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Thread: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

  1. #11

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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    There are entire books written on the subject................L

  2. #12
    stradibarrius stradibarrius's Avatar
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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    Great thanks!
    Generalizations are made because they are Generally true...

  3. #13
    hacker extraordinaire
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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    Have only one lens.
    Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.
    --A=B by Petkovšek et. al.

  4. #14
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    Quote Originally Posted by BetterSense View Post
    Have only one lens.
    Alternatively, use only three lenses whose FLs are spread apart.
    On 4x5, say, a 90, 210 and 360.

  5. #15
    John Olsen
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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Lee View Post
    A web search for "lens perspective" or "focal length example" will result in a lot of images which illustrate the change of perspective we get by selecting focal length and then moving closer or farther to retain subject size.

    Here's a nice one from https://bakerdh.files.wordpress.com/...5/allsmall.jpg

    What's strange here is that the shorter focal length lenses make his hair look messier. Great examples, otherwise.

  6. #16
    uphereinmytree's Avatar
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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    I would add to the idea of limited lens choices and Ken's perspective illustrations, that when you use a few lenses enough or alot, you may find you instinctively know which lens a shot will need. It's taken me more shooting than I would have guessed to develop the 'lens sense' and i still start with the wrong one sometimes. Sometimes topography will dictate which lens to use. I remember way back when I would wonder 'how can I possibly know which aperture to use?" I'm now often confounded by "soft focus or sharp" and "which film and which paper for this shot?". Previsualization is the key. It seems my favorite shots are the ones where I didn't overthink things and just saw the image when I found it and then captured it.

  7. #17

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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    I mainly contact print so having everything I want in the frame is important and I also shoot with an 8x10 and seldom have more than one lens with me because most of them are so darned heavy to lug around, so that's the lens I'll use.
    Usually a wide lens (240 or 250mm) for close up shots, a really wide lens (159mm) for table top, a long lens (19") for more distant views and a normal lens (12" or 14") for everything else.
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  8. #18

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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    Actually, I think Heroique provided the answer. The viewfinder/framing card helps determine where in space the picture should be taken, and also the focal length that should be used. There is really only one best position in space to photograph the scene. That spot gives the best perspective. Once it is found using the framing device, that's where the lens should be placed.

    If the viewfinder opening has the same dimensions as the film format (e.g., 4x5), when you have framed the scene with the card at that spot, then the distance from the card to your eye tells you what focal length lens will give you that perspective. A card held 6" (150mm) away from your eye indicates a 6" (150mm) lens should be used on camera. If the scene looks best when the card is 12" (300mm) away, then a 12" (300mm) lens is indicated.

    All the other stuff about exaggerating nearer objects relative to further objects with shorter lenses will still be true, but the card lets you see that relationship directly and also informs about the appropriate lens focal length, how much background will be seen, etc. It doesn't matter if you are doing a landscape or tabletop, the card works in both situations.

    Consider what happens to the scene when two somewhat overlapping bottles at different distances are photographed with lenses of different focal lengths. If the foreground bottle is to have a certain height in the picture with the shorter lens, the lens will be closer to it and the bottle will look larger than the one in the background. There will also be more background evident overall. If you maintain the same image size of the foreground object using a longer lens, several effects will occur as you will need to back up (i.e., increase the subject distance) and thus change the perspective. First, the relative sizes of the foreground and background bottles will become more similar. Second, less background will be seen within the format. Third, the top and bottom of the foreground bottle will appear to be closer together than they were with the shorter lens relative to the same areas of the background bottle. IOW, the top of the foreground bottle will appear to be lower relative to the top of the background bottle compared to the first situation and ditto with the bases. Fourth, since you've changed the perspective by changing the subject distance, the shape of the ellipses that visually result from the cylindrical shapes will change and alter the overall impression of the bottle shapes. The ellipses become more like lines than circles, the space between the bottles appears visually reduced and the whole scene seems flatter. Substitute a landscape with trees instead of bottles and the same things happen visually.

    Another thing very nice about using the card is that the card will show you where the lens should be placed in physical space. Once that is found, the big camera can be placed there. That's a lot easier than trying to find the best spot by moving the camera and tripod around and looking under the hood at an inverted image. Also, you could use a 4x5 card to determine best focal lengths for an 8x10 or any other format with the same aspect ratio. If the shot looks good with a 4x5 opening 6" from your eye, doubling that distance will tell you that a 12" lens will give the same perspective with an 8x10 camera. If you really want to get fancy, a #90 Wratten monochrome viewing filter could be added to the card for b&w work to allow tonal relationships to be estimated as well. A similar device was once marketed by Fred Picker and his Zone VI Studios.

  9. #19
    ic-racer's Avatar
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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    I only carry one lens when I got out with LF gear. I can create great images with all of my lenses. I usually choose a lens based on my mood that day.

  10. #20

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    Re: how do decide which lens to use for a given shot

    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Smigiel View Post
    Actually, I think Heroique provided the answer. The viewfinder/framing card helps determine where in space the picture should be taken, and also the focal length that should be used. There is really only one best position in space to photograph the scene. That spot gives the best perspective. Once it is found using the framing device, that's where the lens should be placed.

    If the viewfinder opening has the same dimensions as the film format (e.g., 4x5), when you have framed the scene with the card at that spot, then the distance from the card to your eye tells you what focal length lens will give you that perspective. A card held 6" (150mm) away from your eye indicates a 6" (150mm) lens should be used on camera. If the scene looks best when the card is 12" (300mm) away, then a 12" (300mm) lens is indicated.

    All the other stuff about exaggerating nearer objects relative to further objects with shorter lenses will still be true, but the card lets you see that relationship directly and also informs about the appropriate lens focal length, how much background will be seen, etc. It doesn't matter if you are doing a landscape or tabletop, the card works in both situations.

    Consider what happens to the scene when two somewhat overlapping bottles at different distances are photographed with lenses of different focal lengths. If the foreground bottle is to have a certain height in the picture with the shorter lens, the lens will be closer to it and the bottle will look larger than the one in the background. There will also be more background evident overall. If you maintain the same image size of the foreground object using a longer lens, several effects will occur as you will need to back up (i.e., increase the subject distance) and thus change the perspective. First, the relative sizes of the foreground and background bottles will become more similar. Second, less background will be seen within the format. Third, the top and bottom of the foreground bottle will appear to be closer together than they were with the shorter lens relative to the same areas of the background bottle. IOW, the top of the foreground bottle will appear to be lower relative to the top of the background bottle compared to the first situation and ditto with the bases. Fourth, since you've changed the perspective by changing the subject distance, the shape of the ellipses that visually result from the cylindrical shapes will change and alter the overall impression of the bottle shapes. The ellipses become more like lines than circles, the space between the bottles appears visually reduced and the whole scene seems flatter. Substitute a landscape with trees instead of bottles and the same things happen visually.

    Another thing very nice about using the card is that the card will show you where the lens should be placed in physical space. Once that is found, the big camera can be placed there. That's a lot easier than trying to find the best spot by moving the camera and tripod around and looking under the hood at an inverted image. Also, you could use a 4x5 card to determine best focal lengths for an 8x10 or any other format with the same aspect ratio. If the shot looks good with a 4x5 opening 6" from your eye, doubling that distance will tell you that a 12" lens will give the same perspective with an 8x10 camera. If you really want to get fancy, a #90 Wratten monochrome viewing filter could be added to the card for b&w work to allow tonal relationships to be estimated as well. A similar device was once marketed by Fred Picker and his Zone VI Studios.

    +1, absolutely right.
    I even considered it so obvious that in the first moment I couldn't get the sense of the OP's question.

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