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Tip 16: Change Camera & Lens

Covered lighting the past few chapters - now let's look at cameras and lenses.

You may have used phone apps that emulate old cameras vs just letting you tweak settings like white balance. Though under the hood they also just modify parameters, the experience can be neat.

You can get similar effects in Midjourney by specifying camera or lens types. From my tests, Midjourney supports:

  1. Cameras: GoPro, Polaroid
  2. Film: 8mm, 16mm, 35mm
  3. Lenses: 15mm lens
  4. Camera settings: long exposure, double exposure
  5. Depth of field & focus: deep vs shallow focus, vanishing point

I really like the double exposure and long exposure looks:

MJ102.png

But choose suitable cameras/lenses for your scene - drone view, for example, won't work well for closeups:

Photo
NameDescriptionUse Cases
MJ100GoProAction camera perspectiveSelfies, action shots
MJ101DroneDrone view from aboveAerial, skyline shots
MJ124PolaroidInstant camera
MJ122Black and white filmMonochrome photo
MJ123KodachromeKodak's vivid, high-contrast, archival color slide filmVivid, punchy colors with great longevity
MJ097Shot on 8mmPortable, easy to use film format with lower resolutionEveryday life, family, travel
MJ098Shot on 16mm16mm and 35mm mainly used for movies, documentaries, commercialsMovies, documentaries, commercials
MJ099Shot on 35mm16mm and 35mm mainly used for movies, documentaries, commercialsMovies, documentaries, commercials
MJ105MicroscopicMagnified viewEnlarging small objects
MJ106Fisheye LensExtreme wide angle 100-180Β° for distorted, exaggerated perspectiveCapturing whole scenes up close
MJ103Wide AngleFit more into frameLandscapes, fitting more content
MJ104Ultra-Wide AngleEven wider field of view than wide angleLandscapes, fitting more content
MJ107PanoramaWraparound wide formatLandscapes, fitting more content
MJ109Short ExposureFreezing motion of fast moving subjectsSports, vehicles, performances needing frozen motion
MJ108Long ExposureLight trails for motion, mystical moodsLight streaks, night scenes, star trails
MJ110Double ExposureOverlapping exposures for dense, distorted, hand-drawn effectsPortraits, landscapes - unique environments and moods
MJ118f2.8Large apertures let in more light for brighter images. f2.8 has high light transmission suitable for low light.Can create shallow depth of field to blur background and foreground, ideal for portraits or product shots.
MJ117Depth of FieldRange of sharpness - how much is in focus.Used to describe how much of a photo is sharp.
MJ113Soft FocusDeliberately softening focus for gentle, dreamy aesthetic via specialized lens filters.More about evoking emotion vs deep/shallow focus. Gives a soft, almost blurred complexion to create a romantic look.
MJ116Deep FocusSimilar to deep depth of field.Keeping entire scene sharp by using small aperture. Needs small focal lengths or farther shooting distance.
MJ114Shallow FocusArtistically isolates subject, popular for portraits.Blurs background by using large aperture to keep only a plane/subject in focus.
MJ111Vanishing PointA point infinity used in perspective drawing - parallel lines converge towards it.Helps create realism and depth.
MJ112Vantage PointPerspective from a high point looking down diagonally.Landscapes, fitting more content