New High Performance Ultra-wide Angle Lenses - Comments

[Andy Resnick]

Andy Resnick submitted a new PF Insights post

New High Performance Ultra-wide Angle Lenses

Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Andy, curious if you have ideas on where lens technology goes from here?

 

[davenn]

Andy Resnick submitted a new PF Insights post

nice write-up, Andy, thanks :)

my goto UW angle lens is my Samyang 14mm, f2.8

I have been quite pleased with it's quality considering its affordable ~ AU$360 price tag
particularly on wide angle astrophotography where pinpoint light sources from stars gives a good test

 

[Andy Resnick]

Andy, curious if you have ideas on where lens technology goes from here?

Good question- although predicting the future is a fool's errand :) In general the trend is to larger apertures, reduced size/weight, decreased chromatic aberrations, and improved accutance. All of this is contingent on developments in optical materials- mainly glass- and the ability to grind aspheres. Incorporation of image stabilization is increasing as well. These developments all fall under "improved performance of existing lens designs".

Something more 'exotic' I'm interested in is 3-D PSF engineering. That is, rather than simply design improved performance in the focal plane, the entire PSF can be designed- at least that's what is claimed for the new Nikkor 58/1.4. It's an interesting idea.

 

[Algr]

The shortest focal length currently available (2017) is a 10mm “hyperwide” lens sporting a field of view of 130 degrees.

Reference https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/new-high-performance-ultra-wide-angle-lenses/

I take it this article is only about cameras with 35 mm size sensors? Lenses with 180° already exist on devices that pair two of them to image 360° video.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ricoh-t...ffcode=pg174715&ksdevice=c&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

 

[Andy Resnick]

I take it this article is only about cameras with 35 mm size sensors? Lenses with 180° already exist on devices that pair two of them to image 360° video.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ricoh-t...ffcode=pg174715&ksdevice=c&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

I didn't mean to implicitly discuss only 35mm-sized sensors; there are ultra-wide lenses for medium and large format sizes as well (the Super Angulon and Grandagon series of lenses, for example).

The Theta S and similar cameras (KeyMission 360, for example) use multiple sensors, and I also distinguished between fisheye lenses that have large distortion from rectilinear lenses, which do not. I focused on the development of new rectilinear ultrawide lenses.

 

[Algr]

Given that lens distortion can now be removed digitally, I wonder if it is better to do that then to use extra glass to make likes straight optically?

 

[sophiecentaur]

Funny thing. I was very chuffed with how well my Pentax 14mm lens performed but, on the other hand, I was disappointed that the pictures don't 'look' wide angle. It's almost as if I need to give them a digital nudge to get that wide angle effect. It's just the same as people who claim to like vinyl records. I guess.

BTW, good article, @Andy Resnick.