-
Welcome to the new forums! Please read this first. For known issues we are working to resolve, click here.
Do you agree with this video? It's about 50mm lenses.
- Thread starter Supisiche
- Start date
yardcoyote
Forum Pro
- Messages
- 18,132
- Solutions
- 14
- Reaction score
- 18,310
It's definitely a thing you can do. When done with on open heart and mind (and with a little bit of luck, as always), it gives a very serene, direct, honest looking image with a strong illusion of truth. Even if this isn't your thing in general, it is an interesting exercise. If you want to take it further, you could read some books on miksang or contemplative photography.
A 40 or 45mm works too, but I like 50mm equivalent best for this. I just got a 50mm macro and I think it's going to make an excellent miksang lens.
A 40 or 45mm works too, but I like 50mm equivalent best for this. I just got a 50mm macro and I think it's going to make an excellent miksang lens.
Ty. I'll look into that. The problem is that I use a 50mm.. on a crop camera. It feels weird haha.
yardcoyote
Forum Pro
- Messages
- 18,132
- Solutions
- 14
- Reaction score
- 18,310
That's 75 mm, which is a different kettle of fish. I actually really like that species: one of my favorite lenses for Fuji crop is their 50mm f/2, and I recently bought a 75mm prime for my FF Nikon. But it's not a field of view that will let you forget the camera is even there, that's for sure. It's a very distinct telephoto.
Try a 28 or 35mm lens on your crop camera. My favorite miksang lens for Fuji is the old 35mm /1.4.
Try a 28 or 35mm lens on your crop camera. My favorite miksang lens for Fuji is the old 35mm /1.4.
Okay (˶◕ω◕˶✿)
Tom Axford
Forum Pro
I haven't heard of Martin Castein before, but he appears to be a very good photographer and the advice he gives is sound.
The main point he makes is that if the camera is not completely level, then the verticals in the picture will be leaning slightly and this can be very irritating.
He also says that 50mm is a favourite focal length of his and can give images which are very natural-looking, although he doesn't attempt to give a more detailed scientific explanation of why this is.
Tom Axford
Forum Pro
There are two different points here that are often confused (as in that question in the link you gave).
Converging verticals occurs when the camera is pointing in a direction that is not exactly horizontal. If the camera is pointing slightly upwards, the verticals converge towards the top of the picture, if the camera is pointing slightly downwards, the verticals converge towards the bottom of the picture. This happens for all focal lengths, but is more noticeable in some cases than others.
A normal lens (of 50mm focal length or thereabouts on FF) can give a very natural looking perspective if other things (such as the verticals being vertical) are right too.
The point Martin Carstein makes is that very natural looking images can be obtained by using a 50mm lens and keeping the camera level and getting a good composition.
Now i'm more confused
. What if the camera it's right on the center (same distance to top/botton)? Why do I get distortion if i'm just tilting the camera?[ATTACH alt="D is the "same" "]3734703[/ATTACH]
D is the "same"
Attachments
Tom Axford
Forum Pro
Try it for yourself!Now i'm more confused
D is the "same"
Here is an example of mine. The first image is with the camera level, the second image is with the camera tilted up.
Camera level - Verticals are vertical
Camera tilted upwards - Verticals converge towards a vanishing point that is somewhere above the top of the image
Woah. ThanksTry it for yourself!Now i'm more confused
D is the "same"
Here is an example of mine. The first image is with the camera level, the second image is with the camera tilted up.
Camera level - Verticals are vertical
Camera tilted upwards - Verticals converge towards a vanishing point that is somewhere above the top of the image
Tilted camera
He makes a good point that camera position is important as is levelling the camera, 50 or not. That is photography 101 though.
And the story about a bunch of short photographers all shooting from the eye level all with a 50 is so made up
And the story about a bunch of short photographers all shooting from the eye level all with a 50 is so made up
Last edited:
I have serious trouble at leveling the camera, many of my images look like this:He makes a good point that camera position is important as is levelling the camera, 50 or not. That is photography 101 though.
And the story about a bunch of short photographers all shooting from the eye level all with a 50 is so made up
I do agree with the video's point about keeping the camera level for a more natural look. Decades ago I chose the Bogen 3047 tripod head specifically because it included dual bubble levels; now I have digital cameras with indicators right in the viewfinder that can tell me if the camera is tilted up, down, right, or left. I can't say, though, that tilting the camera a bit up or down to include what I want in the scene ever bothered me as much as it seems to bother him.I have serious trouble at leveling the camera, many of my images look like this:He makes a good point that camera position is important as is levelling the camera, 50 or not. That is photography 101 though.
And the story about a bunch of short photographers all shooting from the eye level all with a 50 is so made up
Tom Axford
Forum Pro
Get yourself a mirrorless camera with a level indicator in the viewfinder. I have been using them for 15 years and the level indicator is invaluable. It allows you to get the camera level in either or both of two axes, front to back and side to side.I have serious trouble at leveling the camera, many of my images look like this:
I have a 3x3 framing grid and a 1-axis level indicator set as a default. This is enough to avoid the tilted horizon like in the image above. However, this side-to-side 1-axis level indicator will not catch the camera's nose tilt discussed in the video. You would need a 2-axis level indicator for that.Get yourself a mirrorless camera with a level indicator in the viewfinder. I have been using them for 15 years and the level indicator is invaluable. It allows you to get the camera level in either or both of two axes, front to back and side to side.I have serious trouble at leveling the camera, many of my images look like this:
I have got the 2-axis level indicator set to one of the function buttons but I rarely use it. I just look for diverging/converging verticals in the image and tilt the nose of the camera up/down accordingly. If there are no visible buildings in the frame to give a reference for a vertical line, then "nobody's gonna know"
Last edited:
Oh I feel stupidGet yourself a mirrorless camera with a level indicator in the viewfinder. I have been using them for 15 years and the level indicator is invaluable. It allows you to get the camera level in either or both of two axes, front to back and side to side.I have serious trouble at leveling the camera, many of my images look like this:
I got it a week ago
Tom Axford
Forum Pro
I think we have all done that, especially with modern cameras with a zillion different options!
I'm sure some of my cameras have useful options that I still haven't discovered! :-(
MacM545
Leading Member
In my opinion 50mm is about perfect focal length for Full Frame, because it's a great balance between what's a wide angle and a telephoto lens, so it's more versatile. It's a more or less natural perspective, or angle of view. 50mm lens is supposedly relatively difficult to make if it's to be designed for sharpness. I've noticed that some 50mm lenses can come in relatively large aperture compared to many other focal lengths that aren't telephoto.
Did you mean "easy to make"? Some variations of double Gauss design sold in 10s of millions during the film era. Are you saying they are not sharp enough? I've got 4 copies of various Pextax 50mm manual lenses, cost in £10 to £70 range. All good sharpness wise but the 50/2.8 macro is one of the sharpest lenses I've got.
Because a standard f/1.4 is relatively easy to make?
Keyboard shortcuts
- f
- Forum