Canonical URL: https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/ # Understanding Camera Lenses – Which Lens Is Right for Wildlife Photography? Published on October 15, 2026 [![Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM telephoto zoom lens mounted on a Sony Alpha 1 camera](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-50-150mm-f2-gm-on-alpha-1.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-50-150mm-f2-gm-on-alpha-1.jpg) ### Article brief Editorial article Published October 15, 2026 I am asked about lenses on almost every NaturesLens trip we run, & the question is usually some variation of the same thing: what is the best lens for wildlife photography? The difficulty is that there is no single answer, because a lens that is perfect for a hummingbird in Costa Rica can be completely wrong when a lion walks towards the vehicle in Africa, while the enormous 600mm prime that seems indispensable for a distant eagle can become almost useless when a [Japanese](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/asia/japan/) [Red-crowned Crane](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/red-crowned-crane/) suddenly fills the frame. Over the years I have become much less interested in simply carrying the longest lens possible & much more interested in having the right range of focal lengths for the opportunities we have deliberately built into an itinerary. For most wildlife photographers, that means understanding what wide-angle, standard zoom, prime, macro, telephoto & portrait lenses actually allow you to do rather than thinking of them as completely separate photographic disciplines. The best wildlife lens is ultimately the one that lets you make the photograph in front of you, from the position you can responsibly occupy, in the light you actually have. ## What are the six main types of camera lens? Before getting into which lenses I actually find most useful for wildlife photography, it helps to separate the main lens types, because terms such as wide-angle, prime, telephoto & macro are often used as though they describe completely separate things. They do not. A lens can belong to more than one category – a 400mm f/2.8 is both a prime lens & a telephoto lens, for example – but the six broad groups are still useful because they explain what each lens is fundamentally designed to do. [![Side View Of The Sony Fe 400Mm F2.8 Gm Oss Super-Telephoto Lens Showing Its Tripod Foot And Focus Ring](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-400mm-f2-8-gm-side-view.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-400mm-f2-8-gm-side-view.jpg) ### Wide-angle lenses Wide-angle lenses, typically around 16 – 35mm, show a much broader view of the scene than the lenses most wildlife photographers normally reach for. They are invaluable when the habitat is an important part of the photograph, whether that is a Puffin against a dramatic coastline, an elephant within a huge African landscape or a bear shown in the wider environment rather than tightly framed. They are more specialist in wildlife terms because the subject generally has to be close, but used well they can create some of the most distinctive images in a portfolio. ### Standard zoom lenses A standard zoom, commonly something around 24 – 70mm, is the classic general-purpose lens. It is not normally the first thing I would suggest for dedicated wildlife photography because most subjects are simply too far away, but it can be surprisingly useful with large mammals, habituated wildlife, environmental compositions or when an animal comes much closer than expected. It is also the lens I would often reach for when photographing the wider story of a trip rather than just the wildlife itself. ### Prime lenses A prime lens has one fixed focal length rather than a zoom range. That could mean anything from a 35mm or 50mm lens right through to a 400mm f/2.8 or 600mm f/4. For wildlife photographers, the attraction of long primes is usually their combination of excellent optical quality, fast autofocus & wide maximum apertures. The trade-off is obvious in the field: when the subject moves closer or further away, you cannot simply zoom to reframe it. [![Side View Of The Sony Fe 300Mm F2.8 Gm Oss Super-Telephoto Prime Lens With Its Lens Hood Fitted](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-300mm-f2-8-gm-oss-side-view-with-hood.