What’s Your Preference?

schiemflug · #1 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010, 01:05 PM

Hi

Is there anyone out there that has experience with the 24m f3.5 PC-E LENS???

What I would like to know is :- Is the perform as good when used as a standard 24mm wide prime as I'm told it does when used as a shift lens ???? or would I get a better performance from, say, the 24mm f1.4 prime wide lens????

My wedding and portrait business has just been sold, so I'm taking up landscape, cityscape and a bit of street photography among others.

I have been a wedding, portrait and event photographer all my working life (now 70 years young). Now its time for meeeee and my own projects. I don't believe in buying equipment for the sake of it, it has to work hard and earn it's keep.

Your Opinions would be of great value.

OsmosisStudios · #2 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schiemflug

What I would like to know is :- Is the perform as good when used as a standard 24mm wide prime as I'm told it does when used as a shift lens ???? or would I get a better performance from, say, the 24mm f1.4 prime wide lens????

Performance in what sense? The 24/1.4 is an amazing lens, but the only real reason to get one is for the f/1.4 aperture. If you need a super sharp and exceptional 24mm lens, you really can't go wrong with the PC-E series.

The only thing to consider is the techniques involved: they're not easy lenses to learn to use properly. Theyre also very hard to use on the crop-sensor cameras (anything below a D700 because of the clearance with the prism housing.

schiemflug · #3 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Performance in what sense? The 24/1.4 is an amazing lens, but the only real reason to get one is for the f/1.4 aperture. If you need a super sharp and exceptional 24mm lens, you really can't go wrong with the PC-E series.

The only thing to consider is the techniques involved: they're not easy lenses to learn to use properly. Theyre also very hard to use on the crop-sensor cameras (anything below a D700 because of the clearance with the prism housing.

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Cheers Osmosis
The techniques for using the PC-E lens shouldn't be to much of a problem as I have use many large format cameras including 10x8 and 5x4, its a matter of adapting my experience to this lens.
I have two D3s bodies and a D700 along with large selection of pro prime and zoom lenses in my armoury, so no problem there.
My concern is basically the sharpness when used as a conventional 24mm lens with no adjustment to the rise & fall or swing.
I ask as I have used large format where the lens is attached to a lens board and all the adjustments are done using the front bellows and rear of the camera, I.e. there is no break in the lens components as there obviously are in a PC-E lens.
Is any of that making sense to anyone, because I'm beginning wonder myself, mind you, it doesn't take a lot to confuse my old brain box these days.

OsmosisStudios · #4 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010, 11:29 PM

If you're talking about straight, normal use performance, then the 24mm is one of the sharpest. The tile/shift functions are a great bonus. Just keep in mind: though you'll get metering, you wont get AF.

sk66 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010, 11:37 PM

Personally, I don't think they are worth the expense. With the advent of digital "lens correction" most distortions can be removed in post which minimizes the benefit of TS.
If you want to play with TS "effect" a lensbaby is a much cheaper answer (I just picked one up used w/ accessories for $35).....it's a "novelty effect" anyways.
They are sharp, but you can get sharp for less. If you are doing absolutely critical architectural stuff, then maybe they are worth the expense.

I sold mine.....

inkista · #6 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk66

Personally, I don't think they are worth the expense. With the advent of digital "lens correction" most distortions can be removed in post which minimizes the benefit of TS.

Except that you're not stretching pixels. When correcting for keystoning, you might be seriously degrading image quality in the corners. I stitch panos with software warping, and there are times when I remap to a little planet that CA which was one or two pixels wide in the original shot becomes 20 or 30 pixels wide in the final image and is no longer so insignificant.

Quote:

If you want to play with TS "effect" a lensbaby is a much cheaper answer (I just picked one up used w/ accessories for $35).....it's a "novelty effect" anyways.

Only if you're using it for that reducing the DoF thing, and even then the weird softness and deliberate CA of the lensbaby still looks distinctly different from a tilt-shift. It's also impossible to have the precision or control (or image quality) with a lensbaby to do the DoF increasing Scheimpflug thing.

And the lensbaby only tilts. No shifting, so no perspective correction.

Quote:

If you are doing absolutely critical architectural stuff, then maybe they are worth the expense.

Or product photography and you need to extend DoF with macro focus distances. Or landscape photography with deeper DoF at wider apertures.

Agreed, though, a tilt-shift is one funky tool and not one most photographers feel the need for.

schiemflug · #7 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010, 12:26 AM

If you want to play with TS "effect" a lensbaby is a much cheaper answer (I just picked one up used w/ accessories for $35).....it's a "novelty effect" anyways.
They are sharp, but you can get sharp for less. If you are doing absolutely critical architectural stuff, then maybe they are worth the expense.

I sold mine.....[/QUOTE]
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I could never see the point of the lens babies apart from the arty and creative work, which in a way I suppose we all do in our own way, not so sure they can be compared with a PC-E lens though, or any quality pro lens for that matter.

Have you a lens suggestion for getting sharp for less?????

Cheers

inkista · #8 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010, 12:48 AM

Assuming you mean less than the 24 PC-E and 24/1.4

Nikkor 14-24/2.8 AF-S G. Legendary lens. King of the wide angle sharpness. Beats the Canon 14mm/2.8L II prime. Only real drawback is that it doesn't do filters.

Can't help thinking, though, that a tiny cheap 24/2.8D might not be a bad idea for the street shooting.

sk66 · #9 (**permalink**) 12-01-2010, 12:57 AM

Sure, consider the 20mm f/2.8 if you need wide cheap (and plastic).
Personally I use a 12-24mm sigma without complaint, but you could get the Nikkor 14-24 for less than a PC-E.
There are a lot of options sub $2k and probably better ones at $2k (24 f/1.4). It really depends on what you want/need. If you need the PC aspect fine, if not don't pay for it.