Wide angle lens. #eight

06/02/2017

The text of the article was updated: 10/18/2018

I won't be mistaken if I say that absolutely all visitors to my blog have the experience of shooting at wide: smartphones have a lens with an equivalent focal length (EFR) of 25-28 mm. Only now, not everyone turns out masterpieces. Today I propose to analyze how to photograph with wide-angle optics so that the UG does not come out.

First, let's deal with the abbreviation "UG" - "dull g..no". When a novice amateur photographer acquires his first shirik, he dumps in tons of such frames on social networks and on specialized photographers forums.

What's so great about this shot? Probably only the line of the fence, leading the viewer's eyes to the SVKTs (plot-important compositional center, if someone has not yet read the textbook by Lydia Dyko "Conversations about photography"). Why do I think this photo is UG? Someone will say: "Because the building is shot close and there is distortion" (in this case, the lines tend to converge at one point, although in reality they are parallel). Why distortion appears when shooting at wide, if you tilt the lens axis, is discussed in detail and with diagrams in the photo tutorial "Why do I need a full frame" (the link to this article and others that will be mentioned in the course of the conversation can be seen at the very bottom).

But I do not agree that distortion is the main evil here. I load the image into Photoshop, make a duplicate layer, set the guides in the menu "Edit - Transform - Perspective - Scale". I more or less align the walls of the building. It got better (if I shot it in full face, the result would be a little better). Anyway, UG ...

This means that the reason is different. I think this photo is of poor quality because it contains middle plan(near corner of the building), rear (far corner and bell tower), but no front. If there was any interesting object on the near plane, the viewer would not even pay attention to the distortion.

Want an experiment? I take the original photo with curved walls and make a simple photo collage.

I bet you didn't even notice right away that I additionally bent the walls of the building in the editor ...

Wide angle lens features

Wide-angle optics have two characteristics that differentiate them from other types of lenses. First, shirik stretches the perspective (enhances): objects in the foreground are very large, and objects in the background quickly decrease in size.

Photo 5. The carriages of the train, you can believe me, also have the same height in front and behind, although due to the perspective enhanced by the wide-angle lens, they do not look very realistic. But it is spectacular ... 1/160, -1.67, 8.0, 450, 14.

Secondly, a wide-angle lens produces a picture that English-speaking photographers describe as "inclusive", that is, "inclusive, interpenetrating." In Russian, I would say, "pulling the viewer inside", or "interactive".

Agree, when you look at these flowers, they seem to stand behind the glass, you can reach them. An extraordinary feeling. Neither a portrait lens nor a telephoto lens will give you such a feeling - this is the "magic" of wide-angle optics.

The mistakes beginners make when shooting with a wide-angle lens

Experienced photographers distinguish four types of imperfections in shots taken by amateurs with wide-angle lenses:

1. There is no object close to the lens.
2. There is no clearly defined WCCC.
3. Attempting to fit too many objects into frames.
4. Distorted faces in portraits.

Let's try to analyze each of these points.

1. The subject is far from the camera lens

In my opinion, the first mistake is the reason for 90% of weak images and it is closely intertwined with the next two.

Most of the best shots taken with wide angle lens, obtained from a distance of less than a meter (if we talk about large objects) and even from several centimeters (if it comes about the little ones). For example, I photographed flowers in photo # 6 from about 10 cm.

To get interesting shots, we must have a greater depth of the image (in other words, enhance the perspective), that is, we must approach the subject as close as possible.

Let's make an experiment. Let's take a photo with a street sculpture on a full frame Nikon D610 with a Nikon 24-70 mm f / 2.8 reportage zoom at the wide end of the FR = 24 mm. First, I approach a very short distance: literally half a meter.

It seems to me that the car will now jump from the screen to the computer! I move a little further, literally 50-70 centimeters and ... the magic is lost.

Well, if you move away a couple of meters, then our object is completely lost in the picture. The charm disappears completely.

