Question for Wide Angle Fanatics

[holidaydom]

If you don't have an ultra-wide, you can't practise and learn and therefore can't improve or master the art of using an ultra-wide.

My thoughts pricisely, but I feel this is the case with virtually all lenses; Macros, Primes, Long Zooms...

You can view all the "sample photos" you want but unless you actually spend some time with a lens, you will never truly appreciate it's quality or viewpoint characteristics.

Kinda sounds like a loving relationship doesn't it :bsmilie:

 

[PhotoTime]

Fully agree on this. I have always wonder why my 7-14mm and 11-22mm lenses produce very blue skies, anyone have a technical explanation for this? I always thought a CPL is necessary for such effects, but realized I don't need one for these 2 lenses...:sweatsm:

As to why the 7-14mm and 11-22mm can give you such 'polarised' effects, I have read that it is something to do with the telecentric Fourthirds lens design, in which the light is more polarised after entering the lens and is directed to strike the image pane perpendicularly which certainly results in much greater edge to edge sharpness as compared with wide lenses designed for other mounts. This effect seems to be more exaggerated in both of these ultrawide lenses compared with the other Zuikos.

I think it has nothing to do with Fourthirds design (Sorry to those Fourththirds supporters). What I feel is that all the lights ray are being concentrated into a little area, on the film or the CCD, so all the intensity of the colour are stronger, and therefore, the colour are more saturated. Furthermore, Oylmpus always give a bluer sky, and that add contribute a factor too.

You can try taking a film photo with an wide angle lens, and you will discover that the sky is bluer with wide angle lens, compared to those taken with standard lens or telephoto lens.

 

[monkeyjopaw]

wonder when the cheap wide will be coming out?:think:

 

[Blu-By-U]

Expect it in 2008. It was in a PDF file that Olyflyer posted somewhere.

 

[Rangefinder_fan]

Hey all,
bumping this thread up because I was looking at getting a wider lens than the 11-22 I currently have.
The 7-14 looks good, but cripes, its pricey and I dont think I'll be able to afford it. Heck, I KNOW I cant afford it.
How about the 8mm Fisheye. Anyone has that and has any comments on it?

I find that since I got the wide 11-22mm, its sat mounted on my e330 almost all the time, and I even do portraits with it...

cheers!

alvin

 

[marky]

The 8mm FE lens is quite a good lens to use if u dun mind the distortion..

Here is one photo of vivo taken with the FE for you to take a look..

 

[drakon09]

I think it has nothing to do with Fourthirds design (Sorry to those Fourththirds supporters). What I feel is that all the lights ray are being concentrated into a little area, on the film or the CCD, so all the intensity of the colour are stronger, and therefore, the colour are more saturated. Furthermore, Oylmpus always give a bluer sky, and that add contribute a factor too.

You can try taking a film photo with an wide angle lens, and you will discover that the sky is bluer with wide angle lens, compared to those taken with standard lens or telephoto lens.

Nope, it has nothing to do with FourThirds, but everything to do with the basic design of wide-angled lenses.

It is not so much light rays concentrated onto the recording media, rather the angle of incident of light rays to the curved front element produces a polarizing effect, especially shorter-wavelength light (i.e. blue and violet).

So you will find that the shorter the focal length (and hence increased curvature), the stronger the polarization effect.

Which is clearly demonstrated by the differences in the blues produced by the 7-14mm against the 11-22mm.

 

[PhotoTime]

Nope, it has nothing to do with FourThirds, but everything to do with the basic design of wide-angled lenses.

It is not so much light rays concentrated onto the recording media, rather the angle of incident of light rays to the curved front element produces a polarizing effect, especially shorter-wavelength light (i.e. blue and violet).

So you will find that the shorter the focal length (and hence increased curvature), the stronger the polarization effect.

Which is clearly demonstrated by the differences in the blues produced by the 7-14mm against the 11-22mm.

Thanks for your explanation. :thumbsup: . Can you explain more on "the curved front element produce a polarizing effect"? I cannot visualise.

 

[drakon09]

Thanks for your explanation. :thumbsup: . Can you explain more on "the curved front element produce a polarizing effect"? I cannot visualise.

I lifted this comment from http://www.biofos.com/esystem/1122test.html, which by the way demonstrates this effect.

"I would like to comment on your remark about the apparent polarizing observed with the ZD 7-14: It may come as a surprise to you but there is indeed a polarizing effect with wide-angles just by the sheer fact that the light strikes the lens surface at a variety of angles, including the so called Brewster angle where the reflected light is 100% polarized and the transmitted light is partially polarized. This angle of light incidence is reached on different areas of the objective lens element depending on the shape of the element and the zoom setting. It could in theory also happen internally but I doubt that, considering the retrofocus construction."

The explanation for Brewster's Angle here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewster's_angle

The more curved the front element is (and until approaching hemispherical) the more instances where light will pass from air to glass at Brewster's Angle.

Which is why this effect is especially exaggerated on the 7-14mm, because I think there is no other camera lens that has a front element are curved as that.

Sidenote: Damn good question you posed, because it certainly left me thinking a LONG time of a clear explanation for everyone to understand (I hope!).

 

[PhotoTime]

Thanks for your time for doing all these searches, and bring them down to us. :vhappy: Now, I have to start revising my physics.:sweat: