Flare and ghosts with Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. Any tips on using this lens?

<p>I just got a Nikon 14-24mm AFS f/2.8 G ED for my D700 and took it on a walk around the neighborhood for some test shooting at the 14mm length. This is my first wide-angle lens (not counting point and shoot cameras).</p>

<p>Looking at the photos in Lightroom, I noticed a few things:</p>

<p>(1) It is really hard to get good compositions with this lens. Even if you get close to your subject, this lens covers a huge field of view and chances are there's a lot of boring stuff toward the edges that detracts from the overall image and would be better off just cropped out. Maybe this is just because of my setting, walking around the streets of my hometown. I am sure that if I went to the Grand Canyon or someplace like that, even the edges of the pictures would be interesting! But if you are in a humdrum everyday environment, you can't count on just focusing on an interesting subject. The boring stuff you're not interested in will be in the picture, too. And on the other hand, if you stand back a bit, your subject appears tiny. You really need to "make the whole photo the subject" with this lens, if that makes any sense.</p>

<p>(2) It's also hard to maintain focus across the whole photo, especially when you get close. When taking a close-up shot of a bunch of flowers, for example, even stopped down to f/16 or f/22, I often found that objects at the edges were less sharp than at the center.</p>

<p>(3) Worst of all, if I shot with sunlight coming towards me, the photos tended to show lens flares and ghosts, ranging from tiny to absolutely enormous. I don't know if this problem would have gone away at a longer focal length, but it seems like at 14mm, you really don't want the sun shining towards you.</p>

<p>(4) The best shots I took with this lens were indoor shots, where lens flare, etc. was not an issue and where I could more easily control the composition of the photos.</p>

<p>(5) This is not related to the quality of the photos it takes, but knowing you could destroy this filter-less lens at any moment by bumping it into your subject, or tripping and falling, is absolutely terrifying!</p>

<p>I really do like this lens a lot, but it seems to me I will need to practice to get good photos with it consistenly, whereas with my other lenses, my "keeper" ratio was a lot higher right from the start. Any advice on how to use this lens more effectively would be much appreciated. Thanks.</p>

<p>Hi Justin,</p>

<p>You make some very good home truths and observations here. I'm a wide angle fan but have resisted this lens so far.</p>

<p>1) Bigger is not necessarily better. I have the 17-35mm lens and find 17mm often too large a canvas to compose to an agreeable standard.</p>

<p>2) A small amount of corner 'softness' (and I stress <em>'small'</em>) is perhaps an unavoidable factor on such a wide lens, even on such a high end lens as the 14-24mm.</p>

<p>3) Again, such a broad field of view generated from 14mm focal lengths are inevitably going to include the sun and other intense light sources which will cause many lenses of all designs and focal lengths to flare out. It's a fact of life with many lenses, not just the 14-24mm.</p>

<p>4) You're observations on indoor / controlled lighting are spot on. The bulbous frontal element of the 14-24mm lens is always going to be susceptable to catching bright light sources and indoors one has better chance of controlling potential flare sources.</p>

<p>5) The damage factor pertaining to the frontal element of such a lens is ever present but with careful handling one can nearly always avoid disaster.</p>

<p>The 14-24mm lens is a very specialised lens which is becoming renowned for producing very high IQ images. My tips are to enjoy the lens but use it sparingly when you have specific scenes / subject matter / shooting conditions that are condusive to the tremendous field of view this lens offers. You just can't expect such a 'narrow focused' specialist tool to be a good choice as a 'walk about' type lens.</p>

<p>I have the D700 and the 14-24mm, f/2.8 as you do. I agree with Matthew. This is a great lens, very, very sharp, but for specific situations. Catching the sun with this huge front element is something you have to constantly be aware of. Trying to shade the lens hasn't worked because of the wide coverage. And, composition becomes critical to minimize perspective shifts. That said, the 14-24 is hard to beat for interior shots where lighting is not optimal. I do use this lens outdoors, but not as a regular practice, i.e., as walking around lens. I took it to Italy a year ago and found it extremely useful in the narrow Italian streets and for capturing church interiors. As for the fear factor, damaging the frontal element, as I used the lens more and more, that fear has diminished and I really enjoy using the lens as I'm sure you will as well.</p><div></div>

<p>Seriously... if you find yourself not shooting wider than 17mm on that lens, you might like the 17-35 way more. All the things you mention are the "features" not the limitations, of a lens like this.</p>

