spoonface Posted February 8, 2012 Share #1 Posted February 8, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) The bee in my bonnet is currently whether I should put a 21-35 R lens on my Canon Eos1ds mk3. I've done some research but you know there is a lot of waffle out there. Does anyone have direct experience with using this lens on a shoot ? I mostly shoot interiors on a tripod at about f18 and so am not too bothered about f4 etc. What I have gathered is that it's a real pain to look through and I saw that someone somewhere posted that it's especially useless for interiors. Why would this be I wonder ? Is it the camera and lens combination ? I need a zoom lens rather than primes and have 16-35 canon L which I'm bored of and rather fancy the Leica if for nothing else other than to mix it up a bit. Please if anyone has any really practical user knowledge of this combination, would they please let me know. thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 Hi spoonface, Take a look here 21-35 R on Canon. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Marac Posted February 8, 2012 Share #2 Posted February 8, 2012 Some R lenses interfere with the mirror on FF cameras. I had a very early 19mm R and it was stunning as was my 50 summilux and 80-200 elmar. I used them on a 1Ds2 with no trouble at all. I am certain there is a list online that shows the lenses you can/cannot use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonface Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted February 8, 2012 Hi Marac thanks for the post. I know about the mount and all that, what I need is actual experiences of this lens at work. Especially focusing and if it has to be focused wide open then shut down to take the picture..this is on the Canon. I understand that this isn't the case on a Leica. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunom Posted February 9, 2012 Share #4 Posted February 9, 2012 It's your experience with the lens/camera that will count in the end, but I use this lens on an R8 and have no problems, for me, with seeing inside buildings [ as long as it's not a cellar with no lights on! ] - can you not try one first before buying ? As you say, there's a lot of exageration and nonsense out there. It's a great lens by the way. Regards Bruno Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonface Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted February 9, 2012 brunom, yes, I know it's my experience etc....but I am after the real facts about using this lens on a Canon eos1ds mk, before I buy it. I'm sure it's a blinder when it's on the camera it was designed to be mated with but I want to know what it's like otherwise. You say " as long as it's not in a cellar......" what does that mean ? I can't try before I buy as there is some surgery to be done on the rear of the lens and an adaptor fitted for me to see what it's actually like. What if I buy one from ebay and find that because of some technical oversight that It's pitch black through the lens and I can only see the image on the screen after it's captured it or any other strange anomaly. Someone knows because they will have tried this combo and shot at f18 with the mount and plastic thing modification. I have trawled the posts and web pages but no one has actually said what it's like on a day to day basis, in real life , on a job on a canon. I know that it loses some of it's electronic features and that it will only be manual focus and thats fine. I have heard that it won't take a picture unless it's in focus, I have read that it's too dark to focus at all, I have heard that you focus wide open and shoot closed down, I have heard that it's too tricky to use as a lens for interiors...blah blah. What is the real day to day truth ...on a canon ? Everyone seems to be obsessed with shooting wide open but some of us aren't and use their gear on a tripod and aren't that worried about how fast the lens is or especially concerned with if it will print to 96 sheet size and look sharp at f4. I am considering the lens because It might help my pictures look slightly and maybe almost imperceptibly different. It might make my approach different, but the lens is no good if it's too tricky to use...on a canon. It may be that it's not the answer and the only answers I get are that Leica lenses are great. I know that and I know all about the Leica way etc. This is a very specific question about a very specific modification and I need someone that has done it to tell me whats what. Thanks for your time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted February 9, 2012 Share #6 Posted February 9, 2012 No experience sorry. There is just a shroud to remove according to Pebble Place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonface Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share #7 Posted February 9, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi yes, I know about the modifications and mounts and screws and leica quality etc........thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted February 9, 2012 Share #8 Posted February 9, 2012 I have a 5D2 and took a few shots with a friend's 21-35 f/3.5-4 Vario-Elmar-R asph a few weeks ago and it's beautifully sharp across the zoom range. I didn't get the opportunity to use it for long so I can't give you an in depth review of the lens but that's available from Erwin Puts anyway if you're interested. Obviously the lens's performance isn't going to be greatly affected by the differences between the 1Ds 111 and the 5D2 so Puts may offer some clarity for you. In terms of physical handling, yes, if you use the viewfinder to shoot you'll need to use a 'stop-down' approach, i.e. frame and focus wide open and manually stop down for metering and shooting because at f/18 the image in your viewfinder will be near-black. The technique takes some getting used to but many have no problem with it. But you don't need to do that if you don't want to because the 1Ds 111 has LiveView where the screen will brighten to compensate as you stop down and you can zoom in on the LCD to nail focus. This method works for some people but not for others so it's a choice you can consider. It's not clear to me why someone would suggest that it's useless for interiors unless it's the effect in the viewfinder that I mentioned. Distortion at 21 mm is -3.5% so you'll see straight lines at the edges bowing but that's not unusual for a super-wide focal length and at 35 mm is -1%. Imo distortion is low across the range considering that it's a zoom lens. There is vignetting of between 1 and 2 stop across the range but again that's to be expected owing to the compromises associated with using a zoom lens although there are plenty of super-wide primes with more than 2 stops of vignetting. Puts says of the lens that "It is one of the few lenses that has no weak points in performance and handling." -Leica Compendium, Erwin Puts; Pub: imX/Photosite April 2010. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sp12 Posted February 9, 2012 Share #9 Posted February 9, 2012 If you're shooting at F/18 you're going to be majorly diffraction limited with any lens. I see no reason to plop down for an expensive, stop-down lens that's not going to be any better than your 16-35. A better use of funds would probably be a D800 for maximum IQ. Have you considered a TS-E or focus stacking? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted February 9, 2012 Share #10 Posted February 9, 2012 If you're shooting at F/18 you're going to be majorly diffraction limited with any lens. I see no reason to plop down for an expensive, stop-down lens that's not going to be any better than your 16-35. A better use of funds would probably be a D800 for maximum IQ. Have you considered a TS-E or focus stacking? Might be wrong, but I suspect the OP typed f18 instead of an intended f/8? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonface Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share #11 Posted February 10, 2012 Thank you Farnz I think you have answered my question. It might be a bit of a nuisance although the process itself is how I trained, but I will sit and think about it in practical terms and if I think I have the time to shoot this way. The idea, as I said is just to freshen things up a little. I am bored with the 16-35 and still maybe this lens is the answer. Thanks a lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonface Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share #12 Posted February 10, 2012 SP12 the idea of focus stacking is impractical when shooting interiors. i have to shoot about 12 images a day nearly everyday and when I am traveling I might not get to a computer for a week. I just don't have time to do mass editing I'm afraid. D800 ? I also don't want or in fact need such a big file camera and I loathe Nikon. My opinion is that people who don't make a living taking pictures and dealing with the consequences of big files are always obsessing about lpmm and aberrations and pixel depth. In reality, it doesn't matter. In most cases people just want pretty pictures...for magazines anyway. I have been a professional photographer since I was 17 and I'm now 52. I have done nothing else and am now living in NYC from London where I am shooting most days. I have NEVER been asked to shoot on anything that I don't currently use. I have recently shot a 48 sheet campaign for a high street giant in London ( on my EOS ) and love the camera and the client loves the result. I am shooting in London again for all of March. i also travel lot around Europe as well as here and in December was shooting in Madrid, Lanzerote and Berlin doing apartments. I look through my 16-35 nearly everyday and if you did too you would understand why one becomes a little bored. I need something as portable as possible and can if pushed get my camera, two lenses, small gitzo and an air 1000 head and the few things I need in the 20kg allowed on Easyjet. It's all very well having all this gear until you need to lug it half way up a volcano to a house, shoot it and get back down again all in one day. I did actually buy an M8 when it came out but really didn't get on with the focusing and having to take the base off to get at the card etc. I don't really want to change the 1ds because in the field it really is a very good camera especially if you have big hands. It's just the zooms aren't great. I don't mean to appear as patronizing as I am, it's just frustrating trying to get a straight answer to a straight question. Maybe I'll just treat myself and I'm sure it will be an great learning curve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted February 10, 2012 Share #13 Posted February 10, 2012 ...it's just frustrating trying to get a straight answer to a straight question... No doubt people trying to help you for free will appreciate this frustation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sp12 Posted February 10, 2012 Share #14 Posted February 10, 2012 SP12 the idea of focus stacking is impractical when shooting interiors. i have to shoot about 12 images a day nearly everyday and when I am traveling I might not get to a computer for a week. I just don't have time to do mass editing I'm afraid. D800 ? I also don't want or in fact need such a big file camera and I loathe Nikon. Maybe I'll just treat myself and I'm sure it will be an great learning curve. If you're stressed making 12 images a day then maybe manual focus and aperture operation wouldn't be the best for you. If you actually mean F18 then the Leica will offer you no additional sharpness, and some extra distortion/CA compared to the 16-35, both of which will need correction in post (not that that's any extra work really). I personally do focus stacking (completely automated in my RAW->jpeg conversion, btw) for all of my personal architecture work, and use a MF system with front standard tilt for all my professional work. I still think that unless you just really like the Leica, a lighter body might be more appropriate for you. The D800 comes with Mraw for a reason. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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