What are wide angle lenses best for
What is a Wide Angle Lens? (How and When to Use One)
As a photographer, you have a vast selection of lens options to choose from. Those that show a vast portion of the scene are called wide angle lenses. But do you need one? And which wide angle is the best lens choice for you?
To tackle this question, let’s look at the different types of wide angle lenses available, and when to use them.
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What Is a Wide Angle Lens?
First, we must clarify the meaning of wide angle.
The most common description is that a wide angle lens displays a wider field of view than our vision. However, this doesn’t translate directly to millimetres (mm) and degrees.
So, what focal lengths (in mm) can be considered wide angle? The popular definition is that a lens below, or equivalent to 35mm is considered a wide angle lens. This is roughly 65 degrees of diagonal field of view.
Does a Wide Angle Lens Zoom?
All lenses, including wide angle lenses, come in either a prime or a zoom version. A prime lens has a fixed focal length, meaning you can change your field of view by moving physically closer or further away.
Primes are generally lighter, faster, cheaper and produce better image quality. The Canon 24mm f/2.8 STM is a great example of a cheap and small prime.
A zoom lens has a variable focal length (zoom range). Some all-around “travel” zoom lens options cover wide, standard and telephoto focal lengths alike. Most zoom lenses are more specific, giving you one or two of these.
Zoom lenses very versatile, allowing to keep your gear to a minimum. But, generally, a zoom lens is heavier and more expensive, due to extra mechanisms and glass inside the lens. Kit lenses are exceptions, they are often quite small, but they come with serious compromises.
Zooms’ image quality is usually surpassed by prime lenses in the same price range. They are a jack of all trades, master of none in particular. The Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 lens is an excellent example for a professional wide angle zoom lens.
How Wide Is a Wide Angle Lens?
We have to make a disclaimer here. The camera that you use influences how your lens will ‘look’. Smaller sensors crop out the centre portion of any lens, resulting in a tighter field of view.
For simplification, all focal lengths mentioned here are full-frame equivalent. If you want to know how these translate to your camera, divide them by 1.5 (APS-C) or 2 (M4/3).
As I mentioned, by popular definition, wide angle means anything below 35mm. But there’s still a lot of room for further specification.
Focal lengths between 35mm and 24mm are considered standard wide angle. Between 24mm to 16mm is what we usually refer to when saying wide angle. Focal lengths below 16mm are considered ultra wide angles.
The most popular wide angle zoom range is 16-35mm. Most kit or standard zoom lenses go down to 24mm or 28mm. The widest lenses on the market are 10mm (rectilinear) and 8mm (fisheye).
What Are the Three Main Types of Wide Angle Lenses?
In terms of distortion, we differentiate between three main sorts of wide angle lenses.
Fisheye Wide Angle Lens
Fish-eye lenses are special ultra-wide angle lenses. Their angle of view is usually 180°, allowing you to see half of a full rotation.
They have a distinctive, hemispherical type of lens distortion. They cram in as much information as possible. Thus, they don’t produce straight lines.
In terms of focal length, they are at the bottom of the scale.
The Rokinon HD8M-C 8mm f/3.5 HD is a great example. There are also fish-eye zoom lenses (though only a few), such as the Canon EF 8-15mm. There’s an ultra-rare 6mm f/2.8 fish-eye made by Nikon.
Most action cameras, like the GoPros, also feature built-in wide fish-eye lenses.
Rectilinear Wide Angle Lens
Rectilinear wide angle lenses are the other type. These are not free from distortion either, but they keep lines (close to) straight.
You might still notice moderate barrel distortion on some. It is more obvious in architectural images, where the lines bow outward, away from the centre. But, it’s also easy to correct during post-processing.
Basically, any lens that’s not explicitly marked as fisheye is rectilinear.
They won’t give you a full 180° field of view, although some are close. The widest currently available are the Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5, the Laowa 10-18mm, and the Voigtlander 10mm f/5.6.
You can get lenses with shorter focal lengths, but they are solely for cropped-sensor cameras (like the Sigma 8-16mm).
Keep in mind that you cannot compare a 16mm fisheye with a 16mm rectilinear wide angle lens. Because of the distortion, the fisheye lens will give a different, slightly wider image.
The Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM is a good example of an all-around, rectilinear wide angle lens for Canon. If you have the budget for it, I strongly recommend the Canon 24mm f/1.4L II lens. It’s one of my all-time favourites.
The lines here are straight. Photo by the AuthorTilt-Shift Wide Angle Lens
Although tilt-shift lenses don’t have to be wide angle lenses necessarily, most are. Neither of the previously mentioned two lens types allows you to correct for perspective distortion.
This type of distortion is especially prevalent in wide angle lenses. It happens you’re not viewing two parallel lines directly from the middle. With a standard rectilinear lens, they would converge.
Tilt-shift lenses take rectilinear a step further.
They project much larger images than the full-frame sensor. You can move the lens on the plane parallel to the sensor both horizontally and vertically. Thus, they can make converging lines parallel, or parallel lines converge.
You also have the option to independently control (tilt) the plane of focus.
These lenses are extremely sophisticated and very expensive. They are the most popular lenses among professional architecture and fine-art photographers.
My favourite is the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L. It’s a very versatile lens. You can even attach a teleconverter to make it a longer tilt-shift lens.
I corrected the perspective by shifting the lensWhen to Use A Wide Angle Lens (with Recommendations!)
So, what is a wide angle lens used for? Wide angle lenses are generally used for scenes where you want to capture as much as possible. Landscapes, cityscapes, and architecture are the main categories that use a wide angle lens.
A fish-eye lens captures even more of the scene but is mainly used for artistic and creative purposes. They are wide enough to nicely capture the two-worlds scene that I am sure we have all seen and admired.
Be aware that you have to be very conscious of your composition to work well with a wide angle lens.
It is easy to fall into the trap of showing too much.
Street Photography
I often use my wide angle lens for street photography. If I need to get closer to a subject, I move there myself.
As Robert Capa taught us, “If your images aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”. This can be a pain with wide angle lenses, as you need to get in really close.
In turn, it can give a dramatic perspective and a sense of presence.
I recommend a fast 35mm or 24mm prime lens for street photography, especially in challenging lighting conditions.
Travel Photography
When you’re travelling, you don’t usually want to bring a lot of lenses. Lighter gear means more room to pack other stuff or more convenient travel. So, most photographers opt to choose a standard zoom lens, maybe an extra telephoto lens.
If you’re going to a place with a lot of landmarks, or vast landscapes, I suggest you include at least a moderately wide lens.
If your kit lens goes as low as 24mm, it might be enough. (Keep in mind that the 18mm kit lenses are equivalent to 28-30mm.)
I actually seldom bring a standard zoom lens when travelling. Instead, I tend to rely on a wide angle prime lens and a short telephoto prime.
My two favourite lenses for travel are the 24mm f/1.4 and the 85mm f/1.8. Sometimes I throw in the 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens because of its tiny size.
A 24mm view is usually enough for travel. Image by the AuthorArchitecture and Real Estate Photography
For these specific purposes, you’ll need to have a wide lens. An ultra-wide lens is recommended for interiors.
Aperture and build quality are not really of consideration here. What you need is a versatile, sharp and wide lens.
You might opt for a tilt-shift. They give you excellent image quality, advanced controls, and distortion-free results – for a high price.
Canon and Nikon both make fantastic tilt-shifts, often for astronomic prices.
Samyang, a third party manufacturer, offers less expensive options which still give you a lot of value.
Landscape Photography
For landscapes, you inevitably need a wide angle lens. As you’ll probably do it from a tripod, the aperture is not a very important factor. Instead, size, weight, image quality and weather sealing are.
The lens we love for landscapes is the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4. Learn the ins and outs of landscape photography in our Simply Stunning Landscapes course.
Photo by Josh DunlopEvent Photography and Photojournalism
These fields (among other gear) require fast and wide lenses. You have to be ready for numerous possible lighting and action situations.
Use wide angle lenses when you need to capture the all-encompassing shot. Or, use it to get really close-up for dramatic angles – remember Capa’s words.
You have several options.
You can choose a wide zoom lens. On the Canon and Sony sides, there are several 16-35mm f/2.