I believe that in the example above, the paving stone circle more or less serves as the foreground. If it were not there, the perception of the image would have weakened even more.

But for those who hate shirikov, I will give an example of the same scene, but shot at a long focal length.

Note the size of the windows in the background in the wide-angle and telephoto shots. It is now clear why, when photographing against the background of a mountain or a monument, it is better to ask the model to move away from him and use a lens with a long focal length to shoot?

In an article with a story about why I need a shirik and why a telephoto lens, I paid attention: if you shoot a frame on a Canon 70-200 mm f / 2.8 at FR = 200 mm and FR = 180 mm, then the focal change will be only 10% and, most likely, it will not be noticeable to the viewer. And in the photo taken on a Canon 16-35 mm f / 2.8 at FR = 35 mm, and then at FR = 16 mm, despite the fact that the focal length changed by only 19 mm, the relative change was 219%.

The same story with a change in the distance to the subject: we shoot with a telephoto lens - after taking a step away, we practically won't get any changes in the transmission of perspective, wide - there is a significant leap ...

Do not forget that there are wide-angle lenses (FR = 24-35 mm for a full frame, and FR = 15-22 mm for CROP), and there are ultra-wide-angle lenses (FR = 14-24 mm for FX, and FR = 10-14 mm for DX) - they are many times more sensitive to mistakes made by the photographer when framing.

The situation as in photos # 12 and # 13 is described by professionals as "the location of the elements of the composition at the same distance from the lens and, as a result, the loss of the CWCC".

Well, maybe I didn't pick up very well here good example as the car in the background is 30 meters away. If she stood 5 meters from the bear, then both subjects would merge and it would seem that they are located almost in the same plane ...

How it works? Read the photo tutorial on the differences between crop and full frame - there are diagrams and formulas (the link is placed at the end of this article).

I'll tell you briefly here. If in photo # 11 the distance to the bear is 1 m, and to exactly the same bear in the background is 5 m, then the difference in the change in their linear dimensions of the image in the picture is Δ = ((5/1) * 100% -100% ) = 400%. When the photographer moves 2.5 m away from the first bear, then Δ = ((5 + 2.5 / (1 + 2.5) * 100% -100%) = 114% ...

In practice, this means that in the first case, the perspective is very strongly expressed: the bear in the foreground will look 4 times larger in the picture than a sculpture of the same size, at a distance of 5 m from it. In the second situation, such bears will be different in the picture. in size from each other only 1.14 times.

This means that such a trick as moving away, taking a wide photo, and then cutting out the object, will not work without losing the magic of the wide frame. Indeed, in this case, the perspective will be less pronounced.

For comparison of perception: let's say we would shoot the same scenes with a telephoto lens from a distance of first 20 and then 22.5 meters. Then the change in the size of bears would be Δ = ((25/20) * 100% -100%)) = 25% in the first case, and ((27.5 / 22.5) * 100% -100%) = 22.2%. Firstly, the sizes of both sculptures in telephoto images differ from each other significantly less than when using shirik (compare 25% and 400%), i.e. perspective is less pronounced. Secondly, changing the distance to the subject also does not lead to dramatic differences: 25% / 22.2% = 1.13 versus 400% / 114% = 3.51 ...

So once again: if you want beautiful pictures with a wide-angle lens, come closer to enhance the perspective, that is, the difference in size between the foreground and background. Here's another practical example... I walked 30cm to the sculpture.

Everything seems to be fine, the picture is addictive. What happens if the distance is reduced by 15cm?

Note that the examples here are not ideal from the point of view of composition. I also study and rarely can shoot my masterpiece wide. In particular, in this example and in the frame with bears, the bottom is ugly cut off. In the photo report, I probably would have left the previous image so that the slab on the ground would completely enter the frame. Well, there are also paired shots to demonstrate the postulate: it is better to take pictures from a short distance with wide-angle optics.

