What is the best focal length for sports and wildlife?
For sports and wildlife, start at 300 to 400 mm on full frame; small birds need 600 mm. A smaller sensor helps: a 400 mm lens on APS-C frames like 600 mm, and a 300 mm lens on Micro Four Thirds like 600 mm.
Recommended focal lengths by sensor size
Each row starts with a full-frame focal length, followed by the lens that frames about the same on each smaller sensor. Where a common lens is close, it's named, with what it frames like on full frame if that differs.
| Full frame 1x | Best for | APS-C 1.5x | Canon APS-C 1.6x | Micro Four Thirds 2x |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 mm | Birds and wildlife at a distance | 267 mm | 250 mm | 200 mm |
| 300 mm | Field sports from the sideline, larger animals | 200 mm | 187.5 mm | 150 mm |
| 600 mm | Small birds and shy animals | 400 mm | 375 mm | 300 mm |
| 200 mm | Indoor sports, close action, zoos | 133 mm | 125 mm | 100 mm |
Why these focal lengths
Subjects are far away and often small. At 30 m, 400 mm covers a scene about 2.7 m wide on full frame: one player, or a deer with some room around it.
Most long lenses are zooms: 100-400 mm and 150-600 mm are the common ones, and 70-200 mm suits indoor sports and sidelines close to the action. Fixed 400 and 600 mm lenses are sharper and brighter, and cost and weigh far more.
A smaller sensor gives more reach from the same lens, which is why many wildlife photographers use APS-C or Micro Four Thirds. The focal lengths in the table are mostly the long end of a zoom, not a fixed lens.
To try these focal lengths from where you'd stand, Prospekt (Lens Simulator: Prospekt on the App Store) turns your iPhone into a viewfinder for your camera body, up to 300 mm, or 600 mm with its 2x extender. At these lengths the iPhone zooms digitally, so the picture is soft, but the framing is right. iPhone app, $3.99 once, no subscription.
Questions
Is 300 mm enough for wildlife?
For larger animals, and birds that let you get close, yes. For small birds, most people want 500 to 600 mm on full frame. On APS-C, a 300 mm lens frames like 450 mm.
What focal length is best for sports photography?
From the sideline of a field, 300 to 400 mm on full frame. For indoor sports, close action or kids' games, a 70-200 mm zoom. On APS-C, 200 mm frames like 300 mm.
Is APS-C better than full frame for wildlife?
For reach, yes: the same lens frames 1.5x tighter, so 400 mm frames like 600 mm. Full frame usually has less noise at high ISO, which helps early in the morning and late in the evening.