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What is a wide angle lens for? Wide-angle lens - what a photographer needs

It would seem that everything is simple and clear with wide-angle lenses - more objects in the frame, the ability to shoot nature and city streets, and much more. However, even they can be used incorrectly.

Often beginners in photography purchase a quality wide-angle lens (most often on someone else's advice), a 50mm lens, and a zoom lens in the hope that with such an assortment of lenses they will cover all bases. In principle, this is true, but it is always worth considering that even the most extensive collection of accessories and cameras does not guarantee that the pictures will be successful. That's why we're going to talk about the five most common mistakes beginners make when shooting with a wide-angle lens.

So, first you need to understand what exactly a wide-angle does. Its main function is to expand the space in the frame. That is, it distorts space, thereby deepening the perspective. That is, what is closer to the camera will look significantly larger than what is further away, even if the objects in reality are the same size.

Another result of using a wide angle lens is the curvature of straight lines. That is, all the buildings, if they are removed from below, will, as it were, converge into a circle at the top.

These features, in the hands of a good photographer, will help the photo to take on a deeper meaning, since the wide angle of the lens allows you to create a sense of immersion - the viewer sees himself as part of the image.

What is the correct way to use a wide-angle lens?

The main thing is to know when and how to apply the lens to create an attractive image and delight the viewer. BUT The best way figure out how to do it right - consider the most common mistakes.

Everything in the image is at the same distance from the lens

Once again, carefully re-read the paragraph about what results a wide-angle gives. Perspective distortion and stretching. Therefore, to get the desired effect, the main subject or the center of the composition must be closer to the lens. Much closer!

The most impressive photos taken with a wide-angle lens are those in which the subject is a few inches away from the camera.

Below are two examples of photographs taken of the same object - a bicycle. In the photo on the left, nothing particularly stands out from the frame, so the photo practically does not carry any meaning and the essence of the image is not fully understood.

The second photo - on the right, on the contrary, highlights the bike, that is, it is closer to the camera and the picture is taken from it in perspective. Bokeh appears, and more highlighted, contrasting space.

Of course, from the outside you can look very suspicious, but anonymity and stealth are rather enemies when shooting with a wide-angle lens.

In order to make the shot more interesting, it needs to add depth and perspective, and for this you need to get closer to the subject. That is, the center of the composition should be closer, the secondary element - a little further away, and the farthest - the background. Thanks to this approach, a multi-layered picture is created, you want to look at it longer, consider and explore what is happening in the frame.

The absence of the main character (or subject)

This error goes hand in hand with the previous one. When all objects are at the same distance from the camera, everything looks equally small and insignificant (or everything looks equally large, but this, in turn, nullifies the significance).

For example, two photos below. In the first photo, only the depth of field plays a role, so the picture is built solely on the texture of the wood and metal that are in focus. However, the image is missing something.

And this is what the image looks like when you focus on a leaf that grows through the boards. In the photograph, light immediately begins to play, the center of the composition shifts to the leaf, which also stands out in color and interacts with the sun shining from above.

It is also worth noting here that sometimes it is better not to cling to the original idea of the frame, but to adapt to the conditions and look for the most successful options right on the spot, with a camera in hand. They are known to appear in the most unexpected places.

Remember that even professionals do not shoot masterpieces the first time.

On the contrary, first a frame is taken, then it is carefully evaluated, and then a decision is made whether it is worth leaving it, or is it better to change something. The composition is based not only on strict rules but also on intuition and instincts. They are worth working with.

Trying to fit too much detail into the frame

Less is more, a rule that works great in photography and fits even better with a wide-angle lens. This mistake is perhaps the most common, because it directly follows from the primary function of the wide angle.

For example, while traveling, you are walking through an open street market and you decide to capture a vendor with a variety of fruits and vegetables laid out in front of him. Of course, the first thing to do is ask permission to shoot. Well, then the responsibility lies with the photographer. Immediately it is worth remembering the rules that are listed above - choose one main object, secondary elements and background. If there is too much going on in the frame, the viewer will be distracted from the main idea.

So never be afraid to simplify the essence of photography.

You can always say more with fewer details.

Pictures of people from bad angles

Remember the dealer we just asked for permission to shoot? What you definitely shouldn't do is stick the camera right in his face. The result will definitely not please anyone.

A very common mistake is shooting portraits with a wide angle lens. Since one of the main functions of width, as we have already said, is distortion, photographs of people are very unattractive - a long and disproportionate nose, an elongated head, large cheeks - not at all the photo that you put in a frame. So, if you want to shoot flattering portraits, forget about the wide-angle lens and choose from our selection of the best portrait lenses.