2. There is no clearly defined subject in the frame when shooting with a wide-angle lens

The requirement to have an SVKTs in the frame, which draws the viewer's attention, is interconnected with the previous point: if you move a little further, the viewer is “lost”.

Dear reader, excuse me if my tone is somewhat instructive. I repeat once again, I also do not know how to shoot with shirikami, I am just learning. And on the blog I post my "lecture notes". I know that it often happens that this WCCC is difficult to find and designate, that sometimes there is no way to approach, etc.

To bring such a shot to life, it is vitally important to find something that will catch the eye of the viewer: a stone, an inscription, a crack in the foreground.

Do you think why I travel to distant countries with my wife? I need it to bring the “human element” into the composition.

My theory here is this: in these shots, the main object is not a person, but his environment, and, as needed, it is located close to the photographer.

3. Trying to place too much on the picture

Shirik has a very wide viewing angle. This helps when we want to show, for example, the habitat of our object. But this also interferes with building the composition, since there may be too many secondary details in the picture that distract from the main thing. There is only one piece of advice: be careful when choosing the frame border.

4. Shooting portraits with a wide-angle photo lens

Surely, you have met strict recommendations many times: they do not shoot portraits of people to the shirik, as the proportions of the face and body are greatly distorted.

The first frame was photographed from a distance of 15 cm, the second - from 30 cm.

I would make a clarification here. When a girl, a model, writes to you: "Dear photographer, please take a portfolio for me", it is probably better to take a Canon 50mm f / 1.4 or Canon 85mm f / 1.4 portrait lens. And if you walk down the street and shoot street photography, you can get very interesting shots with a wide-angle lens with the effect of engaging the viewer.

Conclusion

Let's summarize. Without a wide-angle lens, it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to shoot a professional report from a wedding, birthday, party and travel. If only because you need a setting shot with a general plan, which gives the viewer an understanding of where the event is taking place (see the lesson "How to photograph a photo story").

So that the pictures from the width are not UG, you need to follow simple rules: 1) come close; 2) show the viewer clearly who is the main object; 3) not to make a "jumble" of thousands of subjects, to be easier; 4) if you want natural proportions of the human body, use long focal lengths, but for street photography and humor, do not hesitate to shoot wide.

I understand that I am not an authority in photography, but try to think carefully about the theses that I have outlined here. Then go to Mywed and analyze the best shots - 30% of wedding photos are shot wide. Then type in Google the phrase “Kommersant, the best photos of the year". There, too, a third of the plots were obtained at a wide angle. Analyze each photo, compare it with what is in your portfolio, and then you will also start shooting masterpieces with a wide-angle lens. Good luck friends!

I also want to add that all of the above does not mean that we should always use width, and there are exceptions when we do not follow the rules described in the article. I also draw your attention to the fact that in a photo reportage it is advisable to alternate frames taken different types lenses: if all shots are shot with a wide-angle lens, the viewer will get bored.

Have you noticed that when shooting with this type of optics, lines in the frame become extremely important? Almost everywhere they very tenaciously "capture the eye" and lead the viewer to where the photographer needs it. You need to be very careful when building a composition.

In this article, we saw pictures taken with the Samyang 14mm f / 2.8 ultra wide-angle lens. This lens has a relative:

This time, you will be introduced to ultra-wide-angle optics.

For a full-frame camera, an ultra-wide-angle lens is one with a focal length shorter than 24mm (15mm for APS-C cameras) and an angle of view greater than 80 degrees across the frame.

Everything will fit into the frame!

Often indoors you want to take more overall plan, but it is impossible to move away from the subject - walls or other obstacles interfere. This is where the ultra wide-angle lens comes in. It is used in reportage photography, and is indispensable for shooting interiors.

Frame taken with 50mm lens

Frame taken at a focal length of 14 mm

Ideal for landscape photography

If you want to capture the entire surrounding landscape in the frame, and not just its fragments, then you cannot do without wide-angle optics. When shooting landscapes, all types of lenses are used, even telephoto lenses. Still, the main tool of the landscape photographer is the ultra-wide-angle lens.

