An Essential Landscape Photography Lens?

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Today I'm at South Stack lighthouse in Anglesey, North Wales. I'm shooting with my Sony 35mm f1.4 GM, my 20mm f1.8 G, and my 70-200 F2.8 GM all wide open, to try and answer one question: Are fast lenses good for landscape photography?
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[@JamesPopsysPhoto]

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[@Jumperrr21]

Did you know that you can even see the Norther Lights dancing over this lighthouse? Was there last October and the lady at the store was raving about how beautiful the last night has been - unfortunately we had a thick layer of clouds and had to make our way back to the South the same night, but this photo idea became one of my bucket list life shots! Beautiful & informative video as always James!

[@SuLu_B]

So funny to hear the beginning portion! My dad is an old school landscape photographer that almost exclusively shot with a 16-35 f/4, whereas I came from shooting portraiture and using more midrange focal lengths with a wide aperture. On a trip to the southwest United States, he always thought it was strange I was shooting landscapes with a 58mm f/1.4 handheld (typically wide open) while he was doing the more typical, prescriptive method. It's great fun to "break the rules" sometimes!

[@PathinAZ]

Recently bought the Sigma 16mm f1.4 for my Sony A7riii. Combined use for night/milky way shoots and landscape. For those of us who can only dream of a G or GM Sony lens, this Sigma, IMO, excels in auto focus and sharpness. Great video..

[@steveboys5369]

Hi James, Elin's tower is the white building. It's novel to share some knowledge I have that you don't for a change! .. Another interesting video and thanks for sharing. When I next go there I want to try taking a telephoto lens and point it in the opposite direction across the south coast of Ynys Mon, Trearddur Bay, Rhoscolyn, , Rhosneigr, Aberffraw toward the mountains at sunset in the general direction of Porthdinllaen and Trevor on the mainland, picking up lots of other white buildings near the coast in the midground.. can't help but think that will be awesome too in a bit of golden light.

[@steveboys5369]

Spambots?

[@tani159]

Hello James! Thank you very much to mention my name in your video, it was really nice to meet you and have a chat about photography. Really enjoy your content and energy, your work is such an inspiration. Wish you all the best, hopefully, see you out there again! thanks, Jon

[@jaidenverrall5534]

This has to be my favourite video on this channel. The mood and the content is so good

[@mountains_and_moors]

Watching your video while hiking over Dartmoor with my Sony A7R IV & 20mm G lens. James, your voice is scaring away the sheep 🐑 Keep up the good work, Ant 👍🏻😉

[@Phil_f8andbethere]

I don't understand the obsession with front to back sharpness that so many people have - it's actually more realistic for the image to be softer nearer to the camera as that's the way our eyes perceive things in the landscape;, and as you say it gives more non-distracting depth and sense of surroundings to the image. Great work James.

[@gradymanker429]

These videos keep getting better. Love the content and edits on the photos.

[@GregThurtle]

Nice to see using wider apertures still being used been for landscapes

[@Sorgesol]

This is my favourite kind of photography. Shallow depth of field with the foreground out of focus that gives a depth to the image.

[@daveychainsaw961]

That shot of the lighthouse at 10:43 is great! I have this lens and the 20mm G, love them both for exactly these purposes. Great video James.

[@BurfieldPhoto1]

I've always considered control of focus to be one of, if not the, most powerful tools for storytelling, so it seems a little silly to me to limit yourself to a single use of that tool (such as always shooting at f/16). Great video for reminding people of the power of that tool for storytelling, and how important it is to not get stuck with a "one size fits all" approach.

[@chrismitchell4170]

Quite possibly the best group of photos you’ve ever put in one of your videos James. I was at South Stack back in April and I didn’t get anything near as good as these.

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

I LOVE shooting landscapes wide open. I shoot a lot close to the ground and I generally put elements in the foregreound that are very close to the lens, so the more out of focus they get, the best the shot looks because it creates a real sensation of depth in the image. f/16 shots with everything in focus tend to look a little flat in my opinion, sometimes you don't really get the scale of distances that the photo is displaying

[@johnbeattyphotos]

First, I love your photography! Second, as far as "go to lenses" I have gone back and forth on what to have on me on the trails. For the last several years I have settled for a 24-70 f2.8 and a 70-200 f2.8. I carry sometimes with that a 1.4 extender and a couple of extension tubes to cover going in or out if needed. That is my general loadout for landscape/nature photoging. I have different ones for birding and/or eventing. Zero bubble!

