Shooting landscape using f2.8?

[donut88]

ok... to be fair, there are times when shooting landscapes, f2.8 is needed if you want to focus on 1 small thing in relation to the environment... but THIS is not the reason. :what:

i thot i heard it all in CS after so many years... but this takes the cake. :thumbsup:

There are alot of such "photographers" walking around. all only look good outside.....

there is another TS who complained that his kit lens is not good enough for landscape, complained grainy and whatever... the best thing is he pixel peep at 500% zoom!!!!..... :sweatsm::sweatsm::sweatsm:

 

[SnagIt]

Don't wanna comment on the skills of TS's friend, but I've seen numerous shots of landscape taken with 85mm 1.4G. Not a surprise to me if someone's using 2.8. In the end, it's just about creativity

 

[gundamseed84]

yr friend is those whom we called "skills dont have, only look good outside"

like a footballer, can wear ala Beckman football boots, best dri-fit jersey with solid shin guards, machiam fashion model on the field.... but cannot kick the ball straight......

What if he is good in curls? :sweatsm:

 

[bruggink]

Yesterday I go to have some shoot with my 2 of my buddies on Marrina Barrage. After that, we go to Marina Sq to have dinner, which we take a look each others result...
Looking at one of my friend's result, I found quite interesting that all his landscape is shoots using f2.8 (he used a 5D and 16-35 f2.8 L). When I asks why he using f2.8, not step down to let say f8 to achieve deep focus, he even more surprise. From his reason, since his lens is a high quality one, he no need to step down like any one of those cheapo lenses. Even he reasoning, step down the aperture only wasted his lens' f2.8 availability. The other friend also try to reasoning with him and try to explain about deep focus, but seems he stands firm with his reason that f2.8 able to produce good landscape pics.

What do you guys thinking?
Normally I always step down to min f8-f10 when trying to achieve deep focus, and I believe this is also applicable to any L lenses (I don't have any)

Owning expensive pots and pans does not make one person a chef. This is what I always remind myself of and to curb the BBB virus. :sweat:

I thought the reason of TS's friend shooting at f2.8 for landscape was rather hilarous. There is nothing technical about it and just for the sake of a higher ROI for the money spent on the L lens. :thumbsup: As far as pure landscape is concerned, we want everything to be in focus. That's why we talk about hyperfocal focusing and there is really no reason to shoot at f2.8.

If we are talking about taking the right picture and the right to take picture, of cos the person has his/her right to shoot at f2.8 but definitely he/she is not taking the right picture. What a waste of the L lens...

 

[chicklit]

Thanks for all responses...

The shooting start around 3pm, and ends about 5pm, no tripod involvement
I forward him the link of this thread, and his 1st response is I'm not mentioning both body and lens is mk II :sweat:
Let's see his reaction next

(Ah Boy, peace, no offence!)

 

[catchlights]

Thanks for all responses...

The shooting start around 3pm, and ends about 5pm, no tripod involvement
I forward him the link of this thread, and his 1st response is I'm not mentioning both body and lens is mk II :sweat:
Let's see his reaction next

(Ah Boy, peace, no offence!)

you can quote my post if you wish.....

 

[catchlights]

Thanks for all responses...

The shooting start around 3pm, and ends about 5pm, no tripod involvement
I forward him the link of this thread, and his 1st response is I'm not mentioning both body and lens is mk II :sweat:
Let's see his reaction next

(Ah Boy, peace, no offence!)

if you friend is very good in selective reading, can just read my post and ignore the rest.

 

[donut88]

Thanks for all responses...

The shooting start around 3pm, and ends about 5pm, no tripod involvement
I forward him the link of this thread, and his 1st response is I'm not mentioning both body and lens is mk II :sweat:
Let's see his reaction next

(Ah Boy, peace, no offence!)

yeah lor... i know its MK II....

wear ala Beckman football boots and cannot kick ball straight is the same analogy......

 

[surrephoto]

Honestly speaking, to me, words can't describe how important is a fast lens for cityscapes, especially overseas. Primary reason is because I like to shoot at night without a tripod. And when it comes to the night, EVERY 1/3 stop of light matters.

Personally, I feel that shallow depth of field can be sometimes useful for landscape. Some extreme lenses like 85 f1.2L still soften the background noticeably yet slightly towards infinity (when focusing at a point near-infinity) and it can be very, very beautiful.

When this effect is not apparent in shorter lenses like the N24 f1.4G, you can exploit the new fantastic optics to get almost coma-less images at f1.4. Thats 2 stops faster than using the usually 16-35s and shooting at f2.8. After some vignette reduction, CA reduction & sharpening in raw, most people won't be able to tell the differences, the layman might even say your f1.4 shot looks better, it's due to depth.

 

[leschua75]

Sometimes bo bian mah....

I brought my 24/1.4 and SB900 along on vaction (actually I brought box only with SB-600 inside LOL!) so as to claim GST refund at the airport. Else I'd have taken my wife's PnS which is just a $199 cam. After claiming I threw the SB-900 box and SB-600 away liao. LOL! Biang you know how heavy and bulky sia.....

This one is from Taiwan Jiu fen. :bsmilie:

ISO 640, 1/2s, f1.4

Landscape portrait? Don't know how to catergorise lah... f1.4. (I got bracket with f2.8 and f5.6)

Haha..me also in jiufen..

 

[fastfocusing]

Yesterday I go to have some shoot with my 2 of my buddies on Marrina Barrage. After that, we go to Marina Sq to have dinner, which we take a look each others result...
Looking at one of my friend's result, I found quite interesting that all his landscape is shoots using f2.8 (he used a 5D and 16-35 f2.8 L). When I asks why he using f2.8, not step down to let say f8 to achieve deep focus, he even more surprise. From his reason, since his lens is a high quality one, he no need to step down like any one of those cheapo lenses. Even he reasoning, step down the aperture only wasted his lens' f2.8 availability. The other friend also try to reasoning with him and try to explain about deep focus, but seems he stands firm with his reason that f2.8 able to produce good landscape pics.

