Scott Stoness
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Upload & Sell: On
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 16-35L, 14L, TS-17 or Nikkor 14-24 | |
In case its helpful to anyone else - here is my conclusions from reading lots of reviews and pouring over the numbers:
With the goal of; maximum iq, versatility in ultra low range, and ease of use for landscape photography (high depth usually) I have concluded:
1) The best zoom lens is the Nikor 14-24 on the Canon. It has the best IQ (CA, resolution, distortion) of all the available zooms. It is followed by a pack of lens - Tokina 16-28, Canon 16-35 2.8, Sigma 12-24 and Canon 17-40. They are all good lens but the Nikor is lots better and the rest are pretty close together in performance. However, the Nikor will not focus on the canon and requires an adapter. It also does not meter as well. But if you can put up with manual operation it is considerably better.
2) The Nikor 14-24 is also better optically than Canon TS-17 , Canon 14L, and Samyang 14 2.8. Optically for resolution the Samyang 14 2.8 comes close to the Nikor 14-24 but lots more CA, distortion, and vignetting. The Canon 14L and TS17 are close in IQ performance with TS having less vignetting, distortion, etc and 14L slightly better IQ. Amazingly the Samyang if you can put up with variations on copy, lots of correctable vignetting and distortion, and manual operation with badly labled distances, is on paper better than the 14L - an amazing feat for for a lens that is an order of magnitude less expensive.
I started out the search looking for a bit wider (than my 17-40L), preferably zoom, with high quality for landscape with depth (f8,f11).
If I was starting out over, I would have both the Nikor 14-24 2.8 and the Canon 17TS F4.
The TS-17 is not wider than the 17-40 ( my current lens) but i) it is sharper than my current lens at 17mm in centre and corners, has very low distortion and vignetting, and with shift, I can get wider, and tilted. In addition, if I put it on my 7d it becomes a 28mmTS. The TS17 would straighten out the trees, that lean over at 17mm when I shoot.
The 14-24 Nikor 2.8 is wider, better Iq, and 2x as fast as my 17-40.
So now I will have to decide which one first. Because I can only get one christmas lens present.
Thanks all for your help above, I have narrowed down to 2 lens, and now I have to decide between the ultimate zoom or the ultimate tilt/shift.
Scott
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