Your picture shows one of the problems with shooting at f1.4. Even with a wide angle 24mm lens the DOF is less than one foot. Not a problem with a bike frame but for people or even cityscapes it really does not work most of the time.
elkhornsun wrote:
Your picture shows one of the problems with shooting at f1.4. Even with a wide angle 24mm lens the DOF is less than one foot. Not a problem with a bike frame but for people or even cityscapes it really does not work most of the time.
Strangely enough the point you make about the limited dof at f/1.4 is the very reason many people buy these lenses. Different strokes for different folks.
I don't know what Nikon with their 24, 35, and 85mm's and Sigma with their 85mm have stumbled on to, but to my eyes these new lenses are all delivering a very Zeiss like rendering and often a 3D quality that was rarely seen outside the German marque.
To my eyes these new lenses have some major microcontrast mojo and are incredibly impressive.
elkhornsun wrote:
Your picture shows one of the problems with shooting at f1.4. Even with a wide angle 24mm lens the DOF is less than one foot. Not a problem with a bike frame but for people or even cityscapes it really does not work most of the time.
Thanks for the feedback. I bought this lens primarily to shoot at the larger apertures, but I agree that a large aperture is not always warranted. In the case of environmental portraiture, I love the look that the 24/1.4 can produce at f/1.4. In the case of architecture/landscapes, I agree that stopping down is necessary.
Since this is the "24/1.4 wide open" thread, where a lot of people are sharing their shots with this lens at or close to f/1.4, I was merely following suit by posting up my recent pictures with this lens taken at apertures around f/1.4. However, I did take plenty of other shots on this trip stopped down some, such as this one:
Jammy Straub wrote:
Strangely enough the point you make about the limited dof at f/1.4 is the very reason many people buy these lenses. Different strokes for different folks.
That is one of the main reasons I got the lens, to shoot at wider apertures and get better subject isolation on wider angles. I already have two other lenses covering 24mm, the 14-24 and the 24-70. That and of course the ability to shoot handheld when shooting in dim light. So far I'm very happy with the 24mm 1.4, plenty sharp wide open and I can trust the auto focus most of the time.
I read what you said about the Zeiss like image qualities, and I must agree the quality from these lenses, I own the 24 and 85, is amazing. But I think that the 3D look, a lot of the times comes from a combination of subject isolation/shallow dof and the colors present in the picture. In my picture of the two ladies in the traditional clothing, the three main colors are red, blue and green. I think that when these three colors make up the majority of the scene, it quickly looks more 3D.
agentbird wrote:
That is one of the main reasons I got the lens, to shoot at wider apertures and get better subject isolation on wider angles. I already have two other lenses covering 24mm, the 14-24 and the 24-70. That and of course the ability to shoot handheld when shooting in dim light. So far I'm very happy with the 24mm 1.4, plenty sharp wide open and I can trust the auto focus most of the time.
I read what you said about the Zeiss like image qualities, and I must agree the quality from these lenses, I own the 24 and 85, is amazing. But I think that the 3D look, a lot of the times comes from a combination of subject isolation/shallow dof and the colors present in the picture. In my picture of the two ladies in the traditional clothing, the three main colors are red, blue and green. I think that when these three colors make up the majority of the scene, it quickly looks more 3D.
The most important ingredient for creating a 3d like image is the light. Directional light creates the shadows that make a picture look 3d ish with out this light the phtoshop would be flat.
Bruce Sawle wrote:
The most important ingredient for creating a 3d like image is the light. Directional light creates the shadows that make a picture look 3d ish with out this light the phtoshop would be flat.
I've got to disagree with you there. We had a giant thread in the alt forum where the '3D' qualities of lenses were analyzed and the consensus was it's a combination of a multitude of factors. Things like subject versus boke contrast, edge effects in the OOF transition zones, microcontast, and various other factors that varied from shot to shot were the big factors in lenses that consistently delivery 3D looking results. The old Contax Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 being one of the reigning champions. It's all very subtle and lots of folks can't discern what is even meant by 3D in terms of a photo and the whole Zeiss debate. One telling conclusion was that it's possible to create the look independent of narrow DOF with some lenses and subjects. Personally I've not seen that particular trait (3D look with wide DOF) very much with these new lenses, but then again folks are mainly utilizing them for their narrow DOF capabilities.
Those threads might be worth searching out if your interested in all the nuances of lens connoisseurship and can bear lots of photographers analyzing the head of a pin for how many angles are dancing there
I did read the thread Jammy and all those factors play a part but if your lighting is flat your eye/ brain will not perceive the 3d effect. Shadows and light help creates this effect. This is why off camera lighting is so effective as it creates directional light that wraps around the subject. This light makes the image appear three dimensional. This was discussed on that thread. Proper light combined with all the other elements is what I understand creates this effect.
These are all wonderful images in this thread, they really tell a story. How many of you find yourself cropping images? Would the 35mm do the same job?
If possible I try to avoid cropping my images most of the time. If the scene/image needs cropping all it usually takes is to take a step or two closer to the subject...
Hope it's alright that I post these images, even though they were shot @1.8.
They were all shot from the hip while walking past the unsuspecting subjects, as with the other two images above, these were also shot in Sardinia last week.
