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4 Ways to Use the Canon 11-24mm Lens

28 Oct

The post 4 Ways to Use the Canon 11-24mm Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.

4-ways-to-use-the-canon-11-24mm-lens

You finally got your hands on the esteemed Canon EF 11-24mm F/4L USM lens. It’s a heavy, sharp, ultra-wide thing of beauty with an awesome perspective. Now you’re wondering, other than capturing the entire scene in front of you, how does one maximize this lens? Here are a few ways to you can use the Canon 11-24MM lens:

4-ways-to-use-the-canon-11-24mm-lens

1. Compositional Impact

When you first look through the Canon 11-24mm lens, everything looks high impact and with a “wow” factor, as the view is quite unique. However, shooting at an ultra-wide focal length does not automatically translate to better pictures. No matter what lens you use, all the elements that make a great picture still apply.

4 Ways to Use the Canon 11-24mm Lens

Wide-angle lenses are used extensively in landscape photography for the “near-far” style of composition. This translates to the ability to include generous foreground elements, as well as a middle and background (e.g skies). Keep in mind that an ultra-wide amplifies your distances further. This all amounts to creating an image with great depth and compositional impact.

4 Ways to Use the Canon 11-24mm Lens

One of the reasons that an 11-24mm lens needs time to master is because, by default, ultra-wide lenses include everything in a scene. When you are creating a photograph, though, it’s still about composing to include (and exclude) all the elements you want.

2. Lines and space

The minimal distortion on the Canon 11-24mm lens allows you to keep your straight lines straight. When you need a large angle of view in your architectural photography, this feature is quite useful. This is also great if you are inside a space with a lot of detail to capture. Conversely, of course, it works against you when want to exclude the details.

4-ways-to-use-the-canon-11-24mm-lens

In enclosed spaces, it is often hard to capture an entire room unless you use an ultra-wide lens. The angle of view on the Canon 11-24mm lens (mounted on a full-frame) does the job sharp and with minimal distortion. It is not limited to building interiors though, think about that cave or canyon you want to capture.

Using an ultrawide (that is not a fisheye) will go a long way towards capturing such spaces.

4-ways-to-use-the-canon-11-24mm-lens

Image 1: Horizon Centered Image 2: Lens tilted up slightly Image 3: Lens tilted down slightly

All lenses give the effect of converging lines when pointed above or below the horizon. However, it is more noticeable when you use a wide-angle lens, though, as you capture a greater expanse. Furthermore, with wides and ultra-wide lenses, you change the location of your “vanishing point” even with small variations in your composition. So, be mindful of your verticals.

Note: The vanishing point is that point where lines converge or meet and appear to vanish.

3. Perspective exaggeration

As mentioned previously, an ultra-wide lens exaggerates distances. This perspective exaggeration makes nearby objects look even bigger (nearer) and those further away look even smaller (farther). Great high-impact images occur when you master the art of perspective.

4-ways-to-use-the-canon-11-24mm-lens

Head-on Shot

It helps to remember that shorter focal lengths, as well as having the camera nearer to the subject, both lend themselves to a stronger perspective/bigger perspective exaggeration effect. Also of note, angles play a huge role when you are showing perspectives. When you shoot at a 45-degree angle, for example, the image will have more depth than if you shoot at a more head-on (flat/plane aligned) angle.

Image: The same Image as above, shot at an angle

The same Image as above, shot at an angle

So practically speaking, when using a wide-angle lens, there is often an innate need to move closer to the subject, which is what affects the perspective. While perspective exaggeration works well with landscapes, it does not work well for portraiture (no one wants their nose to look bigger, right?)

4. Artistic

Perspective exaggeration (above) is one of the ways you can get creative with your Canon 11-24mm lens. You can use it to emphasize detail in your foreground, while still capturing the background scene. If you shoot flowers, for example, getting closer will make them appear bigger than they really are.

If you want to prevent perspective exaggeration, place your subject in the center of the frame. For a more artistic approach though, you can emphasize the perspective exaggeration by placing your subject closer to the edges.

4-ways-to-use-the-canon-11-24mm-lens

Shooting from lower positions is another great way to get creative with this lens.

