What is a Telephoto Lens? A telephoto lens has a long reach, allowing you to photograph a subject that is far away or magnifying the subject in your frame. Generally, a lens is considered “telephoto” if it has a focal length of 60mm or longer. Effects: Telephotos Make Subjects Appear Closer to the Camera. Long Focal Length Longer focal lengths allow shooting a close-up photo of the subject despite standing a few feet away, yielding more realistic proportions. Wide Aperture A wide aperture creates a shallow depth-of-field. The wider the aperture of the lens, the shallower your depth-of-field becomes. Good Bokeh Offer superior image quality and stunning bokeh. Faster, sharper, and yield less visible distortions and vignetting.