Different between ZOOM lens and TELEPHOTO ZOOM Lens?

[Godfrey]

I would like to know exact different between ZOOM and TELEPHOTO ZOOM Lenses?
Please note that I DO NOT want to know the difference between ZOOM and TELEPHOTO lenses.

I'm using SONY alpha 330 with 18-55 mm zoom lens. I'm looking for a lens 55-200 or 55-300 mm. In a current deal, I found lens deal, but it is for "Sony 55-200mm f/4-5.6 SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens". However, I could not find deal of lens with specification "Sony 55-200mm Zoom Lens". That is why I am wondering the difference between zoom and telephoto zoom.

For example, let say, if I shoot the same scenery with 150 mm focal length using these two different lenses, what is the main difference of those two photos?

Thanks and happy new year 2014 !!!

[Saorsa]

A zoom lens is any lens that varies focal length. A telephoto zoom is one that varies in the telephoto range like a 70-200mm as compared to a 12-24mm which would be a WA zoom or a 24-70mm a normal zoom

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Godfrey,

In a current deal, I found lens deal, but it is for "Sony 55-200mm f/4-5.6 SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens". However, I could not find deal of lens with specification "Sony 55-200mm Zoom Lens". That is why I am wondering the difference between zoom and telephoto zoom.

For example, let say, if I shoot the same scenery with 150 mm focal length using these two different lenses, what is the main difference of those two photos?

With regard to the descriptions, absolutely no difference.
In fact they may well be the same lens, just described rather more vaguely in the second quoted example.

I cannot speak to the relative optical or handling qualities of Sony lenses though, if they are different. that's where you might see a difference - but your photography and Post processing may well have a larger effect on image quality.

Welcome to the CiC forums from ....

[NorthernFocus]

Like Dave said, no difference.

Zoom describes any lens with variable focal length. Then the terms wide angle, standard, and zoom are used to describe ranges of focal length. Wide angle typically anything up to 35mm, standard from 35mm up to about 70mm, and anything over 70mm is a telephoto lens.

So a telephoto zoom simply means a zoom lens that extends into telephoto lengths. So 55-200, 70-200, 18-200, 50-500, etc, are all telephoto zoom lenses. Some people may simply save type space and describe it generically as a zoom or as a telephoto.

[tclune]

Unfortunately, the answers you have received so far are wrong. "Telephoto" is a particular type of long lens, explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephoto_lens In most contexts, people use telephoto as a synonym for "long focal length," but it is not. FWIW

[HenkB]

"Telephoto" is a particular type of long lens, explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephoto_lens In most contexts, people use telephoto as a synonym for "long focal length," but it is not. FWIW

By the standards of the Wikipedia article, the Nikon 800mm (listed on the Nikon USA site not as a telephoto but as a prime lens) is a telephoto by virtue of the fact that 1, it is not a simple lens and 2, it is substantially shorter than its rated focal length. Yet Nikon does not call it (or any) of its lenses a telephoto. In the more descriptive paragraph that accompanies the listing the lens is claimed to set new standards for "super-telephoto" lenses. This sounds much more like marketing to a desire than providing an emotively neutral indication of the inner design of the lens. More charitably, by calling the lens a super-telephoto, Nikon has simply assigned the lens to the top tier of a popularly well-understood class of lenses, just as they also describe lenses as mid-range or wide angle.

Similarly, on its website, SONY is sloppy about its nomenclature in the headlines for each long lens (including the 55-200) but usually somewhere in the more detailed description the magic word telephoto appears. In fact, we should have every reason to expect that close to 100% of all currently produced long focal length lenses, especially in the consumer grades, would qualify as telephotos under the guidelines of the article. The size convenience alone will serve to drive the merely "long focal length" lenses out of the market. Thus the listing in "error" is more likely the one that simply lists the lens as a zoom rather than a telephoto zoom and that is only a lack of completeness that may very well be "corrected" in the finer print description. "Telephoto" clearly has different meaning when used by lens designers rather than mere mortals. I expect in virtually all cases, however, the marketing types tend toward the mere mortal. After all, that's their target audience.

[NorthernFocus]

Good that got squared away. Though frequently the literal definition of words differs from the common usage. The term anal retentive comes to mind.

In my prior post I forgot to mention super telephoto which is a term sometimes used to describe focal lengths longer than 200mm. It seems like manufacturers and sellers are common of that term. Frankly I'm not sure I've ever heard a photographer refer to super telephoto. So my prior example of 50-500mm might be referred to as either a telephoto zoom or super telephoto zoom.

