Filming & Production
Telephoto lens
Also called: long lens, tele lens
On a full-frame body, much past 70mm counts as telephoto. The look people want from it is a tight subject against a soft, compressed background, which flatters faces and hides a messy room. The lens does not compress anything by itself, though. Compression comes from standing further back, and the long focal length is simply what lets you fill the frame from that distance. Telephotos also need more light, show camera shake more readily, and demand space you may not have indoors.