Wide-Angle Digital Cameras Explained

Wide-angle lenses capture more content than other lenses.

Wide-angle camera lenses capture more of the surrounding environment than a narrow-angle lens. The attributes that define this type of lens, such as lack of zoom, make it a poor choice in some situations, while an excellent choice in others.

Comparative Zoom

Wide-angle lenses have comparatively low zoom, usually equal to or less than 1x magnification. This zoomed-out style is characteristic of this lens type; the range of light angles that enters the camera is very wide. Wide-angle lenses are generally those with a focal length under 28 mm. The lens with the widest angle is called a fisheye lens, which accepts 180 degrees of light.

Depth of Field

Wide-angle lenses often have a shallow depth of field, which is the measure of blur gradient that occurs naturally as a lens focuses on the subject. These lenses can be placed very close to the subject to show detail, while the background can be kept in the frame out of of focus to provide context but not distract. With regard to f-stop, a shallow depth of field is generally under f/3.5.

Situations for Use

Wide-angle lenses usually are used in two specific situations. The first is to show close detail, such as a photo of a flower set against a blurred field. The second is to show the entire scene, such as a rock concert from a perspective on the stage. While other lenses can be used to capture a similar image, they will not have the depth of field characteristic in the photo.

References

• Marietta College: Lenses
• The University of Hawaii System: Canon Wide Primes