Creative Uses of Wide Angle Lenses
Jan 25, 2017 10:09:07 #
I'm always fascinated with images that take advantage of both the distortions and odd perspectives that can be made with wide-angle lenses. In the days of Kodachrome, I felt free to take my Canon FD 20mm f/2.8 and stop it down to f/22. Chromatic aberrations were not a problem. Now, with digital cameras, we have different concerns than we did in the days of film. Here, my "Happy Isles Log" image was shot on Kodachrome 64 with my Canon AE-1. The "Valley View Log" image with El Capitan was shot with a Nikon D800e with a Zeiss 15mm f/2.8. Both images were stopped down to F/22. I'm looking for feedback as to better approaches to these types of images or for other lens possibilities.
Jan 25, 2017 10:37:54 #
I like your Yosemite shot, excellent depth of focus and composition. Wide angle at its best.
Jan 25, 2017 10:41:06 #
Jan 25, 2017 10:45:56 #
Jan 25, 2017 10:51:03 #
wingclui44
Loc: CT USA
Like them both, I like to ask one question, Is a 15mm to be considered as a 'fish-eye' len on a full frame camera like your D800e?, I don't see any distortion on the second picture!
Jan 25, 2017 10:56:33 #
Preachdude wrote:
I'm always fascinated with images that take advant... (show quote)
Very nice perspectives. The lens is fun to shoot, don't you think? f/22 is very serious, was it needed? What are the focus points in each?
Jan 25, 2017 10:58:49 #
wingclui44 wrote:
Like them both, I like to ask one question, Is a 15mm to be considered as a 'fish-eye' len on a full frame camera like your D800e?, I don't see any distortion on the second picture!
Fisheye and focal length are not the same. Fisheye has barrel distortion (curved lines), this lens is rectilinear (straight lines).
Jan 25, 2017 11:01:09 #
Jan 25, 2017 11:05:37 #
Very nice images: great composition, excellent vantage/perspective, very good color rendering.
Jan 25, 2017 11:17:04 #
Personally I prefer picture one as the color saturation is much better but focus is is soft on just the inspection.
Preachdude wrote:
I'm always fascinated with images that take advant... (show quote)
Jan 25, 2017 11:29:08 #
Preachdude wrote:
I'm always fascinated with images that take advant... (show quote)
Nice images. I also had the FD 20mm f/2.8 lens with my AE-1 and T90. The following image is a very bad scan from a 4x6 print (I need to dig out the negative and start over) so I can process it properly, but it is another perspective on using wide angle lenses. Subject is San Pietro in Rome. Camera flat on the floor using the timer.
Jan 25, 2017 11:33:33 #
wingclui44
Loc: CT USA
Peterff wrote:
Fisheye and focal length are not the same. Fisheye has barrel distortion (curved lines), this lens is rectilinear (straight lines).
Thank you! That's a great lens!
Jan 25, 2017 16:34:59 #
wingclui44 wrote:
Like them both, I like to ask one question, Is a 15mm to be considered as a 'fish-eye' len on a full frame camera like your D800e?, I don't see any distortion on the second picture!
The Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 for Nikon and Canon is definitely not a fish-eye lens. I could only rent it because it costs an arm and a leg! According to reviewers, it is possibly the finest wide-angle lens ever manufactured. Distortion is amazingly small, and even vignetting is minimal.
Jan 25, 2017 16:36:02 #
davidrb wrote:
Very nice perspectives. The lens is fun to shoot, don't you think? f/22 is very serious, was it needed? What are the focus points in each?
As I recall, focus was from less than a foot to infinity.
Jan 25, 2017 18:04:12 #
Preachdude wrote:
The Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 for Nikon and Canon is definitely not a fish-eye lens. I could only rent it because it costs an arm and a leg! According to reviewers, it is possibly the finest wide-angle lens ever manufactured. Distortion is amazingly small, and even vignetting is minimal.
Until Canon introduced the EF 11-24mm f/4L your assessment may have been valid. What Canon has done with glass and coatings has put the lens in the forefront in WAs. A Canon rep let me shoot one in Yellowstone and I have been studying it ever since. It handles flares beautifully. Distortion is almost negligible. The drawback would be gel filters but digital lives on computers. 3rd party CPLs are coming to market but they aren't practical yet. You might have an interest in this lens, the results can be very pleasing.
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