How to Buy a Wide-Angle Lens
A wide angle lens will lend a whole new dimension to your photography (or videography if you mount the lens on a camcorder). Wide angle lenses capture up to 40 percent more image area than a standard lens found on a 35 mm or digital camera.
If your camera is designed for interchangeable lenses, just follow these steps to buy the wide angle lens that best suits your needs.
Instructions
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Write down the make, model and serial number of your camera so you can check for compatibility when shopping for a wide angle lens. Information on compatibility should be found on the lens package. Generally, lenses are manufactured for specific camera brands, so a Nikon lens will mount only on a Nikon camera body, for example.
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Understand focal lengths before you shop for a wide angle lens. The standard focal length for old-school film photography is 35 mm. The focal length establishes the viewing range for the lens, so the smaller the focal length, the wider the image a camera lens can capture.
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Decide how wide a lens you need for photography or videography. The most common wide angle lenses for still photography are 28, 24, 21, 18 and 14 mm. Any lens below 14 mm will produce distorted images used to achieve artistic effects. These are commonly known as fish-eye lenses, which produce a rounded image.
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Get an idea of the types of images you can expect from different focal lengths of wide angle lenses. You can examine samples at a camera shop or go online to view images captured with different lens types. Examples can be found in the link below.
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Consider renting before you buy. Many camera shops rent equipment, which gives you an opportunity to take a new lens through its paces at minimal cost before you decide to make a substantial investment.
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Look for deals from discount photography stores and watch for sales at your local camera shops once you have determined the lens you want to buy. Wide angle lenses start at hundreds of dollars and can exceed $1,000.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep your camera lenses in protective cases with a lens cap in place at all times when not using them to take pictures.
