Focal Lengths and Different Viewpoints

This exercise is almost the opposite of the previous exercise and aims to show the difference obtained by moving viewpoint rather than solely changing focal length.

In this exercise the sign at the centre of the picture was taken from some distance using a 200mm lens on a full frame digital camera.  The size of the sign is lined up along the bottom of the picture and almost to the top of the picture.

 

200mm

This second picture was taken using a 24mm lens with the position adjusted so that the size of the sign is the same as it was when using the long lens.

 

24mm

  

The exercise clearly shows that the two pictures are very different.  With the long lens, the sign in the centre and the picture is a very narrow field of view, really it is just a picture of the sign.  With the wide lens, the sign is very prominent in the centre however behind the sign, the full wide picture of the scene is visible.

This and the previous exercise show how focal length and viewpoint need to be considered when composing a shot.  Changing focal alone is sometimes the easy option, but changing position can create a very different effect too.