 Timothy E. George |
Wide Angle Lens for Panoramics I recently purchased a Rebel XT digital camera with the stock 18-55mm lens. This coming spring I am taking my family to Arizona and the Grand Canyon on vacation. I would like to have a good wide angle lens for the trip. What should I be looking for in terms of mm's and features, keeping in mind the primary subject of landscape shots?
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robert G. Fately |
Timothy, in general landscapes are shot with wide angles to both capture a lot of the view and get the depth of field to keep everything, close and far, in focus. In the land of 35MM film (or full-frame DSLRs), typically 28MM or 24MM lenses are used (though certainly 50MM and longer czan be used for certain purposes - it's not like there's a law). Due to the "crop factor" of your DSLR, though (1.3? 1.6? ??) this means that you will want something with a shorter focal length (perhaps 20MM, 18MM?) to acheive that same wide-angle-ness. While prime lenses (ones that have only one focal length) are generally cheaper and sharper, you might want to consider something like Sigma's 12-24MM zoom to give you more flexibility (especially from the wall of the Grand Canyon, where you can't really move forward beyond the edge of the cliff). Or Canon's similar model (I'm sure they make one), which may be sharper or better built.
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W. |
You can make a panorama with a wide angle lens, to get more in the image. The downside is it'll have typical wide angle distortion: stuff 100 yards from the camera looks like it's a mile away, and the edges of the image stretch out and curve. Provided you use a tripod, you can also use 'stitching': make a series of overlapping exposures from left to right (or v.v...) with short tele, then stitch 'm together with 'stitching software' or 'panorama software'. Details won't become impossibly small, and – if you do it carefully – you won't have any of that wide angle distortion.
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Timothy E. George |
Thank you for advice on wide angle lenses. I found a site that has reveiewd fairly comprehensive list of lenses of all types (www.photozone.de). There are now three that I am considering, the Canon EF-S 10-22mm, Sigma AF 12-24mm, Tokina AF 12-24mm. All have pros and cons, and are roughly the same price. And W.S., thanks for the tip on stitching. I need to buy a compact tripod and then will practice shooting landscapes around here and making panoramas. Thanks again.
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W. |
Remember: tripods need to be sturdy first, portable second.
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Timothy E. George |
I agree. Do you have any experience with compact/portable tripods? We live the DC metro area and will thus be flying to AZ so the tripod will need to fit in my luggage. It's a big bag, but I'll have to pack lighter if I get a too big a tripod. :-)
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robert G. Fately |
Like everything else in life, Timothy, god supports like tripods require compromise. If you want to spend big bucks, you can get a Gitzo carbon fiber 1228 with an Ultratech, ReallyRightStuff or Linhof head. While it gets a bit jiggly fully extended (don't use the center post extension, for example) it fits nicely in small luggage. Another alternative, though, might be to get a sturdy head (like the Ultratech, etc) and rather than having a traditional set of tripod legs get a pair of Vice-Grip type locking pliers, have a local muffler shop weld a tandard 1/4 or 3/8 by 20 bolt to it, and screw the head to the Vice-grip. You can then clamp down on a fire hydrant, bench, whatever, and have a very sturdy setup. The downside, of course, is that you have to rely on some existing surface to be in a good spot for your needs, but the upside is that this fits in virtually any bag (though I haven't attempted to take in on a flight since 9/11). At a minimum, expect to pay at least $100 for a decent tripod. And know that there is a religion war between those that think ball heads are the way to go and thems that believe 3-way panning heads are just better. You decide for yourself. Gitzo, Manfrotto (nee Bogen) and Slik all make good models. Try some out at a store, though, as you might find the leg locking mechanisms to be difficult to use on some types.
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W. |
I use a 15 year old Manfrotto, 2 10-year old Velbons and 1 that's 20/25 years old. Can't remember exactly. In other words: once you buy a good one it'll last you DECADES.
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