Do you think this lens is adequate?
Aug 7, 2018 15:57:25 #
My husband and I have booked on a small boat repositioning cruise from Alaska for the first two weeks of September. I recently bit the bullet and bought a Canon 100-400 L lens that I love and use as my primary lens and especially for wildlife. I also have an older Sigma 18-35 lens that my son gave me. We drove home from Colorado through the San Juan Mountains and I tested it there. Please take a look at these photos and see if you think the Sigma is adequate for landscape pictures in Alaska. I'm not anxious to make another major investment but I don't want to be disappointed with my photos. I should add that I'm a relatively new photographer.
Aug 7, 2018 16:19:58 #
None of these appear to be in focus. Perhaps the lighter weight of the smaller lens is causing you to move the camera as you depress the button? 'Cause I see super-sharp images with your 100-400 (wowsa!):
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-537034-1.html
Have you tried a smaller aperture with this lens? The posted are f/4.5 and f/5. I'm curious how a photo looks at f/8 or f/11 and on a tripod.
Another question: are you going to be shooting in raw? If you have a lot of bright skies with dark forests, you're going to run into issues with dynamic range. Raw is more forgiving, but it's still important to understand how to meter and set exposure for potentially tricky lighting.
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-537034-1.html
Have you tried a smaller aperture with this lens? The posted are f/4.5 and f/5. I'm curious how a photo looks at f/8 or f/11 and on a tripod.
Another question: are you going to be shooting in raw? If you have a lot of bright skies with dark forests, you're going to run into issues with dynamic range. Raw is more forgiving, but it's still important to understand how to meter and set exposure for potentially tricky lighting.
Aug 7, 2018 17:59:10 #
Sally D wrote:
My husband and I have booked on a small boat repos... (show quote)
Agree about the focus, but to answer your question, the Sigma 18-35 was my main landscape lens when I had a crop sensor camera. It's happened to me, but did you have focus set to manual and a high diopter in the viewfinder?
Aug 7, 2018 19:01:47 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
None of these appear to be in focus. Perhaps the l... (show quote)
I was shooting this wide open so I'll give an f/8 or f/11 a try. I'll also be takin a monopod.
Thanks.
Aug 7, 2018 19:06:59 #
rgrenaderphoto wrote:
Agree about the focus, but to answer your question, the Sigma 18-35 was my main landscape lens when I had a crop sensor camera. It's happened to me, but did you have focus set to manual and a high diopter in the viewfinder?
I was shooting with auto focus and using a single spot focus. And I haven't tried to reset the diopter so that's worth a try. Should I be using spot focus for landscapes or center weighted? And should I abandon the autofocus and try manual? This lens has been around for a while . . . probably about 10 years but it's probably my lack of knowledge rather than the lens! Thanks for the suggestions.
Aug 7, 2018 21:09:41 #
Charles P
Loc: Southern Central NY State
I think that Linda From Maine is right and you should try F8 and also F11. The shutter speed was 1/640 on the photo that I downloaded, that should be fast enough to almost rule out camera shake. I shoot Nikon, but I believe center weighted is a metering mode, not focus. Your exposure looked okay to me on all three shots. I like to use a single focus point and put it on whatever is the most important part of the image. A wide angle lens set at F8 or F11 should have lots of depth of field and hopefully be sharp.
Aug 7, 2018 22:14:27 #
Charles P wrote:
I think that Linda From Maine is right and you sho... (show quote)
I’ll definitely give the high F stop a try. Thanks for the input.
Aug 8, 2018 01:14:27 #
The lens may be adequate, but you could use some practice to improve your camera holding technique. There's quite a bit of camera shake going on in the images... especially the third example.
Aug 8, 2018 06:18:38 #
ggab
Loc: ?
Sally D wrote:
My husband and I have booked on a small boat repos... (show quote)
Where does DPP4 show your focus points to be in the pictures?
Aug 8, 2018 07:24:08 #
Hi Linda
I have been reading answers on this forum that you replied to. Your are very kind, gentle and knowledgeable! Are you a teacher?
I have been reading answers on this forum that you replied to. Your are very kind, gentle and knowledgeable! Are you a teacher?
Aug 8, 2018 08:39:20 #
I think camera shake is highly unlikely. The last one was shot at 1/800 sec. There is not a single thing in these pictures that seems anywhere near in focus. If the lens has always been like this, its possible that there is a fault with the lens. It does happen, that sub par copys get by past quality control.
Aug 8, 2018 09:31:11 #
ggenova64 wrote:
Hi Linda
I have been reading answers on this forum that you replied to. Your are very kind, gentle and knowledgeable! Are you a teacher?
I have been reading answers on this forum that you replied to. Your are very kind, gentle and knowledgeable! Are you a teacher?
I’m glad you asked the question. I have wondered the same thing.
Aug 8, 2018 09:40:33 #
ggenova64 wrote:
Hi Linda,I have been reading answers on this forum that you replied to. Your are very kind, gentle and knowledgeable! Are you a teacher?
Sally D wrote:
Very nice of you both! No, and I've rarely been known for my patience, either I’m glad you asked the question. I have wondered the same thing.
UHH was my first online forum ever, and I made the conscious decision early on to be (mostly, not 100%) nice. I want to feel I'm part of the solution, not the problem, of this forum's occasional incivility towards sincere questions and issues.Aside from that, I apparently have a way of writing that newbies can relate to. Many technically experienced folks seem to not even be aware they are speaking "over the head" of the OP. I think there is an art to writing concisely and including just enough information. But I constantly edit what I post! It has almost become obsessive. And each year it's getting harder to access the right adjectives and verbs too
Thanks so much.
Aug 8, 2018 10:32:36 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
Very nice of you both! No, and I've rarely been kn... (show quote)
I'm gonna step out on a limb here and state that many Hogs owe a huge debt to Linda From Maine for her knowledge, help, and pleasant demeanor in writing and explaining all things photographic. You can bet she will have so.ething wise to say on most interesting threads. Unlike many arrogant so-called "Pros", Linda has the patience to explain stuff in easy to understand terms. She has set the example for others to follow.
Aug 8, 2018 10:35:32 #
Everyone has their 2 cents so here is mine. These images are definitely out of focus especially noticeable in the double-download. It is possible that the lens in not focusing properly, but it could also be camera shake as it looks like a double image at the tops of the mountains. You should try some tests under different conditions to see if the blur is present in other situations. some of the blur in these shots could be heat distortion too so don't blame the lens yet.
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