The lens is an important element of photography and cannot be separated from the camera. But lenses have various types. Let's discuss them one by one!
1. Lenses based on zoom capability
a. Zoom lens
The focal length of a zoom lens can be changed. One of the most widely owned is the 18-55mm kit lens. The advantage of this lens is that you can use various focal lengths in one lens, and don't need to change lenses again.
b. Fixed lens
Fixed lenses are the opposite of zoom lenses, their focal length cannot be changed. The advantage of this lens is that the quality is better than zoom lenses in the same price range. Apart from that , fixed lenses are usually cheaper, lighter, and have a large maximum aperture (usually f/1.8-1.2). The downside is that it can't be zoomed, so you have to go back and forth manually to get the photo results you want.
2. Lenses based on focal length (on full frame format cameras)
a. Ultra wide lens (Super wide)
Lenses that fall into this category are lenses that have a very wide focal length, usually starting from 11-14mm. The advantage is that you can capture photos with a very wide photo coverage of up to 126 degrees and it doesn't cause distortion like a fisheye lens.
b. Wide lens (wide)
Generally wide lenses are in the 14-24 mm range. Usually used for landscape photography but the range is not as wide as ultra wide.
c. Standard zoom lens
Standard zoom lenses are usually in the 24-70mm range. This type of lens is most widely used by photographers because it can be used for various types of photography. For cameras with APSC sensors, they are usually in the 18-55mm range.
d. Telephoto lens
The focal length of this type is 70-200mm. You can easily photograph distant objects. Usually used for candid photos, concerts, and photographing wildlife.
e. Super telephoto lens
This category of lenses is over 200mm long. Usually used for photographing sports matches or spying.
3. Special lenses
A special lens is a lens that has a certain focal length and has a special function that cannot be replaced by another lens. Various types of special lenses:
a. Macro lens
This lens can take images with a magnification of up to 1x the object. You can get details of the object you photograph. Usually this lens is used to photograph small animals or food photos to get details.
b. Fisheye lens
This lens lies in its uniqueness in that it can distort objects. This lens is designed with a very wide focal length resulting in unique distortion.
4. Lenses based on the size of the aperture / diaphragm
a. Fast lens
Lens sizes belonging to this type range from f/1.2 to f/2.8. With a large aperture, the lens can receive much more light, so you can use a faster shutter speed.
b. Slow lens
The type of lens included in this group is a lens with an aperture that is not too large so the shutter speed must be adjusted to the lens opening. For example, the kit lens, the maximum aperture is only f/3.5 - f/5.6.