Over the past couple of years, there has been a wave of super wide-angle telephoto lenses released on the market. Ideal for huge landscapes, vast night skies, or anything your wide-angle imagination conjures up. They offer big views, exceptional sharpness, and a whole realm of creative possibilities. My personal favorite is the Tamron 15-30mm, but, regardless of the brand, with super wides, their big beautiful front element projects out a distance from the lens body. This means that you can't use traditional threaded filters that screw on the … [Read more...] about Product Review: Haida 150 Series Insert Filter and Holder System
wide angle
Create Your Own Fireworks Grand Finale
Last weekend I spent time in Chicago for the Out of Chicago Conference. On my last night there, fellow author Levi Sim and myself hosted a photowalk for attendees. Our small group was able to check out the University Club, which overlooks Millennium Park, on Saturday night. And it was just in time for the Saturday night fireworks. With my new Vanguard Veo 2 tripod in tow, we made our way up to the balcony. Instead of focusing distinctly on the fireworks, I wanted to capture the environment around them. It was Pride Weekend in Chicago, and … [Read more...] about Create Your Own Fireworks Grand Finale
How to Capture Fantastic Photos of Rainbows
Few natural phenomenon can cheer people up faster than the beauty of a rainbow. Getting great images of one is a challenge, they are difficult to predict and constantly changing, occurring due to a specific set of conditions. These tips will help you photograph rainbows when they appear, and get great results when processing your rainbow pics in the digital darkroom. As a bonus, I promise I will refrain from any "pot o' gold" jokes along the way. How, When, and Where to Find a Rainbow For a rainbow to appear you need three ingredients; light, … [Read more...] about How to Capture Fantastic Photos of Rainbows
Olympus M. Zukio Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro Lens First Look
The Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro lens has an equivalent focal length (EFL) of 14-28mm and is part of the Olympus Pro line. While I usually don’t prefer zooms I have decided that this one is a great compromise when I want to go super wide, but still be able to shoot a more normal wide angle like 28mm. It’s a solid lens made of metal, with a rubber seal around the mount. Attached to a weatherproof body (like the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 MK II) it is weather tight. It has super fast autofocus on the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 MK II … [Read more...] about Olympus M. Zukio Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro Lens First Look
Panasonic 12mm f/1.4 ASPH Leica DG SUMMILUX First Look
The Panasonic/Leica partnership is one of the most interesting pairings in photography. And it continues to bear fruit. There are several stellar lenses in the Panasonic lineup to prove it. And let’s face it - Panasonic was smart to team up with the Germans. Let's also just get this out of the way. When Leica is involved, you can immediately assume that this is going to be something fantastic. I have owned a few Leica cameras and lenses during my lifetime and every single time I touch Leica glass I feel lucky. It’s just special. When I found … [Read more...] about Panasonic 12mm f/1.4 ASPH Leica DG SUMMILUX First Look
Go Make A Panorama
You should make a lot more panoramic photographs. It's a great way to capture a larger view of the world, and you don't need to buy a new lens. In fact, you'll find that a panorama gives a better view than simply using a wide angle lens because the objects far away are not diminished as much as they are with a wide angle lens. There are many options for stitching the pieces of the panorama together. For my work, I've found Lightroom is usually adequate, and Photoshop does it a little better. Those who make a living selling panoramas often … [Read more...] about Go Make A Panorama
Instant Replay: The Future of Photoshop and Must Know Techniques
Bryan O'Neil Hughes and Howard Pinsky join Melissa Niu and Rich Harrington to discuss the state and future of Photoshop. Bryan, the Senior Product Manager for Photoshop at Adobe, helps us understand how the Photoshop team works, and Rich and Howard demonstrate must know techniques, all hosted by Melissa Niu. Photoshop techniques discussed include: Content Aware Fill tools, Video, Camera RAW as a Smart Filter, and Adaptive Wide Angle Lens correction. https://youtu.be/jjUYF4xLb_g … [Read more...] about Instant Replay: The Future of Photoshop and Must Know Techniques
Using eBay to find deals on lenses
I found my copy of Canon's EF 20-35mm F/2.8 on eBay of all places, and while I don't typically sell on eBay, I'll buy like no other. People are worried about scams and not receiving items as described, but in my experience of buying upward towards 500 expensive items, I've only had issues with only about 5 items, all of which eBay's buyer protection had back. I've bought lenses, computers, cameras and all sorts of random things for photography (often finding that some stores like Adorama, Newegg and Best Buy, exist), as well as other household … [Read more...] about Using eBay to find deals on lenses
