Wide angle lenses can be used to shoot both interiors and outdoors. But if you get a poor quality wide angle lens, the imperfection would really stand out. Better get something that fits the kinds of photos you usually take. Here is a quick guide to help you identify how wide your Canon wide angle lens should be.

Wide angle lenses have a focal length of less than 40mm. The shots they give are of near-far composition. You can use this type of lens in taking shots of the sky, wide vistas, and scenes with curved shapes. Because of the wide coverage, circular or curved shapes are easily depicted.

If you are into landscape photography, then a Canon wide angle lens is for you. Since there is an extensive angle of viewing, pictures appear dynamic, surprising, but sometimes exaggerating. You can truly bring dynamism into your photographs by exaggerating foreground details and perspective.

You will probably notice that Canon wide angle lenses have the IS and USM abbreviations. IS stands for image stabilization which is very helpful in taking shots with low light. The built-in stabilizer motor is an advantage especially if you do not have a tripod. USM refers to UltraSonic Motor which is a Canon patented technology that makes focusing fast and quiet. Wide angle lenses with the USM technology are perfect for weddings as taking photos won’t get unnecessary attention.

If you are choosing a Canon wide angle lens, consider first your budget. Do not forget to consider as well the type of camera that you are using. And of course, you have to identify the focal range you want to cover. This is simply the key in deciding how wide your wide angle lens should be.

Canon wide angle lenses allows you to take dynamic shots and large-scale images. This is a good type of lens for beginners since they cost less expensive and the 18-40 mm is a safe focal range. You can use this indoors, too, if you want to capture images or scenes with a broader perspective.

Perfect photographs are those that impart a story; those that do not just show a captured image or scene. With Canon wide angle lenses, you’re assured that you will be able to present the former and not just the latter.

If you are fond of capturing the beauty of greeneries, mountains and landscapes, then a Canon wide angle zoom lens should be your favorite photography tool. But aside from having such tool, you should also have a basic understanding of how to use it properly. Let the following information help you take perfect mountain and landscape photographs and avoid wide angle zoom lens mishaps.

When using a Canon wide angle zoom lens in taking photos of mountains, remember that the subject will get relatively smaller regardless of how much foreground you have. Even if you have perfect meadow scenery in the foreground, the small mountains will appear even smaller in the picture. Now if what you want to capture is the mountain range, then you have to get closer to where they are.

A Canon wide angle zoom lens is not enough for you to take a good shot. Remember the theory about stretching perspective. When using this type of lens, it is important that you get to the right location first.

Next is to focus it properly. If you are using a 17-18mm wide angle lens on a digital camera with a crop feature, just focus it at five feet and set the lens to f22 for you to have the right depth of field and maximum sharpness. If you are using a 12-16mm wide angle zoom lens, focus it 3 feet away from the subject then shoot at f22 and record exposure with 2 feet to infinity depth of field. Through these processes, you get the maximum depth of field when shooting wide angle.

A Canon wide angle zoom lens tends to have less sharpness at its very wide angle, particularly at the widest aperture. This design constraint is hard to avoid but can be corrected through focusing it into 1/3 of the scene from the foreground. If possible, use the depth of field (DOF) preview on the camera and check the sharpness zones.

Take these considerations in mind and use your Canon wide angle zoom lens efficiently. If used properly, this type of lens can provide you with dramatic and exciting photographs. Learn the techniques and utilize your lenses to the fullest and effortlessly achieve that pro-shot.