Louis Assoulin on Telephoto Lenses and Opportunities from Mistakes

Some lenses on the market are so big that they turn your DSLR into a recoil-less rifle on a tripod. What's up with these heavyweights, anyway?

To be accurate, these lenses are more like sniper rifles, enabling photographers to shoot their subjects up close from miles away. Those in the wildlife business need these lenses to safely take a photo of nature's rarest creatures in action. Of course, their magnifying power comes at the expense of weight—something so evident even with the large lenses Louis Assoulin offers.

The current record holder for the largest lens built for an SLR camera is the Canon 5200mm f/14 Tele-Monster—and its name doesn't mince words. At just over 6 feet long and weighing in at 220 lbs., the $50,000 monster can capture subjects up to 32 miles away. Its lucky owner won't be hauling that heavyweight without a small crew and a forklift.

Another popular and lighter example is the Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 APO. At 16 percent of the Tele-Monster's weight, the APO is the first to have a low aperture setting in a high depth of field, which is obviously unheard of. With such a high-speed zoom lens at your disposal, you can hardly miss a shot. Just make sure you train your carrying arm.

There's no doubt that telephoto lenses are as important to a photographer as the rest of his lens collection. However, it's inaccurate to assume that they're only used to capture subjects beyond the range of normal vision. Pros can also use these lenses to their advantage to manipulate a subject's overall perspective.

According to the online tutorial site, Cambridge in Colour, a telephoto lens can help make distant objects appear congested. Boats that are several oars away from each other can huddle in a photo taken with a telephoto lens. It doesn't have to be insanely huge as the previous examples; a good lens from dealers like Louis Assoulin should suffice.

In general, a pro knows how to use lenses beyond the right time. Sometimes, the mistake of not switching to your normal lens creates an opportunity for a unique shot. The joy of photography is to continue experimenting with various combinations to create shots no photography textbook can explain. Besides, some pros seldom play by the rules.