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11-09-2014, 06:39 AM   #16
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Here it must be my 15 F4 lens and my DA* 60-250mm. You must never forget the great shots that you can get with a telephoto.

Shots with DA* 60-250.





11-09-2014, 08:12 AM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by Conqueror Quote
The 50-135mm and 300 in particular strike me as being useful, I don't own either of these though
Longer focal length will have a bit more compression, making it look like everything is at the same distance... which can be what you are after. Normal*ish lenses (35-77) will be more realistic and wide angle will give you a different look.

But as you can see, everyone has their preferences... It all comes down to you. I bought the 10-20 specifically for a trip, knowing I was going to shoot mostly mountains. When I got back, going thru my photos I realized that almost half of them where shot with the 50-135.

So best lens is... anything from 10mm to 600mm :P
11-09-2014, 08:20 AM   #18
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I agree with those who like longer lenses. Wide angles sometimes work but they tend to diminish the impact of the size of the mountains. A long lens can also be used in panoramas for startlingly sharp and wide vistas.
11-09-2014, 08:25 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mikesul Quote
I agree with those who like longer lenses. Wide angles sometimes work but they tend to diminish the impact of the size of the mountains. A long lens can also be used in panoramas for startlingly sharp and wide vistas.
Yeah this is exactly what I found when I was near the french/swiss border.

11-09-2014, 09:33 AM   #20
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I like my Sigma DP2 Merrill:

11-09-2014, 10:37 AM - 1 Like   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by Conqueror Quote
QuoteOriginally posted by Mikesul Quote
I agree with those who like longer lenses. Wide angles sometimes work but they tend to diminish the impact of the size of the mountains. A long lens can also be used in panoramas for startlingly sharp and wide vistas.
Yeah this is exactly what I found when I was near the french/swiss border.
Shooting the same view with a multitude of different focal lengths will certainly create a wide variety of images, each characterized by the individual lenses handling of the view. This is why, when asked for the best lens for _______ - you fill in the blank - mountains and hills, its really about 'scapes (landscapes, cityscapes, etc.). The answer comes back any lens - in particular the one you have with you. Its how you use it.

You can take the traditional landscape in landscape mode, or turn the camera up on edge and take a series of portraits to be stitched, giving the feeling of drawing in the scenery at the photographer's foot up through the sky.
  • Fisheye - A lot of folks tend to shy away from fish-eyes. In many cases a fisheye will produce a more natural looking image than a rectilinear wide angle. Wide angles tend to pull the image in certain ways.
  • Wide Angle - WA's are great in pulling in a lot of view. The question is where do they put it - there are only so many pixels. They pull-in the view from along the edges and push back the center. This distorted some of the detail - some times it matters, other times it does not. You can also get excellent depth of field here. Longer focal lengths tend to flatten the images.
  • Normal - After about the mid 20's the distortion goes away, but to get the wider expanses of views, you can stitch (you can also stitch with fish-eyes and wide angles too - which replaces the edges of one image with the center of another, in this way helping to calm the distortion). With the normals, you get additional detail in your field of view, that can produce that 3D rendering to the eye.
  • Short Telephoto - These lenses let you shoot over the near foreground and concentrate on the view that the WA's tend to push into the background. You start to get the compression of stacking the view up here - one mountain/hill in back of the other. Also, the view tends to get flattened - in the sens that everything is the same distance away from you (a bit of a lack of reference because you are lacking the foreground here).
  • Telephoto - These just amplify the short telephoto views. Letting you really pull in the detail you wish. All of these can be stitched into the same view that WA's have - you just have more of them and the detail increases, along with the wall space.
You are the photographer - the image creator, so you get to choose how you wish to present the view in front of you. The lenses and camera are just the tools of the trade. One size does not necessary fit all. You can bring (lug) all the toys and use them all to capture all the different views available. There is nothing wrong with one view over another (WA over a stitched normal). This is your freedom of expression.

Think of it this way - the full pallet of tools - 10-17FE, 8-16, 21 Ltd, 31 Ltd, 43 Ltd and the 60-250 which covers everything from 180 degrees wide in one image down to a few degrees in field of view - with some of the best glass available - all in 6 lenses.

11-09-2014, 10:49 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by interested_observer Quote
Shooting the same view with a multitude of different focal lengths will certainly create a wide variety of images, each characterized by the individual lenses handling of the view. This is why, when asked for the best lens for _______ - you fill in the blank - mountains and hills, its really about 'scapes (landscapes, cityscapes, etc.). The answer comes back any lens - in particular the one you have with you. Its how you use it.

