Technique tips: using wide angle lenses

Wide angle lenses are an unusual breed and deserve special handling. Keep in mind the following suggestions:

1. Use a tripod whenever possible to help keep the camera level and to avoid “up and down” distortion, unless you are deliberately striving for it.

2. Use the focusing scale in dim light

3. Always check to be sure that a combination of filter and lens hood doesn’t cut into the very wide field of view.

4. Look carefully to determine whether unwanted and unnoticed objects might be included along the edges of the picture area, because they are hard to see in a dim viewfinder.

5. Don’t use lenses of this short focal length for flash on camera pictures unless you don’t mind extreme light falloff in the corners.

6. Don’t use lenses of this short focal length for close ups (especially portraits) unless you are deliberately trying to create bizarre perspective distortion. To preserve a natural appearance, keep all parts of a subject about the same distance from the lens.

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More about telephotos lenses

- Shorter wide angle lenses
- Moderate wide angle lenses
- super wide angle lenses
- fisheye lenses
- tips about using fisheye lenses