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-300mm-f2-8-gm-oss-side-view-with-hood.jpg) ### Macro lenses Macro lenses are designed to reproduce very small subjects at high magnification, often at true 1:1 reproduction. Focal lengths around 90 – 105mm are particularly popular because they give a useful working distance for insects, frogs, reptiles, flowers & tiny details. On destinations such as Costa Rica, a macro lens can dramatically widen the photographic possibilities because some of the most interesting subjects may be only a few centimetres long. ### Telephoto lenses Telephoto lenses are the mainstay of most wildlife photography. Anything from a 70 – 200mm through to 400mm, 500mm or 600mm falls broadly into this category, with longer focal lengths allowing distant subjects to appear much larger in the frame. They are useful not simply because they magnify wildlife, but because they allow us to work at an appropriate distance while still isolating the subject & controlling the background. For birds & smaller mammals in particular, this is where most photographers will spend the majority of their time. [![Front Three-Quarter View Of The Sony Fe 300Mm F2.8 Gm Oss Lens With Its Hood Fitted](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-300mm-f2-8-gm-oss-front-angle-with-hood.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-300mm-f2-8-gm-oss-front-angle-with-hood.jpg) ### Portrait lenses The idea of a dedicated portrait lens is more about typical use than a strict optical category. An 85mm prime, for example, is traditionally associated with people because of its perspective, wide aperture & ability to separate a subject from the background, but those same characteristics can work beautifully with wildlife at close range. A so-called portrait lens can be excellent for larger mammals, tame or habituated animals or situations where the subject is simply too close for a conventional long wildlife lens. [![Side View Of The Sony Fe 50-150Mm F2 Gm Telephoto Zoom Lens](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-50-150mm-f2-gm-side-view.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-50-150mm-f2-gm-side-view.jpg) Once those six types are understood, the more useful question is no longer simply what each lens is called, but how those different focal lengths & designs behave when wildlife starts moving, the light changes or the subject does something you were not expecting. That is where the choice between a 100 – 400mm zoom, a long prime, a 70 – 200mm or even a macro lens starts to become much more interesting. ## Why do I so often recommend a 100 – 400mm lens for wildlife photography? If somebody asked me to choose one focal-length range for a varied wildlife photography trip, something around 100 – 400mm would be extremely difficult to beat. It is not because 400mm is always long enough, because it is not, & it is not because 100mm is always wide enough either. What makes the range so useful is the speed with which you can react when a subject changes distance, position or behaviour. [![Side View Of The Sony Fe 100-400Mm F4.5 Gm Oss Telephoto Zoom Lens With Tripod Foot](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-100-400mm-f4-5-gm-oss-side-view.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-100-400mm-f4-5-gm-oss-side-view.jpg) I see this repeatedly on NaturesLens trips. In Costa Rica we might be photographing hummingbirds one moment, a toucan on a feeding perch later in the morning & then a larger bird or mammal at much closer range. During our [African](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/africa/) trips, an animal that begins as a relatively small part of the frame can walk towards the vehicle until the problem suddenly becomes having too much lens rather than too little. With a fixed 400mm or 600mm prime, that change can mean losing the composition completely. With a 100 – 400mm I can simply change the framing as the situation develops. That flexibility matters because wildlife photography is rarely as controlled as it appears in the finished image. The animal does not remain on the ideal perch at the perfect distance while we decide which body & lens combination to use. A bird turns, another individual arrives, the background changes, the light breaks through or the animal moves forward into a cleaner position. Being able to move quickly from a tight portrait to a wider environmental frame can give you several very different photographs from the same encounter. This is one reason I recently added another 100 – 400mm to my own Sony kit despite already owning much longer & considerably more expensive glass. My Sony 400mm f/2.8 is capable of wonderful images, & I also own a 600mm f/4, but there are plenty of situations where the smaller zoom gives me a better chance of producing the photograph I actually want because it allows me to adapt. [![Sony Fe 600Mm F4 Gm Oss Super-Telephoto Lens Mounted On A Sony Alpha 9 Camera With Grip](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-600mm-f4-gm-on-alpha-9.