Wide-angle lenses

    Wide-angle lenses are a good choice for scenes on a grand scale, such as vast landscapes or starry skies. These lenses can take in scenes wider than the field of human vision.
    One advantage is that wide-angle lenses bring out depth and perspective, making narrow rooms look spacious or tall buildings look even taller.
    Enjoy the broad range of creative expression unique to wide-angle photography.

    Photograph

    Focal length: 16 mm / F-number: 16 / Shutter speed: 1/250 sec

    Shooting with a wide area in focus

    Shooting with wide-angle lenses and a narrow aperture enables a wider, deeper area in focus (depth of field). You can take deep-focus shots with the entire image in focus from the foreground to the background.

    Photograph

    Focal length: 17 mm / F-number: 11 / Shutter speed: 1/40 sec

    Note: Because wide-angle lenses capture a wide area, your shots might end up including distracting details that you'd prefer not to include. When composing shots, decide how much of the scene to include in the image area. Also decide on areas to exclude to keep any distracting details out of the frame.

    Bringing out a sense of perspective

    Wide-angle lenses can take in scenes wider than the field of human vision. Without this kind of optical instrument, you'd never see scenery on this scale. Shoot tall buildings from below, and the enhanced perspective will make them seem to tower over you. Any lines in your shot that extend into the distance will emphasize the perspective even further, accentuating a sense of depth.

    Photograph

    Focal length: 11 mm / F-number: 11 / Shutter speed: 1/160 sec

    Note: In group photos, be careful to avoid the peripheral distortion of wide-angle lenses, which may distort subjects near the edges.

    Differences in perspective at different focal lengths

    The camera was moved to keep the tunnel entrance the same size to capture A and B below. Photo A is a wide-angle shot. Here, the other end of the tunnel looks smaller than in Photo B, which accentuates the length and depth of the tunnel.

    Photo A
    A: Focal length: 24 mm
    Photo B
    B: Focal length: 75 mm

    Even wider angles with conversion lenses

    Although the supported lenses are limited, you can shoot ultra-wide angles like a fisheye lens by attaching a fisheye conversion lens.

    Photograph

    Using a fisheye conversion lens

    Scenes for trying out lenses

    Landscapes

    Wide-open spaces that you discover on your travels will look even grander and more engaging in your shots.

    Photograph

    Focal length: 16 mm / F-number: 7.1 / Shutter speed: 1/400 sec

    Photograph

    Focal length: 16 mm / F-number: 11 / Shutter speed: 1/800 sec

    Refer here for shooting techniques

    Starry skies at night

    Wide-angle lenses cover a broad swath of the night sky.

    Photograph

    Focal length: 16 mm / F-number: 2.8 / Shutter speed: 30 sec

    Photograph

    Focal length: 16 mm / F-number: 4.0 / Shutter speed: 25 sec

    Refer here for shooting techniques

    Expressive skyscapes

    In a single panorama, you can capture the many moods of the sky, along with its sense of depth and massive clouds.

    Photograph

    Focal length: 11 mm / F-number: 7.1 / Shutter speed: 1/30 sec

    Photograph

    Focal length: 24 mm / F-number: 11 / Shutter speed: 1/60 sec

    Refer here for shooting techniques

    Wide-angle lenses to try

    Although a variety of cameras and lenses are available, we're sometimes asked whether NEX-7 or ILCE-6000 lenses can be used with the ILCE-7C or ILCE-7M3.

    Both APS-C and full frame cameras and lenses are offered, but as long as the same E-mount is used, compatibility is ensured. See the following page for notes on use.

    Are APS-C and full frame cameras and lenses interchangeable? (α E-mount)

    Zoom lenses

    Photograph

    Focal length: 12 mm / F-number: 7.1 / Shutter speed: 1/160 sec

    SEL1224G
    FE 12-24mm F4 G

    Product Highlights

    Ultra-wide-angle zoom lens covering a focal length of 12 mm. Satisfies the need for dynamic, expansive scenes, whether in landscapes or architecture.

    Photograph

    Focal length: 14 mm / F-number: 8.0 / Shutter speed: 1/40 sec

    SEL1018
    E 10-18mm F4 OSS

    Product Highlights

    Ultra-wide-angle zoom lens covering a super-wide 15–27 mm equivalent zoom range (35 mm-format equivalent). Light and compact, this lens is a good choice for shooting selfies or movies with a background.

    Prime lenses

    Photograph

    Focal length: 20 mm / F-number: 8.0 / Shutter speed: 13 sec

    SEL20F18G
    FE 20mm F1.8 G

    Product Highlights

    Its ultra-wide-angle (20 mm) field of view, fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, and faithful rendering of point light sources make this lens especially effective for landscapes, night scenes, and starry skies. Light and compact for easy gimbal/grip attachment, the lens also excels at closeup shooting and quiet AF, which makes movie recording another strong point.

    Photograph

    Focal length: 24 mm / F-number: 5.0 / Shutter speed: 1/13 sec

    SEL24F18Z
    Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA

    Product Highlights

    Enjoy the fidelity of Zeiss optics in a wide-angle, large-caliber prime lens with an f/1.8 maximum aperture. Excels at closeups, offering maximum 0.25x magnification.