Landscape lens query (?)

[Peter McCullough]

Ok, I'm picking up a Canon 5D Mk2 body towards the end of July, presently using a 5D Mk1 body.

So looking for an excellent quality wide angle lens for serious landscape photography in the not too distant future. Been looking at the Zeiss 21mm f/2 lens, hmmm quite a large price for this prime, but I appreciate you pay for quality..!

Anything out there by Canon that would come close..? Would the EF 24mm f/1.4 L be decent as a serious landscape lens..?
What about the Voitlander range of glass, are they worth considering also..?

I don't mind if its a prime or short zoom, but I'm after a quality end product.


Appreciate any advice/experience/thoughts, thanks..!


peter
Scotland

 

[Beth Carter]

i liked the canon 17-40mm L, i've heard the 16-35mm was better (and more expensive..). the 17-40mm L runs around $750 USD making it one of the less expensive L lenses.

canon 5d mk ii and 17-40mm @ 17mm

Life on Mars by scifitographer, on Flickr

 

[Peter McCullough]

Lovely shot Beth, is this shot at the 17mm end of the zoom...?


Thanks;
Pete

 

[Beth Carter]

17mm, f/16, 25s, iso 50

 

[Hamish Gill]

The voigtlander option (20mm) is very small, but that's it's usp, other lenses will be better IQ!
If I were a canon user of buy the 17-40L ... It's rep precedes it!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

I have managed to accumulate the 17-35 f2.8L and the 24mm f1.4L

17-35mm f/2.8L

This lens has some CA, but this is easily fixed in post processing - I fix it in ACR

It is a zoom, so clearly you can zoom to frame the shot as required


24mm f/1.4L

With the max aperture of f/1.4, you can get in close and get great DOF effects

No zoom, so you have to frame by walking back and forth

But you can't fake narrow DOF, so you either have the wider aperture, or you don't

Can't go wrong with either IMHO - f/1.4 will be more useful for indoor/low light photography outside of landscape work.

24mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2 and 85mm f/1.2 are my ideal prime set for Canon.

 

[David Mitchell]

Nikon FM2n with a 50mm E lens, £1 per roll Agfa vista plus film

You don't always need a wide angle lens when shooting landscape.

 

[Beth Carter]

chris, gorgeous photos, but i think you meant you have the 16-35mm f/2.8L.

the 16-35mm has better iq than the 17-40mm f/4 L and double the price. but as chris said the wider aperture is crucial if that's what you need from the lens. if i'd kept the canon gear and shot more weddings i would have had the 16-35mm.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Nope - 17-35 f/2.8L

First of the super-wide L lenses produced

 

[Beth Carter]

sweet! never heard of that one. when did it come out?

 

[Chris Dodkin]

sweet! never heard of that one. when did it come out?

When Canon launched the first consumer DSLR (The D30) they suddenly realized that the cropped sensor meant that they didn't have an L wide angle lens!

So they produced the 17-35, which saved the day - April 1996

Man, I can't believe I've owned it that long!

 

[Davie Hudson]

I love my 17-40 canon lens not gonna post up any pics, all my recent one were done with it if thats any help

 

[Beth Carter]

ah, it was released way before i had an interest in cameras. i'm guessing it's been discontinued and replaced with the 17-40 and 16-35mm lenses.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Indeedy - it didn't last too long before the newer models were released