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Lenses

The person stays the same size in all four drawings. Only the lens changes, and with it the background and the shape of the face. To keep the person the same size you move: closer with a wide lens, farther with a long one.

0.5×

Ultra wide, 13 mm

The room grows. Faces stretch near the edges and up close. Straight lines bend at the corners.

Use it when. Establishing shots, cramped spaces, a POV that should feel exposed. Never for a close-up.

On the phone. Keep the phone level; a tilt bends every vertical. Stand back from faces.

1×

Wide normal, 26 mm

What a phone photo looks like. A little wider than the eye. Rooms feel their real size.

Use it when. Masters, two-shots, medium shots. Fine for a medium close-up from about a metre and a half.

On the phone. The main camera, and the best one in low light. When in doubt, use this.

2×

Normal, 52 mm

Close to how the eye sees distance. The background steps closer and blurs a little. Faces keep their shape.

Use it when. Singles, over-the-shoulders, close-ups, inserts. The portrait lens of the phone.

On the phone. On many phones 2× is a crop of the main sensor, not a real lens, so it gets grainy at night. Light the room.

5×

Telephoto, 120 mm

Compression. The background leaps forward and goes soft. Faces flatten and look their best.

Use it when. Isolated close-ups, reactions across a room, a face in a crowd. Needs four to five metres for a medium shot.

On the phone. Only on phones with a telephoto module. Tripod always; the smallest shake shows.