shorter and shorter focal length

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Canon EOS FAQ forum : One Thread

camera makers and independent lens makers tend to stress on the zoom which has a shorter focal length at wide end,eg,28mm and 24mm,why? is the difference between 35mm 28mm 24 mm great? i don't think so

-- legnum (legnum212@email.com), June 15, 2001

Answers

Take a look at the June 2001 issue of Popular Photography which is on the rack right now. They have an article on 24mm to tele zooms which discusses exactly what you are asking about. It is an interesting read. They basically point out that the angle of coverage changes significantly with the change in the wide end: from a 35mm's 63 degree angle of coverage to a 28mm's 75 degrees (19% increase); and a 28mm to a 24mm's 84 degree angle of coverage (12% increase). I hope this helps.

-- Bill (Bill_Lee@telus.net), June 15, 2001.

One millimeter of focal length in the "short" range changes much more than in the "long" one.

You may wish to read this FAQ and this tutorial. Somewhere in them are the formulas to calculate the angle of coverage from focal length and format for each lens.

-- Oliver Schrinner (piraya@hispavista.com), June 15, 2001.

The difference between 35mm and 28mm and 24mm seems quite significant to me. Especially when trying to use them in confined spaces, or to get really broad view in the picture, or to create an exagerated sense of depth.

There is a change in society that is causing us to want wider lenses too. Ultra wide lenses are becoming more popular because of the way they are used in television & print ads. They create an outrageous view that get's in your face, & that seems to be the thing that sells. Even fisheye lenses are getting all kinds of exposure. All of this creates a desire in photographers to make images the same way. Since that's what the phographer now wants, that's what the lens makers build. Of course technology has gotten better at building ultra wide lenses and wider zooms so the availability has fueled the change as well.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), June 15, 2001.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