Conclusion

The Canon EF 11-24mm F/4L USM lens is a great lens to have in your arsenal.

After investing in such an amazing lens, though, you should maximize it. Experiment with architecture and interiors, getting closer to your subject and let your creative side out to play.

Remember, wider does not automatically mean better, and the rules of composition still apply (and can even be more challenging).

Share your perspectives with us below!

The post 4 Ways to Use the Canon 11-24mm Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.


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Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

04 Oct

The post Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.

Following the release news of the Canon EF 11-24mm F/4L USM Lens, came countless sleepless nights of research and reading reviews. At the end of that process, all I could safely decipher was that it was the new dream lens of the landscape photographer in me.

Canon 11-24 mm F/4L Lens Review

The build

The moment you pick up this lens, the weight surprises you. It’s quite hefty and you notice every ounce of the approximate (just over) two-and-a-half pounds. The entire build of the lens screams quality too. Like other Canon lenses, the manual focus and zoom rings move smoothly and feel natural. Not a lens you want to be cumbersome with, so this was an important feature for me when working with such weight. You can make easy focal adjustments, as the zoom moves through the entire focal range with a small turn. When behind the lens, the AF/MF is also easily accessible.

Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

The bulbous front element blooms with authority and still makes me nervous enough to cover it almost immediately when not in use. I am not reassured by the presence of the fixed hood that is meant to protect the imposing glass. However, I am glad it is there. The signature red ring around the front always sets expectations of promised image quality and Canon has delivered.

Image: Size comparatives from left to right: Canon 85mm F/1.2 L, Canon 11-24mm F4 L, Canon 135mm F2...

Size comparatives from left to right: Canon 85mm F/1.2 L, Canon 11-24mm F4 L, Canon 135mm F2 L

What works

The Canon EF 11-24mm is benchmarked as the widest ultra-wide rectilinear lens compatible with full-frame DSLRs, since the Sigma 12-24mm F/4.5-5.6 lens. Thus barrel distortion is minimal throughout the range, and straight lines in your subject are not compromised (and appear straight). The most distortion you would find occurs at around 11mm and 12mm and compared to any other lens at this focal range, it is minimal. Of note, distortion seems non-existent between 15-24mm.

Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

By comparison, yes the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye is wider, but as is the signature of fisheye lenses, it outputs barrel-distorted images and your straight lines curve. The exception is if your line is directly center of your frame.

The lens is quiet and focuses quickly. Most impressively though, it is super sharp, even at the corners! Added to sharp images; the contrast is nice and balanced. If you have used other ultra-wides, you will admire the difference in the output. The image quality is simply amazing!

Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

The angle of view on a full-frame, coupled with the minimal distortion, makes it great for indoor architectural spaces. The need for a lens like this to be F/2.8 eludes me, as F/4 feels more than adequate.

What could be better

If you are looking at this beauty, the two major drawbacks may reside in price and weight. It is an expensive lens and certainly not in everyone’s price range. However, it’s a great investment if you do professional architectural and landscape photography. In these areas, the minimal distortion works in your favor. There is no other lens that performs like this lens at the wider end.

Canon 11-24 mm F/4L Lens Review

It is a large, heavy lens that will make you think twice before packing it for travel – you know you want it with you, oh but that weight! Even worse, it is front heavy, so you will want to be extra cautious when out in the field.

The front cap feels inadequate, as it struggles to cover the hood. There are also spaces where it clasps (when aligned) that leave room for dust to get into the front. After all the time they spent on this lens, the front cap feels like an afterthought.

Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review

There is also a noticeable amount of vignetting at 11mm and also some color fringing. Both are easy to fix in post-processing, without loss of your image quality. For an ultra-wide lens though, the falloff (or darkened corners) is negligible.

Conclusion

The Canon EF 11-24mm F/4L is a truly magnificent lens for a landscape or architectural photographer. It is well-built, heavy, sharp, quiet and expensive. One thing for certain though, it is the only one of its kind and a signature Canon lens.

Have you used this lens? What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comments.

 

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The post Canon 11-24mm F/4L Lens Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.


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Wider than wide: A landscape photographer’s thoughts on the Canon 11-24mm

06 May
The Canon EF 11-24mm F4L USM is a super wideangle zoom lens for Canon’s full-frame DSLRs, which can also be adapted for use on Sony Alpha a7 and a9-series full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Even though I’ve been writing for DPReview for over 4 years, I’ve never written any equipment reviews. And why should I? There are far better equipment experts, technical fanatics, pixel-peepers (I mean that in a good way!) and gear enthusiasts out there than me. My fields of expertise are different, and my writing consists mostly of photographic vision, composition, the philosophical aspects of photography and so on. I intend to stick to this line of writing, and for the most part, I’m happy to leave the equipment reviews to the experts.

That said, after shooting with the Canon 11-24mm F4L for a few months, it has proven to be such a game-changer that it has altered how I think about composition. And in a more general sense, it has changed my ability to take control over what is included in an image, and how these elements are arranged.

Goðafoss, Iceland at 13mm. The extra width allowed me to get closer to the edge and get a wider view while keeping all the elements I needed in the image, framing the waterfall, with enough space around them to avoid a crowded feel.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm F4L
Nisi Filters 180mm ND + GND
F14, 13sec, ISO100

This will not be your regular gear review. I won’t be discussing sharpness (although trust me that this lens is very sharp), chromatic aberrations or barrel distortion. I will only be talking about composition, which is, in my opinion, the single most important ingredient to a successful photograph. I will present some images and explain what about the 11-24mm made them possible. I’ll also talk a bit about the downsides of this lens and the solutions to the problems it presents. 

So why? Why does a landscape photographer need an 11-24mm? Isn’t it just too darn wide? Is 11mm worth the size and the monstrous weight? Is it worth the hefty price tag? I have to admit that before shooting with it, I was in serious doubt. I was sure I’d leave it in the bag most of the time, taking it only on rare occasions when 16mm wasn’t wide enough. I thought that 16mm would be wide enough for 90% of my images, after all, I’ve been producing satisfactory shots until now – what good could a wider lens be?

I knew that when going wider, background subjects shrink significantly in size, which can hurt the composition. Moreover, in cases where 16mm wasn’t enough, I had a 14mm F2.8 which was excellent for night photography and for shooting in confined spaces. 

It turns out that I was wrong. The extra width proved to be extremely useful, much more than I had imagined. It allowed me to have much more control, to include more sky when I wanted to, to get closer to the foreground, to reveal more detail and create a greater sense of depth and more dramatic imagery. Let’s look at some examples.

An ice cave in Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, Iceland. Getting this composition in one shot with a narrower lens would have been impossible.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm F4L
Focus stacked from 3 images at 11mm, F13, 15sec, ISO800.

The ice cave pictured above was magnificent, but it was also very cramped. I couldn’t walk upright in most of the spots I shot, and this stream was very small. The ice-crusted rock in the middle was tiny, and its details were so beautiful, I needed to get close in order to expose their intricacies. On the other hand, I needed to frame the different elements well, and in a balanced way that makes visual sense.

The cave’s ceiling is extremely important, since it’s the only subject of the frame which is part of the glacier, which basically IS the ice cave. It also contains wonderful melting patterns, and black, volcanic earth which gives extra texture and detail. 
On the bottom of the frame, there are two important elements: the ice-crusted rock in the middle of the stream, which is most definitely the centerpiece, but equally importantly the ice crusted banks on the bottom right. These serve to create the frame to the blurred water and to compositionally counterbalance the rock and the left-running stream.

In addition to the compositional aspect, I strongly feel that including all these elements serves to give the viewer a better sense of being in this incredible cave. This might be the strongest advantage of utilizing such a wide angle of view.

Without a super wide lens, I could still have included all of these elements. I could have achieved this in one of several ways.

Firstly, I could have moved back a little. This would indeed allow me to include all the different desired elements in the frame, but going backward would change the perspective significantly, shrinking the most important elements in the process, namely the ice crusted rock and the stream itself. That would hurt the composition a great deal.

Alternatively, I could have shot a panorama, using a tilt/shift lens or by moving the camera and lens. This would make the job much, much harder, since (a) it would require multiple stitching in addition to the already-challenging focus stacking and (b) shooting so close to the stream meant I constantly needed to wipe the lens dry, and the extra shooting time would mean much more wiping, Photoshop work and general headache.

