New lens: 16-35mm

[sum_of_all_parts]

Hi Everyone,

 

I just received a lens that I had always been hoping for. The 16-35 mm Vario Tessar. I am attaching two HDR photographs of a Pagoda. The three photo exposures were taken handheld with the Sony a7 II. I will be taking more pictures with this lens. Have to use the lens with the level display in order to keep the back parallel to the walls of the buildings I photograph. 

 

Brian Matsumoto

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[christer]

Nice pics Brian. The lens is remarkably good. In many cases, like the bottom picture, there is no need it use the level display. Just make sure that the outermost poles are parallel to the left and right hand side of the viewfinder or display. Or use the straightening function of programs like Capture One. Capture One has a very good RAW converter and the "for Sony only" version of the program is very affordable - and superb.

[Sony Guy]

Looks a bit soft on focus overall and a bit over-saturated.

[tizeye]

Looks a bit soft on focus overall and a bit over-saturated.

Well it is HDR...and handheld at that.

 

If possible, use a tripod with  bubble level for total camera leveling. The internal level, while nice, only addresses one dimension - horizon. It is the verticals that kill you. In the second frame, look how those vertical pillars slant. Here is an experiment. Next time framing a picture, use the internal level so feel good about the horizon, the roll the camera a few degrees up and down and notice in the viewfinder how those vertical features (building corners, trees, etc) shift despite the horizon remaining level. Personally, that is why I find an ultrawide angle lens one of the hardest to use, as getting right in camera and controlling distortion is far more difficult than a normal or telephoto lens. Welcome to the UWA world with your new lens.