8 lenses, which are very popular. Nikon makes a 14-24mm f/2.8, along with Sigma.
These are all versatile, well-built and provide adequate image quality, but are all serious investments.
Sadly, with zooms, you very rarely get below f/2.8. To capture moving subjects in low light, you still have to raise the ISO quite a bit – resulting in more noise.
The way I prefer is going with wide aperture primes. As mentioned, I’m a big fan of the 24mm f/1.4 lens but there are other options. Most brands make 35mm f/1.4 lenses. Tamron recently brought out their own, which I like a lot.
If you need wider, Sigma makes a 20mm f/1.4 lens. If you need even wider (rarely), there’s the 14mm f/1.8 – a unique lens, not challenged by anything else on the market, but not particularly suited for photojournalistic applications.
Photo by the AuthorNight Sky Photography
If you want to photograph the night sky (maybe the Milky Way), fast prime lens are the way to go, too, especially the aforementioned 14mm f/1. 8 lens.
Follow our guide in the Milky Way Mastery course to know all about this field, and the use of wide angle lenses in it.
Photo by Josh DunlopWhy Not Use Your Normal Lens?
You could use a multitude of lenses to try to replicate the view from wide angle lenses.
If you were to use a standard 50mm lens, for example, you would have to shoot a few dozen images and stitch them together for a 16mm view. Six to eight images may be enough to cover 28mm.
Here, you’ll need an editing program such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. If you have the time, the non-moving subject, and the effort required, you can be quite successful with this. Your combined image will also have a much higher resolution than a single shot.
There’s also a different consideration to stitching. You can use it to replicate the shallow depth-of-field look of large formats. There’s nothing to stop you from doing it with portraits or product shots.
The pioneer of this technique is Ryan Brenizer, a wedding photographer from New York.
He achieves impressive background separation and wide angles simultaneously with it.
Of course, other photographers also borrow his trick. It takes time to perfect (particularly with portraits), but the results are rewarding.
Photo by Kevin Landwer-JohanConclusion
Beginner photographers often neglect wide angle lenses. But they are powerful tools of expression, providing options that no other lens type is capable of.
Wide angle lenses can also pose challenges. Applying composition and exposure skills to wide angle shots can be harder than expected.
It’s important that you feel comfortable using your wide angle glass, without overthinking it. Going with your flow almost always yields great results. This way, your shots will be genuinely great and unique.
If you’re in the market for a great wide angle, read my guides on choosing the best Nikon or Canon wide angle lens.
When to use a wide angle lens
Wide-angle lenses are surprisingly difficult to use.
I’ve seen people talk about them on blogs like they’re the secret weapon of every single landscape photographer, but in my view, they’re great at some things, and really bad at others.
A wide-angle lens is most useful for exaggerating perspective in landscape photography. Wide-angle lenses elongate features and make close objects larger while further objects become smaller in the frame.
The main reason that I don’t use wide angles all that often is because they make everything distant look small. If you’re photographing mountains at the end of sweeping plains, a wide-angle lens will turn those mountains into molehills. But there are of course many places where they’re simply the best tool in your kit.
I’ve carried around my 24-70 f2.8 lens for years, because it’s the perfect wide-angle zoom lens. I rarely need to take photos wider than 24mm, And 70mm at the telephoto end is perfect for stitching together panoramas that show amazingly detailed scenes. But the best part is that it’s a tack sharp lens even when taking photos with a wide open aperture.
In this article, I’ll show you my greatest tips for getting the most out of this lens, and how I choose which focal length for the scenes that I’m shooting.
At its most basic, a wide-angle lens is any lens that has a wider field of view than the human eye. In reality, wide-angle is typically referred to as any lens 35mm or wider on a full-frame camera body, or 24mm on APS-C cameras.
Ultra-wide angle lenses are those wider than 24mm on full-frame, like the 16-35mm f/2.8 lens for Canon, or the 14-24mm f/2.8 on Nikon cameras.
These lenses produce a field of view that is wider than a human’s natural field of view— even when accounting for peripheral vision. For landscape photography, these lenses are incredible tools that allow you to capture sweeping landscapes that include the foreground all in a single image. Which is one of the main reasons why they’re so loved by photographers and viewers all over the world.
