Different focal lengths of same scene

Different focal lengths of same sceneIMG Changed · 09:01 AM

The different look you get by changing focal lengths just amazes me. The colors of this blueberry field haven't reached their peak yet so I am playing around with which lens I want to use and how to frame this shot. The first was taken with a 100mm lens and the second is with a 43mm lens. After seeing how different they look I'm going to have to also try a 28mm.

Any thoughts you might have on which prospective appeals to you more would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ken
P.S. I retook these so the composition is the same and added a 28mm shot. I think this shows the difference in the depth you get from different focal lengths better. The light was changing rapidly and didn't adjust WB.

lapeen · 10-17-2007, 09:19 AM

The colors in these are gorgeous! I prefer the first one. The color of the sky in the 2nd one is nice, but the 1st shot is much more interesting and 'grounded' to me. The fall colors of the trees aross the lake...pond? stand out more too.

and · 10-17-2007, 09:26 AM

An interesting comparison as I have been thinking about this too lately, although in the context of portraits. Long teles do have the ability to compress the scene and thus they can be more flattering for some models, some photographers use 300mm lenses for portraits for that reason. in this case I prefer the wide angle shot...

ChrisA · 10-17-2007, 09:40 AM

Originally posted by regken

The different look you get by changing focal lengths just amazes me. <snip>. The first was taken with a 100mm lens and the second is with a 43mm lens.

Were you standing in the same place for both shots?

regken · 10-17-2007, 09:49 AM

Originally posted by ChrisA

Were you standing in the same place for both shots?

Close but not exactly, maybe 2 feet difference. I need to go back and be a little more precise. However, the longer focal lengths do bring the background up into the photo more. The wider angle pushes the background away. Still trying to figure out what I like the best.

Ken

Duplo · 10-17-2007, 09:53 AM

Interesting comparison.
I continously evaluate what focal length to use for specific scenes.

While both are nice photos, composition is quite different though and your composition in the first is more pleasing to me.

I think composition with the 43 would have been great to see if the near foreground shared composition with the first photo.

regken · 10-17-2007, 10:04 AM

Originally posted by Duplo

Interesting comparison.
I continously evaluate what focal length to use for specific scenes.

While both are nice photos, composition is quite different though and your composition in the first is more pleasing to me.

I think composition with the 43 would have been great to see if the near foreground shared composition with the first photo.

Agreed. I will go back today and use the composition from the first photo and shoot it with the 43mm, 28mm, and the 100mm.

Thanks,

Ken

regken · 10-18-2007, 05:56 AM

I went out and reshot this scene and was hoping you might take a look and comment.

Thanks,

Ken

and · 10-18-2007, 06:45 AM

thanks for posting this, very interesting to see this, I had been thinking about doing this kind of comparison myself. so its a choice of having the foreground og background appear bigger or a balanced version.

Most correct looking is the middle one. I note that the rock for me becomes just a distracting element in the last one, but a properly emphasized main point in the first one.

I think the main point in the image changes from the rock in the first one, to the road in the second, and the mountain in the background in the last one. very interesting comparison

Fritz · 10-18-2007, 07:01 AM

I think the first one is my favorite. It is an interesting comparison.

regken · 10-18-2007, 07:06 AM

Originally posted by and

thanks for posting this, very interesting to see this, I had been thinking about doing this kind of comparison myself. so its a choice of having the foreground og background appear bigger or a balanced version.

Most correct looking is the middle one. I note that the rock for me becomes just a distracting element in the last one, but a properly emphasized main point in the first one.

I think the main point in the image changes from the rock in the first one, to the road in the second, and the mountain in the background in the last one. very interesting comparison

Thanks Andreas,

So now you have introduced a new element into what I need to do. I tried cropping the rock out of the images and think the 100mm photo would be much improved if I retook it without the rock. Landscape composition is not easy for me. This has been a very good learning experience.

Thanks,

Ken

Duplo · 10-18-2007, 07:41 PM

Originally posted by regken

Landscape composition is not easy for me. This has been a very good learning experience.

That is definitely true. Composition is probably one of the most interesting thing about photography to me.

The comparison looks better now and definitely shows how a difference in focal lengs yields a different result.

Thanks for sahring and reshooting this experiment.

I have always had a wide angle bias.

and · 10-18-2007, 08:09 PM

oh, and I note for the comparison, in the third image you can see a small stone to the left, this stone is not in the other two thus they are not really covering the same, seems you walked too far back for the 100mm shot? would it not be easier to have two points of reference, the larger rock to the right and the smaller rock to the left, and frame all the images such that the right edge of the right rock touches the right side of the picture frame and oposite for the left rock?

you see the road also ends in the left side of the frame in the first two pictures, but ends in the bottom of the frame for the last one. so if you are planning to reshoot the 100mm shot, it could be interesting to reshoot the comparison as well and keep those points in mind

JamesD · 10-18-2007, 09:21 PM

Thanks for taking the time to post these images. They illustrate the different views given by varying focal lengths. My own preference regarding the three images, is for the first. As someone else said, the stone seems to be more of a reference point whereas in the final image it becomes somewhat of a distraction. And like several before me indicated, my own preference is generally towards wide angle views.

