Re: focal length dialectic

["M. Denis Hill" <Denis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Various esteemed list members opined:

> > > > FYI, Professional panoramic photographers seldom use wide
> > > > angle lenses.
> >
> > Your suggestion implying that commercial panoramic stock photographs
> > are mostly long lens shots is untrue. Most of these stock images are
> > shot with 6x17 type cameras using 90mm wide angle lenses.
> 
>         I've never shot a panoramaic image with a long lens. I use a Noblex
> with a 50mm on a drum, and a variety of lenses as wide as possible on
> other cameras.
>         A long lens? I can't imagine what I'd do with it other than portraits.

Gee, I know panoramic photographers earning a living with a wide range
of focal lengths. One on the east coast who uses a just 35mm lens on a
Hulcher. One from the west coast who uses up to 1000mm of Hasselblad
lens on a RoundShot Super 70.

As far as those 617 images, let's not forget the many shot through 105mm
lenses (Fuji G617). I used to have a lot of fun with a 110mm on a
RoundShot Super 220 VR. I admit that I've found limited use for a
2-1/4x24" transparency, but even the most reactionary among us would
admit that a pan need not always be 360 degrees.

IMHO, even QTVR shooters are missing opportunities if they stick with
superwide lenses. A 35mm lens on 120/220 film produces a viable
immersive image with better distant detail than a 15/17/18/19.5mm.
Unless you're shooting in a small room, you are probably giving up very
little sky/floor detail while gaining important distant information. 

And what is the most important attribute of the 6x17 Noblex? Not the
film format. It's the 75mm lens, which improves the size of heads in the
second row of those economically important group shots.

Darn! I've I've gone and revealed all these closely held secrets. Forget
what I said. You're all correct. Noboby uses wide angle lenses. Nobody
uses long lenses. And they save a lot of film that way.

-- 
M. Denis Hill	mailto:denis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Hill Group	http://www.thehillgroup.com
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