Super-tele zooms

There are often times when we can’t get as close as we’d like. If you’re shooting anything from small timid birds to planes at an air show, from athletes to motor sports, or wildlife on safari, you’ll need a lens that really covers the distance.

A super-telephoto lens will get you there, and a zoom beats a prime for flexibility when your movements are limited. That’s especially true if you’re confined to a hide for photographing wildlife, or in a spectators’ area at a sporting event.

A super-telephoto zoom can also come in handy for photographing candid portraits at events, so you can be unobtrusive and pick people out from a distance, while also blurring the background with a fairly tight depth of field. They can even offer a creative alternative for landscapes, giving a different look by compressing perspective. All in all, a super-tele zoom is a very versatile bit of kit.

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The contenders

1 Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £699/$799

2 Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD £699/$799

3 Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £849/$899

4 Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 £1249/$1399

5 Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1329/$1999

6 Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR £1399/$1397

7 Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR £2299/$2297

8 Nikon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S £2699/$2697

From a distance…

These lenses give big telephoto reach, but some are more powerful than others

or Nikon cameras, a longstanding favourite supertelephoto zoom range is 80-400mm. The original Nikon AF 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D VR was launched back in 2000 and eventually replaced by the AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED