Does a 50mm lens see what I see?

[snapsnap1973]

I'm wondering about 50mm. I'm new to photography and hear people say things like the "50 mm lens is like what your eyes see" and I understand that after trying a D5100 in BestB*y and setting the (18-55) lens to around 55mm. What I'm more or less wondering though is for landscape type shots. Does this mean that if I set the lens to around 50mm, I'll end up getting EVERYTHING I'm seeing with my eyes? So If I "see" a beautiful sunset or a mountain range and set it to around 50mm will I get what I see more or less?

To me I don't think I'll get everything that I'm seeing because are eyes also have periphreal vision which a 50 mm lens doesn't have. ??


Thank you.

 

[Mully]

You have answered your own question.

 

[cgipson1]

Anything within the frame.. you will get. And if you get a wider lens.. you can even emulate that peripheral vision to a degree....

50mm on a crop sensor will actually see a little less, than what human eyes see.... a 35mm on a crop sensor would probably approximate it more closely.

 

[KmH]

To me I don't think I'll get everything that I'm seeing because are eyes also have periphreal vision which a 50 mm lens doesn't have. ??


Thank you.

Yep.

The Photographic Eye | B&H Photo Video Pro Audio

 

[Light Guru]

What I'm more or less wondering though is for landscape type shots. Does this mean that if I set the lens to around 50mm, I'll end up getting EVERYTHING I'm seeing with my eyes?

How many times when looking at a landscape do you NOT move your head or look around with your eyes?

For landscapes you will most likely want to go wider then a 50mm.

 

[runnah]

This is quite the philisophical question...

 

[greybeard]

For me, perspective compression or expansion is more of an issue than the angle (width) of view. On a crop frame camera, a 35mm lens will give you a normal perspective. Meaning that objects that are say 20 feet apart, one in front of the other, will be at their proper proportions in an un-cropped print. With a 50mm the perspective will be a little compressed and the objects will appear as though they are closer together (front to back) and with a 18mm or 24mm they will appear as though they are further apart.