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A7R3 - Need lens for landscape , this is what I have so far

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Alophind

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Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
 
If accompanying a 35mm prime, 21mm is ideal.

If accompanying 24mm (the 24-105), then 18mm is a better FL.

The Loxia 21mm is almost universally considered to be one of the very best lenses of around that FL. The Batis 18 is considered very good otically, but some don't like its bulk and focus by wire. I use both FLs adapted, but at cost!

Insted of 18mm, you could consider 15mm (Vogtländer, Laowa), though I find it less useful in reality.
 
Last edited:
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
I had the Loxia 21, great lens but not wide enough for my needs. I use a combo of 12-24, 24-105 and 100-400.

You sold the 12-24, which pairs well with the 24-105 so, the other option would be the 16-35 GM with the 24-105.
 
Last edited:
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
The man who taught me landscape would say that the 24-105/4 is the best one lens landscape solution. My pick would be the 21/2.8. These things are very personal. I could argue that 55/1.8 is best, based on stitching and cropping.

Last time I went out with a big bag, it was 21/35/55/90 and I used all of them, 21 and 90 more than the others. See where the 24-105/4 comes from?

Andrew
 
ahaslett said:
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
The man who taught me landscape would say that the 24-105/4 is the best one lens landscape solution. My pick would be the 21/2.8. These things are very personal. I could argue that 55/1.8 is best, based on stitching and cropping.

Last time I went out with a big bag, it was 21/35/55/90 and I used all of them, 21 and 90 more than the others. See where the 24-105/4 comes from?

Andrew
Click to expand...
+1

The 24-105 is a superb lens for landscape work. I tend to pair it up with the 12-24 or the 100-400 in a dual camera system depending on the weather conditions and type of scenery.
 
DAndison said:
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
I had the Loxia 21, great lens but not wide enough for my needs. I use a combo of 12-24, 24-105 and 100-400.

You sold the 12-24, which pairs well with the 24-105 so, the other option would be the 16-35 GM with the 24-105.
Click to expand...
Can you share images from your 12-24 ?
How do you use long exposure with the 12-24 ? You can't fit a filter on it.
 
ahaslett said:
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
The man who taught me landscape would say that the 24-105/4 is the best one lens landscape solution. My pick would be the 21/2.8. These things are very personal. I could argue that 55/1.8 is best, based on stitching and cropping.

Last time I went out with a big bag, it was 21/35/55/90 and I used all of them, 21 and 90 more than the others. See where the 24-105/4 comes from?

Andrew
Click to expand...
Which tripod head you use for stitching and cropping ? also what about long exposure photos (water and stuff..)
 
DAndison said:
ahaslett said:
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
The man who taught me landscape would say that the 24-105/4 is the best one lens landscape solution. My pick would be the 21/2.8. These things are very personal. I could argue that 55/1.8 is best, based on stitching and cropping.

Last time I went out with a big bag, it was 21/35/55/90 and I used all of them, 21 and 90 more than the others. See where the 24-105/4 comes from?

Andrew
Click to expand...
+1

The 24-105 is a superb lens for landscape work. I tend to pair it up with the 12-24 or the 100-400 in a dual camera system depending on the weather conditions and type of scenery.
Click to expand...
I can see how that works.

My wife has zero interest in gear. It's something I have for my hobby and when she wants better images than she makes with an iPhone X.

Her favourites were taken with the 90mm macro wide open. I'm not sure that landscape is the right classification, although the setting was important.

Andrew
 
Alophind said:
ahaslett said:
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
The man who taught me landscape would say that the 24-105/4 is the best one lens landscape solution. My pick would be the 21/2.8. These things are very personal. I could argue that 55/1.8 is best, based on stitching and cropping.

Last time I went out with a big bag, it was 21/35/55/90 and I used all of them, 21 and 90 more than the others. See where the 24-105/4 comes from?

Andrew
Click to expand...
Which tripod head you use for stitching and cropping ? also what about long exposure photos (water and stuff..)
Click to expand...
If I only have the 55mm with me, there is no tripod. It's handheld.

Long exposure would be a filter. I have a screw 9 stop filter for the 35mm but I'm thinking of getting a 24-105/4 and pairing it with a big stopper, polariser and my existing Lee grads.

I'm about to retire and have a lot more time for serious photography, so a Gitzo tripod and a better head are also on the list.

Andrew
 
There is no single best lens for landscape. As there is no single best lens for any subject really.

In your case, I would recommend the 16-35 f4 or 12-24 f4.

Or just use what you have, 35mm can be vary appropriate for landscapes.
 
Alophind said:
DAndison said:
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
I had the Loxia 21, great lens but not wide enough for my needs. I use a combo of 12-24, 24-105 and 100-400.

