good landscape lens, your thoughts, pls
Aug 1, 2013 11:39:49 #
countrycameraman wrote:
Hello Sharpshooter. Thanks for replying. My pal says his lens is tack sharp from a few feet in front of the camera to infinity. That's what I'm calling exceptional DOF. None of my lens will do that!
CCM, yes, I understand. You can get the most out of the lenses that you do own by maximizing their potential.
First and formost is good light. Always shoot in the best light possible and avoid overcast as that can produce noise.
Secondly, search on the net and find the maximum "sweet spot" for your particular lens. For many lenses that is about f8. That should be no problem in good light.
Thirdly, do a search on here or the Internet for "hyper focul distance". This is a technique that can be used with any lens to maximize the amount of area that is in focus at any given focus distance, including infinity.
Lastly, if your speeds are a little low, make sure your on a tripod.
The first three things will maximize the sharpness and DoF for any lens. Yes some lenses are sharper than others, but we need to get the most out of what we own.
I will only mention that some amazing shots can also be produced by a tecknique called "focus stacking", but that may require PP software that you may or may not own. Good luck and sharp shooting. SS
Aug 1, 2013 12:35:41 #
Do you have a prime like a 35mm or a 50mm? Try this:
-set camera on manual
-set camera to f8 or f10
-set appropriate shutter speed and ISO
-turn camera vertically in portrait orientation
-start from left and pan right while snapping ~5-10 photos
-download Microsoft ICE (you may have to download the proper Microsoft codec for windows for your camera to be able to import the RAW files into ICE
-stitch the photos with ICE
-export to JPEG 100%
I have even done this with my 18-300mm Nikon
Or you can just purchase the Tonkina 11-16
-set camera on manual
-set camera to f8 or f10
-set appropriate shutter speed and ISO
-turn camera vertically in portrait orientation
-start from left and pan right while snapping ~5-10 photos
-download Microsoft ICE (you may have to download the proper Microsoft codec for windows for your camera to be able to import the RAW files into ICE
-stitch the photos with ICE
-export to JPEG 100%
I have even done this with my 18-300mm Nikon
Or you can just purchase the Tonkina 11-16
Aug 1, 2013 12:43:36 #
Aug 1, 2013 13:20:27 #
I have an 8-16 I like a lot--but--never loose sight of holding your camera vertical and taking a series of images (overlap 20%) and stitch them together in Photoshop--important--turn your body, don't swivel the camera.
Stan
Stan
Aug 1, 2013 13:21:10 #
I have an 8-16 I like a lot--but--never loose sight of holding your camera vertical and taking a series of images (overlap 20%) and stitch them together in Photoshop--important--turn your body, don't swivel the camera.
Stan
Stan
Aug 1, 2013 13:30:54 #
Like ChapJohn, I find my 50mm very effective for taking casual landscapes. My first serious camera was a Voigtlander 35mm with a 50mm lens. I shot with it for many years and became very comfortable with the 50mm focal length. I've upgraded my equipment several times over the years (film to digital, full size sensor) but have always stayed with a 50mm prime lens on all of my cameras. It just seems second nature to me now. I've learned to do most of my zooming with my feet. There are times when a different lens might come in handy but it's amazing how much you can do with nothing more than a nifty fifty.
Aug 1, 2013 14:59:12 #
I use both a Tokina 12-24 f/4 and a Sigma 17-20 f2.8 for landscapes. Both produce tack sharp landscapes; I find that that the Tokina is sharper when focused at 1/3rd into the scene, while the Sigma, gives the best DOF when set at an aperture of f/11 and focused 1/3 into the scene.
Aug 1, 2013 16:00:42 #
darkmanCANADA wrote:
Do you have a prime like a 35mm or a 50mm? Try thi... (show quote)
And use a tripod!
Aug 1, 2013 16:08:35 #
Aug 1, 2013 16:15:01 #
darkmanCANADA wrote:
Mine are all handheld: http://photography.baquiran.ca/
But some of us may not have your steady hand! :(
Aug 1, 2013 16:15:35 #
Recently, I purchased a Sigma f 1.4 30mm for my Canon 7D, and it does the trick for me. I am pretty certain that you can get it witha Nikon mount.
Aug 1, 2013 16:19:15 #
DigiKid wrote:
Recently, I purchased a Sigma f 1.4 30mm for my Canon 7D, and it does the trick for me. I am pretty certain that you can get it witha Nikon mount.
Sigma does make a Nikon mount . . .
Aug 2, 2013 08:02:42 #
SS - Thank you for the great tips/suggestions. I'll begin working on them today!
Aug 2, 2013 08:13:32 #
Harvey wrote:
I will be going out on a full day and very diversified photo trip today covering several small older towns and miles and miles of back roads filled with all kinds of photo ops - been cooped up for the past 5 weeks and have been given the day to myself. (one of our daughters has come to stay with my disabled wife) I will be using my new optec double harness with Canon 350d with 18-55 mm and Canon 400d with 100-300 mm There will be lots of landscape ops to compare these two lens.
Harvey
Harvey
Kudos Harvey for taking care of your disabled wife. I hope you had a great day in the field. Did you get some good shots?
Aug 2, 2013 10:57:01 #
Oddly, while you think wide angle is the stuff of landscapes, the best landscape images are rarely from wide angle lenses, regardless of quality. Generally, normal to slight telephoto lenses allow concentrating on the more interesting portions of the landscape. They allow picking and choosing points of interest. Wide, global views are mainly about foreground, which can be interesting, but the landscape, which is distant, plays little role.
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