Photo Tip #3 - Zoom with your feet

Robert Capa, the famed WWII photojournalist once said "If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough". This is the time when zoom lenses were still non-existent. Today there are tons of zoom lenses around for SLRs. Also, most point and shoot cameras come with built-in zoom lenses making it an all around camera. Finding a fixed focal length point and shoot is not an easy task.

Do I believe that zoom lenses are not to be used? Not exactly but we should learn to look for the best spot first before we ever use that zoom. Most photo enthusiasts I see, when there's a need for them to take a snapshot almost always remain on their spot and let the zoom lens do its thing even when just a few steps forward would certainly allow them to take a better picture.

Unless you're using a camera with a professional zoom lens known for making very good and sharp images, most zoom lenses are not as good as a fixed focal length lens, also known as a prime lens. Also, most consumer zoom lenses are not 'fast' lenses (having a maximum aperture of at least f/2.8) thereby making you use (albeit involuntary) a slower shutter speed which is set by the camera when you shoot in 'program mode' or automatic. When you zoom out and the shutter speed is not fast enough, it is almost certain that you will have a blurry picture. This is more prevalent in low light situations. That's why a tripod becomes a must for this kind of shooting situation. Even under bright sunny conditions, a tripod becomes necessary when you're using a longer focal length. You will always notice that's it's very hard to maintain a clear view of what you're looking at when using a high powered binocular. The principle is the same. When you zoom in, the angle of coverage becomes lesser and lesser and you'd notice that it's harder to steady the camera if you're just holding it even with two hands.

The rule of thumb is you use a shutter speed that is at least equal to the focal length of the lens you are using. If you're using a zoom lens and it is at say '110mm', your shutter speed should be around 1/125. If your zoom is at 35mm focal length, you can afford to use a shutter speed of 1/40 or even 1/30 if you can really steady the shot. If your zoom is at 300mm, the shutter speed should be quite near that range. The problem is when your camera is fully automatic and it doesn't show what shutter speed it's at, there's no way you can know. You can only have a feel of it depending on the amount of available light and the ISO your camera had been set to. Of course you can use a higher shutter speed anytime especially for action shots if the light condition will allow it.

These focal lengths I'm using as an example is the 35mm equivalent. Most digital point and shoots have a crop factor of 1.5 up to 2.0. If your lens says 24mm at it's widest angle, that's equivalent to 32mm for a 1.5 CF and 48mm for a 2.0 CF.

Now, since there are so many things that should be met when you're zooming in like when you're shooting available light, you don't have a fast lens on your camera, you don't have a tripod at the moment, your subject is not close enough and there will be a lot of dead space around your subject, you just drank a cup of coffee, it pays to zoom in with your feet first before you press the shutter.