[rpcrowe]

English word meanings are often changed due to popular use. As an example, take the word "gay". That word once meant happy or carefree (hence the TV program, "The Gay Cavalier"), now the commonly accepted meaning is quite different!

A telephoto lens is one in which the focal length is shorter that the actual distance between the optical center of the lens and the film plane or sensor when focused at infinity. This difference was more important earlier in film photography when many long focal length lenses were not of the telephoto variety and hence were very physically long. Telephoto optics allow photographers to carry long focal length lenses which were not terribly physically long...

Now days, virtually all long focal length lenses (with the exception of some awful eBay cheapies) are of the telephoto variety and hence, the terms: telephoto and long focal length, are pretty well used interchangeably. However, you will seldom, if ever, see an manufacturer's dicription including the term "long focal length".

Another term which has changed through common usage is: "macro" which originally stood for photography at 1:1 or larger image ratios. Now as many zoom lens manufacturers have included the descriptor, "macro", in their lens terminology; macro is commonly used for what was once called "close-up" photography. Adding the term "macro" to a zoom lens is a sales ploy that the manufacturers justified by the fact that when printed to a 4x6 inch size; the image ratio is 1:1 or quite close.

Virtually all of the "true macro" of today lenses produce image maximum image ratios of 1:1 (sometimes 1:2 with an adapter producing 1:1). Now, the term "macro" is correctly used for lenses which are optimized for close-up imaging, such as the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro and the Tanron 90mm f/2.8 macro.

[Godfrey]

Hi again, thanks all for comments.
However, can any body briefly summarize the exact answer for my original question rather than lengthy explanations?

[chauncey]

The term anal retentive comes to mind.

In my family that term is a compliment for it refers to a superior left brain which, as we all know, is the basis for the development of civilization itself.

[davidedric]

Summarise in one word - "Marketing"

[yauman]

Hi again, thanks all for comments.
However, can any body briefly summarize the exact answer for my original question rather than lengthy explanations?

Here's my understanding from film days - for a 35mm camera the 50mm lens is considered "normal" focal length. Anything longer is a telephoto and anything shorter is a wide-angle. So, a "telephoto zoom" is a zoom lens that goes from X mm to Y mm where X >= 50mm and Y > X (ie telephoto.) e.g 50-85mm zoom is a Telephoto zoom. A "wide-angle zoom" is a zoom lens that goes from X mm to Y mm where X <= 50mm and Y < X (ie wide-angle.) e.g. 50-18mm zoom is a Wide-Angle zoom. But that was the Goode Olde days. Like Dave said, those terms are now just marketing and nobody really use them that way they are were used anymore!

[RustBeltRaw]

Hi again, thanks all for comments.
However, can any body briefly summarize the exact answer for my original question rather than lengthy explanations?

Zoom: A lens with an adjustable focal length (the mm number).
Telephoto: A "long" lens designed for far-away or very small subjects, generally about 85mm and above.
Telephoto zoom: A "long" lens with an adjustable focal length.

The opposite of a zoom is a "prime," a lens with a fixed focal length like 24mm (wide-angle) or 300mm (telephoto). Rough focal length guidelines are as follows:

Ultra-wide: 0-24mm.
Wide-angle: 24-32mm.
Standard: 32-50mm.
Short telephoto:50-100mm.
Telephoto:100-300mm.
Super-telephoto:300-∞mm.

Not everyone will agree on the exact divisions. But you get the idea.

[Mike Buckley]

Super-telephoto:300-∞mm.

Can I purchase the ∞mm focal length in a prime lens?

[revi]

Can I purchase the ∞mm focal length in a prime lens?

Useless lens: angle of view would approach 0° (and max aperture would be F∞)

[Black Pearl]

Hi again, thanks all for comments.
However, can any body briefly summarize the exact answer for my original question rather than lengthy explanations?

I think the Zoom/Telephoto Zoom bit of your original question has been explained (though I now have a headache) but in answer to the second bit:

For example, let say, if I shoot the same scenery with 150 mm focal length using these two different lenses, what is the main difference of those two photos?

In a word - Nothing.
In several words - nothing really though you may find very, very small variations in the levels of distortion between the two lenses and as the longer end of most consumer grade zooms tend to be a little soft the version the reaches to 300mm might (and I emphasise might) be a tiny bit sharper at 150mm.

Personally I would go with the longer of the two simply for that extra reach which you will find more versatile.