<p>What application did you buy this lens for?</p>

<p>I don`t have enough knowledge to give tips about this lens (and about photography I`m afraid... ) but I think it could be helpful to see wide angle shots from experienced pro photogs; sadly, I cannot remember the name of an specialist on conflict reportages who used Canon EOS + 14/2.8L USM. This guy really impressed me. He liked to shoot very close (I mean, at no more than a few centimeters) to his subjects, usually soldiers at work or natives of countries under conflict (Irak, Agfanistan, Iran, etc.).</p>

<p>Each time I attach this lens on my camera I think in crowds of people and how to be invisible between them (something of course impossible). I have shot under this circumstances and believe me, I also suffer thinking on the front element of the lens; childrens are attracted like a magnets, they usually try to touch (with whatever they have in their hands) the bulbous front element.</p>

<p>There are no rules about cropping... I have found that many times is interesting to shoot fast, and after that to remove all uninteresting things inside the frame; of course, you loose pixels but it doesn`t matter if the final pic is good.</p>

<p>I usually try to shoot under "optimal weather" conditions with any lens, I like to avoid direct sunlight, strong overcast days (excessive contrast, flat illumination), etc. with any lens, unless looking for a special effect. I have never been worried about ghosts and flare with this lens.</p>

<p>Funny, I prefer not to have sharpness all over the frame. I`m pleased that even at 14mm DoF is short when shooting at close distances. I wonder if I have used anytime this lens at other than f2.8. Just my experience.</p>

<p>Perhaps we must stick that well known Capa`s phrase on the hood of our lens: <em>"If your photos aren`t good enough, you`re not close enough... "</em></p>

<p>Uncropped, I wonder why the system ask for such a low size (below 100Kb!). Compression killed the pic, which is astoundingly sharp from corner tocorner.</p><div></div>

<p>Here's my best shot from today:</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/9051597-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="539" /></p>

<p>And another:</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/9051656-md.jpg" alt="" width="679" height="452" /></p>

<p>Hmmm, dangerous. One span from crashing the lens to that blue sign.<br>

It`s sunday afternoon here. My excuses:</p><div></div>

<p>Great shots. I just started to like wide-angle and just got 17-35 for my D700. Wide makes me very mindful of the height of the lense as well as whether the lense is facing upward of downward. A bit of change makes huge change. I can only imagine how it is so with 14-24. Downtown somewhere around Tokyo, I take it? Looks familar, not that I have been there, but just makes me feel that way. Ken</p>

<p>It's Shimo-kitazawa, which is just a bit southwest of Shinjuku.</p>

<p>Not that long ago I posted a warning for peaple seeking to buy this lens that it had serious flare issues. I took a lot of grief for this. Peaple who owned the lens got pretty upset with me. I'm sorry you are experiencing these problems but atleast you have confirmed what I have been saying all along. Sharpness is great but it's not without flaws.</p>

<p>(1) Composition is a matter of experience. Wide angle lenses present a unique challenage and are more difficult to master than any other lens. But it's not a characteristic of "this lens", specifically, this particular Nikkor, but all such designs.<br /> <br /> (2) That too is related to experience. It's not unique to this particular lens. It's a factor faced by all photographers who prefer the convenience of the miniature format camera. It's why for decades most serious photographers engaged in landscapes and scenic prefer large format cameras with movements. With any smaller format camera and lens lacking tilts, shifts, swings, etc., experienced photographers have learned to adapt their technique to the unique limitations of minuature format, which includes 35mm film and digital sensors of that or smaller dimensions.<br /> <br /> (3) Flare is not unique to any particular lens. Any wide and ultra-wide angle lens, especially a zoom, is vulnerable to flare when aimed directly into the path of the sun or other strong light source. Any lens used this way can be made to flare. An experienced photographer learns the limitations of his equipment and how to minimize these vulnerabilities. Sometimes only a slight shift in composition or angle of the lens/body is needed to minimize apparent flare.<br /> <br /> (4) This is probably due to being in your comfort zone. Unaccustomed to dealing with vast expanses and a very wide angle lens, and the hazards of having a bright light source directly in the lens path, you encountered some difficulties. Indoors, the scope of the photo is smaller, it's easier to fill the frame and it's easier to avoid very bright, flare-inducing light sources.<br /> <br /> (5) Any unique lens design demands careful attention. There have been many other lens designs which presented a greater challenge in routine use to prevent damage.</p>

<p>You chose this lens so you'll need to learn to adapt to its unique challenges.</p>

<p>Here's a link to the previous discussion to which Roman is referring:<br>

<a href="00RPzn"><strong>Experiences with flare using AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED</strong> </a></p>

<p>Roman, if I'm recalling correctly, you didn't provide any specific photos to that thread, or a link, which demonstrated the problems you described. Other photographers did provide photos illustrating conditions in which any lens can be made to flare, as well as demonstrating the remarkable resistance to flare of the 14-24/2.8 Nikkor even when used in extreme conditions, as long as the photographer took reasonable care to minimize the problem.</p>

The Nano Coating purpose is to reduce flare and ghosts !? This is what they advertise here :

 

 

http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/technology/scene/20/index_02.htm

 

 

Justin ..., please post some pictures to illustrate your complain and how/where the "absolutely enormous" flare and ghosts appears.

