Best Wide-angle lens

Every wide-angle lens has a certain focal length and a certain diagonal angle of view. Lenses with a fixed focal length of 28 to 38 millimeters (related to 35mm) and a diagonal angle of view of 60° to 75° are also referred to as reportage lenses. Their wide-angle effect is only slightly to medium strong, which is why they are often used for reports on political, social, cultural or sporting events – hence the name. Photographers, nude and nature photographers, on the other hand, like to use wide-angle lenses with image angles of more than 80°, which are available on the market under the name Super Wide Angle Lens (SWW) or Ultra Wide Angle Lens (UWW). They have a fixed focal length of 14 to 24 millimetres with a diagonal angle of view of 84° to 114°. Fixed focal length lenses are preferred in particular for immovable motifs – such as in architecture.

An alternative are wide-angle lenses with zoom (“zoom lenses”). Thanks to the changeable image angle, the camera with zoom lens is suitable for a wide variety of purposes and subjects. In travel photography, zoom lenses with a wide range of focal lengths such as 28 millimeters (medium wide angle) to 200 millimeters (telephoto focal length) are often found. However, there are also lenses with variable wide-angle focal lengths; they are referred to as wide-angle zoom. These models each cover a different focal length range. Typical ranges are 24 to 70 millimeters, 16 to 35 millimeters or 12 to 24 millimeters. Lenses with a focal length of less than 20 millimeters that bend straight lines on the image are known as fisheye lenses.

Fisheye lenses are a special type of wide-angle lens. They have an angle of view of 150° to 180°, which can be even higher in exceptional cases. Typical is a focal length of 16 millimeters, which leads to a very high distortion. There are straight lines on the picture which are not exactly in the middle of the picture. The further the lines are from the center of the image, the stronger this effect becomes. At a focal length of 7.5 to 8 millimetres, a round image is created. Fisheye lenses are also available as zoom lenses.

Whether a DSLR camera or a mirrorless system camera – when choosing a wide-angle lens, compatibility with the camera model is of primary importance. A lens from the same manufacturer as the camera ensures that the two parts fit together perfectly. Manufacturers who offer cameras and matching lenses include Canon, Leica, Nikon, Olympus and Sony. In the case of lenses from third-party manufacturers such as Walimex, Tamron or Zeiss, the manufacturer’s specifications must be observed. These provide information on which cameras the wide-angle lens is compatible with. The products of third-party manufacturers are often cheaper than the lenses of camera manufacturers. However, this doesn’t say anything about the image and material quality. In official tests of photo magazines, the cheap alternatives often do not come off worse than the expensive brand products.