Need A Good Wide Angel Lens...

I am shooting with a Canon 40D, so it's not a full frame camera. And I am looking for a really good wide angle lens for portraits. I have a 50mm, the 28-135mm kit lens, and soon will be getting the 70-200mm 2.8 L IS lens. But I have been noticing that I could really use a good wide angle lens, and was curious what you guys would think would be a good lens for portraits. L series is fine too...

If you want an ultra-wide angle lens, you could consider the Canon 10-22 or the Tokina 11-16.

However, I understand that you're looking for a wide angle lens for portraits. In that case, the 17-55 IS may be a good option.

Ultrawide or wide? Wide or ultrawide isn't really recommended for portraits. Even with the 17-55 you should be using the long end for portraits.

You don't want wide-angle for portraits. You want something around 85mm to bring in the subject.

Do wide angle lens make your subjects look bigger? I was thinking that it would be good for tight spots/areas. I have a 50mm 1.4 and I am using a Canon 40D... So, since that is not a full frame camera doesn't that make my 50mm technically an 85mm or somewhere close to that? I still don't know how to do the math on that stuff yet.

taknbyd wrote in post #10448849
Do wide angle lens make your subjects look bigger? I was thinking that it would be good for tight spots/areas. I have a 50mm 1.4 and I am using a Canon 40D... So, since that is not a full frame camera doesn't that make my 50mm technically an 85mm or somewhere close to that? I still don't know how to do the math on that stuff yet.

yes, their noses will look funny. don't do it.

Agreed. Unless it's doggie portraits, then yes, go get a wide ish lens.

Why? a lot of people use 35/1,4 on FF for portraits, so maybe 24/1,4 L will be a good option)

Logg_1 wrote in post #10449211
Agreed. Unless it's doggie portraits, then yes, go get a wide ish lens.

And a filter..Dogs love to stick their nose on your lens...

Ahiless wrote in post #10449297
Why? a lot of people use 35/1,4 on FF for portraits, so maybe 24/1,4 L will be a good option)

k-lo wrote in post #10449014
yes, their noses will look funny. don't do it.

It's not a flattering perspective.

I think you want something that's about 35mm on full frame, so on a crop is probably around 20mm.

Sigma has a 20mm f1.8 you can consider. Also sigma has a 24mm f1.8 which is not as wide

Ahiless wrote in post #10449297
Why? a lot of people use 35/1,4 on FF for portraits, so maybe 24/1,4 L will be a good option)

I like 35mm on full frame for environment shots. I made the mistake or renting the 35L for a wedding, and now I have to have one. You show the face in one third of the shot and the environment (what they're doing) in the other two-thirds. So you're never getting all that close to their face. Yes, wide and ultra-wide specifically for head shots will look pretty funny and exaggerate features.

Does a wide angel get a bigger halo, or just the regular size?

taknbyd wrote in post #10448849
Do wide angle lens make your subjects look bigger? I was thinking that it would be good for tight spots/areas.

I think you should very carefully read our tutorial on the subject of perspective control to understand the answer to your question. Please read our "sticky" tutorial titled Perspective Control in Images - Focal Length or Distance?. The "sticky" thread can be found at the top of the General Photography Talk forum.

taknbyd wrote in post #10448849
I have a 50mm 1.4 and I am using a Canon 40D... So, since that is not a full frame camera doesn't that make my 50mm technically an 85mm or somewhere close to that?

NO.

The focal length of a lens never changes when it is installed on different format cameras. Please read the following carefully to understand the so-called "crop factor" concepts:

The "crop factor" is a reference number that relates to the difference in sensor size between cameras like the Canon 40D and a 35mm film (or a so-called "full-frame" digital) camera. Let me list the facts:

35mm film cameras and so-called "full frame" DSLRs have a film frame or sensor size of approximately 24mm X 36mm, while the Canon 40D has an APS-C sized sensor, measuring approximately 15mm X 22.5mm. The other Canon APS-C format cameras - starting with the D30 in the year 2000 and progressing through all of the "digital Rebel" xxxD series, the xxD series, and today's 7D - all have sensors that are sized similar to that in the 40D.

When camera manufacturers started designing digital SLRs (DSLRs), they decided that the DSLR bodies should be about the same physical size and configuration as their 35mm film SLRs. For that reason, they concluded that they could use the line of lenses they already had for their 35mm SLRs on the new DSLRs.

All lenses designed for 35mm cameras project an image circle onto the film that covers a 24mm X 36mm rectangle. The 35mm camera records the portion of that image circle that is defined by the opening behind the shutter for the film (24mm X 36mm in size). A digital SLR with an APS-C sized sensor only records the smaller area (approximately 15mm X 22mm) of the image circle projected by the same lens.

When you put a 100mm lens on a 35mm film camera and make a photograph, then put the same lens on a DSLR such as the Canon 40D and make a similar photograph - same subject, same position for the camera, and same focal length - and then enlarge both photographs to the same size print (4 X 6 inches, for example), it will appear as though the photo from the Canon 40D was taken with a longer lens. That is because the image recorded by the Canon 40D was of a SMALLER PORTION of the image circle projected by the lens - cropped, if you will - compared to the image recorded by the 35mm camera.

The special lenses for the Canon 40D (and other Canon APS-C cameras starting with the 300D - the first Digital Rebel) are called the EF-S series. These project a smaller image circle, making the lenses less expensive to design and produce in wide-angle and extreme wide-angle formats. The EF-S lenses also project deeper into the camera than the EF specification allows (the "S" referring to "Short back focus), allowing for less expensive wide-angle lens designs. However, an EF-S lens set to 40mm will produce the exact same image as an EF lens set to 40mm if both lenses are used on the same APS-C format body. Focal length is focal length, period.

Now to the primary point that I want to make: NOTHING about lens EVER CHANGES when you put it on different format cameras. Focal length never changes. Aperture range never changes. The only thing that would change is the apparent field of view, and that change is not a function of the lens but it is a function of the size of the sensor or film that will record the image.

The "crop factor" calculation for "35mm equivalent focal length" has only one valid use. That is for comparing lens use on two different format cameras. Here's an example: Joe took a photo of Mount Rushmore with a 35mm camera from a particular place using a 200mm lens. You want to replicate that photo with your Canon 40D. What focal length do you need to do that from the same location that he took his photo? Divide the 200mm by 1.6 and you get the answer - 125mm. The "crop factor" is NOTHING MORE than a REFERENCE between the two formats that lets you compare the field of view of particular focal lengths between the two formats.

The "crop factor" (as related to using lenses essentially designed for 35mm SLR cameras) is always given assuming that the 35mm format (24x36mm) is the reference master. Something to realize, though, is that the 35mm film format is not, never has been, and never will be the "master" format against which all other camera formats are referenced. It is simply the format of the cameras that have also evolved into today's commonly used digital SLRs.

I hope this helps you understand the "crop factor" concepts.

^We really need a sticky for that.