What scenes work with a wide-angle lens?When people are first starting out with photography, they often think the perfect lens for the job is a wide-angle.
That’s usually the first piece of equipment that people rush out to buy — whether it’s the 24-70, or even the wider options, like 16-35mm or 17-40 f4 depending on your kit. And these lenses are fantastic to have, but I often find that people don’t know how to properly use them to take stunning photographs.
There’s something to be said about being able to get everything in the frame. But there’s a point where there’s so much in the frame, that there’s no focal point. This is what you have to avoid.
Wide-angle lenses work best when you can get close to your subject, and still want to see the foreground and background. Take a look at the rock climbing image above. I took this photograph in Nevada, and the wide-angle lens is the reason it looks so dramatic. The lens elongated the rock, making it appear much taller than it was in person. But it also had the added effect of making the climber appear smaller as they moved further away.
This effect is used all the time in advertising.
Think about shoe commercials, where the photographer makes the shoe look huge. But then the runner, despite being much larger, takes up only a fraction of the frame in comparison. Taking the same photo with a telephoto lens would make the shoe appear proportional in size to the person wearing it.
Another common example is in Antelope Canyon and the grand canyon lookouts. In these cases, getting low with a wide-angle lens will make the ridges look absolutely massive.
See how the ridges just under the arch have shadows along the ridges? This effect creates contrast and brings the viewer into the image. And it only happens around sunrise and sunset when the sun is lowest in the sky,What’s the best way to use a wide-angle lens?
Most people use a wide-angle lens to capture more of the sky. But that’s not the best way to use a wide-angle lens.
By far the best way to use a wide or ultra-wide-angle lens is to capture the foreground along with the background. Especially in cases like mudflats, fields, or beaches, where you want to capture as much detail as possible in the foreground.
By angling down your wide-angle lens, you’ll be able to capture enough of the foreground to give the viewer a sense of place. A sky photo can be taken anywhere in the world, but the ground in front of you is what varies.
Taking photos this way at sunset or sunrise will create more drama in the photo by elongating the shadows. These shadows provide contrast along with the textured areas of the foreground, by darkening one side and highlighting the other. See the image of the Mesa Arch at the top of this section for an example of this effect, where the sunrise light accentuates this foreground.
When your image needs that touch of drama.
When should you put the wide-angle lens away?Wide-angle lenses are not useful when your subject is far away. The only exception to this rule is if you’re in the Dakotas and your subject is the sky. This is because even the largest objects in the distance will look small when using a wide-angle lens.
So if you’re on top of a hill, and are trying to get an image of a sweeping landscape, a wide-angle lens will actually be more of a hindrance than a help. For one, the image may get crowded if there aren’t leading lines, defined subjects, or other shapes that add contrast and bring viewers into the image.
You need to make sure when you’re making that composition, that it actually has some substance. What pulls your attention into this scene? Is there a ridge, branches, a fenceline, or something that’ll lead your eye to that object? If so, find a way to use those lines and emphasize your subject. If you can’t get close without breaking the leading lines, then you’ll need a longer focal length to bring that element closer to you.
One of my favorite examples is desert photography. This is a case where the wide-angle lens seems like the most obvious choice. But the fact is, you need to capture details and drama. And while there’s plenty of drama in the desert, it’s very difficult to see with a wide-angle lens.
That’s why I always use a telephoto lens when I’m in the desert — it allows me to make the backgrounds look larger than life. Yet, wide-angle lenses make these same dunes look like anthills.
At this point, we’ve gone over the best times to use a wide-angle lens, but we didn’t get into one of the most obvious downsides of these pieces of equipment. Wide focal lengths often create distortion in the image. Now, the higher-end versions like the 16-25 f2.8 have gotten way better over the years, but the corners will always be less sharp than the center, and the lines on the outside of the lens tend to get a bit curvy.
I edited architecture photos for a couple of years, and this was the biggest issue that we encountered over and over again. You need high-quality images of small spaces, which is where a wide-angle is supposed to shine.
