Comments on: 6 Winning Ways to Work Wide

By: Nathan

Nathan — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:12:42 +0000

Just bought a wide-angle lens and can’t wait to start using it!

By: Lensman kc

Lensman kc — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:01:26 +0000

Hi
Hello there…which is the best lens for landscape…i am using Nikon D90.
Thanks!

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:52:47 +0000

For those commenting on using the polorizer filter, my problem with this article is that it does not mention that you can adjust the amount of “polarizing” you apply. By twisting the outer ring you can adjust the amount of the effect from zero to full. While you need to be aware of the impact it is having on your image at all times, there is no set rules because so many factors are at play in any one photo. The filter has almost no effect if the sun is directly in front of or behind you. It has its maximum effect when the sun is ninety degrees to your right or left. And the effect is somewhere in between the two at any other angle. This makes each set up unique. A polarizer can be a wonderful addition at any focal length, but you really need to understand how it works and what it is doing in your current set up. And the one post about stitching panoramas is correct. You will never get a good stitch with this filter, so don’t use it for panoramas. In addition, nearly all filters can now be duplicated in post production except the polorizer filter (Tiffin does offer software that simulates it, but not perfectly). That said, I use the physical filter most of the time when I want the effect. ND grads are another filter that is needed in the field sometimes for special effects, although most of the time I just apply them in post production.

Another comment about Canon L series lenses — While there are other lenses available at many different price points, I will never regret buying the best. It is more than a small gain in quality, IT IS HUGE!!! That said, not everyone can afford to buy them and almost all of the articles can apply to “consumer” quality lenses like the EF-S line or the third party lenses. The principles are the same for any focal range of lenses, so enjoy what you can afford and enjoy the articles like this one that inform you on how to use them.

By: Joe Decker

Joe Decker — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:36:46 +0000

@Pashminu Mansukhani: It’s not as disturbing as you might think, the problem in part is that there’s no right way to keep verticals vertical in a photograph in a wide-angle perspective unless you know whether you’re pointing up, down or neither. In practice most wide-angle shots don’t require adjustment, and of the ones I showed here only the forest shot received any attention.

The problems, again, are not faults of the lens (primarily). A tilt-shift lens *will* give you some ability to correct for it, and I use one at times, but they’re more fuss than most photographers wish to deal with.

By: Joe Decker

Joe Decker — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:31:44 +0000

@NS: I’m not at my home base today so I can’t look up the #s, but I can give you most of the information off the top of my head. All four were at f/16; ISO 100 except for the forest, All were with a Canon 1Ds3 or 1Ds, full frame either way, you wouldn’t see a difference.

My best guess is that three of the shots were with the 24-70L/2.8 at its widest extent, the forest shot was at around 18-19mm on the Canon 16-35L/2.8. I remember coming in from 16. Since the forest shot was handheld, I likely had to pull back a bit on aperture and ISO, likely f/11 or *maybe* f/13, ISO 200 on it. All were shot aperture-priority and then exposure-adjusted in post.

By: Pashminu Mansukhani

Pashminu Mansukhani — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:21:29 +0000

The amount of post shoot work required can be a major deterring for majority of the people who shoot. Also, all wide angle lens have some distortion issue or another. Cannot we have less expensive prime lens of say 10mm for APS-C class cameras?

By: ShooterMum

ShooterMum — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:42:50 +0000

Cool. thanks Joe will take a look.

By: Joe Decker

Joe Decker — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:37:29 +0000

@Sweet Ronit: McNally is a true master, no question! I do make some use of distortion-reduction, it had a huge effect on one of my new images here: http://www.rockslidephoto.com/imported-20101203065352/2011/6/28/avalanche-lake.html — the image simply wouldn’t have worked without some of that, that’s a very good point.

By: Joe Decker

Joe Decker — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:32:13 +0000

@shootermum: We all have our own styles, but those are definitely “more done” examples, and intentionally so, it was easier to explain the points I was making when the effects of those points were more readily visible. I put a greater emphasis on trying to communicate the tips I was giving than I did on picking my favorite images. Feel free to poke around my own galleries some and figure out what you think might have been better choices, though:

http://www.rockslidephoto.com/gallery

By: ShooterMum

ShooterMum — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:18:52 +0000

Excellent article and excellent advice. Just disappointed with photo examples. Would have been really nice to have one or two in there that weren’t so over-done? Simple wide-angle landscapes are just as powerful.