Nikon D810 / Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED SETTINGS:

Makes you come closer

"If your photos are not good enough, then you are not close enough." This is a quote from one of the most famous photojournalists of the mid-20th century, Robert Capa.

Nikon D810 SETTING: ISO 1100, F3.5, 1/250 s, 18.0 mm equiv.

The ultra-wide-angle lens allows and even forces you to shoot at a minimum distance from the subject, the foreground. If you move further away, all objects in the frame will be equally small.

The shot was taken using an ultra wide-angle lens and. I took this shot on a steep mountainside, literally "hovering" over the cliff. To show the peonies in the foreground, I had to climb into a small grove and shoot very close (less than a meter from the lens to the flowers). The wide-angle lens made it possible to show flowers, textured trunks of old trees, and sunrise.

Strong perspective

A wide angle of view and shooting from minimal distances affects the transmission of perspective in the frame - perspective distortions appear. Objects in the foreground visually increase in size, while objects farther out decrease.

Nikon D810 / 18.0-35.0 mm f / 3.5-4.5 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F22, 3 s, 18.0 mm equiv.

But it is better to shoot people with wide-angle optics in full growth. Fit your characters into the surrounding plot, and make classic portraits even more.

Nikon D810 / 18.0-35.0 mm f / 3.5-4.5 SETTINGS: ISO 640, F3.5, 1/2500 sec, 18.0 mm equiv.

Ideal for starry sky photography

Filming starry sky, the northern lights are becoming more and more popular. Of course, photographers strive to capture as much space as possible in the frame, and without a wide angle of view, this cannot be done.

Nikon D810 / Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED SETTINGS:

Nikon D810 / Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED SETTINGS:

Capturing the starry sky is a challenge at the limit technical capabilities photographic equipment. In order to capture the maximum light from distant stars, the lens must have a high aperture and give good sharpness even at the edges of the frame. Many Nikon ultra-wide-angles meet these parameters, but I especially want to note the Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f / 2.8G ED and the Nikon AF-S 20mm f / 1.8G ED Nikkor aperture prime.

Nikon D810 / Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f / 2.8G ED SETTINGS:

Geometry distortion. Lenses without distortion and fisheye

In addition to perspective distortion common to all short throw lenses, there is also geometric distortion, which different models optics appear in different ways. Distortion is geometric distortion in the frame. It is especially noticeable when shooting scenes with straight lines. Geometric distortion is extremely undesirable, for example, when shooting architecture, since no one wants to get a curved house or a dashingly swirling interior in the picture. A high-quality ultra-wide-angle lens should not have distortions.

On the other hand, strong geometric distortions can be used to create. For example, in fish-eye lenses, distortion is not corrected.

Nikon's line of optics includes several such lenses: the classic Nikon 16mm f / 2.8D AF Fisheye-Nikkor, designed for use with full-frame cameras, the Nikon 10.5mm f / 2.8G ED DX Fisheye-Nikkor for cropped cameras, and the new Nikon AF -S FISHEYE NIKKOR 8-15mm f / 3.5-4.5E ED, which can be used on both full frame and crop.

Nikon Ultra Wide Angle Lenses

How to choose an ultra wide angle lens? Here is a small overview of the most interesting models from Nikon.

Let's start with models designed for use with full-frame cameras.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f / 2.8G ED- the standard of ultra-wide-angle optics. With a focal length of 14mm, it has a record-breaking viewing angle. But for high aperture and excellent optical characteristics you have to pay: the lens weighs almost a kilogram, and because of the impressive front lens, it will not be possible to install standard threaded light filters on it. Excellent sharpness and fast aperture make the Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f / 2.8G ED suitable for all genres, from wedding photography to architectural photography.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f / 4G ED VR- more compact solution... The lens has a slightly narrower viewing angle and lower aperture. The lack of the latter partly compensates for the effective image stabilizer, which allows you to photograph without a tripod, even at shutter speeds in the region of ¼ – ½ s. This is very useful when shooting landscapes "on the run", because there is not always time to open the tripod. Plus, having a stabilizer is a great insurance against blurry shots. The lens is relatively compact and allows the use of 77mm threaded filters.