But you can only correct these images so much.
When you’re photographing city streets, the curvature in the lens becomes even more apparent. Get up close to a park bench to frame your image, and the middle section of the back might be slightly bent at a weirder shape than it should have been. You can sit there getting it just right for hours, but tiny fluctuations in your position will create unfixable issues. It’s not as bad as fisheye lenses of the early 2000s or GoPro-level, but it’s just enough to be annoying.
Of course, some people want these curves in their images, because they can create drama and interesting textures that wouldn’t be there any other way. Here, as always, experimentation is key.
Panoramas are make these images come alive, and allow you to capture an entire scene with a longer focal length.How to get a wider perspective with a longer focal lengthSo at this point, you’re probably wondering how you can fit everything into a frame using a longer focal length.
Because let’s be real, there are thousands of compositions out there where you need a wider focal length to really make it shine. But if the subject is too small, it won’t be appealing. And if you’re too zoomed in, there’s nothing to really draw the viewer in, right?
The good news is that it’s an easy issue to fix. All you need is a good, sturdy tripod, and create panoramas. This is actually a technique that I use all the time in my photography because it solves both problems — get telephoto results with a wide field of view.
The main thing to consider when you’re taking a panorama photograph is to turn off all automatic settings. You need to keep the same white balance in every image. And the exposure settings like ISO, shutter speed, and aperture cannot change — otherwise, you’ll end up creating a patchy image.
When your camera is steady and level on the tripod, take the fist image in the center of your frame. Then pan the camera to the side, overlapping the previous image by 25-30% so that it can be easily combined in Lightroom or other software.
And take the next shot. You can also tilt the camera so that you create an image in a more regular aspect ratio. Some photographers also put the camera in portrait orientation so that they get more vertical real-estate per photograph. This can reduce the number of times you have to tilt the camera, which is where you’re more likely to make errors.
This technique does require a lot of practice to get right! I recommend first trying it through your bedroom window, or close to home. That way you don’t mess up an epic sunset because you forgot to turn off the automatic settings!
One of the best times to use a wide-angle lens. This stone doesn’t look as large in person as the wide-angle makes it appear.What’s next?
If you want to learn more about shooting panoramas to get past the issues with wide-angle lenses, I created a helpful Youtube video on panoramas here. My YouTube channel is filled with a large variety of content. On the channel, I talk about my photography adventures, as well as a number of tips that are great for beginners and even advanced landscape photographers.
But when you’re ready to really get down to business and jumpstart past all of this, I have a number of photography courses that show you all of the techniques that took me from being an amateur to winning Landscape Photographer of The Year back in 2017! You can start these courses by signing up for my free web class. Here you’ll learn about my 4-step process for creating fine-art landscape photography and even get access to my free ebook!
About lenses in plain language
In this chapter, we will explain the types, characteristics and functions of lenses.
1. PRO Using lenses.
The lens is the eye of the camera. Without it, no image can be obtained. Our vision of the scene depends on the lens, it also depends on which part of it will be in focus, which part will be recorded and which not. Different focal lengths give us a different view of the world, they can limit our photographic aspirations, match them or expand them.
Lenses are divided into 2 categories: zoom lenses (zoom lenses) and fixed focal length lenses (so-called "fixes")
2. PRO Lens focal length.
The focal length of the lens is the length of the segment between the surface of the sensor on which the image is formed and the optical center of the lens, (not necessarily the same as the physical one), measured in millimeters. It is important to understand why a long throw lens magnifies objects while a short throw lens covers a larger field of view. Also remember, the longer the focal length, the smaller the viewing angle. Imagine that you are looking through a hole in the fence. If the eye is close to the hole, then you can see more of what is located on the other side of the fence, because the viewing angle is wider. But if you move further away, then the viewing angle decreases. If you stretch this image in your mind so that it has the same dimensions as the first image, then all the details within the hole will become larger, as in a long-focus image.
Lenses are divided into 3 main types according to the focal length: wide-angle (short throw), normal, telephoto (long throw).
- The wide-angle lenses emphasize the perspective of space in the frame. Suitable for shooting landscapes and scenes covering a wide angle of view. Wide-angle lenses are categorized as ultra wide-angle, medium wide-angle, and wide-angle.