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-600mm-f4-gm-on-alpha-9.jpg) That is particularly important on a photography-led itinerary. We are not trying simply to record that a species was present before moving on to the next one. When a subject is working well, I would much rather spend time exploring different compositions, backgrounds & behaviour, & a flexible zoom is often ideal for doing exactly that. ## When is a long prime lens worth carrying despite the weight? A long prime earns its place when light, subject separation & a consistent working distance matter more than flexibility. That is where lenses such as the 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8, 500mm f/4 & 600mm f/4 become extraordinary tools, particularly for birds or mammals photographed in low light. [![Sony Fe 300Mm F2.8 Gm Oss Wildlife Telephoto Lens Seen From The Front With The Lens Hood Attached](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-300mm-f2-8-gm-oss-front-three-quarter-with-hood.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-300mm-f2-8-gm-oss-front-three-quarter-with-hood.jpg) I use a Sony 400mm f/2.8 regularly because the combination of focal length & aperture is incredibly useful for the kind of photography we do. The wide aperture is not simply about producing an out-of-focus background, although it can certainly do that. More importantly, an f/2.8 lens gives me options when the light falls away. We spend an enormous amount of time working early in the morning & late in the afternoon because that is when wildlife is often active & when the light can be at its most attractive. Those are exactly the moments when having another stop of light can mean retaining the shutter speed needed for movement rather than watching it disappear as the ISO rises. The 400mm focal length also works beautifully when I can control my position relative to a subject. A bird returning repeatedly to a perch, a mammal using a predictable route or a photography session where we already know approximately where the action is likely to occur can all suit a prime extremely well. The wide aperture can remove distracting detail from the background, but positioning still matters enormously. Even an f/2.8 lens will not rescue a photograph made from the wrong angle with branches crossing the subject or a bright patch cutting through the background. There is, however, a price for that performance, & I do not only mean financially. Big primes are heavy. My 600mm f/4 is a superb lens, but I use it far less than its optical quality would suggest because travelling with it & physically working with it for long periods carries a cost of its own. I have increasingly found that there is little point carrying equipment because it looks ideal on a specification sheet if its weight means I am less mobile, slower to react or simply reluctant to pick it up. [![Front Three-Quarter View Of The Sony Fe 600Mm F4 Gm Oss Super-Telephoto Lens With Its Large Front Element](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-600mm-f4-gm-front-angle.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-600mm-f4-gm-front-angle.jpg) For me, a prime therefore works best as part of a system rather than as the only answer. I frequently want the 400mm f/2.8 available, but I also want a zoom nearby so that the moment the subject changes the photograph does not disappear with it. ## How much lens do you really need for birds compared with mammals? Bird photography is where photographers are most likely to conclude that longer must automatically be better, but even there I think it is worth resisting the idea that every bird requires 600mm. Small birds at distance certainly make long lenses enormously useful, yet the focal length required depends just as much on the way the photographic opportunity has been arranged as it does on the size of the subject. [![Sony Fe 600Mm F6.3 Gm Lens Mounted On A Sony Alpha 9 Camera](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-600mm-f6-3-gm-on-alpha-9.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-600mm-f6-3-gm-on-alpha-9.jpg) On our Costa Rica trips, for example, some of the most productive bird photography comes from deliberately created opportunities where we can work with known perches, feeding areas or birds that regularly come within sensible photographic range. In those circumstances a 100 – 400mm can be remarkably effective. The ability to zoom slightly wider can also be valuable when a hummingbird opens its tail, two birds interact or a toucan lands closer than expected. A lens that initially seemed too short may suddenly produce the strongest composition. [Japan](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/asia/japan/) offers a very different example. On our [Japanese Wildlife in Winter](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/japan/japanese-wildlife-in-winter/) itinerary we photograph [Red-crowned Cranes](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/red-crowned-crane/), Steller’s Sea Eagles, [White-tailed Eagles](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/white-tailed-eagle/), [Whooper Swans](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/whooper-swan/) & [Japanese Macaques](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/japanese-macaque/) within one journey, yet those subjects do not demand the same lens. Eagles can reward longer focal lengths, particularly when they are further from the boat, while cranes may move from distant flight photography into frames where a large bird with outstretched wings is suddenly very close. [Snow Monkeys](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/japanese-macaque/) are frequently much closer again. Taking only the longest lens because there are eagles on the itinerary would ignore a significant part of the photography we are actually there to do. Larger mammals can make shorter focal lengths even more important. In [Africa](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/africa/), 70 – 200mm can be superb when a [leopard](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/leopard/), [lion](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/african-lion/) or [elephant](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/african-elephant/) comes close to the vehicle. We have had plenty of situations where somebody carrying only a long prime has ended up photographing an eye, a head or a fragment of the animal while somebody with a shorter zoom has been able to include the animal, its behaviour & the surrounding habitat. This is why I tend to think in terms of coverage rather than one ideal focal length. The question I ask is not simply whether I can make the animal large in the frame, but whether I can move between portrait, behaviour & environmental images as the opportunity changes. ## Where do macro, wide-angle & shorter lenses fit into a serious wildlife kit? Macro & shorter lenses are sometimes treated as optional extras in wildlife photography, but they can add an enormous amount of variety to a portfolio when the destination provides the right subjects. Macro is the obvious example. In a rainforest environment, some of the most fascinating wildlife may be sitting on a leaf a few centimetres in front of you rather than flying above the canopy. [Costa Rica](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/central-america/costa-rica/) is a particularly good example because our photography can move from birds to frogs, reptiles, insects & other small subjects within the same itinerary. A 90mm, 100mm or 105mm macro gives a sensible working distance while allowing tiny details to fill the frame, & that 1:1 reproduction capability becomes far more meaningful once you are looking at a small frog, a textured reptile eye or an insect rather than reading it on a manufacturer’s specification page. The photographic considerations are also completely different from simply fitting a small subject into the frame. Backgrounds matter enormously, as does controlling your shooting angle so that an otherwise attractive subject is not lost among stems & leaves. Depth of field becomes extremely shallow as magnification increases, which means that moving the camera a few millimetres can be more significant than changing position by several metres when photographing a larger animal. Light is often limited under rainforest vegetation, so stability & careful use of flash can become part of the process as well. Wide-angle & standard lenses serve another purpose, particularly when the environment deserves to be shown. I sometimes think wildlife photographers have become so accustomed to removing everything except the animal that we forget habitat can be part of the photograph rather than an inconvenience. A carefully made environmental image can tell a much richer story about where an animal lives. That kind of variety is important to me when designing NaturesLens itineraries. I do not want somebody to return with hundreds of technically similar portraits at slightly different distances. I would much rather the trip creates the opportunity for a portfolio containing behaviour, action, portraits, environmental images, close detail & different relationships between the subject & its habitat. ## How should you decide what lenses to take on a NaturesLens wildlife photography holiday? I would begin with the photography the itinerary is actually designed to produce rather than with the contents of your camera cupboard. That sounds obvious, but I see photographers tie themselves in knots deciding whether to bring every lens they own when the more useful question is what range of subjects, distances & situations they are realistically going to encounter. [![Sony Fe 400Mm F4.5 Gm Oss Super-Telephoto Lens Mounted On A Sony Alpha 1 Camera](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-400mm-f4-5-gm-oss-on-alpha-1.