STOP making these 4 WIDE ANGLE photography MISTAKES - they drive me crazy!

Wide angled lenses produce some of the most spectacular and impressive photographs you'll ever see, but they are also tricky to use and often create more annoying mistakes than any other focal length. In this video I cover the 4 mistakes I see most often (and have done myself) and they drive me absolutely nuts... STOP MAKING THEM...

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[Mariner]

I’m sorry other peoples’ photography is driving you crazy, but yeah wide angles can be tricky. I occasionally use a rectilinear fish eye. A lot of the compositions drive ME crazy (and some are truly magical.) Now that you’ve highlighted all of our mistakes, I would love to see a video on how to get the most out of wide lenses. Thanks!

[joshuaziff]

Not at all what I was expecting from the title. I am glad I watched. In decades of photography, I've never been aware of the mismatched reflection problem. Thanks!

[AndreKirstein]

Having found your posts about two months ago I have learned more about photography in this short time compared to the last number of years at photography clubs and paid courses that cost a fortune. Thank you so much and looking forward to the next session. I have so struggled with the 16mm lens that I eventually traded it in on a 24-70. Made a massive difference.

[martinoberstein]

Thank you very much, Alister! Straight to the point and fine examples.

[panosgatsoulias]

Good advises!
For the rest of us, what this gentleman say is that for landscape photography,
use tilt-shift lenses instead of wide angle lenses (preferably no less than $3k) or panorama stitching (probably acceptable if done with tilt shift) and watch out for imbalances with your CPLs.
Classic type of architectural photo pickiness when money is no object.

[DS-kepq]

Sound advice re polarisers and wide-angles - didn't know you'd seen my entire Norway holiday catalogue with polariser resolutely stuck to the front of my wide-angle throughout. Otherwise I now have this image of you storming round the Butt of Lewis shrieking to the wind about the reflections in some insta post being three degrees off kilter. I'm just worried I start noticing these things too, now!

[jiggyb]

This video was like a good movie for me; I didn’t think too much about it when I first watched it but I’ve been thinking about it all day. It’s really been one of my favorites and I think I’ve figured out why I say that. I have historically enjoyed viewing but not taking my own wide angle photos. I basically hate to go wider than 20mm and will generally try to stitch a 24mm, 2 shot pano instead. It’s dawned on me that I am uncomfortable when what I see on the back of the camera doesn’t represent what I see in real life. And that explains why I like using 16mm for very small, tight forest or river scenes because you just can’t tell. And then the polarizer tip was something I honestly haven’t ever thought of and it explains a little how manufacturers can sell 14-24 lenses with a bulbous front; because you can’t always use a polarizer on them anyway.

Awesome video!

[bergis]

Another good one Alister. Your attention to detail is unrivalled, these are good lessons for what to avoid. I already learned my lesson about the unwanted effect of cpl’s… I bought a 14-30 last year, and it’s not getting much use, for many of the ’flaws’ you mention, but I probably just need to get out and practice. Oh, and I really love the way you say "feel free to do so", that really made me smile 😊. Kjell

[lightbox]

I love my Canon 80D with my Tamron 10 to 24. I use it mostly for interior architecture in Europe (Budapest is my favorite City). I frequently print B&W and, instead of filters to increase contrast, I use photoshop's B&W conversion with a digital Infra Red filter. Great separation of clouds and sky. It does require an awareness of the angle of the camerera in it's vertical axis to hold down distortion

[sonofoneintheuniverse]

Wonderful summary!
Stretching is why my 16-35 mm FF lens sees almost no use. But then I am an old fart from the days of photographic film when the 50 mm lens was used for years until I could afford a super wide 28 mm lens. Was shockingly wide back then. Still is ... to me... 😊

[warrenlloyd]

Good video Alister. I bought a wide angle many years ago thinking it would be my go-to lens for landscapes but soon discovered quite a few of the issues you mention. It's a great lens use I use it very sparingly these days!

[stefankuhn]

Thanks for this very complete lesson about wide angle lenses. It’s good to emphasise distortion, but in many cases you can’t avoid it. And who is able to buy a shift lens (and to carry it in addition…). And to be honest, in many cases I (!) don’t realise it, because I don’t know the area, I am looking at the composition as whole … But we all should be aware of it!

[danieltopham]

Thanks for this wide angle review/critique. I have struggled with my 16-35 and I don’t use a polarizer on it at all for all the reasons you mention. That said, I still really enjoy the challenge of using this lens.

[hramakrishnaiah]

"It would have been better if the focal length and lens details had been included with the images to understand the effect of each focal length and the effects created by specific lenses."

[davidligon]

Very good video. I’ve run into every one of these issues. It would be nice to have a follow up video on how to avoid, how to take advantage of, or how to correct the pitfalls you brought up, like angled reflections, and polarized skies.

[nickshepherd]

Really enjoyable and helpful video. The reflection problem has never occurred to me before, so thanks for that. Seems to me that many of the issues can be avoided from not tilting the lens…a set of knee pads are on their way!

[georgemason]

Great points! Thanks for posting. I do have my share of polarizing issues on wide angle lenses.

[BenSussmanpro]

Thanks! I never thought about the out of proportion reflection problem. Also, although you focused on landscape, I shoot a lot of architecture (just for myself), and I notice people’s wide angle building shots are so exaggerated out of proportion and tilting this way & that. It’s just awful, lol!

[edc]

Nice video, and good advices. When I go on a long hike in September I will think of this. Now, I only bring a single lens (saving weight, keeping everything as small and compact in my backpack as possible), my Tamron 28-200. I guess I'm in the risk zone when going 28mm, even if I'm safer than if I should use a wider focal length. When I'm in the mountains I usually shoot with longer focal lengths and if I want to go wider than 28mm I try to do a pano (carefully thinking of avoiding the parallax issue). I guess the biggest risk for me when I'm out there is the polarization effect I can get in the sky (the darker area created by max polarization) which can be devastating if I'm doing a pano and get multiple darker spots making everything even harder to fix in post 🤔

[Bernard-uxeb]

Had a Pentax 15-30mm and a Samyang 14mm. Struggled with both, especially the extreme and uneven polarisation issue, but also stretching and weird perspectives.
I don't go below 21mm now, with the Zeiss Distagon 21mm. I can just about make that one work.