- Normal lenses are neutral in their action, that is, they have neither long nor wide-angle effects. Such lenses convey perspective similar to the human eye. Suitable for portraits
- The telephoto lenses bring subjects closer to form a tight frame because the angle of view they can capture is very small. Suitable for shooting animals from afar (photo hunting) and everything else that is not possible to get close to. Telephoto lenses are divided into long-focal and super-long-focal.
In addition to the degree of magnification, focal length also affects perspective. Wide-angle optics, for example, visually increase the distance between the elements of the picture, giving the image a sense of volume. Telephoto lenses, on the contrary, compress the perspective, reducing the distance between objects and separating them from the environment, which usually falls out of focus ( due to the shallow depth of field of ).
The diagram below shows how the angle of view changes with the focal length: as the focal length increases, the angle narrows.
Important!!! Since the standard in photography is a 35 mm frame, it is customary to express all focal lengths on the scale of this format, therefore, if you choose a lens for a camera with a matrix smaller than the frame size of a 35 mm film, then to calculate the focal length that you get, you need to multiply the matrix crop factor by focal length of the lens.
For example, if you buy a Canon 18-55mm f/2.8 lens for a Canon 500D camera (its crop factor is 1.6), you will get focal lengths of 28.8-88mm.
3. PRO Lens aperture.
Aperture is determined by the value of the aperture when open and is a measure of its ability to transmit light. The larger the relative aperture of the open aperture, the more light passes through the lens and the higher its aperture ratio . The advantage of high-aperture optics is that it allows you to shoot in darker places and gives the photographer more freedom in choosing exposure parameters. Most professional lenses have fast apertures (f/1.8 to f/2.8), while amateur optics typically have apertures ranging from f/3.5 to f/5.6. Here the difference will be not only in cost, but in size and weight. If portability is more important to you than aperture then a slower lens will be your choice, but if you want to take pictures in difficult conditions, then it makes sense to spend more money and carry extra pounds of weight with you.
Many amateur lenses have a low aperture, which allows them to be made very compact and light compared to fast professional lenses.
For example, this picture shows 2 lenses from Canon.
1) Under the number 1 zoom lens (zoom lens) from 70 to 200 mm with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 effective over the entire range of focal lengths.
2) Under number 2 is a zoom lens (zoom lens) from 70 to 300 mm. This lens has a maximum aperture of f/4.5 only at the minimum focal length (the so-called "short end") of 70mm, and at the long end of 300mm the maximum aperture is f/5.6.
In the specifications of the lens, these parameters are indicated as follows: 1) 70-200mm f/2.8 2) 70-200mm f/4.5-5.6. Now you know what these numbers mean in the lens description on the price tag in the store. The difference in size is immediately visible, but for the price I will roughly orient, the first costs within $ 1800, the second within $ 400.
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4. PRO lens aperture.
To reduce the amount of light passing through the lens, a mechanical iris is used, which allows you to widely adjust the size of the hole in the interlens space of the lens. On modern lenses, aperture is electronically controlled by entering values on the camera itself using buttons or the control wheel. On some lenses, it is controlled by a ring on the lens itself. The hole size is indicated by the following values: f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/3.5, f/4, f/5.6, f/8 ..... f/32. These values are the ratio of the focal length of the lens to the aperture diameter.
The illustration below shows the lens iris, which controls the amount of light that passes through the lens and hits the sensor. Large apertures (hole closed) let in less light, and vice versa, small apertures (hole open) let the lens in more light. In addition, the aperture value affects depth of field
Finally, here are 12 tips that can help you choose a lens.
1 . You get what you pay for.
It's better to have an inexpensive camera and quality optics than vice versa. Remember that it is the lens that forms the image in every photograph you take by passing light to the matrix through a complex system of lenses. If the primary information does not have the proper quality, then no computer processing will save the image. Therefore, do not immediately glance at the cheapest optics.
Although there are worthy copies among cheap optics.
2. Zoom lenses.
Zoom or zoom lenses provide maximum framing flexibility and let you set the exact focal length you need. When choosing zoom lenses, you should avoid optics with a very long zoom range, such as 70-500mm or 28-300mm, as the ease of use of such lenses is compensated by not the best image quality.
3. Prime lenses.
Discrete or fixed focal length lenses do not offer the same convenience as zoom lenses, but generally have higher optical quality.
First of all, this is due to the relative simplicity of the optical design and the smaller amount of glass through which light passes. At the ends of the focal length range, i.e. in the case of ultra-wide-angle and ultra-long-focal lenses, the advantage in quality is especially noticeable.
4. Low dispersion glass.
Lenses that use reduced dispersion glass have improved correction
for chromatic aberration, a phenomenon in which rays of different wavelengths are refracted unevenly. This results in sharper images and more natural colors.
5. Auto focus.
If focusing speed is of the utmost importance to you, test with any lens before buying - some autofocus systems are significantly slower than others.
6. Internal focusing.
Lenses with an internal focusing system are more compact and better protected from dust than lenses with a moving front lens. Also with such a lens it is more convenient to use filters that require rotation (for example, polarizing ).
7. Presence of ultrasonic motor.
Lenses with an ultrasonic focus motor focus much faster than others, pay attention to its presence. It can be referred to as USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) by Canon, by Nikon it is SWM (Silent Wave Motor), by Sigma it is HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor).
8. The presence of a stabilizer.
The presence of a stabilizer can help to get a sharp shot in poor lighting conditions, because. it compensates for camera shake at slower shutter speeds, it's not bad to have a lens with this feature.
9. Aspherical elements.
Lenses designed with aspherical lenses are better able to cope with optical aberrations, which are especially pronounced with wide-angle lenses when shooting wide open.
10. Aperture.
The maximum aperture of a lens largely determines the range over which you can select exposure settings. For example, in low light conditions, a “non-fast” lens (with a maximum aperture of f/5.
6 or less} will not allow you to use a fast enough shutter speed to capture a moving subject and avoid blur. On the other hand, in the telephoto part of the range, a high aperture is associated with a significant increase in size and the weight of lenses, making them more difficult to carry and mount.When choosing a lens, try to evaluate the conditions in which you will most often shoot in advance, and find the best balance between aperture and portability.0003
11. Aperture of zoom lenses.
In the case of zoom lenses, aperture can be variable and depend on the set focal length; this system is used by the
to reduce the weight and size of the optic, but may limit your exposure options. If funds allow, focus on lenses with a constant aperture.
12. Hoods.
One of the problems in photography is side flare, which occurs when rays from a bright light source fall on an unprotected
front lens element. Even if a bright object is outside the frame, its light can be refracted many times inside the lens and appear in pictures as polygonal spots that have no artistic value.
To combat this effect, hoods are designed that cover the front of the lens from all sides and block part of the stray light. Always use lens hoods recommended by the optics manufacturer.
Lens tests:
Lens test Sigma 17-70 mm f/2.8-4 OS HSM
Lens test Canon 50 mm f/1.8
Lens test Sigma AF 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
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Author: Alexander Ippolitov
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Wide angle lens. What is it needed for? And do you need it?
Do you need a wide angle lens? And which one is best for you? If you have ever asked yourself these questions, then this article is just for you. Photographer Gabor Holtzer talks about the different types of wide-angle lenses available and when to use them.
Well, whether you need to have a wide-angle lens in your arsenal is up to you to decide.
What is a wide angle lens?
Normally, a lens smaller than or equivalent to 35mm is considered wide angle. This is approximately 65 degrees of the diagonal human field of view.
Can the wide angle lens zoom in?
All lenses, including wide angle lenses, can be fixed or zoom. Using a fixed lens (prime lens), you can change the field of view by physically moving closer or further away from the subject. Primes are usually lighter, faster and cheaper.
The zoom lens has a zoom lens (zoom range). Some general purpose "road" zoom lenses cover both wide and standard focal lengths as well as telephoto.
Versatile zoom lenses keep camera equipment to a minimum. But, as a rule, a zoom lens is heavier and more expensive due to additional mechanisms and glass inside the lens. Kit lenses are the exception, they are often quite small but have serious flaws.