It is very important to remember that each glass has its own functions and is suitable for certain genres. Wide angle is good for landscapes and nature, not for artistic or psychological portraits.

However, this does not mean that portrait photos cannot be taken at wide angles at all. If your goal is a funny or humorous shot, a wide angle can, on the contrary, play into your hands. Like the photo below:

Sometimes a wide angle works well in reportage photography:

Wide angle shots just for the sake of shooting

Photography is, of course, first and foremost a process. But any process must serve some purpose. That is why you should not shoot with a wide-angle lens just like that. Choose subjects that, in terms of meaning and setting, require the kind of effects that can be achieved with a wide angle. Lead the viewer to the compositional center of the image, deliberately distort the size of the subject to indicate its importance, curve the lines to create an immersive effect.

And most importantly - try not to make the above mistakes and shoot, shoot, shoot!

This article will discuss how to properly use wide-angle lenses. Some features of their work are also considered. Very often, wide-angle lenses are used for the following purposes:

When you want to expand the landscapes with a large space, for example, shooting a view of the city.
When it is desirable for a photographer to remain unnoticed when shooting on the street.

They have a diagonal of 100 degrees, and a width of 88 (of a conventional 35 mm frame).

How do wide angle lenses work? Their features

They have a large space capacity. Therefore, the objects depicted in the photograph are reduced by half. This is the difference between shooting from a regular standard lens. To put it simply, wide-angle should not be used for shooting mountain landscapes, because it greatly grinds.

It is possible to solve this problem. You should add some large objects to the frame that protrude in the foreground. It can be:

bushes;
puddles on the roads.

Thus, the effect of an active spot will be created, for which the viewer can catch his eye.

When using wide-angle lenses, optical distortion may appear in pictures. These are barrel-shaped curvatures (distortions). They appear on the periphery of the frame. But you should not argue that the quality of the photo is degraded due to this effect. Sometimes the opposite happens. The composition in the picture looks more comfortable with the help of barrel-shaped distortions. If you don't want to warp the space, then take a closer look to make sure there are no trees or house corners on the edges. They are strongly bent. The camera must be held exactly horizontally, because there will be blockages of verticals.

Wide-angle lenses have increased "glare". Therefore, you need to monitor the location of the sun when shooting on a sunny day. Use a hood if possible. If your equipment does not yet have it, then a small difficulty awaits you. Due to the large size of wide-angle lenses (77 mm or more), it is difficult to match the lens hood and filter. If you find them, they will cost you a decent amount.

Wide-angle lenses for Canon, when combined with a short-throw lens, have specific uses. Because the sky has uneven polarization at a wide angle, a dark blue spot will appear on it. If you want to shoot a horizontal landscape with the sky, then the wide angle is not recommended for use with a polarizer. If you still want to try, then you should opt for a narrow bandage ring. They are made specifically for wide-angle lenses and do not allow blackout to get into the corner of the frame.

With such photographic lenses, the use of the built-in flash at the same time as the short throw option is ineffective. A weak flash will not be able to illuminate a huge spectrum of space and will be located close to a lens with a large diameter. Therefore, there will be a dark spot in the shape of a semicircle in the pictures. It will turn out due to the fact that the lens will cast a shadow from the flash. She enters the frame from below.

Of course, not only wide-angle lenses cast shadows, but other types as well. True, due to the smaller angle of the field of view, it does not fall into the frame.

The way out of this problem is to increase or use a remote flash.

With wide-angle lenses, you can achieve high-quality images, but with insufficient preparation, a negative result is obtained. It is necessary to capture the frame in a wide angle so that there are no unnecessary objects in it that spoil the overall impression. You need to understand this issue well - what is a wide-angle lens for, before you start actively using it.

Using different types lenses, there are various difficulties that the photographer has to overcome. Shallow depth of field is typical for telephoto lenses, and this equipment preferred for shooting on the move. When photographing with such devices, it is necessary to open the aperture as much as possible.

Features of Wide Angle Lenses

This type of optics has a short focal length, so cameras with such a device provide a slightly different image than a long focal length. They have a different depth of field and a different perspective. So in order to use wide angles effectively, you need to carefully study their potential.

If Soviet wide-angle lenses are used, you need to reduce the distance to the object, and then there is a chance to get a high-quality frame. It is necessary to create the optimal combination:

background,
object,
foreground.

It turns out a perspective that is different from a long-focus device, and it needs to be used competently. It is known that the normal range of the camera from 35 to 90 millimeters creates a similar picture as when looking at a person without turning his head.

It turns out a natural perception of the image without much distortion. But if a wide-angle is used, then a larger range is covered, which is able to resemble the look of a person, but with a turn of the head.