[@marvinbeatty]

The blue hour shot sequence made my nether regions do that funny tingly thing ... I thought either you were going to drop your camera over the edge or I going through the screen and over the edge. Not really a fan of high places. In any event, this video was the perfect combination of funny, informative and relaxing. Thanks!

[@robertdavis1255]

Thanks for sharing your experience with great comments & results...I love the wide angle lens for this location... cheers from Australia 😀

[@jeffpratley3623]

Another great vid, James. Shallow DOF is one of my blind spots (snicker) so it’s great to have some practical advice, with decent examples. Also, good to see that the folks over at Fstoppers are valuing your stuff too.

[@spidersj12]

You could have titled the video "shutters wide open", but that might have been confused with the theme of a Tom Cruise movie, so perhaps not? One of the biggest things about having a prime lens with an aperture of F1.8, 1.4, 1.2, is the low light capabilities at low ISO. I suppose it's a trade off for lack of zoom. Just depends on the size and ultimate weight of your camera bag that you're willing to lug around all day. If you are just sticking your lens out the car window, weight isn't a problem, but if you're hiking 10 km through rough terrain, it is. It's all about choice and options, and speaking for myself which is what I only do, is that I like options and I'm willing to carrying the burden of what options can imply on my back. It was too bad about the clouds not getting into the ideal position for blue hour, but you still too some very nice photos of the light house. Myself I identified with the utility pole and power lines at the end. They dot the skyline in my small town and many of my shots if reviewed in a workshop on landscape photography would be a labeled as "too much clutter" because of them, but it does capture the reality of the scene, of what people in town actually get to see, so it's a choice when it comes right down to it.

[@christopherhair7002]

Another great vlog. Just received a copy of your Volume 3 book and your photographs in print are fantastic along with your narrative. Look forward to your future work.

[@jimfok4343]

It was nice to hear your comment about how many shots it took to get your final photo; so many times it seems like vloggers set up, shoot and perfection happens. It can be a bit demoralizing to those of us who take many to capture The One. -Elaine

[@zollieuncle9647]

Hi James! I would never grab a lamdscape shot at f16 as I know no lens that would not suffer significant drop in IQ. Shallow DoF is usefull, again if your lens can deliver it at reasonably high IQ. Fortunately, the 35/1.4GM is one of those which can. Nevertheless, I think there is life to enjoy in between f16 and f1.4 and still drag attention to the subject, depending how close you are to the subjects to be separated (like the lighthouse shot through the wall opening). Anyways, good stuff, worth noting when going for landscapes.

[@tonybaker55]

Thanks James, I must try this out. I have the old Minolta 35mm f2, so it should be similar.

[@TuomoZed]

I fully . I bought 35mm GM a year ago, and it has come my most used lens - landscapes included 👍

[@MichaelLesher]

I love the photography content, obviously, but I think that my favorite aspect of your videos is how consistently you throw tripod shade.

[@MrMoonpie001]

Thanks James, I am working on this very subject as we talk!!!!! Thank you for the heads up on Photo Pills, just purchased and it really is going to help me get more into manual shooting to get the most out of my lens work!!! Thank you Buddy, give mom and baby a hug!!! Moonpie

[@nevvanclarke9225]

James...get a Ulanzi ....it's like a tripod you never have ...you can walk n' plonk It's the best investment 👌

[@ChristineWilsonPhotography]

Agree with everything you said , I hate tripods too. Hardly ever use it, agree with the foreground blur works a treat in some situations

[@-grey]

I'm sold. I don't care for bokeh much as a street shooter, but this makes sense in terms of cleaning up layering.

