Camera Lenses
Cameras have all sorts of built in or interchangeable lenses (SLR's). Basically there are "Fixed" lenses, and "Zoom" lenses, and both types come in a variety of optical sizes and combinations. More expensive lenses allow for a wider opening in the aperture, or offer you smaller f-stop choices.
A normal lens for a digital camera or 35mm film camera is a 50 or 55 mm lens. These lenses provide the photographer with a view that basically mimics the distance the eye sees.
Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, act like binoculars in that they allow us to record things closer than they actually are. Telephoto lenses are physically longer than normal lenses and thus provide less depth of field than a normal lens. Popular telephoto lenses range from 70 mm to 300 mm.
Wide angle lenses do the opposite of telephoto lenses as they allow for a wider angle of view within the viewfinder. Popular wide angle lenses range from 25 mm down to 18 mm. Extreme wide-angle lenses, (8 mm or so), are often called, “fish-eye” lenses because they provide a circular, peripheral view of the subject. These types of lenses provide more depth of field than normal or telephoto lenses since they act to “move” the image further away from the photographer.
A normal lens for a digital camera or 35mm film camera is a 50 or 55 mm lens. These lenses provide the photographer with a view that basically mimics the distance the eye sees.
Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, act like binoculars in that they allow us to record things closer than they actually are. Telephoto lenses are physically longer than normal lenses and thus provide less depth of field than a normal lens. Popular telephoto lenses range from 70 mm to 300 mm.
Wide angle lenses do the opposite of telephoto lenses as they allow for a wider angle of view within the viewfinder. Popular wide angle lenses range from 25 mm down to 18 mm. Extreme wide-angle lenses, (8 mm or so), are often called, “fish-eye” lenses because they provide a circular, peripheral view of the subject. These types of lenses provide more depth of field than normal or telephoto lenses since they act to “move” the image further away from the photographer.
This image was made with a 105mm telephoto lens. Note how the depth of field is more limited with these types of lenses.
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This image was made with a 24mm wide angle lens. Note how the head of the horse is distorted and seems larger than it should be. Wide angle lenses also provide deep depth of field.
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Most digital cameras today are equipped with a zoom lens that offers the photographer a limited combination of all three types of lenses.