For a landscape photographer, there is nothing better than capturing the harmony and beauty of nature. Whether it's a waterfall, forest or leafy clearing. The splendor of nature can be communicated through photography, but for that you need to choose the right lens.

In other words, behind every good landscape painter is a quality wide-angle lens. Moreover, when it comes to shooting nature, the lens is the most important detail cameras. There are a huge number of high-quality wide-angle lenses available on the market today, which we will talk about. From Micro 4/3 to APS-C and Fullframes, the possibilities are almost endless now.

Viewing angle

Generally speaking, wide-angle lenses are lenses with full-frame focal lengths wider than 35mm. Of course, this is not a strict rule, since a lot also depends on the perspective. If, for example, you are shooting a forest from a distance of several meters, it is best to use a 14mm lens to fit everything into the frame. And if you shoot the same forest from a distance of several kilometers, you will need a 50mm lens. In general, most wide-angle lenses can achieve a field of view from 114 to 122 degrees. A little more and the lens is already entering the territory of fisheye glasses, and less than 110 degrees - standard.

In addition, the type of sensor in the camera will determine what is considered a wide angle for a particular camera. We'll take four standard sensor types for interchangeable lens cameras - full frame, APS, micro 4/3 and inch (in order of decreasing size). APS is divided into APS-H (for some Canon cameras), APS-C and APS-C for Canon.

Matrix type / magnification

• Full frame - x1
• APS-H (Canon) - x1.3
• APS-C - 1.5x
• APS-C (Canon) - 1.6x
• Micro 4/3 - 2x
• Inch - 2.7x

If you take a lens that is designed for a full-frame sensor and put it on APS-C, then some of the light passing through the lens will be blocked. Thus, an increase in focal length is also created. A 35mm lens will get a crop from x1.3 to x1.6 depending on the type of APS-C sensor. Consequently, a 24mm full frame glass on APS-C would be equivalent to a 36mm lens. Due to this factor, the focal length of the lens on the camera can go from full frame to standard. If this is great for telephoto shooters (300mm becomes 450mm), it is not at all suitable for wide angle lenses.

Fortunately, there is a very large selection of different lenses for each type of camera. It should be borne in mind that since the sensor on APS-C is smaller and the focal length is different, manufacturers usually indicate all distances in the characteristics of the lens. The wide-angle Sigma 8-16mm f / 4.5-5.6 DC HSM for APS-C cameras, for example, on a full frame will get a distance of 12-24 mm.

The smaller the matrix, the larger the crop factor. Micro 4/3 is half of a full frame sensor, so an 8mm lens for Micro 4/3 will have a focal length of 16mm, 12mm - 24mm, and so on.

As for an inch sensor (for example, on a Nikon 1 camera), its crop factor is x2.7. That is, an 8mm lens will be equal to 21.6mm. Likewise, manufacturers indicate focal length equivalents for a full-frame sensor in the instructions.

Lens structure

Anyone who has looked at the prices of lenses has noticed that they vary greatly for cheap and expensive models... Generally speaking, the price is determined by the quality and value of the lens. But this does not mean at all that you cannot find budget quality lenses and not the best examples of expensive ones.

Many details, both inside and outside the lens, affect its performance. It should be noted that even zoom lenses differ in design from fixed focal length lenses. And zoom lenses are made up of much more elements both literally and figuratively: often in the description of the lens you can read “consists of 14 elements in 12 groups. Three aspherical lenses, four LD and 2 ELD ”.

