My Best Investment for the Dialogue: A Wide Angle Lens
My most precious object to me on this dialogue (other than my passport) is my Canon Rebel SL1 DSLR Camera. I was given my camera as a high school graduation gift, and it’s arguably the best present I’ve ever received because it catalyzed by passion for photography. I had only ever used the two lenses that came in a set with my camera, an 18-55mm and 75-300mm. I am very happy with the quality of both of these lenses, but I was hoping to find a wide angle lens because I usually take landscape photos.
I was looking at two models of the most inexpensive ‘wide angle’ lenses that canon makes – the 24mm pancake lens and the 10-18mm lens. The former was less expensive, but after getting some advice from camera experts, I was convinced to spend more for the 10-18mm true wide angle lens. So far, I’m entirely satisfied with my decision!
This lens is great for landscape photos as I was expecting, but I actually find myself using it more for close up photos, such as in museums. On this dialogue, we spend most days touring various museums in Florence (and we will do the same in Rome). The art and artifacts in these museums are absolutely incredible (ranging from Galileo’s telescopes to Michelangelo’s David to ancient Roman maps), but to see them you are often in very close proximity or at strange angles. With standard camera lenses, 18-55mm for example, it’s difficult to capture the entire object or painting, or the whole atmosphere of a room of paintings. This is where the 10-18mm lens is incredibly useful! I am amazed that I am able to capture the entirety of a painting, sculpture, or ceiling design.
This lens will distort images if approaching the 10mm range, so it’s not ideal for photos with people near the edges of the frame. However, this can result in some really interesting effects in landscapes or cityscapes. I didn’t think that I would like this feature of the lens, but some of my favorite photos of buildings in Florence are slightly distorted at the edges, and it makes the image just a little more dramatic. One of these photos was taken from the top of Florence’s Duomo, and the distortion created a really interesting effect that allowed me to include some of the roof of the dome as well as the whole skyline of Florence.
Overall, I’m really happy that I made the choice to purchase this lens, as it’s allowed me to better represent my time spent in Italy. So if you’re planning on travelling to a scenic countryside, a high rise city, or just meandering through museums, the Canon 10-18mm is a great addition!