Quick Tip: Focal Length and Distortion
The other day I was out with some friends, and I also brought my Fuji X-T1 and 18-55mm lens along for the ride. I ordered a beer, and before having a sip I decided to photograph it. Because I was sitting close to the table, my first instinct was to photograph it with the lens zoomed in (in this case, it was set to 24mm): The photo has some noticeable distortion, primarily at the top of the glass where it flares out and then narrows towards the bottom. I saw this and decided to re-shoot it, but instead I leaned back in my seat a bit, fully … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Focal Length and Distortion
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens Exploration
A couple of months ago one of my Photofocus posts Fifteen MM Fisheye Fun touched on how versatile this seemingly special purpose lens is. Here's more. What is a Fisheye lens? Fisheye lenses come in two flavors, curvilinear and circular. A circular fisheye lens shows the photograph as a circle. All lenses project a circle on the sensor. Their circles are so big that the camera's format provides the borders. If the lens were on a much larger sensor, the image would show as a circle. Back to the circular fisheye. These lenses have such a short … [Read more...] about Sigma 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens Exploration
Going Wide – Exploring the Leica 18mm f/3.8 Super-Elmar M Wide-Angle Prime
One of the biggest challenges for those who enjoy making landscape and architectural photographs is to locate and acquire the ideal wide-angle lens for the job. While no amount of gear is a replacement for experience and skill, we invariably learn as we go that certain projects will call for a solution beyond our existing means. Fortunately for photo-kind, powerful in-roads for testing and using specialized gear have surfaced to level the playing field, allowing photographers of all stripes full-access to the best tools and equipment … [Read more...] about Going Wide – Exploring the Leica 18mm f/3.8 Super-Elmar M Wide-Angle Prime
Creative Uses for a Wide Angle Lens
This is a guest post by Thomas Shue - lilsamedia.com/blog Follow him on Twitter: I know that most of you have heard of the wide angle lens before. And also know that most of you think the wide angle lens is meant to take pictures of a wide piece of real estate such as a landscape photograph. Well you can certainly use a wide angle lens for that purpose, but in most cases the landscape will look flat and lack detail because everything will appear so far away. You see, when you think wide angle, you should to think close up. That's a … [Read more...] about Creative Uses for a Wide Angle Lens
Using A Wide Angle Lens On A Micro Four Thirds Camera
Watch Scott shoot a great detail shot of a beautiful car. He's using a wide-angle lens on a micro four-thirds body. You can check out the whole class here and get a free trial membership here. Disclaimer: This is just one way to achieve this style of shot. ______ … [Read more...] about Using A Wide Angle Lens On A Micro Four Thirds Camera
How to Remove Distortion From Wide Angle Photos
If you shoot architecture or panoramas, you'll often shoot wide angle. This can lead to an unwanted fisheye effect. Whether you're shooting one exposure or stitching several, fixing the problem is stone cold simple. Learn how to use the Adaptive Wide Angle command in Photoshop to repair perspective issues in your photos. This is a fast and easy way to get better landscapes and architectural shots. Give us 2 minutes and we'll give you better looking photos. NOTE: This screen cast teaches AN approach to solving problems using various Adobe … [Read more...] about How to Remove Distortion From Wide Angle Photos
Removing Distortion From Your Photos In Photoshop
Learn how to remove unwanted bending from a photo using the new Adaptive Wide Angle command in Photoshop CS6. With just a few clicks your photo will look dramatically better. _______ … [Read more...] about Removing Distortion From Your Photos In Photoshop
The Benefits of Going Super Wide
Super wide angle lenses can be loads of fun. They help exaggerate the relationship of near to far itens and give depth and layers to photos that you don't see with lenses having a more traditional or "normal" field of view. I like shooting wide because it forces me to move and look at things in new ways. It's rather obvious, but one big benefit of a wide angle lens is the ability to include more information in a scene. This is tricky since it takes a seasoned eye sometimes to know what to include in a photo. It can be easy to include TOO much … [Read more...] about The Benefits of Going Super Wide