The image quality of zooms is generally worse than fixed lenses in the same price range.
How wide is the wide angle lens?
The camera you use affects how the lens will "look" at reality. Smaller sensors crop the center of any lens, resulting in a narrower field of view.
For simplicity, all focal lengths listed here are equivalent to a full frame image. If you want to know how they are transferred to your camera, divide them by 1.5 (APS-C) or 2 (M4/3).
A focal length between 35mm and 24mm is considered a standard wide angle. 24mm to 16mm usually means wide angle. Focal lengths less than 16mm are considered ultra wide angle.
The most popular wide-angle zoom range is 16-35mm. Most kit or standard zoom lenses drop down to 24mm or 28mm. The widest lenses on the market are 10mm (straight) and 8mm (fisheye).
The three main types of wide-angle lenses
Depending on the nature of the distortion, there are three main types of wide-angle lenses.
- Fisheye Wide Angle Lens
Fisheye field of view is typically 180 degrees. They have a characteristic, hemispherical type of lens distortion. Do not create straight lines. As for the focal length, they are at the bottom of the scale. There are also fisheye zoom lenses (although they are few in number).
Most action cameras, such as GoPro, also have built-in wide-angle fisheye lenses.
Fisheye distortion. Photographer: Phil Hearing
- Rectilinear Wide Angle Lens
Another type is the Rectilinear Wide Angle Lens. These also have distortion, but they keep the lines straight, although on some you can still notice a slight barrel distortion. This is more obvious in architectural photos, where the lines come outward, away from the center. Essentially, any lens that isn't explicitly labeled as a fisheye is a straight lens.
They won't give you a full 180-degree field of view, although some come close. You can use lenses with shorter focal lengths, but they are exclusively for crop sensor cameras.
Please note that you cannot compare a 16mm fisheye lens to a 16mm rectilinear wide angle lens. Because of the distortion, a fisheye lens will give a slightly wider image.
The lines are straight here. Photo by author
- Wide angle tilt-shift lens
Although tilt-shift lenses do not have to be wide angle, most of them are. Neither of the two previously mentioned types of lenses allows you to correct for perspective distortion.
Tilt-shift lenses project much larger images than a full-frame sensor. You can move the lens in a plane parallel to the sensor, both horizontally and vertically. Thus, they can make converging lines parallel, or make parallel lines converge.
You also have the ability to independently control (tilt) the plane of focus. These lenses are extremely complex and expensive. These are the most popular lenses among professional architecture and fine art photographers.
Photographer corrected perspective using lens shift
When to use a wide angle lens
Photographer: David Doubilet, National Geographic
- Street photography
As Robert Capa taught us, "If your images aren't good enough, you haven't gotten close enough.
" This can be a problem with wide angle lenses as you will need to get extremely close. In turn, this can give a dramatic perspective and a sense of presence.
The photographer recommends a fast 35mm or 24mm prime lens for street photography, especially in challenging lighting conditions.
- Travel photography
Lighter equipment means more room for other things in your suitcase. Therefore, most photographers prefer to use a standard zoom lens, perhaps an additional telephoto lens.
If you're going to places with lots of sights or extensive scenery, take at least a moderately wide lens with you.
For travelling, a 24 mm view is usually sufficient. Image by author
- Architecture and real estate photography
For interiors, an ultra wide angle lens is recommended. Aperture and build quality are not important here. What you need is a versatile, sharp and wide-angle lens.
You can choose tilt-shift - they provide excellent image quality, advanced control options and distortion-free results - at a high price.
- Landscape photography
Since you will probably do this from a tripod, aperture is not a very important factor. Instead, there's size, weight, image quality, and weather protection.
Photographer: Josh Dunlop
- Event and Photojournalism
These areas (among other things) require fast and wide lenses. You must be prepared for numerous possible lighting and action situations. The wide angle comes in handy when you need to get a shot that covers most of the picture, or to get really close-ups for dramatic angles - remember Capa's words.
You have several options. You can choose a wide-angle zoom lens. To shoot moving subjects in low light, you still have to raise the ISO a bit, which will result in more noise in the frame. Most brands make 35mm f/1.
