Can it be done?

[Experiment_626]

Is it even possible to go wide enough to get the Chinese Theater in one shot? I don't think I've tried since the hat went up in front of it. If it can be done, how wide a lens would you need, in what Nikon calls DX format?

SSB

 

[webshark3]

To start, what's your current camera, and what's it's mm?

And DX has nothing to do with the mm. A DX is Digital optimized lens. So "DX" doesn't come into play here. I'm trying to think, and I wonder if a Fisheye is necessary. You may be able to do it at 27mm equalivilent (18mm real) from the kit lens.

 

[Furgus]

Bet my 10-20 mm from sigma will do it

(yes it can be done, and if you don't have the lens to do it, use PS to stitch it together)

 

[Experiment_626]

X has nothing to do with the mm. A DX is Digital optimized lens. So "DX" doesn't come into play here.

Well, my intention was to note that a lens wide enough to take it all in on a film camera would likely not do the trick with my D80. After a little thought, I realize it is unlikely anyone would presume I might be shooting film. Duh.

Right now, I've only got the 18-135 kit lens. I would have presumed that stitching a panorama would be crazy ... I've done a pano of Cinderella Castle that used 10-15 individual shots, but I got far enough back that I was able to shoot at what appeared (to my eye) to be the least-distorted focal length on my lens. Even with that, there were loads of little glitches here and there I had to clone out and repair. Seems like shooting the theater would be five times worse. Still, I'm heading down to WDW tomorrow and I hope to get to give some sort of theater photo a try, if I have time. This is going to be fairly short trip -- only three days and two nights. So many photos in my head and so little time to capture them -- so what else is new?

SSB

 

[Experiment_626]

Bet my 10-20 mm from sigma will do it

(yes it can be done

Okay, that was what I was hoping. I think I'll eventually have to rent or buy Tokina's 11-16 -- it sounds like it would work.

SSB

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Don't guess; do the math.

First, if you use http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ and measure the front roofline of the Chinese Theater, it appears to be 0.0274 miles across. Multiply that by 5,280 and you get a measurement of roughly 145 feet.

Let's assume that 11mm Tokina on your DX Nikon. We should easily be able to determine how far back you'd need to stand. The formula (I think I posted this in a thread once before) is:

Viewable Subject Width = Subject Distance * Sensor Width / Focal Length

In our case, we're trying to solve for the subject distance, so we'll do a quick bit of algebra to come up with:

Subject Distance = Viewable Subject Width / Sensor Width * Focal Length

The Viewable Subject Width (as we determined above) is 145 feet. The sensor width (according to DPreview) is 23.6mm. The focal length is 11mm. So if we do the math ((145ft / 23.6mm) * 11mm), we get 68 feet.

Now if we go back to the GMaps pedometer site, it looks like you'd need to stand at the front edge of the hat (relative to the subject) to take the shot. That appears to be a little less than 40 feet from the building.

So it looks like the answer is no. Even with the 10mm, you would need to be about 61 feet away. To get the shot from 40 feet, you'd need a 6mm lens.

 

[DizzyV6P]

Good lord Mark! My minds a tizzy from all that math! LOL. That's some darn good calculations though. Wow. 6mm lens? lol.

 

[handicap18]

Well, my intention was to note that a lens wide enough to take it all in on a film camera would likely not do the trick with my D80. After a little thought, I realize it is unlikely anyone would presume I might be shooting film. Duh.

Right now, I've only got the 18-135 kit lens. I would have presumed that stitching a panorama would be crazy ... I've done a pano of Cinderella Castle that used 10-15 individual shots, but I got far enough back that I was able to shoot at what appeared (to my eye) to be the least-distorted focal length on my lens. Even with that, there were loads of little glitches here and there I had to clone out and repair. Seems like shooting the theater would be five times worse. Still, I'm heading down to WDW tomorrow and I hope to get to give some sort of theater photo a try, if I have time. This is going to be fairly short trip -- only three days and two nights. So many photos in my head and so little time to capture them -- so what else is new?

SSB

You can use an FF lens on a DX body and you can use a DX lens on a DX body. No matter what they are still the same focal length. A 10mm is a 10mm no matter what body it is on. However, the field of view is different. On the DX body the 10mm is simply cropped 1.5 times because of the sensor size.

You can use a DX lens on a FF body, however you will get severe vignetting (I think I have the correct term) on the edges as the DX lenses are optimized to at digital sensor's size.

As to your original questions, its tough to say. Even after reading Marks post (from which I got a Popsicle headache) I don't know for sure unless I'm there with a 10mm lens. Nikon has a 10.5mm fish eye that may help. They used to make an 8mm fish eye years ago (back in the 60's).

See what you can do with what you have. Photo stitching might be your best bet though.

Post the results when you get back.

have fun.

 

[thomas998]

Don't guess; do the math.

First, if you use http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ and measure the front roofline of the Chinese Theater, it appears to be 0.0274 miles across. Multiply that by 5,280 and you get a measurement of roughly 145 feet.

Let's assume that 11mm Tokina on your DX Nikon. We should easily be able to determine how far back you'd need to stand. The formula (I think I posted this in a thread once before) is:

Viewable Subject Width = Subject Distance * Sensor Width / Focal Length

In our case, we're trying to solve for the subject distance, so we'll do a quick bit of algebra to come up with:

Subject Distance = Viewable Subject Width / Sensor Width * Focal Length

The Viewable Subject Width (as we determined above) is 145 feet. The sensor width (according to DPreview) is 23.6mm. The focal length is 11mm. So if we do the math ((145ft / 23.6mm) * 11mm), we get 68 feet.

Now if we go back to the GMaps pedometer site, it looks like you'd need to stand at the front edge of the hat (relative to the subject) to take the shot. That appears to be a little less than 40 feet from the building.

So it looks like the answer is no. Even with the 10mm, you would need to be about 61 feet away. To get the shot from 40 feet, you'd need a 6mm lens.

I suggest that this is the time to pull out the trusty old canon powershot with the photostitch function.

 

[Experiment_626]

You can use an FF lens on a DX body and you can use a DX lens on a DX body. No matter what they are still the same focal length. A 10mm is a 10mm no matter what body it is on. However, the field of view is different. On the DX body the 10mm is simply cropped 1.5 times because of the sensor size.

Yes, I know -- on my D100 I used lenses I first bought for my N6006. I know it is all field of view, but the point was that an 18 mm lens on a DX-format camera captures an only slightly wider field of view than a 28 mm lens would have on my 6006.

I don't know if I'll be able to get the shot(s) on this trip, as time is limited. But I will at least scout the location, as it were. I hope to get some other shots to fool around with some HDR as well -- much depends on my wife's patience, which can be in short supply.

SSB

 

[webshark3]

Try to go just when the park opens. People run for the Coaster, but not the theater. You should find it fairly empty, making stiching easier.