Last updated on December 7th, 2023
The holy trinity of lenses is what photographers use to capture what they see. The three lenses are the wide-angle, normal, and telephoto lens. These three lenses are what make up the holy trinity of photography. Each one has a different focal length that you can use depending on what you need in your shot or what type of photo you’re trying to take.
What is the Holy Trinity of Lenses
The holy trinity of lenses is what many photographers call their three favorite lenses. They include a 16-35mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm lens. Each one has a different focal length that you can use depending on what you want to get in your shot or what type of photo you’re trying to take.
The Wide Angle Lens: 16-35mm
A wide-angle lens is great for capturing a large area, and you use it to create a sense of what’s around the subject, even if not included in the photo. Use this lens if you’re trying to convey the environment or what’s going on around your subject.
This lens is excellent at capturing landscape photography. They are also used for architectural photography to show off a building’s features.
For example, if you’re doing a real estate listing of a home. Some photographers will even use them for group photos. Remember, a wide-angle lens will distort objects closer to the camera and stretch out those further away from it. This is because of its short focal length. You’ll have a greater depth of field but with minor detail than other lenses would provide.
The Normal Lens: 24-70mm
The normal lens is what most people would consider the standard. It’s what I used to shoot with, and it provides an excellent range for general photography. Like when taking pictures of your kids at home or in their yard—this is what you’ll be using!
A 24-70mm lens is a versatile and popular lens that you can use for different types of photography, such as portraits, landscapes, and events. The focal length ranges from wide-angle to medium telephoto. So can capture everything from sweeping landscapes to close-up pictures.
It’s the most common zoom lens on DSLR cameras because it covers a wide range while still reasonably affordable. If you are looking for an all-around go-to camera kit, this would be one of the first things you should buy!
The Telephoto Lens: 70-200mm
A telephoto lens is what you would use to get closer to the action, like sports photography. You can use it for subjects that are further away, like photographing wildlife.
The telephoto lens has a narrow field of view, but what you gain magnifies the subject to appear closer than it is.
This lens can also give your photos an excellent shallow depth of field. And, it can make your subjects stand out from their background (even if they’re not right up close to the camera). So what you get with a 70-200mm telephoto lens is magnification, shallow depth of field, and less light.
Why Are These Lenses Important to Photographers?
These lenses are what make up the holy trinity of photography. Each one has a different focal length that you can use depending on what you want to get in your shot or what type of photo you’re trying to take. They also provide photographers with different looks and feel for their photos.
When traveling for photos, weight is significant, so condensing everything down to just three lenses is excellent. And what I have realized is that most photographers will have a wide-angle, normal lens and telephoto in their camera bags.
Conclusion: The Holy Trinity of Lenses
The three most popular lenses for photographers are what is known as the “holy trinity of lenses.” These include a 16-35mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm lens. Each one has a different focal length that you can use depending on what you want to get in your shot or what type of photo you’re trying to take. With these three lenses, you’ll be able to go out and tackle any job that comes your way.
