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Question: What is the difference between a regular "zoom" lens and a telephoto lens!?
Is there one!? I am new to photography, and the only difference I see between them is that a telephoto lens appears to have a much larger len on the far end than a regular zoom lens!.

I'm a noob, so sorry for the potentially dumb question!.

Thanks for the answers!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
"Telephoto" refers to a specific way to design a lens which allows the lens to be physically shorter than it's actual focal length!. Most lenses longer than 75mm or so(for 35mm cameras) are a telephoto design, although there are lenses longer than this that are not telephoto lenses!.

A zoom lens is a lens on which the focal length can be changed!. Technically, in order for a lens to be called a zoom lens, the point of focus needs to stay the same as the focal length as changed, although few lenses do this!.

It's possible to have a zoom lens which uses a telephoto design-this is very common for zoom lenses where part of the focal length range is greater than 75mm!.

It's also possible to have a zoom lens which does not use a telephoto design!.

So, to answer your question, telephoto and zoom are terms which have totally different meanings, and are not mutually exclusive!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

The difference between a Telephoto and a regular is that telephoto are longer than 50mm and a regular is 50mm!. Anything below 50mm is wide angle!. Telephoto is good for sports and bird photography when its nesscary to get close up and personal with your subject!. Wide angle is good for scenic shots!. There are many variables too that will decide on what you want!. Wide angle are usually a good all around lens but you can get a lens that gives you both wide angle-telephoto!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Both people here answered well!.!.

Any lens that allows you to change its focal length, 12 to 24!.!. 18 to 135, 24 to 120, 70 to 300 by the twist of a ring or the push, pull of a tube, is a zoom or can be called a zoom lens!.!.!.

Any lens over 50mm can be called a telephoto because in 35mm, a 50mm lens is called - normal!.!. It sees pretty much what the human eye does as far as size goes when you look over the camera and then thru it!. The image looks the same!.!.

The size of the lens "on the far end" of some telephotos IS often bigger, larger around than that of many zooms!. Most zooms go thru what is called a f/stop shift, going from a setting of 3!.5 to 5!.6 as you zoom, while a telephoto is set at one max aperture and that is usually larger than the zoom!.

To have a zoom stay, say 3!.5 thru-out it's zoom range would make for a BIG heavy lens!.!. But their out there if one looks and has the $$ to buy one!. 80 to 200 that stay at 2!.8 are there, nice, but nice and expensive!.!.!.

Bob - TucsonWww@QuestionHome@Com

A telephoto is a lens that has a longer focal length than what is considered "normal" for the format - about 50mm for 35mm film and similarly sized DSLRs!. The longer focal length means a narrower field of view and a more magnified image!. A zoom is a lens with a variable focal length, for example, 18 to 55mm!. A variable long focal-length lens (100-400mm, e!.g!.) is a telephoto zoomWww@QuestionHome@Com

With a zoom lens you can zoom in and out (ex: 75-300mm lens), with a telephoto you can not (ex: 100mm lens)!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

many hundreds of dollars, actually!.Www@QuestionHome@Com