14mm prime

[sh1209]

For those of you that have a 14mm prime lens, what are most of your use case scenarios for this lens? I’ve had one a couple years and really don’t use it a lot. I have used it on Milky Way shots a few times. I have also tried doing some architectural photography with it. Sometimes I will do foreground elements with it. I still seem to prefer something in the 20 mm range most of the time for full frame. I am contemplating selling it but it is a great lens. Since buying a crop sensor travel body, I have used it with that body and the 21mm fov is nice. Just curious what others use this lens for.

 

[Nimi]

For those of you that have a 14mm prime lens, what are most of your use case scenarios for this lens? I’ve had one a couple years and really don’t use it a lot. I have used it on Milky Way shots a few times. I have also tried doing some architectural photography with it. Sometimes I will do foreground elements with it. I still seem to prefer something in the 20 mm range most of the time for full frame. I am contemplating selling it but it is a great lens. Since buying a crop sensor travel body, I have used it with that body and the 21mm fov is nice. Just curious what others use this lens for.

Just landscapes when I'm too lazy to do a pano. And only because it's on the wide end of a zoom I often use at 24mm. With that said, I'm testing a 15mm Voighlander next week, I'll post results.

 

[sh1209]

Just landscapes when I'm too lazy to do a pano. And only because it's on the wide end of a zoom I often use at 24mm. With that said, I'm testing a 15mm Voighlander next week, I'll post results.

I have heard good things about that brand from folks in the past, but never have owned one. I will be curious to see your results with that focal length.

 

[ButlerKid]

The 14-24 is my most used lens for architecture.....and many, many times I need it at 14mm.

Indiana Statehouse

South Dakota dome

 

[DavidT]

Like you I’ve used it for mostly milky way. I have two of them. The Sony and the new Sigma 14f1.4. I’m keeping the Sigma but love the size of the Sony. But for what I use it for the Sigma is the better lens. I have the 16-35GMII so unless I really need 14mm the lens stays at home and the 16-35 goes with.

 

[sh1209]

The 14-24 is my most used lens for architecture.....and many, many times I need it at 14mm.

Indiana Statehouse

South Dakota dome

Those are beautiful shots! Typically in the past, I’ve had a wide angle zoom either 2.8 or F/4 but this time I decided to go with a couple primes. It seemed like having the wide-angle zoom, I was either at one or two focal lengths Which were normally 14 or 20mm. I decided to go with primes this time to have the extra light if needed.

 

[StefanSC]

For those of you that have a 14mm prime lens, what are most of your use case scenarios for this lens? I’ve had one a couple years and really don’t use it a lot. I have used it on Milky Way shots a few times. I have also tried doing some architectural photography with it. Sometimes I will do foreground elements with it. I still seem to prefer something in the 20 mm range most of the time for full frame. I am contemplating selling it but it is a great lens. Since buying a crop sensor travel body, I have used it with that body and the 21mm fov is nice. Just curious what others use this lens for.

I often use my 14mm f2.8 to get really close to small things and make them look even smaller when compared to the world around them:

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But since it is a hard focal length to use, I went with a cheap-o but decent IQ Samyang 14mm f2.8 MF .

 

[sh1209]

Like you I’ve used it for mostly milky way. I have two of them. The Sony and the new Sigma 14f1.4. I’m keeping the Sigma but love the size of the Sony. But for what I use it for the Sigma is the better lens. I have the 16-35GMII so unless I really need 14mm the lens stays at home and the 16-35 goes with.

Yeah, I decided when switching to Sony that I will not buy another wide range zoom. I think the primes are far better as far as image quality and you get the extra light gathering capability. The image quality of the Sony 1.8 is absolutely phenomenal. I just need to start implement to get more and wanted to get some ideas of what others use theirs for.

 

[ButlerKid]

Those are beautiful shots! Typically in the past, I’ve had a wide angle zoom either 2.8 or F/4 but this time I decided to go with a couple primes. It seemed like having the wide-angle zoom, I was either at one or two focal lengths Which were normally 14 or 20mm. I decided to go with primes this time to have the extra light if needed.

