Which focal length range defines a wide-angle lens?

• A. 10-20mm
• B. 50-70mm
• C. 60-90mm
• D. 10-35mm

Answer: (D)

Short focal lengths capture a wider view of the scene. That broad field of view is what defines a wide-angle lens, and it also creates exaggerated perspective, making foreground subjects appear larger relative to the background—great for landscapes, architecture, and cramped interiors.

The range that best fits the wide-angle category is the one that stays in that wide-view territory across most of its zoom. Starting at 10mm gives you a dramatic-wide view, and even when you zoom to 35mm you’re still well within the wide-angle territory on most sensors. That combination—covering very wide to comfortably wide angles—gives you the versatility photographers expect from a wide-angle zoom.

The other options lean into narrower views: 50-70mm and 60-90mm are standard to telephoto ranges with much narrower fields of view, not what you’d call wide-angle. The 10-20mm option is indeed wide, but the 10-35mm range is the commonly referenced wide-angle zoom that fits the definition used here.