Aperture size for landscapes.

look at dofmaster.com it will help you to see what dof does at different apatures

kristin6 wrote in post #15024932
Good point, but no matter the cost and quality of the lens, isn't it always best to know your lenses sweet spot and shoot in that range when shooting landscapes at a distance and only using higher apertures when focusing closer to the camera?

Sure, I agree totally.

But.... even then a lens probably doesn't have a single 'sweet spot'. The sharpest in the center is likely 1-2 stops down from wide open, but some lenses, particularly wide angles, may not be sharp enough in the corners for the scene at these apertures. For instance, on FF I'm likely to find f11 to be a good compromise for my UWA, where as I would prefer to shoot at f7.1 with my 70-200.

But yes, I can tell you pretty much what apertures all my lenses are sharpest in the center and how much softer they are in the corners wide open and at their 'sharpest' aperture. If I'm in doubt I have no issue with taking a couple of shots with different apertures and/or focal points and sorting them out in the computer at home. Compare with shooting sports having 5 or so shot of the same scene to sort though is no big deal.

That's no excuse for not trying to 'get it right in camera' though, because if you try every possible combination of exposure, aperture and focus point, you'll end up with a whole mess to sort though.

1Twist wrote in post #15024935
-1.4-

Actually, one thing I do miss is having a wide fast prime for landscapes, I can't justify the cost though, I wouldn't use it enough. A nice inexpensive MF 24mm 1.4 would be sweet (Samyang/Rokinon/Bower - we need one for FF!!!!!)

EDIT I thought that lens was only for crop, but sill $700, may have to wait a while for that.

Definitely a place in subject isolation with landscapes, most people do it with longer FL, but I do occasionally with I had a 24 1.4.

TS-E17

ejenner wrote in post #15026420
Sure, I agree totally.

But.... even then a lens probably doesn't have a single 'sweet spot'. The sharpest in the center is likely 1-2 stops down from wide open, but some lenses, particularly wide angles, may not be sharp enough in the corners for the scene at these apertures. For instance, on FF I'm likely to find f11 to be a good compromise for my UWA, where as I would prefer to shoot at f7.1 with my 70-200.

But yes, I can tell you pretty much what apertures all my lenses are sharpest in the center and how much softer they are in the corners wide open and at their 'sharpest' aperture. If I'm in doubt I have no issue with taking a couple of shots with different apertures and/or focal points and sorting them out in the computer at home. Compare with shooting sports having 5 or so shot of the same scene to sort though is no big deal.

That's no excuse for not trying to 'get it right in camera' though, because if you try every possible combination of exposure, aperture and focus point, you'll end up with a whole mess to sort though.

Very informative response, thanks! I'm such a macro shooter, I forget about the big picture sometimes. I'll be trying my hand a landscapes all next week.