My Nikon 14-24 is an f2.8 and is one of the highest rated wide angles......and popular for Milky Way shots, too.

I even have a Sig 15mm f2.8 fish that is fun to use - in the right situations.

Texas Capitol

 

[dabhand16]

I've got a Z mount 14mm f2.8 Samyang manual focus lens and have had good results when I use it.

 

[Doug A.]

I have heard good things about that brand from folks in the past, but never have owned one. I will be curious to see your results with that focal length.

I have the Voigtlander 15mm. Don't use it regularly, mostly when I'm in tight interiors or going for that exaggerated wide-angle look. Its quite small and light considering its all metal and matches with my Zf quite well. It produces some really great sunstars. Noticeable vignetting wide open (not surprising for an ultra wide-angle), with good sharpness and minimal smearing in the corners (again typical for an ultra wide-angle). Stopped down to f8 and everything optically improves significantly. At this point has what seems like infinite DOF, so critical focus is practically not a concern. Its overall rendering is typical Voigtlander (great color saturation and contrast). Its a fun lens to shoot with.

 

[Nimi]

I have the Voigtlander 15mm. Don't use it regularly, mostly when I'm in tight interiors or going for that exaggerated wide-angle look. Its quite small and light considering its all metal and matches with my Zf quite well. It produces some really great sunstars. Noticeable vignetting wide open (not surprising for an ultra wide-angle), with good sharpness and minimal smearing in the corners (again typical for an ultra wide-angle). Stopped down to f8 and everything optically improves significantly. At this point has what seems like infinite DOF, so critical focus is practically not a concern. Its overall rendering is typical Voigtlander (great color saturation and contrast). Its a fun lens to shoot with.

Thanks for the thumbsketch review. That matches what I've heard. Especially excited about the hard infinity stop. And as you point out, the way it's being used makes no-AF a non-issue.

 

[nmerc_photos]

my 14mm f1.4 is my favorite and most used lens. I shoot a ton of milky way and aurora with it. don't really use it for anything else.

if I wasn't into night sky stuff, I wouldn't own it though

 

[Vincent_VdB]

I bought a Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM for the F mount back in 2018 and is most probably my most unused lens despite it is an absolute stellar performer.
Reason for not using it: no time nor interest in landscape, architectural. ... If I need 14mm shall I reach for my Nikon 14-30mm f/4 S lens.

 

[GregT943]

My Nikon Z 14-30 f4 is my most used lens for landscape, and I am usually shooting at 14 mm. I rent the Z 14-24 f2.8 for milky way shots, again, always shooting at 14 mm. I do lots of wide angle landscape and often of waterfalls/streams, so I use a cpl all the time, and I never shoot landscape at f2.8, so the 14-30 f4 is a better lens for me. I am impatiently waiting for a 14 mm fast prime in Z mount to be used as a dedicated astrolandscape lens. It seems like Nikon would rather make 4 different apertures of other primes they already have then make a fast ultrawide prime. I'm hoping Tamron or Sigma fill that void soon. The Viltrox 16 mm isn't what I'm looking for in an astro lens.

 

[Wes Peterson]

Not quite 14 but 15mm. Outside of boring real estate and landscape plenty of things including bugs rattlesnakes and birds.

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[sh1209]

Not quite 14 but 15mm. Outside of boring real estate and landscape plenty of things including bugs rattlesnakes and birds.View attachment 99911View attachment 99912View attachment 99913View attachment 99914View attachment 99915

Love the snake shots

 

[Frogger]

I also have used a smattering of different UWA lenses (14-30, 15mm, 20mm, 10-20 DX) for taking photos of smaller animals in habitat context, and really enjoy these types of images. Some of these lenses have closer minimum focus distance than others, which makes a big difference. Rattlesnakes are a favorite subject of mine as well, and pose a particular challenge in UWA photos because the subject generally has to be 6-8" from the front of the glass, which involves some obvious challenges for the camera operator. Having autofocus helps as I have been able to put the camera on the end of an unextended monopod, stick it right next to the snake, and then focus and release the shutter via a remote on my z8, which seems to work ok and keeps my hands several feet away from the snake. Still working the kinks out on that program, as a camera, remote trigger, off camera flash diffuser, and pissed off snake can be a lot to manage.