[@jeffslade1892]

If you can figure out your hyperfocal distances to set your near-point (not the focus point) you can be in focus from there to infinity i.e. with the near foreground out of focus and the very far distance slightly blurred. The very far distance, miles and miles away, doesn't want to be tightly in focus, as our eyes perceive it as distance blurring. A good landscape painter will usually make the far distance a bit fuzzy and hazy. Different camera systems have different means of showing us the view with the aperture stopped down, an OVF or simulation. Personally I find the eyepiece to small to see what's really going on and so guesstimate then chimp. Hmm, field monitor, and no, it doesn't have to be mounted on the camera. DoF is not just aperture, it is also lens design, know thine lens.

[@nldazuu]

Very nice showing the possibilities of prime lenses and shooting wide open. Nice photo’s and way of editing the end result. Thanks!

[@jergophoto]

I like the telegraph pole as well James. Please continue to shoot telegraph poles.

[@brianbeattyphotography]

Prime lenses are awesome landscape tools. The obsession with front to back sharpness doesn't have to be the universal rule. Sometimes my favorite images from trips have elements selectively left out of focus.

[@callyakn718]

There a picture in our office of my colleagues stood at that section angle HV pole, with the lighthouse behind it. They replaced it in a storm !! You even photographed it at the end… (it’s not a telegraph pole either 😅) great video

[@scrptwic]

James I use my 20mm 1.8 mainly for low light photography similar to what you did as it is a great low light wide angle lens. I need to use 35mm lens more as I'm hooked on 28mm as I have a number of prime and zoom 28mm lenses. 135mm lenses are more for portraits or flower pictures as that's what i use them for i like the separation 135 mm does on the subject as well as the bokeh you can obtain . 8mm fisheye is also fun to play with for a different effect and at F-11 it is a good wide angle lens. My old Takumar 50mm1.4 is sharp wide open I just have to be aware of the depth of field asit is shallow in daylight and I do like to get things in focus

[@SourPlanet]

If I had to choose just one lens and live with it permanently affixed to my camera... It'd be that 35GM. It's just perfect.

[@-grey]

I heard that if something is designed for optimum sharpness wide open, then it suffers diffraction at the tight end sooner. It's given as why using portrait lenses could be sub par for trad hyper focal landscape.

[@minus1db]

Still learning after many years (thanks to you and Nigel) cheers James excellent video

[@JACKnJESUS]

When in doubt.... Blanco Casa. Great video...as usual.

[@chirsd666]

I recently bought the new Samyang 135mm f1.8 for landscape and architectural images. Sometimes, isolating the subject with shallow DOF can be useful (not just portraits).

[@epronske]

Terrific tips on shooting wide angle at max. aperture. Nice to be able to have a higher shutter speed with a lower ISO when not using a tripod.

[@Stop_Elitists_Wars]

Best Landscaper Lens I've used..Canon 16-35mm F4. Sadly, Lens was much better than my Camera, Canon 6D. Things have evolved since then but I'd use that Lens anyday again. Majority of shots taken were 18mm to 25mm.

[@HishamElSheshtawy]

This has been very inspiring. Creatively, it's very freeing to have that many more options

[@kevlarnegative]

That's my favorite, do it all lense and its razor sharp so shooting it wide open is no problem. Ever.

[@JayDowney]

Your point made at 12:18 is exemplified by astrophotography. I HAVE to at 1.8, 1.4 (or at least ideally) to get the milky way. And in my case, I usually have a lighthouse in the foreground for perspective, and that is always in focus. Never thought to do that in daylight though... I'll have to try.

[@frstesiste7670]

Agree that shallow DOF is a great tool. Personally though I use it more for images where I want to blur the background than the foreground.

[@joelbrunzell]

Beautiful location, beautiful shots, great stuff!!

[@karlagerst111]

LOL. The irony of the shadow of a tripod in your video… Watching your videos could get expensive. I’m tempted by both the 35mm 1.4 and the 40mm 2.5 G you’ve also been using.🤔

[@danielhenzphotography]

Really like the first blue hour image of the white building. 35mm is a great focal length as a prime. I use wide open aperture quiet often for framing or things in the foreground. But usually not on the widest setting so I can still see things in the foreground a bit more.

