Table of Contents
Do wide angle lenses make things look bigger?
Wide angle lenses, which have a short focal length, do just the opposite, making a person in the center of the picture appear both wider and taller. At the extreme, these lenses can also make people at the outside edges of a group photo look fatter.
Which lens lengths are considered wider than normal vision?
On a full-frame camera, any lens with a focal length of 35mm or wider is considered a wide angle lens, while 24mm and wider is considered an ultra-wide angle lens.
Do I need an ultra-wide angle lens?
Since ultra-wide angle lenses can reach infinity focus at close distances, they are often preferable when wanting to make both foreground and background appear sharp in images. An environmental portrait of a bride in a beautifully-designed room, captured with a 20mm f/1.8 ultra-wide angle prime lens.
What focal length is wide-angle?
A wide-angle lens has a focal length of 35mm or shorter, which gives you a wide field of view. The wider your field of view, the more of the scene you’ll be able to see in the frame.
Is a 18mm to 55mm a wide-angle lens?
While technically not a wide-angle lens, 18-55mm lenses allow you to shoot wide-angle by using the shortest focal length (18mm) and playing around with shooting angles and composition techniques. Shoot at the widest aperture and use longer focal lengths for portraits.
What are the advantages to having a long lens?
Pros and Cons of Telephoto Lenses
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| You can keep more distance between you and your subject, which is especially useful for wildlife. | Telephoto lenses are often heavy and bulky. |
| You can photograph distant objects without needing to physically move. | You may need to use a tripod to balance the lens. |
What focal length should I buy?
The more you want to show in your image, the wider your focal length needs to be, but the more distorted everything will look. Landscape photographers love to work in the 16-24mm range (10-18mm on a crop sensor camera) while street photographers go for the 24mm-35mm range (18mm-24mm on a crop sensor camera).