Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM lens - first pictures

While many photographers prefer shooting with telephoto lenses that get them closer to their subjects, I've always had a preference for wide-angle lenses that let me capture a vast expanse in a single frame.

I've enjoyed using panorama stitching software to achieve wide angles of view, but this process has its drawbacks. It's inconvenient to set up, a level tripod must be used, it takes work to stitch the images together, and stitching does not always respond well to images that contain moving subjects.

I've also owned a couple of wide-angle lenses over the years: the original Sigma 14 mm f/3.5 lens and later the Sigma 12-24 mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. They easily captured the wide angles of view that I was after, and were a lot of fun to use, but they suffered from too much vignetting and the corners were soft at any aperture.

Canon has also offered a 14 mm f/2.8 lens for many years. I had the opportunity to try one once and was not terribly impressed. I decided to continue using my existing tools while waiting for something better to become available.

So you can imagine my excitement when Canon introduced an updated version of their 14 mm lens last year, which they claimed delivers "higher image quality overall including superior peripheral image quality." Could this be what I'd been waiting for all these years? It certainly sounded promising, and I put it on my wish list.

Finally, I took the plunge and acquired this magnificent chunk of optical glass for my very own. I was very excited! I put it on my Canon EOS 5D, which has a full-frame sensor to take full advantage of wide-angle lenses, and took it for a quick spin to try it out. I was not disappointed. At last, I am getting both the angle of view and the image quality that I was after. While a 14mm is not an everyday lens, it has quickly become one of my favourites.

I have only just acquired this lens and am not ready to post a full review, but here are my first pictures, taken in and around the University of Waterloo. You can click on each image to enlarge it:


   

These are just some quick shots to try out the lens for now; I'm looking forward to unleashing my creativity with the use of dramatic wide angles!

Comments

wompwonp said…
I ran across your photography of Curacao and I would like to buy a copy of one of you photographs. My husband and I got married on the beach in Curacao last June and I would like to give him a framed photo of the shot you took of the beach at sunset. I believe that is where we got married. (We got married on the property of the Curacao Hilton overlooking the rocks). Please email me and let me know if I may purchase this photograph as I would like to give it to him as a Christmas gift.

By the way, you are an amazing photographer.

Thanks,

Cathy Grigg
Sassan Sanei said…
Hi Cathy,

Thanks for your request and kind words. Unfortunately, I have no way of getting in touch with you. If you see this reply, please contact me at the following email address:

blogger (AT) sassansanei (DOT) com

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