What is the wide-angle lens used for? In two-module chambers

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of working with wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses. Typical techniques for shooting with such lenses. The reasons for the distortion of perspective and proportions. Methods of dealing with them.

Definitions

Angle of view- simply put, this is the angle that the lens "sees" along the diagonal of the frame. The value of this angle is directly proportional to the size of the matrix (film).

Classification of photographic lenses according to the angle of field of view

As you can see from the table, the lens type depends on the diagonal of the frame. For example, let's take a lens with a focal length of 50 mm: on a medium format camera it will turn out to be a wide-angle lens, on a full-frame camera it will be a normal lens, and in a 4/3 system it will be a long-focus lens.

Wide angle lens features

Consider a picture of the very popular Canon EF 17-40 / 4L lens.
On a full frame, his field of view is between 104 ° and 57 ° 30 ".
However, no one photographs the group diagonally, right? Therefore, consider the angle of the field of view horizontally - from 84 ° to 49 °

This example clearly shows that a lens at 17mm on a full frame leads to noticeable distortions in proportions.
To be precise, the image in this example at the edge of the frame is 26% wider than the image in the center of the frame. And this is already a very noticeable deformation.
The cause of this deformation is the depth of the heads. If we were photographing flat objects, for example, an infinite brick wall, then all the bricks that are in the center of the frame, that at the edges of the frame would occupy the same number of pixels on the matrix. They decrease due to the fact that they are visible under acute angle however, this reduction is compensated for by stretching the lens. This is also the property of "flat" (not fish gas) lenses - they stretch the corners of the image.

However, human vision has such a property - distortions of linear dimensions less than 10% are not noticeable to the eye. This 10% face stretch occurs at 55 ° FOV (34mm full frame and 22mm APS-C)
From this, by the way, the reason for the popularity of 35 mm lenses in the street-photo genre becomes clear. This is the minimum focal length at which geometric distortions are not yet conspicuous.

However, in addition to stretching the faces, another problem arises - if the central people in the group look straight (perpendicular to the wall), then the people located at the edges of the group are already forced to turn their heads almost 45 ° in order to look into the camera. This turn of the heads can no longer be compensated for by either a change in projection or deformation in Photoshop.

Examples in photos

Photos were taken with Canon EF 17-40 / 4L and Canon EF 24-105 / 4L IS lenses on a Canon EOS 1Ds Mk2 (full frame).

17 mm		Distortion at the edges of the frame is obvious. The customer will be completely unhappy.
20 mm		Distortion at the edges of the frame is obvious. The customer will be unhappy.
24 mm		Distortion at the edges of the frame is noticeable. Men will most likely not notice, and girls will complain that the photo makes them look fat.
35 mm		If you place men at the edges of the frame, then the frame will be quite good.
50 mm		Things are good.
70 mm		Things are good.
105 mm		Everything is fine, but the photographer was forced to run away from the group and contact was lost - the photographer was simply not heard during the group's conversations.

Consider, using one frame as an example, the permissible position of a model in a photograph:

Here the model's head is located in the safe area and is not strongly deformed, and the legs flew out of the safe area and began to appear much longer. Which is what the girls like.

conclusions

Avoid photographing groups of people at focal lengths shorter than 35mm for a full frame or 22mm on APS-C cameras.
If there is a need to photograph a group for more wide angle lens- place people as close to the center of the frame as possible (so as not to fly out of the 63 ° angle)
Try not to place girls and particularly fastidious customers at the edges of the frame. Men are much calmer towards horizontally elongated faces.
If you are photographing a group standing in several rows, try to clamp the aperture as much as possible, on the lens - group photos are often printed in large size and the depth of field may not be enough.
If space allows, try to photograph the group at a focal length of 50 mm for a full frame (30… 35 mm for APS-C) - in this case even the most fastidious will not be able to see the stretching of faces at the edges of the frame. Longer lenses should not be used - you will have to run very far and the group will simply not hear you.
When photographing even one person, try to position their head within the frame of the 35mm lens (22mm for APS-C) focal length. For example, when shooting with a 16-35 / 2.8 lens - frame the frame, turn the zoom to 35 mm and see if the head is flying out of the frame. If it doesn't crash, then the picture should turn out without noticeable distortion of the face.