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10-18-2007, 05:56 AM	#8
regken Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangor, Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,377 Original Poster	Changed images I went out and reshot this scene and was hoping you might take a look and comment. Thanks, Ken

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10-17-2007, 09:19 AM	#2
lapeen Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: bangor, maine Posts: 380	The colors in these are gorgeous! I prefer the first one. The color of the sky in the 2nd one is nice, but the 1st shot is much more interesting and 'grounded' to me. The fall colors of the trees aross the lake...pond? stand out more too.

10-17-2007, 09:26 AM	#3
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	An interesting comparison as I have been thinking about this too lately, although in the context of portraits. Long teles do have the ability to compress the scene and thus they can be more flattering for some models, some photographers use 300mm lenses for portraits for that reason. in this case I prefer the wide angle shot...

10-17-2007, 09:40 AM	#4
ChrisA Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London Posts: 393	Originally posted by regken The different look you get by changing focal lengths just amazes me. <snip>. The first was taken with a 100mm lens and the second is with a 43mm lens. Were you standing in the same place for both shots?

10-17-2007, 09:49 AM	#5
regken Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangor, Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,377 Original Poster	Originally posted by ChrisA Were you standing in the same place for both shots? Close but not exactly, maybe 2 feet difference. I need to go back and be a little more precise. However, the longer focal lengths do bring the background up into the photo more. The wider angle pushes the background away. Still trying to figure out what I like the best. Ken

10-17-2007, 09:53 AM	#6
Duplo Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Copenhagen Photos: Gallery Posts: 924	Interesting comparison. I continously evaluate what focal length to use for specific scenes. While both are nice photos, composition is quite different though and your composition in the first is more pleasing to me. I think composition with the 43 would have been great to see if the near foreground shared composition with the first photo.

10-17-2007, 10:04 AM	#7
regken Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangor, Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,377 Original Poster	Originally posted by Duplo Interesting comparison. I continously evaluate what focal length to use for specific scenes. While both are nice photos, composition is quite different though and your composition in the first is more pleasing to me. I think composition with the 43 would have been great to see if the near foreground shared composition with the first photo. Agreed. I will go back today and use the composition from the first photo and shoot it with the 43mm, 28mm, and the 100mm. Thanks, Ken

10-18-2007, 06:45 AM	#9
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	thanks for posting this, very interesting to see this, I had been thinking about doing this kind of comparison myself. so its a choice of having the foreground og background appear bigger or a balanced version. Most correct looking is the middle one. I note that the rock for me becomes just a distracting element in the last one, but a properly emphasized main point in the first one. I think the main point in the image changes from the rock in the first one, to the road in the second, and the mountain in the background in the last one. very interesting comparison

10-18-2007, 07:01 AM	#10
Fritz Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tillamook, OR Posts: 1,222	I think the first one is my favorite. It is an interesting comparison.

10-18-2007, 07:06 AM	#11
regken Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangor, Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,377 Original Poster	Originally posted by and thanks for posting this, very interesting to see this, I had been thinking about doing this kind of comparison myself. so its a choice of having the foreground og background appear bigger or a balanced version. Most correct looking is the middle one. I note that the rock for me becomes just a distracting element in the last one, but a properly emphasized main point in the first one. I think the main point in the image changes from the rock in the first one, to the road in the second, and the mountain in the background in the last one. very interesting comparison Thanks Andreas, So now you have introduced a new element into what I need to do. I tried cropping the rock out of the images and think the 100mm photo would be much improved if I retook it without the rock. Landscape composition is not easy for me. This has been a very good learning experience. Thanks, Ken

10-18-2007, 07:41 PM	#12
Duplo Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Copenhagen Photos: Gallery Posts: 924	Originally posted by regken Landscape composition is not easy for me. This has been a very good learning experience. That is definitely true. Composition is probably one of the most interesting thing about photography to me. The comparison looks better now and definitely shows how a difference in focal lengs yields a different result. Thanks for sahring and reshooting this experiment. I have always had a wide angle bias.

10-18-2007, 08:09 PM	#13
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	oh, and I note for the comparison, in the third image you can see a small stone to the left, this stone is not in the other two thus they are not really covering the same, seems you walked too far back for the 100mm shot? would it not be easier to have two points of reference, the larger rock to the right and the smaller rock to the left, and frame all the images such that the right edge of the right rock touches the right side of the picture frame and oposite for the left rock? you see the road also ends in the left side of the frame in the first two pictures, but ends in the bottom of the frame for the last one. so if you are planning to reshoot the 100mm shot, it could be interesting to reshoot the comparison as well and keep those points in mind

10-18-2007, 09:21 PM	#14
JamesD Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 536	Thanks for taking the time to post these images. They illustrate the different views given by varying focal lengths. My own preference regarding the three images, is for the first. As someone else said, the stone seems to be more of a reference point whereas in the final image it becomes somewhat of a distraction. And like several before me indicated, my own preference is generally towards wide angle views.