Telephoto and Wide Angle Lenses?

[Luv0fDisney]

Anyway,
I am curious about Telephoto and Wide Angle Lenses. Can anyone show me a picture of something w/ and w/o a telephoto lense & the same with Wide Angle.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Telephoto (17 mm on a Crop Camera)

Ultra Wide Angle (10 mm on a Crop Camera)

I took the pictures whilst standing in the same spot, handheld. Because it was handheld, it won't be exactly identical compared with if I had set up the tripod.


I seem to recall that we had a similar question previously. I believe one of the other regulars might have a picture with the different lengths marked on the same picture?

 

[photo_chick]

17mm is not telephoto, even on a crop camera. It's in the standard range leaning toward wide. Usually telephoto is 70mm or longer.

The only examples I have handy are from a dance concert, but it gives you the idea with a longer lens...

28mm on a crop camera, not super wide but on the wider end of standard

210mm on a crop body...

 

[PrincessInOz]

17mm is not telephoto, even on a crop camera. It's in the standard range leaning toward wide. Usually telephoto is 70mm or longer.

You're absolutely right. My bad. But I'll leave the picture up to remind me to read the question properly next time.

Been a long week for me.

 

[Luv0fDisney]

Thanks for all the help.
But does any one have 2 pictures of the same thing w/ and without the special lens?

I mean
a picture with the regular lens and the same picture with a telephoto lens
then
a picture with the regular lens and the same picture with a wide angle lens

i can not really tell the difference between regular lens and the special lens.

 

[Cafeen]

The terms "Telephoto" and "Wide Angle" refer to focal lengths and not really anything else "special" about them*. The focal length determines the amount of "zoom" that you see in the photos, the lower the number (usually done in mm (probably always)) the "wider" the shot.

For example, I have 4 lenses for my dSLR (Canon T1i), one of these is a Wide-Angle (well, Ultra-Wide really) at 8-16mm. Another is a standard (18-55mm) and another is a telephoto-zoom (55-250mm) (the 4th is a standard prime, 55mm).

For another example, Princesses pictures above, you can consider the one shot at 17mm a "regular" as that's about the edge of what most people consider to be "regular" range (maybe a little wide, but it's a good comparison to see the difference that 7mm in focal length gives), while the one shot at 10mm is certainly in the wide-angle range.

Now, different types of cameras do see the focal lengths slightly different. Sensor size also plays a part here, as a 17mm focal length with a "crop" sensor is tighter than a 17mm focal length with a full-frame sensor. Both of which will be considerably wider than 17mm on a micro sensor (not the official name, but think cell phone type sensor).

A frame of reference may be helpful here to know what you're actually looking for. Are you looking for a new lens for a dSLR/Mirrorless? Or are you looking at special addon lenses for a low-end point & shoot? Or even those stick on lenses for cell phone cameras?

*Note: As insinuated above, there are Wide-Angle and Telephoto (my fingers aren't working this morning, I just typed "Wide-Angel and Telephone") addon type lenses for P&S and Cell Phones. I have no idea how well (or really even how) they work. The description above lends itself to dSLR/Mirrorless (think multiple lens system on a point & shoot with usually a dSLR level sensor) cameras.

 

[photo_chick]

You're absolutely right. My bad. But I'll leave the picture up to remind me to read the question properly next time.

Been a long week for me.

It's still a great example of ultra wide and wide/standard.

Thanks for all the help.
But does any one have 2 pictures of the same thing w/ and without the special lens?

I mean
a picture with the regular lens and the same picture with a telephoto lens
then
a picture with the regular lens and the same picture with a wide angle lens

i can not really tell the difference between regular lens and the special lens.

The primary decision making factor most of the time when it comes to focal length is how you want to frame the shot from where you're standing. If you're wanting the exact same shot, all the same framing, most of us won't have those. That would require moving to re-frame the shot and I don't know a lot of photographers who would do that unless they were illustrating a point about the characteristics of the lenses like differences in compression, distortion, or depth of field (google search, there are sites that compare those things). Most of us have shots that go the other way, shooting with different focal lengths from the same spot so you end up with a differently framed shot.

 

[South Carolina]

Here are links to the Tamron and Canon sites that have interactive displays so you can see the difference between lens with photos taken from the same location. The Tamron example is near the bottom of the screen and allows you to choose between 35mm (Full Frame) and Digital (cropped) (You have to click on the "Close Window" icon in the gray box before you can view and use the Tamron example. I hope this helps in your decision.


http://www.tamron-usa.com/lenses/learning_center/tools/focal-length-comparison.php

http://www.usa.canon.com/app/html/EFLenses101/focal_length.html

 

[Luv0fDisney]

I found a great website for the definition and examples for both lenses..
If anybody (other then myself) is looking for an example / definition / tips here is the website.

Wide Angle Lens

 

[wbeem]

The terms "Telephoto" and "Wide Angle" refer to focal lengths and not really anything else "special" about them*. The focal length determines the amount of "zoom" that you see in the photos, the lower the number (usually done in mm (probably always)) the "wider" the shot.

I have to disagree with this statement, at least a bit. There is a difference in the angle of view between wide-angle and telephoto lenses and it is different than from the amount of "zoom" you see in photos. As your focal length increases, the angle of view decreases. There's a very good explanation and some images to demonstrate on this Wikipedia page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angle_of_view.

Another factor you have to consider is lens compression. Perhaps that's best explained with a comparison.

I tried to keep the Partners statue at relatively the same size in the frame as I changed focal length. To do that, I had to move backward each time I increased focal length.

However, notice the Castle behind the statue and how it increases in size with relation to the statue, even though I keep getting farther away from it. Also, look at the base of the statue and the flowers around it. That's caused by the decreasing angle of view.

In the 24mm shot, I was right up against the flower bed and couldn't get any closer. The subjects seem smaller and farther away, and the angle of view is obviously wider because you can see the flags on the side of the castle. As the focal length increases, you can't even see the side of the Castle walls by the time I get to 100mm. Each progressive increase in focal length reduces the width of the angle of view while compression makes the subjects - both foreground and background - seem closer.

 

[photo_chick]

wbeem that's a really great visual showing the compression of space as well as how the distance to your subject affects the perspective. Did you keep the aperture constant in these?

 

[wbeem]

Thanks. Yes, these were all shot at f/5 (thumb must've rolled the dial back from f/5.6), ISO 200. Most were shot at 1/2500 of a second, but the shutter speed started slowing down as I reached 70mm.

 

[NCtoFL]

Thanks wbeem, the Angle of View Wikipedia page should have link back to your post.

 

[wbeem]

Thanks wbeem, the Angle of View Wikipedia page should have link back to your post.

Oh, I hope not. This place won't even let me put a link to my blog on the signature line. Better that I put it on my own blog to angle for a back link.