The latter abbreviations are optical functions that aim to improve light transmission. The most common ones that come across in the name of the lens are LD (Low Dispersion), ELD (ED) (Extra Low Dispersion), SLD (Special Low Dispersion) and UL (Ultra Low Dispersion), HRI (High Refractive) ASP (aspherical). Some manufacturers also have their own terms that characterize certain properties of the lens. Lenses of the same type are collected in groups, and groups of different ones, as a rule, coexist in one lens, successfully covering several functions at once.

The structure, quality and price of a lens depends on other factors as well. For example, the speed of the lens. The faster the lens, or the wider its maximum aperture, the better, as a rule. However, it is not always possible to guarantee that f / 2.8 will be better than the cheaper f / 4. This often depends on the internal design.

There are two types of zoom lenses - fixed aperture and variable aperture. In the first case, the maximum aperture remains unchanged at each focal length. In the second, it changes accordingly. At the same time, lenses with a fixed aperture are more expensive.

Well, as always, you have to choose a lens based on your requirements, budget and camera. Fortunately, there are plenty to choose from.

Canon EF 16-35mm f / 2.8L III USM and Canon EF 24-105mm f / 4 IS II USM

These lenses are an excellent extension of Canon's line of full-frame sensor lenses. The first lens consists of 16 elements including an aspherical lens. A special advantage is the PTFE coating. In addition, the lens has a fixed aperture of f / 2.8.

The second model similarly has a fixed aperture, but f / 4, and therefore it costs a little less.

These lenses are an excellent choice for nature photography because they produce high-quality images with brilliant saturated colors.

Fujifilm's XF 16mm F1.4R WR

For Fujifilm cameras, this lens is better suited than the rest. With a focal length equivalent to 24mm, it consists of two aspherical and two ED elements. Thanks to the nano coating of the glass, refraction is corrected and glare and reflections are removed. This lens has a minimum focal length of less than 6 inches and has a fast focusing motor.

Summaron-M 28mm f / 5.6

The legendary Leica also received an update for M-series digital cameras. It should be noted that this lens first hit the market in 1955, and only its modern version has been adapted for modern M-mount cameras. This lens focuses at a distance of about 90 cm. Symmetrical optics are six elements in four groups. Significant for this lens is the vignette effect that made its original model popular.

SL 24-90mm f / 2.8-4 ASPH

For those who shoot with the Leica SL series, the SL 24-90mm f / 2.8-4 ASPH is ideal. It consists of 18 elements in 6 groups, including 4 aspherical elements. 11 of the 18 elements are made of glass, which reduces chromatic aberration. The price of this lens is about 280,000 rubles.

AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f / 2.8E ED VR

This lens incorporates all the latest technologies, i.e. four steps of image stabilization, an electromagnetic aperture (to maintain a constant aperture during continuous shooting), ASP / ED elements and a lens coating that reduces reflections and flare. More a budget option for Nikon landscapes - AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f / 1.8G ED. Featuring f / 1.8 aperture and aspherical elements and ED elements with extra low dispersion.

For Nikon DX - APS-C cameras, the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G VR is great. This lens provides a focal length of 27-83mm and has built-in image stabilization. The stepper motor provides smoother and quieter autofocus performance. A little cheaper (about 2,500 rubles), you can purchase a version without VR, but it's still better not to save.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f / 4.0 IS Pro

With a focal length of 24-200mm on a full-frame sensor and a constant aperture, this lens consists of 17 elements in 11 groups. The lens is covered with nano coating, the lens has built-in stabilization, and is weatherproof. The lens is best suited for the OM-D series.

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS

Despite the name, this lens is not designed for Leica cameras at all, but it is the result of a collaboration between Panasonic and Leica, designed for Micro 4/3 sensors. On a full-frame sensor, it will give a focal length of 24-120mm, thereby allowing it to adapt to any situation. Plus, the lens is weatherproof and capable of operating at -10 degrees C.