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Wide angle lenses are often misused or chosen for the wrong reasons. A lot of newbies buy a really good lens with a wide angle, 50mm (because someone suggested) and a longer zoom lens. But the biggest mistake is not understanding how they work, why you need each of them specifically and for what situation.

In this article, we'll take a look at wide angle lenses. What they do, how to use them, and how to avoid the following five most common mistakes photographers make.

Everything in the image is at the same distance from the lens.
There is no clear subject.
The wide angle lens is only used to bring more objects into the frame.
Taking unsuccessful photographs of people.
Shooting with a wide angle lens for no reason.

What is a wide angle lens?

Technically, this is any lens that has a wider angle of view than the human eye. Back in the days of film, a 50mm lens was considered "normal" because it produces a picture that is closest to what a person sees. Now with "digital" it is a little more difficult - 50mm is considered normal for full-frame cameras, which corresponds to approximately 35mm for APS-C or crop sensors (for the same angle of view).

Therefore, focal lengths greater than 50mm (full frame) or 35mm (APS-C) are considered wide-angle lenses. The shorter the focal length, the wider the frame will be, for example; 15mm which is ultra-wide (full frame) or 10mm (special lens made for APS-C cameras only). Even wider lenses are referred to as fisheye lenses, and the image becomes nearly round when shooting.

What does a wide angle lens do?

Wide-angle lenses distort objects and improve perspective: objects closer to the camera appear larger than those farther away, even if they are the same size in reality.

Look at the photo of the metro sign above; notice how much larger the portion closer to the camera is than the portion farther away. This is the result of a wide-angle optical lens. The same can be seen in the photograph with the Brooklyn Bridge above and with the buildings below.

Let's compare the images below, captured with wide-angle and telephoto lenses, respectively.

17mm lens on full frame camera (you need to use 11mm on APS-C to get this angle of view)

75mm lens on a full frame camera (a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera will give you roughly the same angle of view)

Look at the size of the tractor in the two pictures. Notice how visually larger the tractor in the first photo is compared to the object in the background. See how the aspect ratio has changed in the second image? The tractor did not move between shots, the distance between objects did not change either. The only things that have changed are the lens that the photographer was using, as well as the distance between the subject and the camera.

5 Beginner Mistakes When Using a Wide-Angle Lens

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

To use a wide-angle lens correctly, you need some object at close range to the lens.

This was shot with a 24mm lens. There is no object here because all the elements are at the same distance from the camera. Compare with the tractor image above, especially the wide-angle shot: the tractor on it literally comes to life.

Now let's look at the two bike images below. There is nothing that stands out in the image on the left. As he gets closer, he switches to the bike. The photographer was just inches from the front tire when he took the second shot.

You cannot remain inconspicuous when doing wide-angle photography. To make your shots more interesting, have more depth and perspective - you need to get closer to the subjects you are shooting. Try to find a subject very close to the lens, something else at a medium distance, and leave the background even farther away. This will give your photo depth.

The image above was shot from the hip (literally) as the photographer crossed the street in New York City. The finished image was cropped and processed as follows.

True New York is a bustling hub of activity. And the perspective taken with a wide-angle lens takes the viewer into the thick of it. Do you feel the chaos through the photo?

One more example.

Beautiful sunrise, but it might seem like it is missing something

It is best to add a person to the frame, the proximity to the camera adds depth

There is no clear object in the image

This error is closely related to the first one. When everything is at the same distance from the lens,. As soon as you get close to zoom in on the subject, it will start to visually stand out.

In these examples, the photographer started with 17mm and a very low angle. He wanted to emphasize the perspective across the converging railway lines.

In the first shot (above), this was not achieved, there is no clear object on which the viewer could hold his gaze. Then the focus was on the nail that was sticking out of the board. It turned out better, but then I found it sticking out of rotten boards yellow leaf... Backlit by the sun, it really stood out in the photo. The leaf has become the focal point of the image not only because of its size in the frame, it is bright warm color, not centered, and also on it in a certain way.

What story do you want to tell in your photograph?

Use all your senses to immerse yourself in what is happening around you when you photograph. How can you relate this to your image?

The image above was taken at the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal.

A wide-angle lens was used to focus more on the statues and pulpit and less on the main altar. The viewer's eye "goes" towards them because of their size in the frame.

