Wide Angle Lens

"An absolute must with landscapes!"

Wide angle lenses broaden the perspective of the photographer. The short focal length, usually between 15 and 35mm, gives a very wide angle of view, between 100 and 60 degrees.

Depth of Field

With a high aperture setting (small aperture opening), the depth of field of these lenses are infinite starting from just about a foot away from the lens. This allows the photographer to get close to the subject and still present it on a clear grand scale.

Distortion

The distortion that appears in photographs using this lens is not actually caused by the lens but by the depth of field characteristic. Since objects can be much closer to the lens and still be in focus, they appear to be larger then they actually are. The closer the object is to the camera, the larger the object appears to be in relation to the rest of the scene.

Common Uses

Most close-up architectural photography is taken with this type of lens. The photographer can stand relatively close to a building and still get a crystal clear shot that will encompass the majority, if not all, of the subject. With the congestion of many cities, this could not be done with any other lens. The distortion properties of the lens also give the buildings an interesting appearance of leaning backwards a bit.

Landscape photographers use this lens to keep the entirety of their scenes in focus by using its depth of field properties. They also like using it to give more strength to the foreground with its distortion properties.

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