Lumix G Leica DG Summilux 12mm f / 1.4 ASPH

Another product from Panasonic and Leica's collaboration, the Micro 4/3 lens will have a 24mm focal length and an f / 1.4 aperture lens allows you to shoot in extremely low light. The lens body is protected from water drops and dust, and includes aspherical as well as ED and UED elements. Plus, it includes a nine-blade aperture for smooth background defocusing.

HD PENTAX-D FA 15-30mm f / 2.8 ED SDM WR

For cameras with the Pentax K-1 system, this lens is ideal for landscape photography. The design includes ED lenses, a glare-absorbing coating and allows fast focusing with image stabilization that works perfectly with the K-1 and has five steps.

Samyang 20mm f / 1.8 ED AS UMC

There is a variant of this lens for almost any mount (Sony Ub, Sony A, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Micro 4/3 and Fuji X). All lens models operate on manual focus and consist of 13 elements in 12 groups. The minimum focal length is about 30 cm.

Sigma 12-24mm f / 4 DG HSM Art

This is one of the top Sigma lenses and has options for Canon and Nikon cameras. The lens includes high-quality aspherical lenses that provide image clarity and brightness. The elements have FLD dispersion and the lens focuses at a distance of up to 20cm at a focal length of 24mm.

For Sony cameras, the Sigma 30mm f / 1.4 DC DN, which is equipped with aspherical and double-sided aspherical elements, is suitable. The lens has 9 aperture blades and focuses at a distance of up to 30cm.

Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM

Anti-reflective nano coated lens with XA elements and nine aperture blades for smooth bokeh. A separate plus is the silent mechanism.

Tamron 18-200mm f / 3.5-6.3 Di II VC

For Canon, Nikon and Sony, this budget lens from Tamron will work. It is one of the lightest zoom lenses available and is great for landscape photography.

Wide-angle lenses have firmly taken their place in photography. Along with telephoto and portrait lenses, wide-angle lenses are among the top three most commonly used by professional and casual photographers alike. They are irreplaceable and can be used in the most different types photography to achieve certain tasks. Wide-angle photo lenses are used for shooting city landscapes, interiors, architecture. The wide angle of these lenses makes it possible to place large area in one frame. By broadening the frame of your photo, a wide-angle lens distorts perspective, bringing close objects closer and distant ones farther. When photographing with this lens, it seems that the subject is located further away, this makes it possible to further frame the photograph freely. You can use perspective distortion for your own purposes by creating interesting artistic effects in your photo. For example, a person against the background of architecture will seem closer, and architecture - further, thanks to the wide angle, the person and the architecture will appear in the frame, and a large depth of field will make them in focus. Wide-angle lenses have a large depth of field, which allows you to focus on both close and distant objects, and if you wish, you can take the whole frame in focus, this is convenient when creating panoramas, landscapes and pictures against the backdrop of attractions. When shooting interiors, even small room seems spacious when used with a wide-angle lens. This is good way show the space of a small room. If the focal length of your lens is less than the diagonal of the film frame or matrix, then this lens can be called wide-angle, in equivalent to a film frame it is no more than 44 mm. If you photograph close-ups people with a wide-angle lens (wedding photography, plein air, reportage photography), you can get various distortions that the photographer uses for his own purposes to achieve any effect. Distortions of geometric objects, drawings, notes are very clearly visible if you photograph them close. Straight, vertical, horizontal lines are curved, which can be used if this is an artistic idea of ​​the photographer, otherwise it is not recommended to photograph close up.

