Lenses (2)

Videography Introduction

• Instructor: Dr. Khaled Gamal

Types of Lenses

• Categories of Camera Lenses:

  1. Wide-angle Lenses

  2. Normal Lens

  3. Telephoto Lenses

• Each category has unique optical characteristics and is available in both prime and zoom formats.

Wide Angle Lenses

• 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.

Examples

• NIKON 24MM f/1.4G

  • Displays sample images showcasing lens capabilities.

Wide Angle Lenses Overview

• Available in both prime and zoom types. Typical wide-angle zoom ranges include:

  • 16-35mm

  • 14-24mm

Sub-categories of Wide Angle Lenses

1. Ultra Wide-Angle Lenses:

   • Focus lengths below 24 mm, offering wider and more distorted images than typical wide lenses.

2. Fish-eye Lenses:

   • Ultra-wide lenses (often below 14mm) that intentionally distort images by creating curved lines.

Examples

• SONY FE 12-24MM F/4 G

  • Sample images showcasing this lens type.

Normal (Standard) Lens

• 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

Telephoto Lenses

• 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.

Super-Telephoto Lenses

• Focal Length:

  • Greater than 300mm.

• Characteristics:

  • Heavy and expensive, suitable for capturing distant subjects (e.g., the moon).

Macro Lens

• Functionality:

  • Allow focusing at very short distances for close-up photography of small subjects (flowers, insects, jewelry).

Focal Length Summary

• 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.