On Dec 23, 2003, at 8:19 PM, Shel Belinkoff wrote:
Y'know, it's funny how, when using other formats, rarely is it said that an 80mm
lens for a 6x6 is "equivalent" to a 50mm lens for a 35mm camera. When's the
last time you heard a 4x5 user ask "What's that lens in 35mm terms?"
Hi Shel,
I've heard that a lot, and I frequently use 35mm focal lengths as a mental point of comparison. For example, I know that my 127mm 4x5 lens is somewhere around 45mm in 35 terms and my 105mm 6x7 lens is approximately the same as a "normal" 35mm lens. I work in advertising and I've found that most art directors understand 35mm angle of view, so when working in other formats they frequently ask, "What's that in 35mm?" The same is true on television shoots where 35mm lenses are closer to APS or the current crop of digitals in focal length vs. angle of view (because the neg is actually half of what we call 35mm.) The still camera 35mm focal lengths are a reference point for many working pros and their clients.
Paul