What do you guys thinking?
Normally I always step down to min f8-f10 when trying to achieve deep focus, and I believe this is also applicable to any L lenses (I don't have any)

From my understanding, it is cloudy from morning to evening. It rained in the evening too. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Given the above condition, there may be insufficient light. Unless you have a tripod, a big aperture is advisable to prevent camera shake. Because you want to achieve a low ISO setting and a faster shutter speed.

For landscape, I prefer to shoot between F/8 or greater.Shooting at bigger aperture will render everything tack sharp! No one likes to look at a less than sharp landscape.

 

[divinemoment]

Yesterday I go to have some shoot with my 2 of my buddies on Marrina Barrage. After that, we go to Marina Sq to have dinner, which we take a look each others result...
Looking at one of my friend's result, I found quite interesting that all his landscape is shoots using f2.8 (he used a 5D and 16-35 f2.8 L). When I asks why he using f2.8, not step down to let say f8 to achieve deep focus, he even more surprise. From his reason, since his lens is a high quality one, he no need to step down like any one of those cheapo lenses. Even he reasoning, step down the aperture only wasted his lens' f2.8 availability. The other friend also try to reasoning with him and try to explain about deep focus, but seems he stands firm with his reason that f2.8 able to produce good landscape pics.

Nothing wrong using wide aperture if he wants to attain certain composition. But to say f2.8 is the sharpest (actually he didn't really say that, right? He merely said good unless you misquote him) defy physic. I assume all of you are merely comparing in the LCD, hence no noticeble focusing issue. But if you zoom in using computer, you will find the obvious difference between even between f2.8 and f5.6.

 

[divinemoment]

It's interesting you asked this question today... cos just this afternoon, while having lunch, I was reading from the August 2010 issue of Digital Camera World, where Tom Mackie, a landscape photographer, gives this tip on how to get the best results: "Shoot in Aperture Priority - I always shoot in Aperture Priority mode when I'm doing landscape work, simply because it means I can choose the most appropriate f-stop and depth of field for the given situation. As a rule, I tend to use the optimal aperture for the lens I'm using, which tends to be between f/8 and f/14/"

Shooting in Aperture Priority does not guarantee you best result. I'd say knowing and understanding your setting will give you best result, not neccessary Aperture Priority.

 

[2100]

Haha..me also in jiufen..

Wah....your picture sibeh swee ah. Got one of those small cute tripod?
Still rainy over there huh....

 

[leschua75]

Wah....your picture sibeh swee ah. Got one of those small cute tripod?
Still rainy over there huh....

Haha..raining non stop lor..I was there early Nov for a week..everything was fun except raining..

Handheld pic lor..Pump ISO to 1600 with my sigma 18-50 f2.8-4.5 os hsm..if no sala should be using 18mm F2.8..

 

[semino]

There are alot of such "photographers" walking around. all only look good outside.....

there is another TS who complained that his kit lens is not good enough for landscape, complained grainy and whatever... the best thing is he pixel peep at 500% zoom!!!!..... :sweatsm::sweatsm::sweatsm:

Donut...I am the TS who complained...

please visit my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/52996057@N04/

these were taken by my Kit lens last weekend with Sunchasers...

 

[donut88]

Donut...I am the TS who complained...

please visit my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/52996057@N04/

these were taken by my Kit lens last weekend with Sunchasers...

your pics sibeh nice leh!!! i assume u used kit lens to do these??? amazing piece of work...

i think i need to learn from you liao.... :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[giantcanopy]

Looking at one of my friend's result, I found quite interesting that all his landscape is shoots using f2.8 (he used a 5D and 16-35 f2.8 L). When I asks why he using f2.8, not step down to let say f8 to achieve deep focus, he even more surprise. From his reason, since his lens is a high quality one, he no need to step down like any one of those cheapo lenses. Even he reasoning, step down the aperture only wasted his lens' f2.8 availability. The other friend also try to reasoning with him and try to explain about deep focus, but seems he stands firm with his reason that f2.8 able to produce good landscape pics.

On the bright side of things, he is not a pixel peeper. looks great from the camera LCD.
if taking for facebook shots, wide angle at f2.8 might not tell much of a diff.

But in the earlier days when high ISO produced horribly artistic noise, I have a few desperate wide aperture shots in enclosures where tripods cannot be deployed, especially in some of the old churches in europe.

Ryan

 

[macbart]

It's interesting you asked this question today... cos just this afternoon, while having lunch, I was reading from the August 2010 issue of Digital Camera World, where Tom Mackie, a landscape photographer, gives this tip on how to get the best results: "Shoot in Aperture Priority - I always shoot in Aperture Priority mode when I'm doing landscape work, simply because it means I can choose the most appropriate f-stop and depth of field for the given situation. As a rule, I tend to use the optimal aperture for the lens I'm using, which tends to be between f/8 and f/14/"

Shooting in Aperture Priority does not guarantee you best result. I'd say knowing and understanding your setting will give you best result, not neccessary Aperture Priority.

I agree with you. You'll notice from the statement I quoted from Tom Mackie that he explains why he chooses aperture priority - so that he can choose the appropriate settings (including aperture) for the situation. Obviously, that would first require an understanding of what settings will give the best results for situation and the desired image.

 

[semino]

your pics sibeh nice leh!!! i assume u used kit lens to do these??? amazing piece of work...

i think i need to learn from you liao.... :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Yes Donut, I used my Kit lens(15-85mm). Thanks for your appreciation.

I will be going this coming weekend(4th) to Sunchasers outing.