topic Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification in EF & RF Lenses

Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

HokeyHokey — Tue, 03 May 2022 23:59:42 GMT

This is a really dumb question, but are "Ultra-Wide Zoom" lenses the same as an ultra-wide angle? I see standard wide angles are very short, but no short ultra-wide angles. The only ultra-wide anything I see is ultra-wide zoom.

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

jrhoffman75 — Wed, 04 May 2022 00:17:54 GMT

The operative word is "zoom" You can have an ultrawide zoom lens that goes from say 11-24mm (11mm being ultrawide). Fixed focal length lenses are less versatile so there are fewer manufacturers making them. Laowa makes a 12mm fixed FL lens for Canon RF bodies.

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

HokeyHokey — Wed, 04 May 2022 00:21:49 GMT

If I'm trying to capture an entire room, should I go with fixed? Does the zoom lens being longer significatly affect how much I'm able to get in the frame?

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

kvbarkley — Wed, 04 May 2022 00:26:11 GMT

A Zoom at 11mm will have the exact same field of view as a prime at 11mm. So unless your prime is significantly shorter than the zoom, it will not affect the field of view.

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

HokeyHokey — Wed, 04 May 2022 00:31:48 GMT

It's a difference of 2.6 inches in length. Will that reasonably affect getting what's on the far sides of the camera in the frame, or is it negligible?

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

jrhoffman75 — Wed, 04 May 2022 00:49:45 GMT

Lens length is irrelevant. If the lens is designed for the body then the image will cover the entire sensor. The length of the lens is controlled by the number of elements and the spacing.

If you have a full frame camera and are considering a non-Canon lens you need to be sure that the lens is designed for a full frame body. Many third party lenses are designed for APS-C bodies ( think Rebel). They will fit on a full frame body but you will get a somewhat circular image.

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

rs-eos — Wed, 04 May 2022 00:49:47 GMT

Don't pay attention to the physical length of the lens. Each lens has a rating for focal length. Either a single value (prime lens) or a range of values (zoom lens). The focal length and size of your camera's sensor will determine the field-of-view. To capture as much as possible within a frame, use an ultra-wide on a full-frame camera.

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

HokeyHokey — Wed, 04 May 2022 01:01:28 GMT

Do you have any ultra wide angle lens recommendations for an APS-C EF mount camera? It's my most likely incorrect understanding that the ultra wide zoom is for far away objects which I don't need as it's for real estate photography.

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

jrhoffman75 — Wed, 04 May 2022 01:10:09 GMT

A 10-18mm zoom lens, for example, at the 10mm setting, will give the same image as a fixed focal length 10mm lens. The zoom is more versatile since sometimes 10mm could be too wide.

I suggest you look at the Canon 10-18mm zoom.

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

ebiggs1 — Wed, 04 May 2022 15:37:25 GMT

Lenses use tricks to make the claimed FL. This makes the physical size of a lens different looking. But that is all just different looking and has little to do with actual FL. One problem with a Rebel or any APSC camera is getting really UWA lenses. You typically gain on the tele end and pay for it on the UWA end. My current favorite WA zoom is my AT-X 16-28 F2.8 PRO FX. Although not a UWA it is a very good lens at a very reasonable price. If you need a UWA zoom the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens is your best go.

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

Tronhard — Wed, 04 May 2022 20:28:45 GMT

You might find this thread useful: Solved: Re: Canon Rebel T7 DSLR comability with SLR Lens - Canon Community:

Still, if you want to get to the crunch:

Be aware that because your camera has a smaller sensor than a FF camera, it will actually provide a Field of View (what the sensor actually captures) equivalent to that of a lens with a focal length 1.6 times that which is written on the lens - which will have a definitely narrower FoV than it would on a full-frame body.

To give you an idea, here is a photo taken with a similarly crop sensor body, the Canon D30 with the 17-40mm zoom at its widest - i.e. 17mm Focal Length but giving a FoV of 27mm.

One of the most renowned real estate photographers in the US, Scott Hargis, uses a Canon EF17-40, but with a full-frame camera that will give an actual 17-40 FoV performance, so to get a similar FoV on your camera to that, the EF-S 10-22 (an EF-S lens is designed for a crop-sensor body) would give you that extra angle (it's FoV is 16mm- 35mm). I have one, and it's a good lens. Scott has some videos on real estate photography and has an excellent e-book available called Lighting Interiors - a very instructive read.

Like any ultra wide angle you need to make sure that your verticals are vertical - introducing tilt into images creates a sense of tension, and makes the wall feel like they are falling in on you, and you don't want that in real estate images.

Here are a couple of samples of the kind of thing I think you are looking for. Both taken with the EF-S10-22mm @ 10mm (so FoV 16mm).

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

Tintype_18 — Fri, 06 May 2022 13:19:31 GMT

Interesting question. I like to read posts and replies for the info. Never know when one will have a similar problem or question.

"The only dumb question is the one not asked."- Dad

Re: Ultra Wide Zoom Lens Clarification

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 May 2022 15:16:11 GMT

The takeaway here is focal length (FL) is focal length. No matter what context it is used in. In this case prime lens vs zoom lens. Once a lens is ground it can not change its FL. So, zoom to prime or crop to FF the FL is always the same.