Description
This article is from the
Photographic Lenses FAQ, by David Jacobson with numerous
contributions by others.
26. How does focal length affect perspective?
It doesn't; it is subject distance that affects perspective.
However, a longer lens provides more subject magnification at a given
distance, so you can get farther from your subject without having the
image be too small. By moving back, you make the magnification ratio
between the front and back of your subject smaller, because the
distance ratio is closer to one. So, in a portrait, instead of a nose
that's magnified much more than the rest of the head, the nose is
magnified only very slightly more than the rest of the head, and the
picture looks more pleasing.
You can get the same perspective with a shorter focal length lens by
simply moving back, and enlarging the central portion of the image. Of
course, this magnifies grain as well, so it's better to use a longer
lens if you have one.
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photography, lenses, focal length, bellows, focus, pivot
