Tag Archives: angle

Equipment

New Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS Lens Announced

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Without a whole lot of fanfare, today Canon announced a new EF 16-35mm f/4L IS wide angle zoom. While actual copies are apparently not yet “in the wild,” judging by reports and information from Canon and elsewhere, it sounds like a lens with some very interesting possibilities.

Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS
Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS

At first blush, one might imagine that it is simply a less expensive version of the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens that has been out for some time now. (That is a fine lens for many purposes, notably for full frame shooters doing handheld ultra-wide photography in low light.) It shares the same focal length range, but the maximum aperture is not quite as large. (There is a similar relationship between the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II and the less expensive EF 24-70mm f/4L IS.)

However, the new lens has some distinctive features that set it apart from the f/2.8 16-35, and also from the venerable 17-40mm f/4 L.

  • Unlike either of the two ultra-wide alternatives, this lens is equipped with image-stabilization (IS). Some presume that IS would not be useful in a wide angle lens, but there are a number of situations in which the extra 3-4 stops of low light handheld shooting capability will come in handy. It is also likely to appeal to those shooting DSLR video.
  • The MTF charts (a way of graphically representing lens performance) for the new lens look very good. While the existing 16-35mm and 17-40mm Canon ultra-wide lenses have been very important to many photographers, they are not known for outstanding resolution, especially in the corners. The charts for the new lens indicate that it should be significantly sharper overall, and especially in the corners and at the largest apertures.
  • It may seem like a small thing, but the new lens uses the common 77mm diameter filter threads—the same that are found on a number of other L lenses, including the f/2.8 70-200mm zooms. (The previous f/2.8 16-35mm lens uses a larger 82mm diameter.) For photographers who already have 77mm filters—including some who might consider moving to this lens from an existing 17-40mm lens—this is a factor to consider.
  • The price is actually quite good. The lens is not cheap at a projected list price of $1199. However, by comparison to some similar recent Canon lens releases this is not bad at all, especially when you consider that it is an IS lens.

Who may want this lens? I suspect that quite a few landscape photographers and those shooting similar subjects will like this lens more than the older 17-40mm L lens. I’ve used the 17-40 for a long time and it is a very useful lens, especially for shooting at smaller apertures from the tripod with a full frame camera. However, the new lens seems to improve on its performance in significant ways, particularly in the area of corner performance. In addition, while most of us really think of the 17-40 as pretty much just a landscape lens, the improved wide-open performance and image stabilization will extend the usefulness of this lens in low and for handheld photography.

I’m impressed enough with early reports that I’m giving serious consideration to picking one up myself. The lens is not yet available for purchase, but you can pre-order a copy from B&H. At the moment, I’m “that close” to doing so!

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Sandstone Patterns

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Sandstone Patterns
Sandstone Patterns

Sandstone Patterns. Zion National Park, Utah. October 14, 2012. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Complex patterns in sandstone formations at Zion National Park

I’m certainly no geologist, but that doesn’t keep me from being somewhat amazed by the fantastical and convoluted shapes and conjunctions in this little detail of cross-bedded sandstone photographed in the Zion National Park high country. As I understand it, these rocks originated in sand that was laid down, perhaps as dunes, in the distant past. For a variety of reasons, layers that originally tilted one direction ended up butted up against or nudging into layers tilting in radically different directions. My untrained eyes count a number of such layers in this small bit of rock. Overlaid on this are eroding flakes, cracks, bits of vegetation, lichen, and more – and all of it on this intensely colorful Southwest rock.

I am not certain precisely where this bit of geology was photographed, beyond recalling that it was along the Mount Carmel Highway through Zion National Park and that the photograph was made in shaded and diffused light. I am not only intrigued by the disjunct lines and angles of the underlying rock here, but also by odd features such as the big curve running across the middle of the frame and the subtle differences in the coloration of the rock – in places it is quite pink, verging on redness, while in others it is almost somewhat purple.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Deals and Sales, Equipment

Canon ‘Instant Rebate’ on Lenses and Speedlites Expires Very Soon

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I’m reposting this information about this Canon Instant Rebate promotion today since a) this offer includes good prices on a lot of great Canon lenses and other equipment and b) it expires in less than 48 hours – this Saturday!

Instant Rebate on Canon Lenses and Speedlites – Up to $300
(Expires September 29, 2012)

Canon is offering another “Instant Rebate” promotion through September 29, 2012, this time on a large selection of lenses and Speedlites. Included are a wide range of lenses (zooms, primes, L, non-L, EFS, wide to telephoto, macro, tilt/shift), tele-extenders (1.4x and 2x), and electronic flashes including the most recent introductions. The following list includes links that you can use to purchase from site-sponsor B&H Photo. (Your purchases through these links are appreciated as they benefit this blog – thanks!)

Telephoto Zooms
Wide and Ultra-Wide Zooms
EFS Lenses (for cropped sensor only – includes ultra-wide, normal zoom, macro)
Macro Lenses
Tilt/Shift Lenses
Teleconverters
Speedlite/Flash
Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Trail Canyon

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Trail Canyon - Morning light angles across eroded ridges and gullies on lower slopes of the Panamint Range above Trail Canyon, Death Valley National Park.
Morning light angles across eroded ridges and gullies on lower slopes of the Panamint Range above Trail Canyon, Death Valley National Park.

Trail Canyon. Death Valley National Park. January 5, 2012. © Copyright 2012 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light angles across eroded ridges and gullies on lower slopes of the Panamint Range above Trail Canyon, Death Valley National Park.

This is another photograph that I’ve been thinking about for a while, and one that I was virtually certain would be in black and white when I shot it. I’ve looked down into Trail Canyon quite a few times and tried to “see” a photograph that would somehow consist entirely of the overlapping ridges and layers of stratified rock, tilted at crazy and seemingly opposing angles. My previous photographs of this location had been made late in the day – when the light is beautiful in many directions from this overlook, but when the canyon itself is often shrouded in early shade.

I made this photograph in the morning. It was my first time at this location high in the Panamints at dawn instead of at sunset. I arrived on a cold winter morning before dawn to find no other people there and no wind. (The latter is a bit unusual here, but was certainly welcome, seeing that I would be shooting with long focal length lenses.) The first subject to shoot was the pre-dawn light on clouds high above the landscape. Then my attention moved to the first light striking various higher points within my range of view, and then followed the light as it worked its way down to lower elevations. After that I turned my attention more to guts of this canyon, but was not getting quite what I wanted at first – until the sun rose high enough to peak over ridges and begin to highlight the inner folds of the canyon as seen in this photograph. I made several different compositions, but in the end decided on this one that eliminates any extraneous elements outside of the canyon itself.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.