Wide-angle Lens
A lens with a focal length shorter than the format's diagonal, taking in a broader view than the eye's natural perspective.
Measured in
mm
In depth
On full frame, wide-angle begins around 35 mm and becomes ultra-wide below 24 mm. The characteristic look — expanded space, exaggerated foregrounds, converging verticals when tilted — comes not from the lens but from how close it lets you stand. Used well it puts the viewer inside the scene rather than observing it.
Examples in practice
A 20 mm lens held half a metre from a foreground rock makes it loom over a mountain range behind.