 Tania Ballestrin |
Which wide-angle lens to buy? I am thinking about buying a wide-angle lens to suit my CANON EOS 500N. I have the kit which includes the 28-80mm and the 75-300mm lenses. I feel that the wide-angle will help to set me up for the purpose I have in mind. I will be taking shots of accomodation houses and interiors (for brochures), and also intend to use it on a fishing holiday. Do you suggest a 24mm or something different?
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Sammy |
If it were me I think that I would be looking at a Canon 20mm f/2.8 EF USM lens. The 4mm difference shouyld come in handy on interior shots. This lens sells for $479.95 at B&H Photo. The 24mm f/2.8 EF lens can be purchased for $319.95 from B&H. The 20mm lens is a 72mm, so the filters will cost significantly more than the 24mm, which is a 58mm lens.
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Jon Close |
20mm gives a very wide angle and is quite a large jump from the 28mm (94 degree angle of view v. 75 degree). I like the versatility of the EF 20-35 f/3.5-4.5 USM ($420 @ B&H). It uses 77mm filter. Something else to consider, especially for indoor pictures, is that the built-in flash covers only the 75 degree angle of view of the 28mm lens. Using the flash with 24mm or 20mm lens will leave the outer portions of the frame dark. You'll need to shoot existing light or use bounce flash, or use a flash that with a wide-angle diffuser.
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John A. Lind |
Having used super-wide lenses, an additional thought comes to mind not mentioned by the other replies. Be very careful using lenses under 28mm in focal length for this type of photography. The 28mm length you've been using is right at the "break point" of being forgiving of perpsective. It is one of the reasons 28mm is a very popular focal length. Decades ago, many photojournalists used the 28mm lens for the very same reason. Lenses shorter than 28mm require careful composition to keep the radical perspective they create from looking completely unnatural. You will have to keep the camera dead level and experiment some with where you position yourself in the room. Look especially at room corners and the lines where walls meet the ceiling and floor. Also evaluate the perspective of any furniture. This is not "distortion" but how a rectilinear that wide properly maps flat planes in space to a flat plane of film. Lenses as short as 18mm can be used successfully for interior photography. It requires some experimentation and practice to learn how to best exploit the super-wide angle of view while avoiding perspective problems. -- John
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