Re: DA14mm - why so large and heavy?

[John Forbes]

Very few people (some on this list excepted) actually know what a "focal  
length" is, and frankly, it's supremely unimportant. What IS important is  
angle of view.

When 99% of all the pictures in the world were taken with either a 35mm  
camera or a 6X6, and never the twain met (most of the time), the focal  
length was a good substitute for what was actually needed, which was a  
measurement of the angle of view.

With the advent of digital cameras, with their multiplicity of sensor  
sizes, we have to grapple with the problem of working out what angle of  
view will be given by a particular lens on a particular camera.

Why don't we just cut the crap, consign focal length to the dustbin of  
history, and just talk about AOV?  At least it will avoid any more  
pointless threads about focal lengths being the same whatever camera the  
lens is used on.  Whilst this may be true, it misses the point totally.

John


On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 11:54:44 -0600, William Robb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>  
wrote:

----- Original Message -----
From: "Nenad Djurdjevic"
Subject: Re: DA14mm - why so large and heavy?
Well put.  The focal length of a wide angle lens for medium format
is not
going to be a wide focal length for 35mm and a wide 35mm lens is
not wide
for an APS sized sensor.  The corollary is also true. No one is
disputing
that focal length may well be the same in each case but it is what
that
particular focal length can do in any particular format that
matters.  We
all like to frame our shots to our satisfaction at the time of
taking the
photo and for that we choose the appropriate focal length lens.  If
for an
APS sensor a 200mm gives me the framing I want (and that happens to
be
equivalent to a 300mm lens for 35mm) then I don't give a rats if on
someone's 4x5 that 200mm would be a semi-wideangle lens.
All very well and good, until you want to communicate with someone.
Then your thought process becomes an impediment because of faulty
reasoning.
William Robb


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