A wide-angle lens has a short focal length. It captures a broad view, fitting more of the scene into the frame. A 16mm lens on a full-frame camera has a field of view of about 107 degrees. A 24mm lens is about 84 degrees. Wide-angle lenses are used for landscapes, architecture, interiors, and street photography. They exaggerate depth, making close objects look larger and distant objects look smaller. That exaggeration can be dramatic or distracting, depending on how it is used.

Wide-angle lenses are not just for fitting more in. They are for creating a sense of space. A wide lens close to a subject pulls the viewer into the scene. It makes the foreground prominent and the background recede. It can create a sense of immersion. It can also distort. Straight lines near the edges of the frame curve outward, an effect called barrel distortion. That distortion can be corrected in post-processing, but it is also part of the wide-angle look. Wide-angle lenses are often used in real estate and interior photography, where space is at a premium. They are also used in street photography, where the photographer wants to include context and get close to the action.

Wide-angle uses

• Landscape. Capturing broad vistas.
• Architecture. Fitting buildings into the frame.
• Interiors. Showing rooms and spaces.
• Street. Getting close and including context.
• Action. Immersive views of sports and adventure.

A wide-angle lens is not the same as a fisheye lens. A fisheye lens has extreme distortion. A wide-angle lens has some distortion, but it is correctable.