Difference between an 50mm photo and a 100mm photo?

• Cormac_rules

  Participant

  May 21, 2009 at 4:08 pm

  Hi all,

  Two of the guidelines regarding preparing photomontages state:

  1. A camera lens focal length of 50-70mm is recommended for taking photographs for preparation of photomontages.

  2. Panoramic photographs included to illustrate the context in which the development might be visible should be prepared by splicing photographs taken with a 50-70mm lens and not by inclusion of views taken with a wide-angle lens.

  I have been taking the photographs with a 50mm lens but this is shooting a much larger area than I require to shoot. (eg. 2-3 landscape photos stitched together)
  I then crop the image to the required size of 100degrees.

  An alternative is to shoot with a 100mm lens. (eg. 8-9 portrait photos stitched together). This give me much higher resoluation images to work with.
  I then crop the image to the required size of 100degrees.

  When the 2 photos are printed, they look the exacted same! (except for resolution of course)

  My question is:
  Why does the guidelines say to use a 50-70mm lens?

  Thanks in advance!
  Cormac
  Cormac_rules

  Participant

  May 29, 2009 at 9:46 am

  Any help would me much appreicated!!!
  CianMcLiam

  Participant

  May 29, 2009 at 9:55 am

  I think they are thinking of distortion effects, probably more on the wide end than the longer end as you’ve found out. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using a 100mm lens other than you need to take a lot more photos than with a wider focal length. Maybe they figure 50-70mm will be in the midrange of a zoom lens so will show much less barrel and pincushion distortion.

  If it works for you, go with it!
  paul

  Participant

  May 29, 2009 at 10:11 am

  It might also depend where you got these “guidelines” from. The opinion they express (it’s only an opinion and not a requirement) will work, but so will your option using the 100mm lens too.
  randomway

  Member

  May 29, 2009 at 10:59 am

  As Liam said above, use the lens or focal length with the least distortion.
  Cormac_rules

  Participant

  June 2, 2009 at 6:57 am

  Thanks for you help!

  I have one other question!

  Is there anyway that you can calculate what lense a photo was shot with just by looking at the printed photograph?
  Mark

  Keymaster

  June 2, 2009 at 7:05 am

  Almost certainly nope.
  petercox

  Member

  June 2, 2009 at 7:32 am

  Longer lenses will produce ‘flatter’ looking images, so it’s usually possible to infer whether or not an image was made with a telephoto or a wide angle lens, but it’s impossible to be precise.

  Cheers,
  Peter