70-400 or 80-400 are "common" ranges for super telephoto lenses. Great shots are possible with them, I was able to use one for a day, it was fun switching between "rather" wide and very narrow.

Happy to read that some people out there are still going out and taking photos. My gear is sitting in a corner, is only touched once in a year when some "better pictures" are needed.

It's a shame, having a "good enough" camera in my pocket all the time really has ruined that hobby for me.

Interestingly, it was what pushed me back into it. Even just capturing family stuff, the limitations of smartphone cameras were always niggling, the article gives one example of why, but focal length is just one of the things you gain more control over with a real camera.

I realised a big reason I defaulted to my phone was simply that it's always there in my pocket, while my "real" camera was a burden to carry around. Related to the popular photography maxim that "the best camera is the one you have with you".

One day, after "seeing" some good shots in my head and totally missing them due to phone camera limitations, I decided I had to fix it. I started with an RX100 (I got the M3 secondhand at a decent price), which is as pocketable as a phone and immediately improved things for me.

Eventully that reminded me how much I enjoyed real photography, and now I often cart a big camera and multiple lenses around with me again. Oh well :)