Finally, consider composition and lighting. If the subject is placed off-center, the photo will be more interesting. Make sure it's well lit and that the background doesn't distract the viewer.

Mistake # 3 - trying to fit too much into the frame

Street vendor in Havana, Cuba; 17mm lens (full frame)

Pick something interesting on the counter to focus on while the rest of it acts as the background. You need to choose a single object, not the whole room, market or other place. Your message will be diluted if you try to fit as many things into the frame as possible.

Simplify - Simplify - Simplify. Often in photography, less is more. Say more with fewer things in your images. See how simple, yet graphic, the photos below are?

Take bad pictures of people

Wide-angle lenses distort objects in the frame. Thus, the nose of the person in the photo will lengthen, the jaw will stick out, and the head will look just huge!

17mm lens - not very Good photo model

This kind of shooting is usually not suitable for most people. If you want to successfully photograph a person, just don't use a wide-angle lens. You need to understand what effect it will have on the photo and use it wisely.

35mm - slightly better

70 mm is another matter. 85mm is the common focal length for portrait photography. The face looks good, there is less background, the viewer's attention is focused on the model's face

160mm - great for head photography

Experiment with all the lenses you have, think, if you were photographing you, would you like to end up with an image, shot with which lens? Take pictures with him.

Use a wide-angle lens to photograph people showing their surroundings (think of the store owner in the example above), add fun or even a little humor, tell a story. But be aware that this photo probably won't be flattering to the model.

If you intend to take a flattering portrait for the model, choose a lens slightly longer than usual in the short telephoto range (85-135 mm in full screen, 60-90 mm APS-C).

The wide-angle view shows the whole picture. It is a travel guide and shaman in Peru playing Machu Picchu. The background is very important in this case - it tells part of the story.

Humor and wide-angle shooting go well together

Children are very important subjects that you can have some fun with. Let the spirit of exploration awaken in them, and they approach the wide-angle lens. This will add a sense of playfulness and fun to all your photos.

Wide-angle shooting is good simply "because it's good"

The last mistake is to use a wide-angle lens just because "it's cool". Often, when people buy a new lens, they only use it for a while, and where it is needed and not needed.

Wide lens success

Choose your lens based on the effect you want in your images.

Converging lines long corridor lead the viewer to the stage

Get closer, find a well-defined and understandable subject, avoid putting as many things into the frame as possible, photograph people correctly with a wide-angle lens, and make informed decisions about how to use it in general.

A wide-angle lens can be a powerful tool for emphasizing depth and relative size in a photograph. However, it is also one of the more difficult types to learn. This article dispels some common misunderstandings and discusses how to take full advantage of the unique characteristics of a wide-angle lens.

16mm ultra wide-angle lens - Sunset near Death Valley, California, USA

Overview

A lens is commonly referred to as a “wide-angle” lens if its focal length is less than 35mm (for a full frame; see “Lenses: Focal Length and Aperture”). This corresponds to an angle of view that is greater than 55 ° on the wide side of the frame. The definition of ultra-wide angle is a little more blurry, but most agree that this part starts at focal lengths of 20-24mm or less. For compact cameras, wide angle often means maximum zoom coverage, but ultra-wide angle is usually not available without a dedicated adapter.

In any case, the key concept is that the shorter the focal length, the more the unique effects of a wide-angle lens will manifest.

This diagram shows the maximum angles at which the rays of light
can reach the camera sensor. The intersection point of the rays is optional
equal to the focal length, but approximately proportional to it.
The angle of view, as a result, increases in inverse proportion.

What Makes Wide Angle Lenses Unique? A common misunderstanding is that wide-angle lenses are mainly used when it is impossible to move away from the subject far enough, but you still want to fit the subject in one frame. However, if this were the only application, it would be a big mistake. In fact, wide-angle lenses are often used for just the opposite: to be able to get closer to the subject!

Well, let's take a closer look at what makes a wide-angle lens unique:

It covers a wide angle of view.
It usually has its closest focusing distance.

While these characteristics may seem very basic, they mean a hefty array of possibilities. The rest of this article focuses on how to make the best use of these features to obtain maximum effect from wide angle shooting.