Wide-angle lens types and specifications

Wide-angle lenses are divided into two types: with variable focal length ( zoom) and fixed ( fix). Lenses with a variable focal length are quite convenient, they allow you to frame an image on the spot, but they have a lower aperture f / 2.8, f / 4, and this is a minus, since the fixes have a higher aperture f / 1.4, f / 1.8, which allows you to photograph in conditions in low light without raising the ISO sensitivity. Also, zoom lenses are not sharp enough (they have a complex design of different lenses, which leads to unnecessary vibrations), it is difficult for them to get a small depth of field. In turn, fixed focal length lenses are technically simpler, they have no room for unnecessary moving parts except for the focusing ring, which makes it possible to take sharper photos. Quality wide-angle zooms and prime lenses come at a price. As a rule, the price of a zoom lens (Canon EF 16-35mm f / 2.8L USM, on average 55,000 rubles) will be much less than a fixture (Canon EF 14mm f / 2.8L USM, average price of 75,000 rubles). But there are exceptions, for example, the Canon EF 24mm f / 1.4L USM fix costs about 54,000 rubles. If you wish, you can find cheaper wide-angle fixed focal length lenses, but there is a high risk of running into a marriage or a cheap fake.

Varifocal Lenses

Fifty years ago, a wide-angle zoom lens could only be dreamed of, since complex construction demanded technical innovations. And now we have compact lenses from various manufacturers, and each manufacturer has managed to release more than one high-quality zoom lens. For example, Canon has made a series of different wide-angle zoom lenses. It makes no sense to describe everything, I will focus on bright specimens. EF 16-35mm f / 2.8L - USM excellent, fast, wide-angle zoom, according to and reviews universal, since you can photograph both weddings and landscapes, and thanks to the f / 2.8 aperture allows you to take pictures in poorly lit rooms (nightclubs , interior photography). Fast autofocus, well-assembled body, good contrast and color rendering at an average price of 55,000 rubles. From the same series - EF 17-40mm f / 4L USM. The quality of this lens is also at an altitude, differs from its brother in a smaller angle and f / 4 aperture, good color rendering and contrast, there is distortion, but at the same time a bearable, low price of 27,000 rubles. Nikon has even more wide-angle zoom lenses such as: 16-35mm f / 4G ED AF-S VR Nikkor, 14-24mm f 2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor, 17-35mm f / 2.8D ED IF AF- S Zoom-Nikkor, 18-35mm f / 3.5-4.5D ED Zoom-Nikkor and 10-24mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX Nikkor. Their price ranges from $ 800 to $ 1600. Against this background, Canon lenses are slightly cheaper, although the quality of photography and assembly of lenses from both manufacturers are at their best. However, keep in mind that you can always find equally good lenses from third-party manufacturers. For example, wide-angle zoom Tamron SP AF 10-24mm F / 3.5-4.5 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Nikon F, Sigma AF 10-20mm f / 4-5.6 EX DC or Tokina AT-X 12-24mm F4 DX image quality slightly worse than Canon and Nikon lenses, but the price is much lower - less than $ 600.

Fixed focal length lenses

While wide-angle zoom lenses are developing, no one has canceled the fixes, especially since the quality of a fixed lens surpasses zoom in sharpness and aperture. Fixes are more expensive than zooms, which is understandable, a sharper photo is much more pleasant to look at. High-quality fixes can be found from any manufacturer, it all comes down to finances. You can purchase the Canon EF 14mm f / 2.8L II USM for an average of 75 thousand rubles or the Canon EF 20mm f / 2.8 USM, which will cost you an average of 15 thousand rubles, the difference is noticeable both technically and in price. Canon L-series lenses will always cost the buyer more, since the manufacturer claims that they are assembled from quality materials hidden under a robust housing that does not allow dust or moisture to pass through. Nikon's fixed lenses are cheaper, for example, if you take Nikon AF-S 24mm F1.4G NIKKOR and compare with the same Canon EF 14mm f / 2.8L II USM, it turns out that Nikon with f / 1.4 aperture costs a little cheaper, but and its angle is smaller. Other manufacturers, such as Sigma, with Sigma AF 20mm f / 1.8 EX DG ASPHERICAL RF, Sigma AF 28mm F1.8 EX DG ASPHERICAL MACRO lenses, are competitive due to their low price and high aperture! So if finances allow, you can take an expensive Canon or Nikon, and if not, then inexpensive Sigma lenses will do just fine. About fotomtv.

Show html code to embed in blog