Question about a 90mm fuji lens on a Wisner 4 x 5

[ndwgolf]

Hi guys
When using a 90mm wide angle lens on a LF camera shooting a landscape with a model on the shot does the lens tend to distort making the model look fat??

Reason for the question I am planning to shoot a pretty model in some paddy fields so I not only want the model in the shot but I also want the landscape in as well......hopefully not making her look fat

Thanks

Neil

[locutus]

thats a strangely phrased question......

a 90mm on 5x4 will look similiar to a 28mm on 135 format. give or take a bit for the different aspect ratio.

[Bob Salomon]

If your lens is good it will not distort. A lens that distorts is either poorly designed or defective.

That being said you are asking about using a wide angle you will be faced with an effect of optical physics called foreshortening. That means that objects closer to the lens will appear larger then objects further from the lens. The longer the lens the less of an issue this becomes.
So, if you want to use a 90 on 45 for environmental portiture there are things you should do, move the subject further from the lens and turn them so you are not shooting them directly on.

[ndwgolf]

If your lens is good it will not distort. A lens that distorts is either poorly designed or defective.

That being said you are asking about using a wide angle you will be faced with an effect of optical physics called foreshortening. That means that objects closer to the lens will appear larger then objects further from the lens. The longer the lens the less of an issue this becomes.
So, if you want to use a 90 on 45 for environmental portiture there are things you should do, move the subject further from the lens and turn them so you are not shooting them directly on.Thanks Bob,
When you say further are we looking at 10 or 20 feet for example??

[ndwgolf]

Yea Ive got that bit....when shooting my Leica S with a 30mm (~24mm in 135) I have to be very carful the lens is level or it make my wife look fat and that means no dinner or p***** for the rest of the week :) :)
thats a strangely phrased question......

a 90mm on 5x4 will look similiar to a 28mm on 135 format. give or take a bit for the different aspect ratio.

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks Bob,
When you say further are we looking at 10 or 20 feet for example??

20 should be good.

[David Lobato]

You should also be aware of perspective distortion, as opposed to lens distortion. The closer the model is to the camera the greater the perspective distortion. Typical phone selfies have high perspective distortion with their ~28mm equiv. lenses at arm's length. Position your model at least 10-15 feet away for best results.

[Bob Salomon]

You should also be aware of perspective distortion, as opposed to lens distortion. The closer the model is to the camera the greater the perspective distortion. Typical phone selfies have high perspective distortion with their ~28mm equiv. lenses at arm's length. Position your model at least 10-15 feet away for best results.

Perspective is controlled by the angle of the camera to the subject. What you are talking about is foreshortening.

[ndwgolf]

Okay so I will get my wife to stand ~15 feet away and also have her sideways on...........that will work. Will I also be able to use front tilt to try and get the front middle and far in focus??

[William Whitaker]

Yea Ive got that bit....when shooting my Leica S with a 30mm (~24mm in 135) I have to be very carful the lens is level or it make my wife look fat and that means no dinner or p***** for the rest of the week :) :)

photography

[ndwgolf]

photographylol

[Bob Salomon]

Okay so I will get my wife to stand ~15 feet away and also have her sideways on...........that will work. Will I also be able to use front tilt to try and get the front middle and far in focus??

Yes you can tilt, but with a 90 it probably isn't necessary as the depth of field should cover it. Your lens hits optimal aperture at f16 or, even more likely, f22. For maximum depth of field you need to focus 1/3rd of the way into the scene that you want to be covered by the depth of field. That is because depth of field runs 1/3rd towards the lens and 2/3rd away from the subject. Since the apparent sharpness from depth of field is dependent on the final size that you will enlarge the film it is also important that you check your focus and depth of field on the ground glass with a high quality, focusing 4 or 6x loupe that is focused on the grain side of your gg.

[ndwgolf]

it is also important that you check your focus and depth of field on the ground glass with a high quality, focusing 4 or 6x loupe that is focused on the grain side of your gg.Bob
I bought myself a Wista 5x Standard Focusing Loupe.............hopefully that will get it..
What do you mean by "that is focused on the grain side of your gg"

[Bob Salomon]

Bob
I bought myself a Wista 5x Standard Focusing Loupe.............hopefully that will get it..
What do you mean by "that is focused on the grain side of your gg"

Take the lens off your camera, point your camera at a bright light source. Put the loupe on the gg and adjust the loupes focus ring until you can sharply see the grain of the gg. Your loupe is now adjusted to focus on the ground side of the gg where the image is formed.

[ndwgolf]

Take the lens off your camera, point your camera at a bright light source. Put the loupe on the gg and adjust the loupes focus ring until you can sharply see the grain of the gg. Your loupe is now adjusted to focus on the ground side of the gg where the image is formed.

Thanks Bob. I will do that.

[AA+]

A trouble with wide angle lenses taking pictures of people: If the people are toward the corners of the picture their image is elongated toward the center of the film. As an example, a sphere at a corner becomes elliptical on the film, the major axis pointing to the film center. Keeping a person reasonably toward the center would keep the person better proportioned. The film viewer is less upset with a distorted tree image in the corner.

Best wishes --- Allen

[Corran]

Usually wide angles tend to make people look thinner, compared to longer lenses, assuming the same framing (i.e. moving closer for the wide angle). Two different lenses from the same position will look identical, just with less in the frame for the longer lens.

This is a commonly cited demonstrative image:

http://i.imgur.com/c0wXVaX.jpg

Regardless, what you see is what you get. Look at your ground glass and decide for yourself. There's no substituting actual experience. If the image has issues due to perspective/foreshortening, back up and use a longer lens.

[ndwgolf]

Thanks

Usually wide angles tend to make people look thinner, compared to longer lenses, assuming the same framing (i.e. moving closer for the wide angle). Two different lenses from the same position will look identical, just with less in the frame for the longer lens.

This is a commonly cited demonstrative image:

http://i.imgur.com/c0wXVaX.jpg

Regardless, what you see is what you get. Look at your ground glass and decide for yourself. There's no substituting actual experience. If the image has issues due to perspective/foreshortening, back up and use a longer lens.