How to use a zoom lens correctly?

Many novice photographers will ask me whether it is better to buy a fixed focus lens or a zoom lens when they first start learning photography. I will always say that fixed focus lenses are not as useful as you think. For example, the master of photography Cartier-Bresson is famous for being the best at using a 50mm lens, but most of us, including senior masters, may not be good at using a 50mm lens. One of my teachers once told me that he was only good at using it. He really couldn't learn 35mm and Bresson's 50mm. Therefore, fixed-focus lenses are really not that easy to use. When we first learn photography, we should not consider fixed-focus lenses and just choose zoom lenses.

Wait a minute, I don’t think I’ve finished talking about this yet. I just said that it is recommended for novices to choose a zoom lens when they start learning photography. I want to talk about this topic. Now I feel that it is 100% Ninety-nine people are using the wrong zoom lens. Why do you say this? Take the 24-105mm lens that I often use. The focal length range covers the focal lengths of five fixed-focus lenses: 24mm-35mm-50mm-75mm-100mm. There are also some, such as the most common EF-S lens in the spare part, the most common 18-55mm, the equivalent focal length is 24-85mm, and the most common amateur-level zoom lenses such as 15-85mm and 24-70mm almost all cover 24mm. There are four focal lengths: , 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm, but it is very difficult to use such a lens to shoot blockbusters. Do you feel this way when taking photos? When shooting landscapes at 35mm, I feel that the angle of view is not wide enough. When shooting portraits at a closer distance, I feel that the perspective difference deforms the face. The angle of view of 50mm is obviously too small for landscapes, and the focal length for portraits is obviously too short. As a medium telephoto, the focal length of 75mm is really not long enough. The effect of compressing the background is not obvious, and the subject is not highlighted enough. So I really recommend that everyone use it when they start learning photography. The zoom lenses 24-70mm and 24-105mm are both good lenses for us to practice with.

But I have seen that most novice photographers and even many experienced masters basically stand motionless in one camera position when using a zoom lens, and just rely on turning the zoom ring to compose the shot. I want to say The usage of a zoom lens is definitely not the commonly known as "bellows" usage. How should I use a zoom lens? The correct method is that if you want to shoot a subject, decide on a focal length in advance. For example, if you want to use a 50mm focal length, zoom the lens to a focal length of 50mm, and then compose the picture. Do not rotate the zoom ring during the composition process. Rely on moving your feet back and forth to compose your shot. At this point you may understand, isn’t this the method of using a fixed focus lens? Yes, that’s right. At this time, if you find that it is difficult to compose a picture by moving your feet, then you can re-determine a new focal length, such as a 35mm focal length, and then move your feet to compose the picture just like the 50mm focal length. In fact, at the end of the day, we just use the zoom lens as several fixed focus lenses. If you practice according to this method, after a while you will find that your concepts of focus and perspective have improved to a higher level, and gradually you will You will find that you need to move less to compose the picture when taking pictures. In fact, this is because you have made progress and already have what is commonly known as the lens sense in photography. If you use a zoom lens like this for a long time, you will naturally be able to master it easily and use it freely when using a fixed focus lens.