Back in the days when I began earning my living pointing a camera, the widest lens I would use was a 35mm on my 35mm camera, and a 50mm on my medium format camera. Both were as wide as I would use because I disliked the perspective.
I have tried fisheye lenses in the past, and although the photos I took might have been called creative, I was never tempted to keep them.
This past year I acquired a 14-24mm. I bought it to sell, but after reading several positive reviews about that lens I ordered a filter holder with both an ND and a polarizing filter deciding to give the wide angle a try before selling it. I wrote about using that lens this past spring to photograph a waterfall on a rainy day.
I loaned the 14-24mm to my friend Jo McAvany and she loves it. Her photos from our trip to Bellingham, Washington, last October were great. I only tried it once while we were there when I wanted to include two waterfalls in the same shot, it worked perfectly for that, but I changed back to my familiar 24-70mm after only a couple of shots.
Jo plans on using it for her Santa pictures this weekend. She has set up a small studio in my shop and will be photographing people’s dogs with Santa.
The 14-24mm is a different beast, like any ultra-wide lens it has that unique perspective and some distortion at the edges. It’s built like a tank with over 2 pounds to carry (969 grams).
A reviewer wrote, “It must be held level and flat to avoid distortion. However, It will focus within a foot of the sensor from 18 to 24 mm, allowing very wide close focus shots.”
I found one photographer that said, “For those who know how to use it effectively a 14-24 can be spectacular.”
And the prolific writer and photographer (bythom.com) Thom Hogan wrote, “The 14-24mm is a fantastic lens. Optically, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a wide angle.”
Well in spite of my feelings about wide angle, I decided any lens receiving reviews like those deserved a chance.
This past weekend I finally took that lens out for a good workout. It is sharp and does give very wide scenic views like most wide lenses I have tried. It focuses very close, is sharp wide open and like my 70-200mm easily locks onto birds in flight. (I decided to try some birds even though it’s too wide for that type of photography.)
Most of the day I was photographing bridges and trees along the water, thinking that might be a good way to test how I liked the wide perspective. I even spent some time with Jo’s three-year-old at a local playground to see how the lens performed up close.
Wide-angle lenses are interesting and, I think, a bit hard to use. I was continually trying to fit the scene and subject into a wide-angle scene. Normally I would select a lens to match the subject, but with the 14-24 I was always looking for a subject that would match the wide lens.
There is also the need to correct some of the pictures in post. That’s not a complaint as I work on every image I take. But unless one wants the curved exaggeration of a wide-angle lens edges require alignment. I guess that’s what using a ultra wide-angle lens is all about.
One reviewer wrote, “If you’re willing to roll with the punches, you’ll capture truly outstanding images…once you feel as if your creativity is starting to outgrow the confines of your gear, you might consider adding an ultra wide lens to your arsenal.”
I have never been comfortable with wide-angle photography so I am not convinced as of yet. However, I have this big lens so for the time being I intend to put it in my bag every time we go out.
These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net. Stop by Enman’s Camera at 423 Tranquille Road in Kamloops. I sell an interesting selection of used photographic equipment. Don’t hesitate to call me at 250-371-3069.