@Wes Peterson those are great timber shots. Are you using the Laowa 15 for those? In the first one the snake must have been almost touching the glass.

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[sh1209]

Not quite 14 but 15mm. Outside of boring real estate and landscape plenty of things including bugs rattlesnakes and birds.View attachment 99911View attachment 99912View attachment 99913View attachment 99914View attachment 99915

I love photographing snakes and get several copperheads a year but haven't been fortunate enough to have the opportunity with a rattlesnake. I did catch one close to the house in NC to relocate it. I didn't believe in killing them because if you don't bother them they won't bother you.

 

[sh1209]

I also have used a smattering of different UWA lenses (14-30, 15mm, 20mm, 10-20 DX) for taking photos of smaller animals in habitat context, and really enjoy these types of images. Some of these lenses have closer minimum focus distance than others, which makes a big difference. Rattlesnakes are a favorite subject of mine as well, and pose a particular challenge in UWA photos because the subject generally has to be 6-8" from the front of the glass, which involves some obvious challenges for the camera operator. Having autofocus helps as I have been able to put the camera on the end of an unextended monopod, stick it right next to the snake, and then focus and release the shutter via a remote on my z8, which seems to work ok and keeps my hands several feet away from the snake. Still working the kinks out on that program, as a camera, remote trigger, off camera flash diffuser, and pissed off snake can be a lot to manage.

@Wes Peterson those are great timber shots. Are you using the Laowa 15 for those? In the first one the snake must have been almost touching the glass.View attachment 99917View attachment 99918

These are wonderful shots!

 

[bleirer]

I think a big use for these lenses is the so called story photo. Where the in focus foreground is the subject of the story completed by the midground and background elements. As far as perspective goes being closer to the foreground makes the midground and background relatively smaller as the background falls away in size faster the closer one is. Of course this would be true no matter what focal length, but the wide angle lets things farther away be in the frame, like distance mountains for example.

 

[sh1209]

I think a big use for these lenses is the so called story photo. Where the in focus foreground is the subject of the story completed by the midground and background elements. As far as perspective goes being closer to the foreground makes the midground and background relatively smaller as the background falls away in size faster the closer one is. Of course this would be true no matter what focal length, but the wide angle lets things farther away be in the frame, like distance mountains for example.

Yeah I have used it for that purpose some but these images posted here today have given me some ideas. In the past I only used them for architecture and landscapes. I have did mushrooms and bugs a few times but these snake photos are awesome.

 

[Frogger]

these images posted here today have given me some ideas

Thats what it's all about!

 

[Wes Peterson]

I also have used a smattering of different UWA lenses (14-30, 15mm, 20mm, 10-20 DX) for taking photos of smaller animals in habitat context, and really enjoy these types of images. Some of these lenses have closer minimum focus distance than others, which makes a big difference. Rattlesnakes are a favorite subject of mine as well, and pose a particular challenge in UWA photos because the subject generally has to be 6-8" from the front of the glass, which involves some obvious challenges for the camera operator. Having autofocus helps as I have been able to put the camera on the end of an unextended monopod, stick it right next to the snake, and then focus and release the shutter via a remote on my z8, which seems to work ok and keeps my hands several feet away from the snake. Still working the kinks out on that program, as a camera, remote trigger, off camera flash diffuser, and pissed off snake can be a lot to manage.

@Wes Peterson those are great timber shots. Are you using the Laowa 15 for those? In the first one the snake must have been almost touching the glass.View attachment 99917View attachment 99918

Yeah both the Laowa 15mm f4 macro and the 15mm f2 zero distortion. I have on occasion gotten VERY close lol.

 

[bleirer]

Makes one think of opportunities. Just thinking aloud, I think that the depth of field is going to be all about the magnification which comes from the interaction between the distance and the focal length, so DOF should be the same whether a wide angle lens up up close or a short telephoto a little father away, as long as the subject is the same size in the frame. The thing that will vary will be the perspective that comes from the subject distance and of course the field of view. So mostly I guess it's about keeping the perspective you get by being close along with the field of view of the wide angle. Nothing you didn't already know.