Advice on a lens

[2Oceans]

Sue, you might want to consider renting a wide angle. Lensrentals in Tennessee has reasonable rates for the wide

angle lenses. I think a 14 mm lens in stark environments where you can do some close focus wide angle work with a

stopped down lens could be very productive. I use close focus wide angle underwater a lot but it works well on and land.

I remember seeing an image from Iceland that Art Wolfe made of ice with a stark Iceandic background. Compelling!!

Good hunting.

[pge]

<p>20-35mm f2.8<br>

You could sell it for what you pay for it.</p>

[mark_mandell]

<p>Sue,<br /> The very first lens I bought for my D700 was the 20mm f/2.8 AF-D. I still have and use it on my D800. Very crisp, nice color. I've tried wider lenses when I was doing film and found I did like the results and wound up cropping the images back to what would be that of a 20mm.<br>

<br /> While others here have spoken to using the 20 and below for panaramic shots, I'll point out that the 20mm is a great travel lens if you want to capture a foreground subject but keep it in the context of its surroundings. It's one thing to make an image of your travel partner, it's quite another to place him/her in the context of the hot springs or glacier. The 20 will do that for you such that even your snap-shots will be more meaningful memories.<br>

<br /> And it's light too!! I'll try to attach an example</p>

[mark_mandell]

<p>Example:</p>

<div></div>

[mark_mandell]

<p>One More</p><div></div>

[eric_arnold]

<p>20mm is okay for people shots, but for landscape, sometimes you do want wider. a wider lens might actually have improved Mark's composition, by not cutting off the top of the tree. Nice colors, though.</p>

<p>IMO, wide-angle zooms make so much more sense than primes, since you're able to frame the scene exactly how you want it, rather than find something which fits that focal length. Also the modern w/a zooms are as sharp or sharper than older primes these days. the main reason to take a w/a prime is the compactness, but i'd much rather shoot with the 15-30 than the 17 for the versatility.</p>

<p>mark and david's comments speak to the fact that shooting w/a is an acquired taste, and takes some practice. it took me a few months to get the hang of my tokina 12-24, which was the first w/a i bought. i'd maybe think about renting before your trip and seeing if the w/a thing is for you at all.</p>

[mark_mandell]

<p>Hi Eric,<br>

About that tree . . that was the composition I wanted as my effort was to pick up the modeling morning sun filtering down through the palm grove where the image was taken. Couldn't have gotten the whole tree as the others would have blocked it and I would have lost some of the crisp detail of the sun on the trunk and rocks.<br>

Could have done with that damn tanker though |;-}}</p>

[susiewond]

<p>thanks everyone for your input. Here in Australia it is very expensive to hire camera equipment.</p>

<p>Have decided to buy the Samyang 14 mm lens. The person I am going with said he can assist and teach me re focussing this lens.</p>

[2Oceans]

<p>Sue, Sorry I did not know where you lived. The Samyang 14mm is a killer lens. Good hunting.</p>

[david_ralph1]

<p>It's a wide angle. So, focus will not be much of a problem when it is stopped down a bit. From a few inches to infinity. Perhaps download a depth of field chart for 14mm vs. aperture.</p>

<p>It would be great to see a few images of Iceland upon your return. Boy voyage!</p>