<p >I used a 17mm lens for 15 years before switching to a Nikon 14mm f2.8, which I have now had for 5 years. I love ultrawide photography for which I also use a 4x5 with an equivalent view as the 14mm on full frame DSLR.</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >Composing effective images with lenses wider than 20mm is extremely challenging. My ultrawides have always been my most used lenses and even after 20 years creating effective compositions is still a challenge and always a learning experience but also extremely rewarding. </p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >When you use an ultrawide knowing what your depth of field is at all times is extremely important and learning about hyperfocal focusing methods is a worthwhile tool.</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >All lenses are susceptible to flare. Ultrawides have such a wide angle of view that the chance that the sun is present within that view, or close to it, is much greater. When using a 14mm lens you must be attentive to the light in your viewfinder. Flare is readily visible as streaks within the viewfinder and you can even notice the loss of contrast if sunlight is striking the very edge of the front element. You must learn to identify this and adjust your composition to eliminate or minimize it. I always use my hand as a shade to identify potential problems and to reduce them. In the worst scenarios I end up cutting off the edge of my image in order to save the rest of the photograph and crop it slightly in post processing.</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >Interior architectural photography is a joy with ultrawides. You simply have to learn to take the techniques that you learn, outside with you. For interiors, and even the street scene samples shown here, I prefer to keep verticals vertical to avoid obvious perspective distortion. Again strict attention to what is happening in the viewfinder must be maintained.</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >I was lucky to buy my 14mm used, at an extremely good price, so the front element was already damaged enough by the LA Times that I no longer had to worry about it. Minor dings, chips, and scratches will have little or no effect on your images. Any lens can be dropped at any given moment with catastrophic results. Stop worrying about damaging it and enjoy it instead. A greater concern is bugs landing on the front element or flying about the lens while photographing at the minimum focusing distance. I have had bugs show up as blurred black spots in these conditions. Watch for water droplets on the front element as well, also at minimum focusing distances, since they too will show up in the image.</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >All in all ultrawide photography can be very rewarding when proper attention to detail is made. Have fun! </p>

<p>I have been searching for this effects at my images taken with the 14-24 and on the worst of them didn`t found other than higher than average contrastier images, with very little traces of CA and only a tiny bit of softness dued to inner reflections on a few of them. Of course I usually don`t use to shot against light sources.<br /> Here is probably one the worst: taken at 14mm, f8, 1/1000sec., 800ISO, matrix met. +1EV. Standard setting on the D700, not post-processed (corverted to.jpg on NX2).</p>

<div></div>

<p>Check here some ghosts: IMHO very low for such a huge front element against the light. The same image taken with a 24/2.8AFD could seem undistinguishable from the disco ball lamp from <em>"Saturday Night Fever"</em>...<br>

Take your time looking from where the crop has been taken...</p><div></div>

<p>Detail of another unavoidable effect...</p><div></div>

<p>And the last one, I think there is still a high contrast level on the pigeons. IMHO this lens is outstandingly good for this type. I consider it my best Nikkor ever. I`d have payed twice for my new 50/1.4AFS to have this contrast, sharpness and flare control levels on it.</p><div></div>

<p>Just another one: increased contrast + saturation + unsharp mask. Consider that is 800ISO and a <i>"high compression level"</i> .jpg.</p><div></div>

<p>I don't have access to my photos right now, but later tonight I will post some examples of the flare I'm talking about.</p>

<p>So you had your first "pro camera" and a big macho lens with it. And you wanted to use it az a walk around lens. Hummmm!?<br>

And you have a lots of experience in photography, with a point and shoot camera.<br>

Sorry! I'm shocked and speechless!</p>

<p>Whoa, Bela, let's go easy on the sarcasm. Nobody was born knowing all this stuff. At 51, after messing with photography since age 8, I'm still learning.</p>

<p>Thanks for the sample photos, Jose. I really had to look to find where that crop had come from. That's an impressively tiny bit of flare, especially considering the strong backlighting and patch of bright sky between the trees at the top of the frame.</p>

<p>This was taken at about 12:45 in the afternoon the sun is directly overhead. This is about the worst flair I have got, but I generally don't go out looking for situations that will create flair. I agree with the notion that the 14-24 is not a point and shoot lens. It takes work and practice to get good results especially at the 14mm end.</p><div></div>