Instructor: Dr. Khaled Gamal
Categories of Camera Lenses:
Wide-angle Lenses
Normal Lens
Telephoto Lenses
Each category has unique optical characteristics and is available in both prime and zoom formats.
Focal Length:
Typically below 35 mm.
Characteristics:
Wider angle of vision, ideal for landscape and architecture photography.
Great depth of field; nearly everything in view is sharp.
Exaggerates foreground objects; not suitable for portraits.
Objects close to the lens appear larger; distant objects appear smaller.
Can distort lines, resulting in a curvy appearance.
NIKON 24MM f/1.4G
Displays sample images showcasing lens capabilities.
Available in both prime and zoom types. Typical wide-angle zoom ranges include:
16-35mm
14-24mm
Ultra Wide-Angle Lenses:
Focus lengths below 24 mm, offering wider and more distorted images than typical wide lenses.
Fish-eye Lenses:
Ultra-wide lenses (often below 14mm) that intentionally distort images by creating curved lines.
SONY FE 12-24MM F/4 G
Sample images showcasing this lens type.
Focal Length Range:
Typically between 35 and 70 mm; standard prime focal length is 50 mm.
Characteristics:
Represents a perspective similar to human vision.
Versatile for street photography, portraits, and photojournalism.
Large maximum apertures allow for shallower depth of field.
Minimal perspective distortions.
Example:
Canon 50mm
Focal Length:
Ranges from 85mm to 300mm.
Characteristics:
Narrower angle of view; brings distant subjects closer.
Shallow depth of field, ideal for portraits.
Common in sports and wildlife photography.
Compresses distance between faraway subjects, creating a flatter, two-dimensional effect.
Focal Length:
Greater than 300mm.
Characteristics:
Heavy and expensive, suitable for capturing distant subjects (e.g., the moon).
Functionality:
Allow focusing at very short distances for close-up photography of small subjects (flowers, insects, jewelry).
Defines the angle of view and magnification of the lens.
Examples:
16mm: Wide field of view
24mm: Moderate wide angle
50mm: Standard view
200mm: Narrow view, good for distant subjects.