is it possible to do landscape with 50mm FL on APS-c

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Those are good ideas, I particularly like the idea of a fibonacci overlay as I use the fibonacci in my compositions pretty often, like this picture of a nearby waterfall. So I'd definitely find it useful to be able to select various overlays to aid in composition.

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visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

This image has been staring at me all night from my Flickr tab. It is an example of a very good 28mm lens (albeit an expensive one)

Obsolete relic of the days long gone by Dejan Dodić, on Flickr

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

That does look good. What is it?

Here's one I shot today with a very cheap but surprisingly good 28mm, albeit on m43 where it ceases to be wide.

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER'S QUOTES ON COMPOSITION

“Now, to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravity before going for a walk.”
Edward Weston

“When subject matter is forced to fit into preconceived patterns, there can be no freshness of vision. Following rules of composition can only lead to a tedious repetition of pictorial cliches.”
Edward Weston

"Good composition is merely the strongest way of seeing.”
Edward Weston

"I usually have an immediate recognition of the potential image, and I have found that too much concern about matters such as conventional composition may take the edge off the first inclusive reaction".
Ansel Adams

“This recognition, in real life, of a rhythm of surfaces, lines, and values is for me the essence of photography; composition should be a constant of preoccupation, being a simultaneous coalition – an organic coordination of visual elements.”
Henri Cartier Bresson

“Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera.”
Henri Cartier Bresson

"My theory of composition? Simple: do not release the shutter until everything in the viewfinder feels just right."
Ernst Haas

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Edward Weston's work is another good place to find the Rule of Thirds and the Golden Ratio in use:

Although Ansel Adams once said “The so-called rules of photographic composition are, in my opinion, invalid, irrelevant and immaterial.” his work shows that he also followed them in most of his compositions:

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

As for Ernst Haas, his work might, at first glance, appear to break the rules, but in fact, once you understand what you're actually looking at, it becomes obvious that he very rarely deviated from the Rule of Thirds and in fact, his compositions frequently make use of very strong vertical or horizontal features placed along the thirds - textbook use of the rule.

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

Going back to the original topic of which lens to use for landscape photography, I believe that pretty much any lens has its uses. The point I'd like to make is why a photographer like Henri Cartier Bresson purposely limited himself to using a 50mm lens for virtually every shot he took. It is important to say that this kind of self-limitation is not very common among most amateur or professional photographers.

Using just one focal length for a lifetime has its advantages. The photographer's eyes and brain are trained to instantly predict what the final photograph will be. Bresson's ability to adjust the speed and aperture (and perhaps even focus) of his Leica while it was still in his pocket was legendary. At the "decisive moment", he would pull his camera out of his pocket and snap the photo instantly without thinking.

The standardization of a work instrument is a very efficient means for better results. This explains, for example, why basketball, football, tennis, golf, etc. balls have standardized sizes and weights. For Cartier Bresson, his camera was just a working tool and, for him, the "standardization" of the focal length was very important.

Another justification for Cartier Bresson always using a 50mm lens is that he considered his camera as an extention of his eyes. As is well known, the 50mm lens is the one that best emulates the human vision. That's why SLR camera manufacturers worked so hard to achieve 1:1 viewfinder magnification when using a 50mm lens.

That said, I don't think all photographers need to adopt the same artistic attitude as Cartier Bresson. There's nothing wrong with a photographer using lenses of varying focal lengths. However, in the case of the OP, my opinion based on the photo he presented was, and still remains the same, that his priority at that point should be developping a better understanding of composition, not to acquire a wide-angle lens.

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/cameras-vs-human-eye.htm

RokkorDoctor · Joined: 27 Nov 2021 Posts: 1271 Location: Kent, UK

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

50mm also isn't a 'normal' FOV either, for 35mm that would be 43.2mm which is the diagonal measurement of the frame. The rule of thumb being that the diagonal is equal to the normal FOV.

For APS-C, it's 28.8mm and for M4/3 it's 22mm.

bluedxca93 · Joined: 19 May 2021 Posts: 67

On canon Apsc 50mm is cropped anyway so 35 mm is more standard length. 50 mm on apsc is a light tele lens not as much tele like the 135mm ones or higher.
The 18mm of the kitzoom is a wide angle length that much is clear.

eggplant · Joined: 27 May 2020 Posts: 516

This is worth a read when it comes to landscape photography, focal length, perspective:

https://petapixel.com/2021/03/24/a-50mm-lens-is-all-you-really-need-in-landscape-photography/

Basically, stitching three 50mm shots, where the camera is rotated left and right, gives different look to a single shot with a 24mm ultrawide angle lens.

