non-wide angle lens?

[angelstrings]

Hey guys-I just bought my first camera in hopes of being able to take some self snapshots and post on the internet. I got a Kodak M550 which turns out to be a wide angle lens. I took a few snaps, and it totally distorts my facial proportions. I verified this with some friends and my brother, just to make sure I wasn't getting the "double mirror effect." Then, I looked it up online and found out that this is a pretty common issue with wide angle lenses, especially when held at close proximity/arms length. So my question is, what option is there to avoid this? Is there a 'non-wide angle' lens that I can use?

Thanks so much!!!

 

[enzodm]

You camera has a 5x zoom, so it does not have a wide angle lens. It is sold calling it "wide angle" just because lower end of zoom in point&shoot is typically less wide angle, while this goes down to 28mm equivalent (and thus up to 140mm = 5x). With every camera, a portrait made at arms length will give the same distorted perspective effect. Just try to stay more far from subject, zoom in, and you will have a medium tele instead of a wide angle. It is exactly the zoom function .