Nikon 14-24 for group shot?

merv

merv

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Any comments on the wisdom of using the 14-24 for group shots of people at the 14mm end? I know its a brilliant lens but is distortion likely to ruin the shots? Will try to set up a test or two myself as well. Any comments would be appreciated. Have read mixed opinions already but attitude sometimes seems to be 'what else would you expect' merv:bang:
 
Hi Merv, I have this lens. I took a landscape type shot last week of some trees at a distance of 20 feet or so at the 14mm end and to say the trees at the edges leaned a bit would be an understatement. It looked ok at the time but when reviewed back later on my computer monitor the shot was unusable tbh the distortion was too severe and I could'nt correct it

I took other shots at the 24mm end and they are all fine no distortion, nothing too bothersome anyway. I would say you would get away with a group shot up to about 18mm or so that could be corrected in PS or lightroom.
 
I would say a lot would depend on how close to the edge you had them and how well you 'positioned' the lens in relation to the group - the lens can perform very well but if you don't get it level to what is being shot you can quickly get distortion.
 
This ought to be relevant...
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content...k_13&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter
Click on the 12 image showcase on the right hand side.

I know it's a Canon lens, but most were taken at 15mm and are wedding shots.
On full frame, this lens vignettes at all focal lengths other than 15mm :|

I think the trick is to work with the distortion, rather than fight it.
The Welly Throwing shot is genius!
And I can't get over how brave you need to be to shoot the bride walking down the aisle with this lens!
 
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DuncanDisorderly said:
This ought to be relevant...
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content...k_13&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter
Click on the 12 image showcase on the right hand side.

I know it's a Canon lens, but most were taken at 15mm and are wedding shots.
On full frame, this lens vignettes at all focal lengths other than 15mm :|

I think the trick is to work with the distortion, rather than fight it.
The Welly Throwing shot is genius!
And I can't get over how brave you need to be to shoot the bride walking down the aisle with this lens!
Click to expand...

A very brave man indeed:cool:
 
Roxo said:
Hi Merv, I have this lens. I took a landscape type shot last week of some trees at a distance of 20 feet or so at the 14mm end and to say the trees at the edges leaned a bit would be an understatement. It looked ok at the time but when reviewed back later on my computer monitor the shot was unusable tbh the distortion was too severe and I could'nt correct it
Click to expand...

That'll be perspective distortion due to the fact you didn't have the lens level, not lens distortion.
 
DuncanDisorderly said:
This ought to be relevant...
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content...k_13&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter
Click to expand...


Not really... that's a fisheye lens he's using, whereas the Nikkor 12-24 is rectilinear.



Nawty said:
That'll be perspective distortion due to the fact you didn't have the lens level, not lens distortion.
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^This.

Keep the camera parallel to the ground, and you'll keep distortions to a minimum. Just don't let people get A) too close to the lens, and B) too near the edge of the frame. Avoid using the 12mm end if possible. Even with the camera parallel, it will distort. Verticals will remains straight etc, but the human face is not made up of straight lines.
 
Pookeyhead said:
Not really... that's a fisheye lens he's using, whereas the Nikkor 12-24 is rectilinear.
Click to expand...

Which is why it is relevant....
If I'd put up a link to a gallery from some super-duper lens that never suffered distortion then it would be no help.
A fisheye is as bad as it gets, and if a wedding pro can still get decent results then we should be able to too!

The only better link would be a gallery of group shots taken on the wide end of a Nikon 14-24 :)
 
Don't do it :nono: The distortion you will get at the edges of the frame will look horrible. OK for a landscape, but not a group photo when people's faces will be looked at!

The widest I would go for this sort of work would be 24mm.

A.
 
Surely Lightroom or similar will correct the distortion?

I've taken group shots in the past with my 10-24mm (On DX) and they've come out well.
 
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Really not a good idea if mean a traditional group shot filling the frame. People on the edges will look like cardboards at an angle, unless you totally have no choice. 14mm is dead brave; 24mm is also really optimistic.

40mm+ things start looking a lot better.
 
This is one of the reasons I like 35mm on FF, it's pretty much as wide as you can go without starting to get some funky perspective problems. And that's why I bought the 16-35 over the 14-24.
 
I've shot group shots at 10mm before! You'd be surprised how nice the effect can look when used well, and if you don't like it most of the perspective can be dialed out in software quite effectively.

I know a lot will disagree, so I'll also add I shoot most groups with the 22mm end!
 
GPT said:
Surely Lightroom or similar will correct the distortion?
Click to expand...


Yeah, post processing is the answer to everything innit :)
 
Pookeyhead said:
Yeah, post processing is the answer to everything innit :)
Click to expand...


You can dial a lot of it out in PP.

Why do you always end your posts with "innit"?
 
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The distortion runs across the X and Y axis of the image so if you are shooting a line of people running across the centre of image on the X axis the the distortion at the edges is easily fixable. The same with if you shoot a vertical object near the centre of the image on the Y axis. The problem comes and I haven't yet found a decent way of correcting it when you get near the corners when the distortion has an X and Y component and it gets progressively worse towards the corners. If you shoot a single line of people across the middle of the frame keeping well clear of the corners you are in with a chance, but if you are photographing large groups the people near the corners won't be correctable. You can see the distortion at the time of the shot and if it doesn't work move the people around or change lenses.
 
odd jim said:
You can dial a lot of it out in PP.

Why do you always end your posts with "innit"?
Click to expand...

It's to show my irreverence to the prevailing attitude that post processing is the answer to all problems photographic.




You can correct leaning verticals by keeping the lens parallel to the ground, but faces at the edge of the frame will be distorted. You can't correct that, as you'll have changed the shape of the frame so much, you'll have so much blank space that it will impossible to crop out without losing some of the people at the edge. As someone says above.. it's possible to correct at the centre lines of the frame (because they're probably very close if they're filling the frame)... but anything, or anyone in the corners... forget it.


Shoot lose with a really wide lens. Use the space as a feature of the shot. Besides... if people are filling from from edge to edge, then the distortions just caused by the perspective will be so terrible they will not thank you for it.

If distortion bothers you, keep people away from the edge of the frame.. or use a different lens.
 
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You'll only really be adding distortion elsewhere in most cases too. I've used that DxO software. It's good... but it can only do so much.
 
Pookeyhead said:
It's to show my irreverence to the prevailing attitude that post processing is the answer to all problems photographic.

You can correct leaning verticals by keeping the lens parallel to the ground, but faces at the edge of the frame will be distorted. You can't correct that, as you'll have changed the shape of the frame so much, you'll have so much blank space that it will impossible to crop out without losing some of the people at the edge. As someone says above.. it's possible to correct at the centre lines of the frame (because they're probably very close if they're filling the frame)... but anything, or anyone in the corners... forget it.

Shoot lose with a really wide lens. Use the space as a feature of the shot. Besides... if people are filling from from edge to edge, then the distortions just caused by the perspective will be so terrible they will not thank you for it.

If distortion bothers you, keep people away from the edge of the frame.. or use a different lens.
Click to expand...

It doesn't bother me, I quite like it.
 
Then all is well :)
 
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