That is, the lens displays additional objects that are scattered over the horizon and relative to the observer. A wide-angle photographer gains additional perspectives for the creative process.

There is an opportunity for all kinds of interactions between such objects that are not obvious to humans.

Specifications of Wide Angle

To answer the question - what is a wide-angle lens for, you need to understand its capabilities. Such optical devices have an exaggerated perspective and the objects that are captured when photographing are somewhat further away than they really are.

A similar effect is achieved by projecting the scene on a plane, and all images are obtained unusual for the human eye. If the potential of wide angles is explored, skillfully captured photographs can capture the attention of viewers as much as possible.

In addition, with the help of them, photographers achieve great depth of the depicted space. Moreover, in this depth, objects are depicted with a decent level of sharpness, which allows the user to create original compositions.

How to use wide angle lenses correctly?

To get a truly unique and eye-catching photograph, you need to place cameras equipped with Soviet wide-angle lenses at a certain distance from objects.

If you violate the horizontal installation of the camera, then even smooth objects will turn out with an unnatural slope. Such opportunities can be skillfully used to create fantastic shots, but this must be done with extreme precision so as not to get the opposite effect.

There is also an option with additional processing of the images obtained with a wide-angle, while special computer programs are used.

If you want to achieve a positive result when photographing with such devices, you need to place the horizon in the very center of the frame, and then additional processing snapshot.

Unnecessary elements are cut off and only those objects that you would like to see in the frame remain. Thus, knowing what a wide-angle lens is for, and how to use this device correctly, you can get interesting photographic masterpieces.

While viewing well-made shots with the help of wide-angles, the viewer moves his eyes from one part of the frame to another, and if these transitions are made accurately, then the view is especially exciting.

Too softened areas in the photo do not always turn out to be harmonious, so you need to carefully adjust the lens and perform additional processing of frames to achieve a positive effect.

Instruction

Pay attention to cameras with a focal length of 24 to 40 mm if you are interested in wide-angle lenses. An indicator of less than 24 mm refers to ultra-wide angle, but their cost will be slightly higher.

When choosing such cameras, it is also necessary to take into account such a parameter as perspective. It characterizes the relative length and size of objects in the frame. Wide-angle lenses are characterized by the fact that objects appear large in the foreground and distant in the background. In order for this effect not to be too sharp, you need to select a camera with the expectation of how far you are going to stand from the subjects.

Determine what type of focal length you need for shooting. Fixed focal length or Fix lenses have a high aperture ratio and an affordable price. They are not able to zoom in or out on the selected objects. Varifocal length or Zoom lenses are distinguished by the fact that they can zoom in and out of objects in the frame, which is much more convenient to use. However, their disadvantage is that they do not always allow you to take high-quality pictures. While primes are lighter and more compact, they are designed specifically for a particular type of photography. In this regard, it is advisable to purchase for a wide-angle lens not only the universal Zoom, but also several types of Fix.

Find in the characteristic of a wide-angle lens such a parameter as aperture. It is usually denoted "f/number". If there is an inscription "f: number-number", then this means that the lens has a range of focal lengths. In this case, the first number is responsible for the aperture ratio at the short end, and the second - at the long end. Aperture parameter is responsible for the ability of the camera to shoot in low light conditions. The smaller the specified number, the higher this parameter. However, for wide-angle lenses, a large aperture is not needed, since in most cases it will have to be lowered. For example, if you chose a wide-angle zoom lens, then the ideal aperture would be f:2.8-4.0.

Fisheye or fisheye is separate view wide angle lens. Its peculiarity is that the viewing angle in this optics is 180 degrees. Thanks to this, using a fisheye lens, you can take unusual landscape, genre or portrait shots. Usually photographers in this lens are especially attracted to optical distortion.

Determine why you need a fisheye lens

If you already have a camera, then choosing a fisheye lens for it, most likely, will not be a big deal, since their variety is relatively small. Consider the line of models presented directly for the camera of your brand.

Your choice will be influenced by why you need such a lens. Usually, fisheye is used to shoot either landscapes and interiors, where the widest possible viewing angle is required, or scenes where optical distortions come to the fore (in other words, barrel distortion), they are used as an artistic technique.

For landscape and interior shooting, you can buy a mechanical lens. This will significantly save on its cost. The downside of this choice is that you have to set all the parameters manually, but since you will have time for this, this will affect the quality of the shooting in the best way. For portrait, subject and especially reportage shooting you should not buy a lens without autofocus, you risk missing interesting moments.

frame shape

It should be understood that the fisheye, due to the fact that it will fit much more space into the frame than a regular lens, will still greatly reduce the size of the entire content, so it may turn out that the details that you focus on will be too subtle.

