Wide angle DOESN'T look wide. Why????

[photogrrrl8]

I have a Rebel Xti.  I attached a Zeikos 0.45x Wide Angle Lens (58mm) to the factory lens (0.52mm) on my camera.  But when I look through the viewfinder, the view in NOT wide.  Nothing looks different compared to when the wide angle lens was off.  I've tried different modes and aperatures but I have no idea what's going on.  I'm a newbie so some step-by-step instruction would be greatly appreciated.  It can't be this hard!  Thanks very much 🙂

[wq9nsc]

These types of lens converters just screw on where a filter would normally fit in the front of your lens so as long as the converter you bought fits the filter threads of your lens it just screws in place and it sounds like you have done this part.

The change in wide angle coverage should certainly be noticeable but it may not be as dramatic as you expected.  Look at an area through the bare lens and notes what shows up at the very border of the image.  Without changing your distance to the subject or the zoom level of the lens, attach the converter and check what is at the edges.  Unless the seller sent you a plain glass converter, you should see a difference in what was covered.

The downside, and more so with the lower cost converters, is there is going to be a loss of image quality and it is often very significant.  These type of wide angle converters work better for video use where people tend to be less fixated on quality.  If you are trying to end up with a wider angle lens with high image quality, you are ultimately going to have to pay the price for a wide angle lens.  Even a very expensive Canon prime lens with their expensive teleconverters suffers a loss in quality over the bare lens and the drop in quality is far more drastic with lower priced lenses and very low cost converters.

Rodger

[photogrrrl8]

Thank you, Rodger.  I did exactly as you said.  There is a VERY subtle difference in the wide angle lense.  I guess I was expecting something more dramatic.  Someone below stated a directly-attached wide angle lens (as opposed to a screw-on type) is going to zoom out better.  I may need to try that.  Or maybe I should just get an iPhone with a wide angle lens feature!   Ahhh but then the art of manual photography would be lost!   What do you think of the EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens?

[wq9nsc]

photogrrrl8,

You are welcome!

The EF-S 10-18 IS STM lens gets very positive reviews and is a much better alternative than any sort of converter.  It will provide the wide angle you want with very good image quality and the price isn't bad either especially since Canon's own refurb shop has it available now:  https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/ef-s-10-18mm-f45-56-is-stm-refurbished

You can feel VERY safe ordering these refurb lenses from Canon, they are completely checked out and ready to go.

And although I have an iPhone, I am not a fan of any phone type camera.  Your Canon DSLR will already have taken several properly focused images while the iPhone is still trying to acquire the first one which is a killer for any non-static scene.  And although camera phones have greatly improved, nobody has successfully repealed the laws of physics where lens and sensor size does still matter 🙂

Rodger

[jrhoffman75]

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@photogrrrl8 wrote:

I have a Rebel Xti.  I attached a Zeikos 0.45x Wide Angle Lens (58mm) to the factory lens (0.52mm) on my camera.  But when I look through the viewfinder, the view in NOT wide.  Nothing looks different compared to when the wide angle lens was off.  I've tried different modes and aperatures but I have no idea what's going on.  I'm a newbie so some step-by-step instruction would be greatly appreciated.  It can't be this hard!  Thanks very much 🙂

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Welcome to the forum.

See this discussion:

https://more4u2c.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/review-wide-angle-0-45x-add-on/

[photogrrrl8]

Thanks, John.  That is helpful 

[ebiggs1]

"I attached a Zeikos 0.45x Wide Angle Lens (58mm) to the factory lens (0.52mm) on my camera."

This is a poor idea at best.  IQ suffers for one thing.  But the major problem is the kit lens that came with your camera is not built to handle that heavy add-on. You can damage your Canon lens. So, don't do it. If you want, need, a WA lens buy a dedicated WA Canon lens.

The EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens is what you need to get.

[photogrrrl8]

Thanks, EB.  Is the EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens a wide angle lens?  Or just a lens that zooms further out?

[ebiggs1]

"Is the EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens a wide angle lens?"

It is a complete lens of its own. Just like the kit lens you already own. You will remove the kit lens and mount the 10-18mm in the same manner.

"Or just a lens that zooms further out?"

This question leads me to think you are pretty new to this photography thing. So, asking questions is the best way to find out an learn. What you are referring to as zooming in or out is actually changing the angle of view or AOV.  That is the key to the whole lens question. If you imagine an arc emitting from your lens and give that angle a measurement it would be something like 74 degrees.  Matter of fact that is what your current 18mm to 55mm lens has at the 18mm side. 74 degrees of AOV.

Now a lens that has a 10mm AOV would have an arc of about 106 degrees.  So, you see it will be allowing much more of the scene you are viewing in the camera.

Conversely if we reduce that AOV to something like 5 degrees it would give us a telephoto effect. Something like what a 300mm telephoto lens will do.

Don't use that add-on lens anymore. It can seriously damage your lens.  The focus and zooming of this type lens is not designed to handle add-ons like that unless you are very careful and then I still would not recommend using one.

[John_]

EB that's very interesting noting that 104-degree FOV. What is the widest FOV lens, is there one that gets to 180 FOV? Or is that impossible?