Wide-angle perspective

Obviously, a wide-angle lens is special because of its wide angle of view - but what does that really do? A wide angle of view means that relative size and distance are hypertrophied when comparing near and far objects. This makes nearby objects look gigantic, while distant objects tend to appear small and very distant. The reason for this is the angle of view:

Despite the fact that the two control bars are at the same distance, their relative sizes differ significantly in pictures taken with a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens, taken so that the near bar completely fills the frame vertically. For a wide-angle lens, distant objects make up a much smaller fraction of the total angle of view.

It is a misunderstanding to say that a wide-angle lens affects perspective, which is not, strictly speaking. The perspective is only influenced by your position relative to the subject at the time of shooting. In practice, however, wide-angle lenses often force you to get very close to your subject - which, of course, influences for the future.

Exaggerated Flowers 3 Inch
in Cambridge, England. Used
ultra wide angle lens 16mm.

This exaggeration of relative size can be used to add emphasis and detail to foreground objects while encompassing a wide background. If you want to take full advantage of this effect, you will need to get as close as possible to the nearest object in the scene.

In the ultra wide-angle example on the left, the nearest flowers are practically touching the front lens of the objective, which greatly exaggerates their size. In reality, these flowers are less than 10 centimeters wide!

Disproportionate body
caused by a wide angle lens.

However, special care should be taken when photographing people. Their noses, heads, and other body parts may appear out of proportion if you get too close to them to capture the photo. Proportionality, in particular, is the reason that in traditional portrait photography narrower angles of view are common.

In the example on the right, the boy's head has become abnormally large relative to his body. It can become useful tool to add drama or character to a straight-line shot, but obviously that's not how most people would like to appear in a portrait.

Finally, since distant objects become very small, it is sometimes a good idea to include some foreground elements in the frame to lock in the composition. Otherwise, the landscape shot (taken from eye level) may seem overwhelmed, or it may lack something to catch the eye.

Either way, don't be afraid to come up much closer! It is in this case that the wide angle is revealed in all its glory. Just give Special attention compositions; extremely close objects can be strongly displaced in the image due to the slightest camera movements. As a consequence, it can be quite difficult to place objects in the frame exactly the way you want them to.

Vertical tilt

Whenever a wide-angle lens is pointed above or below the horizon, it causes the initially parallel vertical lines to converge. In fact, this is true for any lens - even a telephoto lens - it's just that the wide angle makes this convergence more noticeable. Further, when using a wide-angle lens, even the smallest change in composition will significantly alter the vanishing point position - resulting in a noticeable difference in how crisp lines converge.

In this case, the vanishing point is the direction in which the camera is pointing. Hover over the captions in the following illustration to see a simulation of what happens when you point the camera above or below the horizon:

V this example the vanishing point has not moved too much in relation to overall size picture - but it had a huge impact on the building. As a result, the buildings seem to fall on or away from the viewer.

While vertical convergence is usually avoided in architectural photography, it can sometimes be used as an artistic effect:

left: wide-angle view of trees on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Right: King's College Chapel, Cambridge, England.

In the trees example, a wide-angle lens was used to capture the mast trees in a way that makes them appear to be closing in on the viewer. The reason for this is that they appear to be encircling on all sides and converging in the center of the image - even though they are actually all parallel.

Likewise, an architectural photograph was taken close to the doors to exaggerate the apparent height of the chapel. On the other hand, this also creates the undesirable impression that the building is about to collapse backwards.

Ways to reduce convergence are few: either direct the camera closer to the horizon line (1), even if this means that in addition to the subject of photography, a large area of the surface will be filmed (which you will crop later), or significantly move away from the subject (2) and use a lens with a long focal length ( which is not always possible), either use Photoshop or other programs and stretch the top of the image (3) so that the vertical converges less, or use a tilt / shift lens to control the perspective (4).

Unfortunately, each of these methods has its drawbacks, whether it is loss of resolution in the first or third case, inconvenience or loss of perspective (2) or cost, technical knowledge and some loss in image quality (3).

Interiors and confined spaces

A wide-angle lens can be absolutely essential for closed spaces, simply because it is enough to move away from the subject to completely fit into the frame (using a normal lens) is impossible. A typical example is shooting the interiors of rooms or other rooms. This type of photography is also probably the easiest way to get the most out of a wide-angle lens - in part because it forces you to get close to your subject.

left: 16mm focal length - Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA.
right: spiral staircase in the New Court, St. John, Cambridge, England

In both examples, you can move just a few steps in either direction - and the pictures do not show the slightest constraint.