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

Not all situations are easy to stitch and fast changing light conditions are also a challenge.

RokkorDoctor · Joined: 27 Nov 2021 Posts: 1271 Location: Kent, UK

skida · Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:18 pm Post subject:

The best landscape lens on any camera is the one you have with you when you see a shot. This was a Helios 44M (58/2) on a Sony A3000 APS-C
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iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I like that image, can't knock the good old Helios. It also happens to follow the rule of thirds, which is one reason why it appeals to my eyes.

bluedxca93 · Joined: 19 May 2021 Posts: 67

Yashinon ds 50mm stitched.

@skida nice picture. Looks great

marius.zaech · Joined: 27 Jan 2021 Posts: 53 Location: Switzerland

As many here have stated you can take great pictures with almost any focal lenght. A 50mm on APS-C works well but introduces some limitation. Limitation can really boost your creativity! But I would still recommend to throw some "extreme" focal lengths in your bag from time to time.

To me the most important thing is to choose your focal length with intent. Do i want a broad expansive look, lots of foreground, the most natural perspective, a compressed and tight feel, etc?

When it comes to composition my approach is often the excact opposite. Once the lens is on it stays on for a while, pan around, move positions until the image in your viewfinder "feels" right. One tip for finding some balance would be to squint your eyes (or defocus the lens) until you only see shapes, colors and luminosity areas. The eye can often get too concentrated on details or the main subject, especially when trying to compose an image for a long time.

You can always resort to conventional rules such as rule of thirds if you are not happy with the picture you took. And maybe we should all remember from time to time that photography is an art and thus extremely subjective. Most of us won't sell many prints in our lifetime. So take those pictures that YOU want to hang in your living room, and not those that us internet strangers rant about.

Here is an example of three very different photos, taken from almost the same position. The first one was with a 17mm and a more conventional framing, clear fore and background and a subject (the fence)

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The second one was taken at 200mm and slightly cropped. It is much more flat, abstract and simple.

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And the third one (taken a bit later in the day) throws most "rules" out of the window. Multiple conflicting subjects, no clear lines, very flat with not much depth etc. And still I think it is very interesting since it shows a perspective that our eyes rarely ever experience.

#3

Edit: Yes i know, the sensor was very dirty hahaha

Gerald · Joined: 25 Mar 2014 Posts: 1196 Location: Brazil

bluedxca93 · Joined: 19 May 2021 Posts: 67

Gerald you might think its easy. Well i would agree if you say easier. Very quick change of lightning conditions or waves , flying birds etc. That wont go well with stitching. And these elements are part of landscapes too. Indeed in the color panorama picture i had a small swarm of some birds in the source images but in the stitched image there arent there anymore. And why? 'Cause the application decided to use another image as reference.for that part.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

This one is three frames stitched together, shot with a 23mm lens on M43, which equates to a 46mm lens of 35mm FF.

There was another sheep in the centre forground, but after stitching, only half of that sheep was still visible. Therefore I simply used the clone stamp tool in photoshop to remove it.

As for it being easy, well, Gerald talks a lot of rubbish and this is no exception. It is easier than it used to be, but there are still a lot of factors to take into account. Gerald would know this if he actually shot some panoramas himself, but no, he is just a troll and far too cowardly to ever post any of his own pictures, so unless he proves otherwise we can assume he hasn't shot any panoramas and therefore, as per usual hasn't got much of a clue what he is talking about.

From the other end of the lens width spectrum and shot the same day is this one, I used a 9.7mm projector lens and it's five images stitched together.

Same lens a couple of days earlier, this one was four frames stitched together:

skida · Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:14 pm Post subject:

Blue, Marius and Ian: Some great examples of different lenses on a digital censor. I am glad I came back here when I read and see such fascinating info and pictures.

RokkorDoctor · Joined: 27 Nov 2021 Posts: 1271 Location: Kent, UK

You guys are masochists! Wink

I'll stick with the fish eye lens...