In a fisheye lens, or fisheye, the angle of coverage is 180 degrees, the focal length is 8 mm. There are two types of fisheyes, diagonal and round. A diagonal lens allows you to get 180 degrees along the diagonal of the frame, and with a round lens, as a result of shooting, you will get a circle inscribed in the frame - this will be a fisheye shot.

The choice of a fisheye lens is not affected by whether you have a whole matrix or a crop. Unlike a wide-angle lens, which turns into a standard lens on a cropped sensor, a fisheye remains a fisheye on any matrix. But the shape of the lens itself can influence the choice: if it is not suitable for crop factor matrices, then it is better not to use it, otherwise you risk damaging the trigger.

Mechanical fisheye lenses

Fisheye mechanical lenses are often purchased to save money. For example, you can buy a Soviet lens for Zenith "Zenitar", whose optical quality is no worse than that of modern electronic counterparts. Its cost is an order of magnitude lower, usually it is only a few thousand rubles, while a branded fisheye lens will cost several tens of thousands. A mechanical lens, if it is not “native” to your camera, must be put on a special adapter.

Articles and Lifehacks

When reading the characteristics of a camera installed in a smartphone, we can often come across a mention that the lens in it is wide-angle.

This almost always applies to, over the past couple of years, which has become a steady trend even on budget models.

On the other hand, we are not always talking about the "native" optics of the device: it may well mean a special accessory. We will try to understand all the heap of information related to this issue.

Why You Need a Wide Angle Lens

The main purpose of such optics is to obtain panoramic images.

Offhand, you can name several areas in which such optics simply irreplaceable:

Shooting interiors of premises: museums, shops, exhibitions.
Obtaining high-quality photographs of architectural structures.
Photographing landscapes, landscapes.
Photos of large-scale events: concerts, sports competitions, folk festivals.

That is, any situation where you want to capture as many details as possible in the frame.

Ultra wide angle lenses are specialized lenses called fisheye or fisheye. Thanks to uncorrected distortion, they can be used to obtain the effect of a “round” image of space.

Main settings

The key characteristic of a lens that determines its angle of view is . However, for smartphones, it is not too critical, since they are equipped with optics with a constant short focus by default: 27-35 cm.

Therefore, if a lens with a field of view angle from 52 ° to 82 ° is considered a wide-angle camera, then in mobile devices ah, this value is much higher: 100 - 120 °.

For panoramic shooting, especially indoors, good aperture is very important. That is why it is usually significantly higher in wide-angle lenses than in “telescopes”: f / 1.7-1.8 versus f / 2.0-2.4.

In dual chambers

The use of two modules with different characteristics to a certain extent solved the problem of a fixed focal length in the lenses of mobile devices.

The most common in modern high-quality gadgets is a combination of two modules: wide-angle with high aperture and telescopic, which has a smaller aperture.

Moreover, the main one in most cases is the wide-angle, the viewing angle of which can reach 125 °. As a result, the resolution of the telephoto sensor in budget devices can be significantly less than that of the “width”.

Selfie lovers

The viewing angle can be very critical for selfie fans, it is clear that in this case it already refers to.

On the one hand, wide-angle lenses allow you to capture as many interesting details of the background you are shooting as possible: details of a building, natural landscape, etc.

On the other hand, several people can “fit” in the frame at once, which is very important in large companies.

In this case, you must remember about the depth of field, because otherwise you can get unplanned. Usually this problem is solved using autofocus, but sometimes you have to dig deeper into the settings.

Removable lenses

To compensate for the shortcomings of smartphone optics, an accessory has been created for mobile devices, which is a nozzle attached directly to the body of the gadget. Also known as Clip Lens.

The set of such a "clothespin" includes several various lenses, which can be quickly replaced in relation to a specific situation. Among them, there is usually a wide-angle one.

It should be said that the quality of images obtained with the use of such attachments suffers significantly: distortion occurs, sharpness is lost at the edges.

But in many cases, you can get effects that are fundamentally inaccessible to the standard optics of mobile devices, such as, for example, the same "fisheye" or macro photography.

Finally

Every year the cameras of mobile devices are becoming more and more perfect. The developers are making every effort to get around the limitations imposed on optics by the dimensions.

This makes it possible to obtain high-quality panoramic images in almost any conditions.

Particular progress in this regard was achieved with the widespread use of dual cameras, which removed the ultimate requirement for the universality of lens optics.

After all, as you know, a universal tool does a lot, but equally bad. As a result, gadget users no longer have to choose between viewing angle and image scale.