The 11-24mm allowed me to shoot this as close to the rock as I needed to, in order to include all the detail I wanted to show while still framing the shot as I desired, all with only three shots to focus stack. I simply wouldn’t have been able to do that before I bought this lens. 

Let’s see another example from my Arctic trip earlier this year.

The amazing black and white sand patterns of Skagsanden Beach, Lofoten, Arctic Norway.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm F4L
Nisi Filters 180mm ND + GND
Stacked from 4 images at 11mm, 0.8 sec, F13, ISO100

Again, this image would’ve been almost impossible without the 11-24mm, which allowed me to get very close and personal with the tree-like sand patterns, while being wide enough to shrink the background and include the whole mountain range in the frame. 

The Lofoten Islands are full of fjords with towering mountains rising out of them. Some mountains are so close to a water body, it’s extremely hard to include the entire thing in the frame without a truly wide lens. This is even more so when trying to include reflections.

Mount Stortinden reflecting in the calm Flakstad Fjord, Lofoten. I was standing about 1 km from this 850m tall mountain. Being so close, I couldn’t have included both the mountain and the reflection with a 16mm. It was easily done, however, with the 11-24mm.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm F4L
Nisi Filters 180mm ND + GND
11mm, F11, 0.5 sec, ISO100

Last but not least, the 11-24 is an almost perfect tool for night photography. The maximum aperture of F4 is a limit, but then again, it’s easier having the foreground in focus at F4, plus the monstrous angle of view allows one to expose marginally longer without getting the stars or Northern Lights blurred.

Let’s see an example from an incredible night of Aurora in Lofoten. The super wide angle allowed me to include a huge chunk of the sky, showing the wonderful patterns and lines in addition to the mountains and the moving waves. I could also expose for 8 seconds, which is considered a bit long for this kind of strong Auroral activity. To be honest, the lights blew up a few seconds before I took this shot, and I should’ve exposed for less time, but the amount of blur is not a big issue and the Aurora is still well defined.

Beautiful Aurora in Skagsanden Beach, Lofoten, Arctic Norway.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Canon 11-24mm F4L
11mm, F4, 8sec, ISO1600

Here are a few more examples of Aurora shot with the 11-24mm.

Stacked from 2 images at 11mm, F4, 8sec, ISO3200 Stacked from 2 images at 11mm, F4, 13sec, ISO3200
11mm, F4, 5sec, ISO1600 11mm, F4, 8sec, ISO3200

I hope you’re convinced of this lens’ advantages. What about the downsides?
For me, the greatest disadvantage is the inability to fit regular filters in front of the huge front element. I’m used to popping my 100mm system out of the bag and putting it in front of any lens. Not this one.

The only solution I currently know of which covers the whole width of this monster is the Nisi Filters 180mm system (proper disclosure: Nisi gave me the holder and some filters to try out). These filters are not cheap, but they are well made and have superb optical quality. The problem is that together with the mounting system, they are big and heavy, and don’t allow a photographer to be as spontaneous as with a 100mm system. I still like the system very much and I’ve achieved good images with it. If you’re into using filters with the 11-24, I highly recommend it.

As to the size, weight and price – simply put, it is what it is. If you need this type of lens, or if you can extract any type of value out of it, there is not much choice, is there? You need to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages and make up your own mind. You can also leave the lens at home if it’s not really necessary or if the weight is too much for a specific project (for example, on my recent Patagonia hiking trip, I chose not to lug it around due to the weight, and opted for the lighter 16-35mm). In my opinion, the answer is clear: if you’re an avid landscape photographer, don’t wait – get this lens, you won’t regret it.

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler based in Israel. You can follow Erez’s work on Instagram, Facebook and 500px, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates.

