Taking Family Photos with a Long Zoom Lens
Long zoom lenses are a handy tool for bringing smiling faces closer. If you choose
your shutter speed you can reliably freeze motion even when your subject is on a fast
ride, and so as long as you keep calm you can get photos that will make precious moments
last forever.
Long Zoom
Lenses Bring Smiling Faces Closer
Choose shutter-priority
auto mode to freeze motion when photographing moving objects with a long zoom lens.
To freeze motion in an outdoor shot of a roller coaster like that shown in the sample
image, choose a shutter speed of around 1/1000 s. If you also choose AF‑C (continuous-servo
autofocus), the camera will continue to focus even as your subject moves side-to-side
or toward or away from you. To ensure that you don’t miss the shot, choose a
continuous release mode. In cases in which the ride will be passing in front of you,
you’ll find it easier to time the shot if you press the shutter-release button
to start the burst three seconds before you’d think you’d need to.
Worry-Free, Blur-Free Snapshots
You can zoom a long zoom lens out to take natural-looking snapshots without
worrying about blur caused by camera shake.
Focus on the subject’s face (if possible, on the eye closest to the camera);
when focusing, press the shutter-release button with care, even if your subject is
moving. Choose AF‑S (single-servo autofocus) and aperture-priority auto with an aperture
of around f/5.6 for photos with bokeh similar to that seen by the naked eye.
Mastery of only a few settings makes long zoom lenses, which can capture
both distant smiles and natural expressions, an important partner in preserving family
memories.