Your choice for owning only one wide angle lens for z mount?

[Activert]

I use the 20mm f1.8 for Astro and the 14-24mm for landscape.
But if I had to use only one then it would be the 14-24mm - not as fast but more versatile.
I found the 28-75mm to be a bit too soft wide open for astro.
If on a budget the 14-30mm is worth a look too..

Thank you Roy for your reply!

 

[Activert]

As I shoot mostly wildlife I choosed to go with the 14-30. I use it for landscapes, but I have also shot some northern lights photography with it, but it requires to use high ISO.

Here‘s a post I shared using this lens:

Northern lights

Last saturday I saw the sky was getting that greenish light and I popped out with my camera. As I’m recovering from a fractured arm and shoulder after a skiing accident 4 weeks ago I didn’t dare wandering far from my car, but I snapped off a couple of shots. Not the best shots of the northern...

bcgforums.com

Thank you!

 

[Darrellhar]

This is an interesting conversation as I’ve pretty much decided to sell my 14-24, 24-70 and 16-35. It’s really hard to do with what little they are going for now but what made me consider the change is the fact that the 24-70 f2.8 and 14-30 Z lens both take 82mm thread filters. Really nice to share between lens. I’ve used 14-24 primarily for Astro but thinking of holding onto sigma 20mm f1.4 for the rare occasion I get to do that. S Z lens just seem to be really great image quality and designed for higher MP cameras where many of the F mount were not.

 

[Activert]

This is an interesting conversation as I’ve pretty much decided to sell my 14-24, 24-70 and 16-35. It’s really hard to do with what little they are going for now but what made me consider the change is the fact that the 24-70 f2.8 and 14-30 Z lens both take 82mm thread filters. Really nice to share between lens. I’ve used 14-24 primarily for Astro but thinking of holding onto sigma 20mm f1.4 for the rare occasion I get to do that. S Z lens just seem to be really great image quality and designed for higher MP cameras where many of the F mount were not.

Thank you. I appreciate your comment

 

[ElenaH]

@Activert , I think, you need to take in consideration where you are going to photograph nightscapes and if you are going to use star-tracker equipment (that is what compensate the earth rotation or rotate the camera together with the earth).
It is impartant if you are close to equator. A user-guide for my Polarie (star tracker) says that being on celestial equator ( 0 degrees) you can use 18sec exposure with 15mm lens on full frame, 13sec for 20mm, 11sec for 24mm and so on.. If you are on 10 degrees from equator the exposure times are the same, if on 20 degrees then it is respectively 19, 14 and 12sec. I can bring that table here if there is an interest.
According to my experience in Africa, Botswana, I was able to shoot maximum 14sec with 14-24mm lens on 14mm without geting stars as lines. So, practise was a bit different. And where I was shooting was about 19-20 degrees... The shorter speed the more ISO, you know. So, the wider lens the better (depending on the place of shooting, of course)

 

[Activert]

@Activert , I think, you need to take in consideration where you are going to photograph nightscapes and if you are going to use star-tracker equipment (that is what compensate the earth rotation or rotate the camera together with the earth).
It is impartant if you are close to equator. A user-guide for my Polarie (star tracker) says that being on celestial equator ( 0 degrees) you can use 18sec exposure with 15mm lens on full frame, 13sec for 20mm, 11sec for 24mm and so on.. If you are on 10 degrees from equator the exposure times are the same, if on 20 degrees then it is respectively 19, 14 and 12sec. I can bring that table here if there is an interest.
According to my experience in Africa, Botswana, I was able to shoot maximum 14sec with 14-24mm lens on 14mm without geting stars as lines. So, practise was a bit different. And where I was shooting was about 19-20 degrees... The shorter speed the more ISO, you know. So, the wider lens the better (depending on the place of shooting, of course)

Wow! I learned so much from your reply about time of exposure in relation to the where we are from Equateur! It will be so nice and appreciated if you could share the table with us. Thank you so much for all these information

 

[ElenaH]

here are the links:

https://data2.manualslib.com/print_page/en-81d7cae7ef38e448f81bcdfe1da381ee.pdf

Star-Scape Photography Mode - Vixen Polarie User Manual [Page 19]

Vixen Polarie Manual Online: Star-Scape Photography Mode. If this mode is selected, the Polarie tracks stars at half the speed of the diurnal motion of the stars. The terrestrial objects are trailed less as compared with images taken by wide-field photography at a given exposure time.

www.manualslib.com

there is a difference if you are taking pictures only of stars (and rotate the camera on such device) or if you take pictures of nightscapes where you want to have a foreground and pehaps even to lighten it or light-painting it. Foreground stays on the ground ;-) and stars are moving. Actually it is the other way around but you've got the point ;-)
Polarie will hold a smaller camera like Z6 with wide-angle lens. And ok, that 18sec is for the camera already mounted and rotated on the polarie/star-tracker device! If you don't have the device than the camera will be standing still and the speed will be shorter.
Last years I didn't take a polarie with me becasue it is a small but very heavy piece of equipment! So, I just know from the experience that in Botswana I need to use 13sec for the best case (max. 14sec) for 14mm lens to get stars like points.
I can post some pictures later.

Look at this channel if you'd like to know more about nightscapes and light-painting: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-KNiVo4X76cJIMphH1lEdA/videos
I think it is the best or one of the best channels for this theme.

You can also shoot time-lapse. Here is my short time-lapse from Botswana:

We can talk about settings if you are interested. For time-lapse you can user longer exposure (15sec) becasue on the video you don't realise that the stars are not points.

Look at this video of Pangolin, they did a great job in Cubu Island!