Polarizing Filters

National park
Coral Reef, Utah, USA.

Using a polarizing filter with a wide-angle lens is almost always undesirable.... The key feature of a polarizer is the dependence of its influence on the angle relative to the sun. If you point the camera at right angles to sunlight, its effect will be maximized; likewise, by pointing the camera directly at or against the sun, you virtually eliminate its influence.

For a wide-angle lens, one edge of the frame can be almost in the direction of the sun, and the other is almost perpendicular to it. This means that changing the influence of the polarizer will be reflected in the frame, which is usually undesirable.

In the example to the left, a blue sky undergoes a clearly visible change in saturation and brightness from left to right.

Light control and wide angle

An example of using a filter -
lighthouse at Cape Nora, Sardinia.

A typical barrier to using wide-angle lenses is the large variation in light intensity in the image. With normal exposure, uneven lighting results in part of the image being overexposed and another part underexposed - even though our eyes would adapt to the change in brightness when looking in different directions. As a result, you have to additionally attend to the determination of the desired exposure.

For example, in landscape photography, the foliage in the foreground is often much less intensely lit than the sky or mountain in the distance. This results in an overexposed sky and / or underexposed ground. Most photographers use graduated neutral density (GND) filters to combat this uneven lighting.

In addition, wide-angle lenses are much more prone to flare, in part because the sun is much more likely to be in the frame. In addition, it can be difficult to shield the lens from side beams with a hood, since it does not need to block the light that forms the frame at a wide angle.

Wide-angle lenses and depth of field

Note that nothing has been said about the wide-angle lens having a great depth of field. Unfortunately, this is another common misconception. If you enlarge your subject by the same amount (i.e., fill the frame in the same proportion), a wide-angle lens will provide the same * depth of field as a telephoto lens.

The reason wide-angle lenses have a reputation for enhancing depth of field is not due to any aspect of the lens itself. The reason is the most common way their application. People rarely get close enough to their subjects to fill the frame as much as when using lenses with a narrower angle of view.

First, let's take a look at some of the surprises and disadvantages of this lens.

If you use this lens correctly, you can make the viewer feel like they are in the middle of the scene.
As a photographer, you can get much closer to get fantastic pictures. If you can't get close enough, forget about the wide angle.
This lens tends to exaggerate things, including objects, and phenomena, and emotions. People, faces, or terrain - it all seems to overwhelm the frame if it is correctly compiled and processed.
Composition really does matter when it comes to this lens, minimal camera movement and positioning yourself within the scene can make a dramatic difference in photography. Avoid catching your feet while shooting when framing.
Shooting portraits with wide-angle lenses, of course, takes a lot of practice and a certain amount of skill. Believe me, even professionals find it difficult to get a decent portrait shot. It is necessary to take into account that a person can lose proportionality and take measures to prevent such a phenomenon. Remember this is not a portrait lens.

In this article, we will discuss the pros with you wide-angle photography as well as some interesting methods for shooting and negative aspects of wide-angle photos.

Distortion

Distortion in the lens is causing a defect in the image. There are practically no optics that do not cause a certain amount of distortion in the image. But when it comes about wide-angle lenses, you should be especially careful about this point. As a rule, stretching occurs in the corners of a photograph, due to which the object or subject loses its real shape and looks deformed in the photograph. It is quite difficult to avoid this, but you can still use such a disadvantage in favor of the image. In addition, this issue can be easily solved if we resort to better equipment. There are many methods available to correct deformations in frame processing.

Photo: Todd & Sarah Sisson

Framing

Clearly imagine what your object is inside, that is, what frames it. Perfect placement subject is the center of the frame. Thus, you can avoid the huge amount of distortion that is characteristic of the corners of the picture. In addition, a clearer understanding of the nature of the image arises and an excellent wide-angle photo is obtained.

Photo: Kevin McNeill

Photographer position and frame composition

You can move a little or tilt the camera a little and at the same time get significant changes within the frame. it good opportunity improve the look of the scene. To do this, keep experimenting and take more test shots for great results. Introspection and patience will also come in handy.

Photo: Jared Ropilato