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Wide View

Wide Lenses - For Photography And Photographers

Even the simplest of compact cameras comes with a built-in wide-angle lens. But the view this range of focal lengths provides is essential for the tourist

Since zoom lenses have become the norm for both SLR and compact users, most photographers now have instant access to both telephoto and wide-angle lens settings. But the exact range of focal lengths available varies significantly from zoom to zoom.

For those still using mm film, a wide-angle lens is one which has a focal length of mm or less. A wide-angle lens on APS and digital cameras, which have a smaller image, will have a shorter focal length - but most manufacturers will refer to its equivalent 35mm-format length for simple comparison.

For many travel destinations, a wide- angle is the most obvious focal length to use. It gives a wide view that is ideal for panoramic landscapes, and for shooting the exteriors and interiors of buildings. It is the essential choice when you want to show everything in front of you - particularly when obstructions stop you from moving any further away from the subject.

Wide-angle lenses can also be useful for pictures of people -when you want to show the environment in which they work as well as their appearance. A typical all-purpose SLR zoom will have a wide-angle setting or 28mm or 35mm. If you want something wider you will need specialist wide-angle zoom (such as a 17- 35mm) or to opt for a fixed focal length lens, such as a 24mm. Wide-angle converters can also be bought to extend the range of the built-in lenses on some digital cameras.

At work or play

A wide-angle is not the obvious choice of lens for a portrait. However, the broad angle of view can be extremely useful if you want to show the room that the person is sitting in - or give an indication of the work that they do. A 28mm lens shows more about the way of life of a person at work than any close-up of his face could possibly do.

Foreground emphasis

One of the problems of a wide-angle lens is that it can give undue emphasis to the foreground. This often means that you deliberately have to arrange the composition so that this space is not 'empty'.

A helping hand in tight corners

Typically when photographing buildings you are restricted in how far you can go so as to fit everything in. Walls, roads or other buildings get in the way of using more distant viewpoint so the only alternative is to use a wider lens setting.

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