Compact wide angle and DSLR wide angle

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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Been trying to get a wide angle photo indoors. To get a little more in the frame I tried using the kit lens on my DSLR set at 18mm, surprised I could not get as much in the frame as I thought I could. I tried the Fuji X10 at 28mm and I got a lot more in the frame that I wanted. Looking at the photos side by side, and it is surprising how much more the DSLR at 18mm zooms into the subject, than the Fuji X10 at 28mm.
 
That doesn't make sense. The SLR has a wider lens and a bigger sensor.

The X10 lens isn't 28mm though. For some reason compact cameras show the 'equivalent' 35mm focal length rather than the real focal length (relative to sensor size), so the X10 is the equivalent of 28mm in 35mm format terms even though the lens isn't a 28mm at the wide end (it's actually a 7.1mm to 28.4mm).

If your dslr is a cropped sensor 18mm is also roughly 28mm in 35mm terms as well (18mm X 1.6 or 1.5) so they should look roughly the same? (The lens is still an 18mm lens though, but we won't go there to avoid confusion!)
 
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Assuming that the position of the camera is the same for each shot and they are the same equivalent focal lengths I suppose the most obvious answer is that at least one of the lenses isn't exactly what it's labelled up as.

A couple of mm at the wide end makes a difference so maybe it's nothing more than that?
 
odd jim said:
That doesn't make sense. The SLR has a wider lens and a bigger sensor.

The X10 lens isn't 28mm though. For some reason compact cameras show the 'equivalent' 35mm focal length rather than the real focal length (relative to sensor size), so the X10 is the equivalent of 28mm in 35mm format terms even though the lens isn't a 28mm at the wide end (it's actually a 7.1mm to 28.4mm).

If your dslr is a cropped sensor 18mm is also roughly 28mm in 35mm terms as well (18mm X 1.6 or 1.5) so they should look roughly the same? (The lens is still an 18mm lens though, but we won't go there to avoid confusion!)
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woof woof said:
Assuming that the position of the camera is the same for each shot and they are the same equivalent focal lengths I suppose the most obvious answer is that at least one of the lenses isn't exactly what it's labelled up as.

A couple of mm at the wide end makes a difference so maybe it's nothing more than that?
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Just realised photo size dimensions may have something to do with it, as in 4:3 - 3:2 - 16:9 etc. But what I can see is that the Nikon kit lens at 18mm, is not wider than the fuji X10 at 28mm. If anything the fuji looks wider, but as I said it may be image size instead. Will have a look and see what they are both set at..
 
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It must be something like that as both should look roughly the same!
 
If you're comparing numbers based on equivalence then the Nikon would be (theoretically) 27mm compared to the Fuji's 28mm so they should be more or less the same but you are using different aspect ratio sensors so the comparison is a little meaningless as you are not comparing apples with apples.
 
Nawty said:
If you're comparing numbers based on equivalence then the Nikon would be (theoretically) 27mm compared to the Fuji's 28mm so they should be more or less the same but you are using different aspect ratio sensors so the comparison is a little meaningless as you are not comparing apples with apples.
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I know I only realised that after the event, I am now going to check the aspect ratio of both. Schoolboy error :oops: :$ , assuming that is what is is of course... Anyway, checking now..
 
The fuji is set to 4:3 aspect ratio, but are DSLRs 3:2 ratio :thinking:.

I just tried 4:3 and 3:2 aspect ratios on the fuji, and it obviously crops the image. So at a certain aspect ratio, it has the illusion of being wider than the 18mm Nikon lens. Obviously an error with the settings on my part. Just wondering what the ideal aspect ratio would be, on the Fuji X10 :thinking:
 
Just set it to its standard ratio which would be 3:2, the aspect of the sensor so there wouldn't be any in camera cropping.
 
odd jim said:
Strange. Must have quite a squarish sensor?
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Yep, pretty much all small sensors are 4:3 as is micro four thirds (m43 - clues in the name!). It's horses for courses really but I tend to prefer 4:3 as 3:2 is too tall in portrait orientation and generally not quite letterbox enough in landscape.
 
Set the fuji to 4:3 aspect ratio and at 28mm the photo is definitely wider than the Nikon kit lens at 18mm.
 
jonbeeza said:
Set the fuji to 4:3 aspect ratio and at 28mm the photo is definitely wider than the Nikon kit lens at 18mm.
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That makes no sense at all. As per Nawty's post, can we have a look? You have got the DSLR lens set correctly haven't you ;) What does the exif say?
 
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Nawty said:
Yep, pretty much all small sensors are 4:3 as is micro four thirds (m43 - clues in the name!). It's horses for courses really but I tend to prefer 4:3 as 3:2 is too tall in portrait orientation and generally not quite letterbox enough in landscape.
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Ah didn't know it was m43 :)
 
Nawty said:
The x10 isn't m43 but it is a small sensor camera so is 4:3 :)
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Lol stop confusing me! Ok, so its a 2.3" sensor, smaller than what we would refer to as m43, but still 4/3 ratio?
 
Ed Sutton said:
The majority of 'compact' and 'bridge' cameras have a 4:3 aspect ratio sensor.
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Indeed. Looking at some of my old Fuji bridge shots, they are 4/3 also.

Anyway, I'm keen to see the OPs comparison shots with exif as none of this makes sense!
 
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Photos not intended for critique, just to demonstrate wide angle comparison :)

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Above X10 at 28mm

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Above Bog standard DSLR at 18mm

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Above X10 at 28mm


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Above Bog standard DSLR at 18mm.

All taken on a tripod at the same point, and adjusting for the little extra protrusion of the kit lens. Maybe not as much of a difference as I first thought, but I still think the 18mm Nikon kit lens is not as wide as the fuji at 28mm.

In the grand scheme of things not that important, just I need not worry too much thinking I should grab the DSLR to get that shot in a tight space ;-)
 
I do often take photos indoors, and they do normally turn out better than the above images. Just I was on the communal area in ours, and I wanted to take the photos and get out of the way quick :rolleyes:
 
They look the same? The camera has moved on the tripod in the top two though, one showing more to the left and the other to the right.

Slight differences will be noticed due to focus breathing, so this is pretty much as I'd expect?
 
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odd jim said:
They look the same? The camera has moved on the tripod in the top two though, one showing more to the left and the other to the right.
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Well in my defence I am getting on and my eyesight is not so nearly as good as it was :).

I know it was not a good test what I did, but I tried to do a quick shot and hope it would be apparent. But I suppose I should have used reference markers of some sort, and align each shot up accordingly. I suppose it was done more as a bit of fun really. :)

PS

Maybe something I should not dwell on too much then :)
 
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I wouldn't! It does seem normal, from your OP I was expecting something drastic, lol!
 
jonbeeza said:
Maybe something I should not dwell on too much then :)
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Yup! Fairly pointless relying on measurements of focal length (among other things) being exact as well as trying to compare a compact's FL converted to a 35mm EFL. You know how wide your compact and SLR look and with both you have a WYSIWYG option using live view rather than their OVFs if accurate framing is important.
 
Nod said:
Yup! Fairly pointless relying on measurements of focal length (among other things) being exact as well as trying to compare a compact's FL converted to a 35mm EFL. You know how wide your compact and SLR look and with both you have a WYSIWYG option using live view rather than their OVFs if accurate framing is important.
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The only reason I started to look at the focal length, was because of the new DSLR I have been using lately. I have had my 35mm prime for years, and been using it on the D60 and D80 years ago. Just not used a DSLR for a good few years, and on re using the 35mm, I could not remember it being so tight indoors. So I have thrown the kit lens on, just so I can go a bit wider. Just at the 18mm setting, it does not seem as wide as I thought. Oh well, just a sign of getting old I suppose :)
 
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