If you’d like to experience and shoot some of the most fascinating landscapes on earth with Erez as your guide, you’re welcome to take a look at his unique photography workshops around the world:

Land of Ice – Southern Iceland
Winter Paradise – Northern Iceland
Northern Spirits – The Lofoten Islands
Giants of the Andes and Fitz Roy Hiking Annex – Patagonia
Tales of Arctic Nights – Greenland
Saga of the Seas and The Far Reaches Annex – The Faroe Islands
Desert Storm – Namibia

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

  • Parallelism in Landscape Photography
  • Behind the Shot: Dark Matter
  • Mountain Magic: Shooting in the Lofoten Islands
  • Behind the Shot: Nautilus
  • Behind the Shot: Lost in Space
  • Behind the Shot: Spot the Shark
  • Quick Look: The Art of the Unforeground
  • Whatever it Doesn’t Take
  • Winds of Change: Shooting changing landscapes
  • On the Importance of Naming Images
  • On Causality in Landscape Photography

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fotodiox introduces extra large WonderPana Free Arc system for Canon EF 11-24mm wide zoom

31 Mar

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US accessory manufacturer Fotodiox has announced an XL version of its WonderPana Free Arc filter system for wide angle lenses that it says is designed specifically to allow users of the Canon EF 11-24mm F4L USM lens to use filters over the front element. The Canon super-wide zoom has no filter thread of its own and the front element is heavily convex, so fitting filters in the traditional way is impossible. The WonderPana Free Arc system positions a filter holder over the front of the lens that takes 186mm screw-in filters and/or 80mm rectangular filter sheets. The holder is enormous so that large filters can be used to avoid vignetting when the lens is used at its widest setting.

The Free Arc clamps the hood of the lens between its collar and the screw-on filter-holding cone, and provides a 186mm thread for the company’s screw-in filters. A set of brackets can also be attached to the cone that allow two square filters to be fitted as well. The system makes it possible to fit one round filter and one square filter at the same time, and the whole filter stage is rotatable so graduated filters can be positioned to suit the subject.

The Fotodiox WonderPana Free Arc XL costs $ 225.95 and the 183mm filters start at $ 99.95. For more information visit the Free Arc page on the Fotodiox website.

Wide? Ultra-wide? WonderPana has you covered.

Ultra wide-angle lenses are typically impossible to filter due to their bulbous front lens element, lack of filter threads and potential for severe vignetting. The ALL NEWWonderPana FreeArc XL, however, is the latest in our line of aluminum filter collars that let you to attach our massive 186mm filter options, like ND 4-1000 and circular polarizers, to wide and ultra wide-angle lenses.

Perfect for landscape and architectural photographers and filmmakers, we designed the WonderPana FreeArc XL to suit Canon’s new breed of 11-24mm lens. Durable and lightweight enough for hand-held shooting, it can be ready at a moment’s notice to answer any image challenge that requires filters. You can even keep it installed on your lens as a critical layer of lens protection. Just check out our video below to learn more:

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Can we get much wider? Canon EF 11-24mm F4 L USM samples gallery posted

19 Mar

Canon’s new EF 11-24mm F4 L wideangle zoom lens is Canon’s widest ever rectilinear zoom by some margin, and may even challenge Nikon’s venerable 14-24mm F2.8 as the tool of choice for landscape, property and architectural photographers. When a reviewable sample arrived in our office last week we wasted no time taking it out shooting. See gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CP+ 2015: Canon shows 11-24mm in cross-section

13 Feb

Canon’s new 11-24mm F4 is attracting a lot of attention at this year’s CP+ show in Yokohama, but away from the crows of keen enthusiasts waiting to get their hands on samples, we found a very much non-working example, cut in half showing its internal construction. Click through to take a look at what this complex lens is made of – literally. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon introduces 11-24mm f/4L USM wide angle zoom

07 Feb

Canon has added a new ultra-wide zoom to its EF lineup – the EF 11-24mm f/4L USM. The new lens offers the widest angle of view ever provided in a rectilinear full-frame DSLR lens, and uses 16 elements in 11 groups with a total of four aspherical elements for distortion control. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Go wide! Hands-on with Canon’s 11-24mm F4 L

06 Feb

Canon’s new 11-24mm F4 L wideangle zoom lens has been a long time coming. Canon’s widest ever rectilinear zoom by some margin, the new 11-24mm may also challenge Nikon’s venerable 14-24mm F2.8 as the tool of choice for landscape, property and architectural photographers. We got our hands on a prototype recently at Canon’s US headquarters. Click through for a closer look

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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