You can take the traditional landscape in landscape mode, or turn the camera up on edge and take a series of portraits to be stitched, giving the feeling of drawing in the scenery at the photographer's foot up through the sky.
  • Fisheye - A lot of folks tend to shy away from fish-eyes. In many cases a fisheye will produce a more natural looking image than a rectilinear wide angle. Wide angles tend to pull the image in certain ways.
  • Wide Angle - WA's are great in pulling in a lot of view. The question is where do they put it - there are only so many pixels. They pull-in the view from along the edges and push back the center. This distorted some of the detail - some times it matters, other times it does not. You can also get excellent depth of field here. Longer focal lengths tend to flatten the images.
  • Normal - After about the mid 20's the distortion goes away, but to get the wider expanses of views, you can stitch (you can also stitch with fish-eyes and wide angles too - which replaces the edges of one image with the center of another, in this way helping to calm the distortion). With the normals, you get additional detail in your field of view, that can produce that 3D rendering to the eye.
  • Short Telephoto - These lenses let you shoot over the near foreground and concentrate on the view that the WA's tend to push into the background. You start to get the compression of stacking the view up here - one mountain/hill in back of the other. Also, the view tends to get flattened - in the sens that everything is the same distance away from you (a bit of a lack of reference because you are lacking the foreground here).
  • Telephoto - These just amplify the short telephoto views. Letting you really pull in the detail you wish. All of these can be stitched into the same view that WA's have - you just have more of them and the detail increases, along with the wall space.
You are the photographer - the image creator, so you get to choose how you wish to present the view in front of you. The lenses and camera are just the tools of the trade. One size does not necessary fit all. You can bring (lug) all the toys and use them all to capture all the different views available. There is nothing wrong with one view over another (WA over a stitched normal). This is your freedom of expression.

Think of it this way - the full pallet of tools - 10-17FE, 8-16, 21 Ltd, 31 Ltd, 43 Ltd and the 60-250 which covers everything from 180 degrees wide in one image down to a few degrees in field of view - with some of the best glass available - all in 6 lenses.

The 6 you mention are wonderful - I have 4 of them. But you really can't have all 6 with you at once (I am mainly a hiker/backpacker) so which to have with you most often? For me it is the FA 31 and/or the 60-250.

11-09-2014, 12:11 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mikesul Quote
The 6 you mention are wonderful - I have 4 of them. But you really can't have all 6 with you at once (I am mainly a hiker/backpacker) so which to have with you most often? For me it is the FA 31 and/or the 60-250.
I am swapping a couple of lenses now for the 60-250. But all in all, to me it depends on what you are going to do and where you are going and what your targets (of opportunity) are. I mainly carry the 31 along with the 12-24, then supplement from there. When I go to the Grand Canyon - the shelf gets emptied - as in everything. But, then I am not hiking.

11-09-2014, 12:26 PM   #24
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I tried hiking (SE Utah) with just a set of limited primes. The photos were lovely but changing lenses in a dusty environment was not pleasant.That is when I started saving for the 60-250. Now, if I need light weight on a hike I prefer the 50-135. The 60-250 remains the lens of choice if I feel up to carrying it.
11-10-2014, 10:30 AM   #25
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For mountains, I'll usually take the DA 15 and the FA 20-35. I might throw in the DA 10-17 if I expect clouds and some treeless vistas. If I just want to take one lens it will be the DA 17-70.
11-10-2014, 10:34 AM   #26
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The 15 Limited controls my mind, so I have to get that. I would pair it with the FA49ltd, but that is a good combination for everything, not just mountains.

For rough weather the DA* 16-50 has served me very well and even though it is fairly hefty, I did not miss a shot.
11-10-2014, 10:53 AM   #27
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fgaudet; I must say, I'm very impressed with the quality of your images with the Sigma 10-20!!
11-12-2014, 09:34 AM   #28
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Interested_Observer; I'm curious about this statement:

"
  • Fisheye - A lot of folks tend to shy away from fish-eyes. In many cases a fisheye will produce a more natural looking image than a rectilinear wide angle. Wide angles tend to pull the image in certain ways."
I've never used one, but I've always thought a Fisheye gave the "bowl" effect, which I absolutely don't like; so is this a wrong impression?
11-12-2014, 09:48 AM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by Conqueror Quote
What lenses do you take up mountains and large hills?
Used to be my DA 35/2.4, but I have a strong suspicion my DA 21/3.2 is going to steal that title.
11-12-2014, 10:27 AM   #30
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went to the Austrian Alps and had with me both the DA15mm ltd and DA 18-135. most of my pictures were with the latter since it was raining, but if I had to pick one (sorry guys), its the 18-135 for its versatility and WR. there might be better options out there, but my opinion is based on what ive used so far.
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