Understanding Graduated Lenses in Photography
Graduated means that the lens has a varying focal length, meaning that the lens changes its focal length as you move away from the center of the frame. This allows for a more gradual transition between the different focal lengths, rather than a sudden change at a fixed point.
In other words, a graduated lens is one where the focal length increases or decreases gradually as you move towards the edges of the frame, rather than staying constant throughout the entire frame. This can be useful for certain types of photography, such as landscape or architectural photography, where you might want to have a wide-angle view in the center of the frame and a longer telephoto view at the edges.
For example, a 24-105mm lens is graduated, meaning that the focal length changes from 24mm at the wide end to 105mm at the long end, with a gradual transition between the two extremes.