I hope, you are very motivated to buy that lens now! and go shooting

 

[Activert]

here are the links:

https://data2.manualslib.com/print_page/en-81d7cae7ef38e448f81bcdfe1da381ee.pdf

Star-Scape Photography Mode - Vixen Polarie User Manual [Page 19]

Vixen Polarie Manual Online: Star-Scape Photography Mode. If this mode is selected, the Polarie tracks stars at half the speed of the diurnal motion of the stars. The terrestrial objects are trailed less as compared with images taken by wide-field photography at a given exposure time.

www.manualslib.com

View attachment 42629

there is a difference if you are taking pictures only of stars (and rotate the camera on such device) or if you take pictures of nightscapes where you want to have a foreground and pehaps even to lighten it or light-painting it. Foreground stays on the ground ;-) and stars are moving. Actually it is the other way around but you've got the point ;-)
Polarie will hold a smaller camera like Z6 with wide-angle lens. And ok, that 18sec is for the camera already mounted and rotated on the polarie/star-tracker device! If you don't have the device than the camera will be standing still and the speed will be shorter.
Last years I didn't take a polarie with me becasue it is a small but very heavy piece of equipment! So, I just know from the experience that in Botswana I need to use 13sec for the best case (max. 14sec) for 14mm lens to get stars like points.
I can post some pictures later.

Look at this channel if you'd like to know more about nightscapes and light-painting: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-KNiVo4X76cJIMphH1lEdA/videos
I think it is the best or one of the best channels for this theme.

You can also shoot time-lapse. Here is my short time-lapse from Botswana:

We can talk about settings if you are interested. For time-lapse you can user longer exposure (15sec) becasue on the video you don't realise that the stars are not points.

Look at this video of Pangolin, they did a great job in Cubu Island!

I hope, you are very motivated to buy that lens now! and go shooting

BIG thank you! That is so generous of you to explain and share with us all these important information

 

[Activert]

here are the links:

https://data2.manualslib.com/print_page/en-81d7cae7ef38e448f81bcdfe1da381ee.pdf

Star-Scape Photography Mode - Vixen Polarie User Manual [Page 19]

Vixen Polarie Manual Online: Star-Scape Photography Mode. If this mode is selected, the Polarie tracks stars at half the speed of the diurnal motion of the stars. The terrestrial objects are trailed less as compared with images taken by wide-field photography at a given exposure time.

www.manualslib.com

View attachment 42629

there is a difference if you are taking pictures only of stars (and rotate the camera on such device) or if you take pictures of nightscapes where you want to have a foreground and pehaps even to lighten it or light-painting it. Foreground stays on the ground ;-) and stars are moving. Actually it is the other way around but you've got the point ;-)
Polarie will hold a smaller camera like Z6 with wide-angle lens. And ok, that 18sec is for the camera already mounted and rotated on the polarie/star-tracker device! If you don't have the device than the camera will be standing still and the speed will be shorter.
Last years I didn't take a polarie with me becasue it is a small but very heavy piece of equipment! So, I just know from the experience that in Botswana I need to use 13sec for the best case (max. 14sec) for 14mm lens to get stars like points.
I can post some pictures later.

Look at this channel if you'd like to know more about nightscapes and light-painting: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-KNiVo4X76cJIMphH1lEdA/videos
I think it is the best or one of the best channels for this theme.

You can also shoot time-lapse. Here is my short time-lapse from Botswana:

We can talk about settings if you are interested. For time-lapse you can user longer exposure (15sec) becasue on the video you don't realise that the stars are not points.

Look at this video of Pangolin, they did a great job in Cubu Island!

I hope, you are very motivated to buy that lens now! and go shooting

Thanks again Elena, I am really motivated and I love star, light paint, time lapse, I fact everything dealing with night photography. I looked at some of the videos of the channel you suggest and they are really helpful
i am so glad that you respond to my thread, I gain and I learned so much from your reply. Thanks again.

 

[ccirelli]

I've always loved 20 primes, so my easy recommendation is Nikon's 20 1.8 S - it is by far the best wide angle lens I've ever used. Pair this with a Z6/Z6II and you'll have a low light / astro beast of a setup.

 

[Activert]

I've always loved 20 primes, so my easy recommendation is Nikon's 20 1.8 S - it is by far the best wide angle lens I've ever used. Pair this with a Z6/Z6II and you'll have a low light / astro beast of a setup.

Thank you so much?

 

[ElenaH]

i am so glad that you respond to my thread, I gain and I learned so much from your reply. Thanks again.

you exaggerate ;-) but thank you, I am happy you find info for yourself.
I am lighting here with a xenon torch I think. It is not a strong torch and not LED but has a nice colour, very natural, almost like there is no torch at all. I will have a look what model it is and write it later.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

the other trick is to use double fog filter to emphasise bis stars. I have it from Tiffen. Sometimes I also use Red Enhancer filter.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

You need to set everything manuell (WB, Exposure, etc...) but Richard Tatti has good videos for that for sure. by the way he is using 20/1.8 S on z6 as far as I remember.

 

[Activert]

you exaggerate ;-) but thank you, I am happy you find info for yourself.
I am lighting here with a xenon torch I think. It is not a strong torch and not LED but has a nice colour, very natural, almost like there is no torch at all. I will have a look what model it is and write it later.
View attachment 42690

the other trick is to use double fog filter to emphasise bis stars. I have it from Tiffen. Sometimes I also use Red Enhancer filter.
View attachment 42691

You need to set everything manuell (WB, Exposure, etc...) but Richard Tatti has good videos for that for sure. by the way he is using 20/1.8 S on z6 as far as I remember.

Wow! Beautiful photos!