What to do with 14-24mm?

Lightsped · Jan 25, 2015

I was casually glancing through my lenses and came to the realization that I hardly ever use my 14-24mm f2.8. A large part of the problem may be that I simply don't know what to use it for. I don't do that many landscapes or home interior photos.

Besides the obvious landscape and interior things, what can I use a 14-24mm for?

480sparky · Jan 25, 2015

They're great for rolling up in a sheet of bubble wrap. Stuff it all into a cardboard box. Slap my address on it and head to the Post Office.

Seriously. It's great glass, but not for everyone. Just because a lens is fantastic doesn't mean you use it.

If you're not? Perhaps it's time to sell it and fund other purchases.

Coasty · Jan 25, 2015

Having the Nikon “Trinity” is a good thing if you will actually be using the lenses. I use 24-70, so I got it. I use 70-200, so I got that as well. 14-24, well, not so much, but occasionally there are times wide angle is needed, just not $2000.00 worth of wide angle, so I got the 16-35 f4.

jsecordphoto · Jan 25, 2015

Drool over the sharpness? Its amazing for landscapes and landscape astrophotography

KmH · Jan 25, 2015

I had the 12-24 but also rarely used it.
If you don't do much landscape type shooting, wide angle lenses tend to sit around gathering dust.

pgriz · Jan 25, 2015

UWA lenses are special purpose lenses. Getting past the obvious "wide-angle" part, the other capabilities that can be exploited are:

Perspective distortion (especially if you have something close)
extreme DOF
The ability to stretch out the space between foreground and background (direct opposite of a telephoto where the space is compressed).

This lens can be used to good effect if you want to highlight something in the foreground and relate it to its environment (say a particular flower in a meadow, or a bit of trash in a park, etc.). Using perspective distortion, you can make a person's nose look bulbous (not so good for loved ones), or distort their figures (people at the edge of wide angle shots usually gain 300 lbs, just by their positioning). On the other hand this kind of lens is probably the only one that would allow you to photograph the milky way and something close in the same frame and in acceptable focus.

ruifo · Jan 25, 2015

Astrophotography is an amazing use for the 14-24mm.
Creative sport shots as well.
Creative portraits in general, too.
Use your creativity...

I divided between the Nikkor 14-24 and the newer Nikkor 18-35, and ended up with a Nikkor 18-35, once it's lighters, and accepts filters, and it is second in IQ and sharpness only to the 14-24 itself. Here's what I do with the 18-35: Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S - an album on Flickr

Overread · Jan 25, 2015

Anything.

Focal lengths are only tied to subjects and situations by common association and use - they are not formal nor fixed links. You can use any lens to photograph any subject - some will be easier than others. Eg doing wildlife with your lens would be tricky if you want close-up-frame-filling animals - but would be great for a herd of wilder beast on the planes.

Sometimes its good to put a lens on the camera - keep it on there and go out and shoot. Experiment and see how you find it.

might be you find that you just don't need this lens - its great, fantastic even, but if its not for you then its not. No shame in that, sometimes we make mistakes in what we purchase; or our situations change or don't develop as we expect. In that case you either hold onto it for those few situations you need it; or you sell it on to finance something else.

Gary A. · Jan 25, 2015

Overread said:
Anything.

Focal lengths are only tied to subjects and situations by common association and use - they are not formal nor fixed links. You can use any lens to photograph any subject - some will be easier than others. Eg doing wildlife with your lens would be tricky if you want close-up-frame-filling animals - but would be great for a herd of wilder beast on the planes.

Sometimes its good to put a lens on the camera - keep it on there and go out and shoot. Experiment and see how you find it.

might be you find that you just don't need this lens - its great, fantastic even, but if its not for you then its not. No shame in that, sometimes we make mistakes in what we purchase; or our situations change or don't develop as we expect. In that case you either hold onto it for those few situations you need it; or you sell it on to finance something else.

Exactly ... using a lens on a subject which typically isn't used on that subject ... requires more imagination and a bit more effort ... but the results may be dramatically better.

I had a friend who was fixing to sell his 400mm because he says he doesn't use it. I told him the only reason your not using it is because ... (wait for it) ... you're not using it. Using a particular lens, typically, is the choice of the photog. I told him to slap the 400mm on and lets go shooting. He did, and we did. We went to the Huntington Library which has a wide variety of gardens and photo opps. At the end of the day he decided to keep the 400mm and realized that I was right, (of course), The only reason he wasn't using the 400mm was because he wasn't using it, (as in nothing to do with subjects but all to do with him).

Gary

PS- Toss the lens on your camera and go shoot, only take that lens.
G

Trever1t · Jan 25, 2015

I'm looking for one and have cash and or a like new d800 to barter with.

pgriz · Jan 25, 2015

Gary, good advice. It helps to have an idea of where the lens is at its best. One of my houseguests was asking me this morning why I was shooting the icicle with a telephoto. I told him that the background was very pedestrian, and would diminish the shot. By using a higher focal length and a wider aperture, I would blur the background into unrecognizability (ugh - did I just write that???).

bigal1000 · Jan 26, 2015

Send it to me !!!!!!!!

astroNikon · Jan 26, 2015

perspective distortion - I think already stated.
I love getting up close to cars at car shows and getting those swoopy lines all distorted in a good way (at least to me).
Architecture. There was a good youtube video on what to use and not use the 14-24 for - but I can't seem to find it right now.