I've been a fan of the wide angle view since the 35mm film camera days. I remember getting an f/3.5 28mm MD Rokkor for my Minolta XE-1, then finding that it wasn't as sharp or with enough pop as I expected. I sold it through the Trading Post and after a few years, Vanessa helped me get a 21mm - 35mm Sigma - I still have that lens. I would take it on the Uni student trips and had fun with it. Even shot Ronnie's wedding years ago. But I still wasn't getting it. With film, you only make that many mistakes (and it was colour slide that I shot), each time paying. This was before the Web and no one to compare notes, swap stories. My foregrounds would dominate with boring flat detail, I'd get the odd good shot.

This year, to celebrate the special occasion, I bought a Zuiko Digital 7mm-14mm ultra wide angle lens (that's 14mm to 28mm equivalent). When I handle it wrong, I get seriously elliptical heads, legs as big as lamp posts, really cartoon character exaggerations (like the special effects in Madagascar movie). When I don't have enough Depth of Field (how on earth can you get insufficient depth of field on a 14mm uwa lens on a Four Thirds Sensor?), I get the zoom effect like on a crude 3D graphics PC Game (Doom, anyone?)

On the other hand, sometimes things work out.