You sold the 12-24, which pairs well with the 24-105 so, the other option would be the 16-35 GM with the 24-105.
Click to expand...
Can you share images from your 12-24 ?
How do you use long exposure with the 12-24 ? You can't fit a filter on it.
Click to expand...
Ok. I've been busy o non landscape work recently but I have a folder of draft images that were sent round to various magazines as a heads up to what will be released soon. I've unlocked that gallery for now so you can see a selection of images that were all made with the 12-24, 24-105 and a couple with the 100-400. Bear in mind that these are drafts and haven't been fully processed / finished off.

Loading…

www.izelphotography.com

As far as long exposure goes. You can use a 64ND filter (77mm), apply some soft felt flocking tape around the edge, and it slide in nicely to the fixed in hood. You can only get 13-14mm for long exposure as when you zoom out to 12mm, the plastic carrier that the front element moves on will meet the edge of the tape that surrounds the 77mm filter. Acts as a nice guard to protect the element. Works really well. It was something that was documented on Fredmiranda.com. It doesn't need to go in far to the hood to create a light tight fitting.
 
Nice gallery, can see why you use the 12-24. Where were those taken?

Andrew
 
DAndison said:
ahaslett said:
Nice gallery, can see why you use the 12-24. Where were those taken?

Andrew
Click to expand...
Cheers, they were taken in the Lake District, Cumbria UK. They're probably 1/5th of what was taken over 3 wild camping trips on the summits. Need to get back over for a few more over night stops before winter.

For me, those three lenses are all I'd ever need for outdoor work. I have a few primes for when I'm working in the studio but those three zooms I love using. The 12-24 & 24-105 get the most use with the 100-400 making up the last 15-20% I'd say.
Click to expand...
You are feeding my GAS for the 24-105. Mind you the Loxia 21mm is a favourite lens.

Andrew
 
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.
Click to expand...
You've already got some great landscape lenses. If you need to go wider than 24 mm, you can often stitch. That doesn't work as well with waves and water, though.

The best focal lengths for landscapes - the last word

I'm not a believer in photographic boxes or restrictions, but I was intrigued by the question, "What is the prototypical focal length for landscapes?" Just to calibrate myself, I went through all 40 images in Ansel Adams' Examples. I threw out the ones the weren't landscapes (surprisingly, there...
blog.kasson.com blog.kasson.com

Jim
 
1635GM or 18mm.

21mm is a great lens but would be not wide enough for me and quite close to 24mm. But I would choose the GM.
 
Alophind said:
Hi all ,
I have the A7R3 + 35/50/85 / 24-105 / 70-200mm.

I had the 12-24 F4 and sold to a friend (bought it for astrophotography and didnt had time to go and shoot at night)

I'm mainly a portrait shooter and looking to getting into landscape (flying abroad soon and would like to do some stock photos there).

Which lens would you recommend ? I thought about the Loxia 21mm 2.8 which I read awesome reviews about , but not sure if its the "best" for 1 lens landscape.

Thx !
Click to expand...
Consider the FE1635Z/4.

It is longer than the 12-24, and 'softens' a tad at the 35mm end, but it really performs well in the 16-28mm range and this should cover all your basis.

If you shoot specific landscapes (e.g. forest, flowers/colors, high-DR scenes), then I would consider a prime lens in the 18-25mm range.

The Loxia 21mm is a great choice, but do make sure that the FL is what you like. E.g. the Batis 18, with AF may be a better option, or the Batis 25, with its f/2 lens.

For landscape, you don't need a super-fast lens. For night scenes and astrophotography you do. The FE1635GM/2.8 may then be an option.

Batis and Loxia owners will attest that, stopped down, the results are unequaled in terms of clarity, detail, color, and sharpness. That is, prior to PP.
 
The Loxia 21 is an amazing lens, and for me, it's as wide as I need to go. If I need to go wider, I'll stitch. It's manual focus, if that matters to you.

The Batis 18 is also excellent, and provides autofocus.

If you need to go wider, I love my Laowa 15mm f/2, but use it exclusively when I want foreground items to pop out.

I'd recommend teh 16-35 GM personally. You can do astro with it if you want, you can use it for street/travel/architecture, and you can use it for pretty wide landscapes.
 
ImNotDedYet said:
The Loxia 21 is an amazing lens, and for me, it's as wide as I need to go. If I need to go wider, I'll stitch. It's manual focus, if that matters to you.

The Batis 18 is also excellent, and provides autofocus.

If you need to go wider, I love my Laowa 15mm f/2, but use it exclusively when I want foreground items to pop out.

I'd recommend teh 16-35 GM personally. You can do astro with it if you want, you can use it for street/travel/architecture, and you can use it for pretty wide landscapes.
Click to expand...
How comfortable is it for street ? It's a huge lens , no ?

Also , when stiching , which tripod head do you use to make sure the stich will be good ?
 
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