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-400mm-f4-5-gm-oss-on-alpha-1.jpg) For a varied trip, my starting point would usually be a flexible telephoto zoom. A 100 – 400mm covers an enormous amount, while a 70 – 200mm complements it beautifully where larger wildlife may come close. If the itinerary contains significant bird photography, then adding a 400mm, 500mm or 600mm option can make sense, whether that comes from a prime, a 200 – 600mm zoom or a shorter lens with a teleconverter. Where the trip includes frogs, reptiles or insects, a macro suddenly becomes far more relevant than another long telephoto. I also consider how we are going to work. Photography from vehicles rewards flexibility because the distance to wildlife can change quickly. A hide or controlled perch session may favour a prime because the working distance is more predictable. Boat photography brings its own constraints because supporting a very heavy lens for extended periods can become tiring, while travelling between multiple locations makes size & weight part of the decision whether we like it or not. Perhaps most importantly, our trips are built around photography rather than accumulating a species list. If we have a productive animal in good light, with a clean background & behaviour developing, I am perfectly happy to spend time there rather than leave simply because we could add another species elsewhere. That changes the lens decision because it gives you time to work the subject properly, trying tighter frames, wider compositions, different backgrounds & perhaps switching between a zoom & a prime rather than taking one record shot before moving on. The best kit therefore is not necessarily the most impressive kit. It is the combination you can carry, handle quickly & use instinctively when the wildlife starts doing something worthwhile. ## Which wildlife photography lens matters most in the end? The lens that matters most is the one that gives you enough reach to work responsibly while leaving enough flexibility to make the photograph rather than simply fill the frame. After years of leading & designing wildlife photography trips, I have become increasingly convinced that focal length should be thought of as a creative decision rather than a competition to see who can carry the longest lens. [![Front Three-Quarter View Of The Sony Fe 100-400Mm F4.5 Gm Oss Telephoto Zoom Lens](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-100-400mm-f4-5-gm-oss-front-angle.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sony-fe-100-400mm-f4-5-gm-oss-front-angle.jpg) Long primes can be magnificent when the light is poor & the subject is at the right distance. A 100 – 400mm can be far more useful when an animal is moving towards you. A 70 – 200mm may produce the photograph of the trip when a large mammal comes close, while a macro can reveal an entirely different side of a rainforest destination. Even a wide-angle lens, something many wildlife photographers rarely remove from the bag, can create an image that says far more about an animal because it shows where it lives. What I try to achieve when building a NaturesLens itinerary is enough time with productive subjects for those choices to matter. Rather than racing between sightings, we want the opportunity to watch the light, change position where that is possible, consider the background, wait for behaviour & alter the composition as the situation develops. That is the difference between photographing wildlife simply because it is there & building a varied body of photographs from an encounter. So if somebody asks me which lens is right for wildlife photography, I rarely start with a model number. I start by asking what they want to photograph, where they are going & how they want their images to look. Once those questions are answered, choosing the lens becomes much simpler, because the equipment is there to serve the photograph, not the other way around. ## Related Reading - [What Focal Length Should You Use for Wildlife Photography?](https://natureslens.co.uk/best-focal-length-for-wildlife-photography/) - [Why Could the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS Be Such an Important Wildlife Photography Lens?](https://natureslens.co.uk/sony-fe-100-400mm-f4-5-gm-oss-wildlife-lens/) - [Is the Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS the Ideal Wildlife Photography Travel Lens?](https://natureslens.co.uk/sony-lenses-for-wildlife/sony-fe-400mm-f4-5-gm-oss/) **Related Trips:** [Japanese Wildlife in Winter Photography Tour](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/japan/japanese-wildlife-in-winter/) **Explore by Country:** [Japan](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/asia/japan/) **Related Species:** [Black-eared Kite](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/black-eared-kite/), [Ezo Flying Squirrel](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/ezo-flying-squirrel/), [Ezo Red Fox](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/ezo-red-fox/), [Ezo Red Squirrel](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/ezo-red-squirrel/), [Ezo Sika Deer](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/ezo-sika-deer/), [Hokkaido Sika Deer](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/hokkaido-sika-deer/), [Japanese Macaque](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/japanese-macaque/), [Long-tailed