means the lens is user friendly and can help take pictures of things as you see them in nature.
This Nikon Lens is an affordable everyday use camera lens that is perfect for a DSLR Nikon camera.
It has an angle of view from 76 degrees to 28 degrees allowing you to capture everything you can see, especially with 7 diaphragm blades.
When a lens has a much larger range of numbers such as 80 - 200 mm this means that it has much more capability for zooming.
A zoom lens is really useful in nature photography because you can zoom in and get really accurate shots of things that are either really far away or are very small.
If you would like to photograph insects and other small things, even flowers, a zoom lens can be the most important piece of kit for good photographs.
This Sony FE lens is 70 - 200 mm providing a wide zoom without compromising on sharpness, thanks to the patented ‘G Master’ design.
Expect high performance optical steady shot image stabilization. While expensive a dust and moisture resistant build design means it can last a lifetime.
Plus, with the right zoom lens you can have the capability of up to three lenses, so can be cost effective in many ways.
A fixed lens is pretty useful when you are photographing nature, but can be quite expensive and best left for those who are certain they will be using it in perpetuity.
Put simply a fixed focal lens, or prime lens as they are sometimes called, provide only one frame of view but are very high quality and can provide incredibly sharp images of what’s in frame.
This is really useful for taking shots of literal nature, like a mountain range, or lake, something static rather than trying to catch something that is moving with a zoom.
This Canon EF lens is a really great choice if you are looking for a prime lens, it remains your best choice for a Canon camera by far.
It offers razor sharp precision, image stabilization, and a superb close-focus focal distance, and is also a pretty good portrait lens in certain situations.
A Telephoto lens is perhaps the ebay for observing animal wildlife.
When you are capturing an animal, especially wild ones, you don’t really want to get too close or as you may imagine the animal might run away.
Also, in certain situations a telephoto lens is necessary so the animal doesn’t cause you any danger either.
Importantly, a telephoto lens is much like a zoom lens but provides a much greater zoom than you would get from a zoom lens, more than anyone would need unless in the specific situation we described.
While telephoto lenses can be expensive, this one from Canon is actually really good as well as being pretty affordable.
It’s a good entry level telephoto zoom for an SLR camera that is great for wildlife photography.
In any case, this can fulfill the purpose of multiple lenses while also being a form of telescope as well.
If you plan on capturing landscapes in nature, then a wide angle lens is really helpful. You can consider a wide angle lens to be the opposite of a zoom.
It provides a really crisp image of a wide angle view, perhaps of a forest or desert landscape.
If you plan on capturing the larger and wider shots then a wide angle lens is super necessary as a normal lens won’t capture the nuances or detail necessary for a shot like this.
This wide angle zoom lens from Sony could help you achieve really great wide angle shots as well as having decent zoom capabilities too for framing, this one lens, while expensive, can solve many nature photography problems for you with one piece of kit.
If you speak to any nature photographer who works a lot, they will tell you that a lens hood is an inexpensive but necessary piece of equipment for any lens.
A lens hood basically blocks out the sun from affecting your lens.
This is important as when you are in nature this is an issue and you don’t want to get all your framing right, capturing a perfect moment, for there to be annoying sun spots on the lens that ruin the photo.
You can make sure this doesn’t happen with this simple bit of kit. Notably, you shouldn;t use a lens hood on a wide angle lens as it can produce a vignette which we don’t want.
This Altura lens hood is a great option because it fits most popular cameras and camera lenses, which is important.
The tulip design helps block out the sun but doesn’t get in the way too much, plus it’s easy to remove and attach as necessary.
These lens hoods are really cheap so are worth investing in for those interested in nature photography.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, success in photography has a lot to do with making sure you have the right kit to suit your photographing passion.
Consider all the things that might affect your success at capturing moments on the fly, as well as other factors that can affect the shot, and this ensures that when that vital moment does come around you are prepared to get the best shot possible, only worrying about framing and positioning rather than whether your camera is capable of capturing the shot, with these lenses you will be prepared for anything nature throws your way.
Hey everyone, and welcome to LemonadeAndLenses.com. My name is Laura and I am the founder of this site!
For as long as I can remember, I have loved taking photographs. There is nothing I love more than looking back through old pictures, and having all of the memories come flooding back.
If you want to learn about how to take professional images, and to run your own photography business, then I can help you out, here at Lemonade And Lenses.
