Photographin Opera Houses & Street Scapes - what wide-angle focal lengths 8x10/4x5?

[PaulSchneider]

Hi guys,

I wonder what focal lengths one needs in 8x10 to get this perspective from the center stage of an opera:

http://www.myphotographytutorials.com/gallery/opera-incredible-photos-of-the-worlds-opera-houses

8x10 -> 150 XL is wide enough?

4x5 -> 72 XL or 58 XL?

or what about this one:

http://www.artnet.com/artists/lotdetailpage.aspx?lot_id=2435E4BA9E78A14CA6473882250F61E3

Finally, I wonder with what focal length Thomas Struth made his city scapes in 4x5:

http://www.google.ch/imgres?q=struth+streets&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1439&bih=802&tbs=isz:l&tbm=isch&tbnid=6qyo7Ey89gj59M:&imgrefurl=http://irresistibleparis.blogspot.com/&docid=8tdnjDYFMhKQTM&imgurl=http://blog.madame.lefigaro.fr/stehli/Struth%252520Thomas%252520%252520Water%252520Street,%252520New%252520York%2525201E7DA6.jpg&w=2480&h=1790&ei=QnawTp7cMrDc4QSYzbXUAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=997&vpy=181&dur=3324&hovh=191&hovw=264&tx=132&ty=206&sig=112087987683763698367&page=1&tbnh=126&tbnw=168&start=0&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0

Look at it at full resolution!

is this rather 58mm or 72mm?

Kind regards

Paul

[jeroldharter]

8x10 I am guessing a 120, maybe a 150.

[J. Gilbert Plantinga]

The David Leventi was done with a 150 SSXL on 8x10

[johnielvis]

150 is an angle of 2*atn(4*25.4/150) = 68 degrees of vertical view.....that first pic looks like almost 90 degrees.....120 will get you 81 degree....THAT's more like it

[J. Gilbert Plantinga]

Is that calculation for 4x5 or 8x10? David personally told me he used a 150.

[PaulSchneider]

Thanks guys!

@Gilbert & @John: What do u think about the second link? I find it crazy how the top of the libary gets distorted. Is this possibly a 120mm lens? Problem is, u wouln't have any room for movments with the Nikkor 120 SW, so I'm not sure if this is just the special perspective?

Kind regards

Paul

[eddie]

U should be able to use a bit of back movement......

[Daniel Stone]

a 110Xl will cover 8x10, but BARELY, and you'll definitely want that center filter for it...

it's wide, like a ~15-16mm in 35mm equivalent FL

-Dan

[johnielvis]

that's an 810 calculation

used 4" because that's the 1/2 height of the 1/2 angle

4x5 would be 2"*25.4....

I see this trick alot with superwides pictures--they point the lens at 45 degrees to the "horizon" and get a full "vertical of ceiling or floor and full verticals of walls...shot from a HIGH perspective...NOT from ground level

[PaulSchneider]

that's an 810 calculation

used 4" because that's the 1/2 height of the 1/2 angle

4x5 would be 2"*25.4....

I see this trick alot with superwides pictures--they point the lens at 45 degrees to the "horizon" and get a full "vertical of ceiling or floor and full verticals of walls...shot from a HIGH perspective...NOT from ground level

John, du you mean they then correct the converging lines in software to get that look?

Or what excactly do you mean this? In order to get a full vertical of the ceiling i have to be below the intended horizon and in order to get the full floor i have to stand above the intended horizon and then point the camera 45% up or downwards?

Very interesting!

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Paul,

If you look at your first link all of the photos have the horizon in the lower 1/4 of the photo. The cameras were tilted up until the chosen horizon was level and let the distortion go as it will for maximum coverage.