Tit](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/long-tailed-tit/), [Red-crowned Crane](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/red-crowned-crane/), [Steller's Sea Eagle](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/stellers-sea-eagle/), [Ural Owl](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/ural-owl/) & [White-tailed Eagle](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/white-tailed-eagle/) - [![A Resting Puffin On The Snow Photographed By Alison Jenkins Who Will Be Leading The Natureslens Arctic Wildlife of Varanger Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/A-resting-puffin-on-the-snow-photographed-by-Alison-Jenkins-who-will-be-leading-the-NaturesLens-Arctic-Wildlife-of-Varanger-photography-tour-300x200.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2026/04/21/arctic-wildlife-of-varanger/) ### [Join us for Arctic Wildlife of Varanger in 2027](https://natureslens.co.uk/2026/04/21/arctic-wildlife-of-varanger/) April 21, 2026 Arctic Wildlife of Varanger reaches its peak in early April, & our fully redesigned 2027 photography tour is built around… - [![One Of The Bald Eagles In Mid Dive Against A Backdrop Of One Of The Cliff Faces Photographed During The Natureslens Sea Otters Bald Eagles Of Alaska Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/One-of-the-Bald-Eagles-in-mid-dive-against-a-backdrop-of-one-of-the-cliff-faces-photographed-during-the-NaturesLens-Sea-Otters-Bald-Eagles-of-Alaska-photography-holiday-300x200.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2024/03/31/alaskan-wildlife/) ### [Capturing the Beauty of Alaskan Wildlife – Announcing Our Return in March 2026!](https://natureslens.co.uk/2024/03/31/alaskan-wildlife/) March 31, 2024 Discover the wonders of Alaskan wildlife & what is changing for our upcoming trip! Join us in March 2026 for… - [![Locked In The Stare Of A Harrier An Example Of The Wildlife Of Laguna Del Taray That May Be Photographed During Our Spanish Wildlife Birdlife Of Toledo Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/locked-in-the-stare-of-a-harrier-an-example-of-the-wildlife-of-laguna-del-taray-that-may-be-photographed-during-our-spanish-wildlife-birdlife-of-toledo-photography-holiday.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2019/09/07/wildlife-of-laguna-del-taray/) ### [21 fabulous images of the wildlife of Laguna del Taray](https://natureslens.co.uk/2019/09/07/wildlife-of-laguna-del-taray/) September 7, 2019 Dan reports in from a hide network located in Toledo, Spain, he was blown away by the accommodation, the setting… In this articleJump to section 1. [What are the six main types of camera lens?](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#what-are-the-six-main-types-of-camera-lens) 1. [Wide-angle lenses](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#wide-angle-lenses) 1. [Standard zoom lenses](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#standard-zoom-lenses) 1. [Prime lenses](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#prime-lenses) 1. [Macro lenses](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#macro-lenses) 1. [Telephoto lenses](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#telephoto-lenses) 1. [Portrait lenses](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#portrait-lenses) 1. [Why do I so often recommend a 100 - 400mm lens for wildlife photography?](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#why-do-i-so-often-recommend-a-100-400mm-lens-for-wildlife-photography) 1. [When is a long prime lens worth carrying despite the weight?](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#when-is-a-long-prime-lens-worth-carrying-despite-the-weight) 1. [How much lens do you really need for birds compared with mammals?](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#how-much-lens-do-you-really-need-for-birds-compared-with-mammals) 1. [Where do macro, wide-angle & shorter lenses fit into a serious wildlife kit?](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#where-do-macro-wide-angle-shorter-lenses-fit-into-a-serious-wildlife-kit) 1. [How should you decide what lenses to take on a NaturesLens wildlife photography holiday?](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#how-should-you-decide-what-lenses-to-take-on-a-natureslens-wildlife-photography-holiday) 1. [Which wildlife photography lens matters most in the end?](https://natureslens.co.uk/which-lens-is-right-for-wildlife-photography/#which-wildlife-photography-lens-matters-most-in-the-end) ### Author Next step ### Find your next wildlife photography holiday Browse small-group trips by destination, subject, season and photographic goal. [Browse Holidays](https://natureslens.co.uk/) ### Article topics ### Field notes by email New articles, trip reports and wildlife photography holiday announcements from NaturesLens. [Join The List](https://natureslens.co.uk/newsletter-preferences/)