[@LeeRatcliffe]

Great video & info James. Big aperture landscape shooting is great. I treat f/5.6 as stopped down! 24GM, 35GM & the Tamron 70-180/2.8 works well for me.

[@DavidSenteno]

I find less expensive lenses start their sharpest in the center so if you want to shoot wide open just expect to crop in and frame accordingly. I love budget friendly (cheap) options and finding work around to their limitations. So does my wife that’s why she married me. 🤣

[@Celinestu333]

😂😂😂😂❤

[@UncleJimsBand]

Gorgeous images and instructive. Vertigo as a bonus.

[@jamesgerboc]

It might be important to point out that all phone cameras have a very large fixed aperture and many do an awesome job with depth of field in most shooting situations even with complex or low lighting.

[@MartinOcando]

Because the sensor is so small that even a small aperture has the equivalent DOF of a very small aperture in FF terms.

[@derekwillson2538]

Hi James, we have a similar view when it comes to framing and composition, we have a few shots in our collections that are very much alike, well done on todays video, Del

[@RFranks]

Nice shot with the grasses/moon! Don't forget you can also reverse this and put your subject out of focus and the foreground in focus, that can sometime be interesting.

[@whothennow24]

Day-YUM these are amazing photos!

[@bcegerton]

Hope to try something like this soon, got a cottage booked on Anglesey for a week at the end of August into September, photography wise a few weeks later would have been better but it is a holiday with my wife after all. Well, that’s what she keeps telling me

[@rambling_rambler]

If you're there on bank Holiday Monday it's Cemaes Carnival. You could go to Porth Wen Brickworks for sunrise, Cemaes Carnival during the day and then Cestyll Gardens for sunset. Great day out for the wife 👍

[@bcegerton]

@@rambling_rambler Doubt she’d be up for sunrise, me neither that time of year, I don’t get enough sleep as it is. Thanks for the information though, I’ll be visiting the Brick Works at some point though,

[@jamespark6097]

Great video James, a lot of my photos I take with my 50mm at around f1.8 and on my 70-200mm at f2.8. It gives such a different look to all the usual ‘landscape’ images you see that are pin sharp front to back. Don’t get me wrong, I love a sharp image front to back but sometimes using shallow depth of field as a creative choice works wonders!!

[@MarquesRomeu]

@jamespopsysphoto Hello. I have a question regarding your mic: at 6:14minutes for example you have the receiver on the camera you're holding but filming with the gopro on your chest, from wich mic is the sound from? Since you are using at least the one connected to that receiver on the other camera how does the sound seems the same on the entire video? Love your videos and your humour helps alot, take care. I'm from Portugal btw

[@adevopsguy9517]

Fantastic video James, you’re very skilled and a great presenter.

[@steveschnetzler5471]

Next time, take a one at 1.4, 1.8, 2.8 and compare/show them. It is always fun to see the differences.

[@mstphoto99]

I also shoot with the Sony a7R4 and this lens was on my radar for a while. In the end I went for the 24GM. I often shoot in crop mode so this gives me 36mm - albeit at 26mp which is still more than the a7iii. 2 lenses in 1

[@nomad0714]

@mstphoto99, yeah I have the same setup. I had the dilemma between having A7R4 ff vs a6600 apsc. The former is like having the a6600 in one when is APSC mode. Here are key differences: 1) Resolution: A7R4 in APSC mode is ~26MP (=~60.4MP/2.25) vs. A6600 at 24MP; 2) EFL (effective focal length) vs FOV (field of view). When A7R4 is in APSC mode, the FOV is cropped by 1.5, but the EFL is still 1.0, hence why you don’t lose one stop of light as would with A6600 if you were using a ff lens on each body; 3) AF points: With A7R4, you get 74% coverage in ff (567 PDAF and 425 CDAF) but 100% coverage in APSC mode because the FOV is now cropped in by 1.5 Lastly, when comparing the 24/1.4 vs 35/1.4 (I have both), there will be more compression with the 35 and therefore the bokeh balls will be more bigger. That may matter for some but for me, not really unless you pixel peep. I find I get 24 and 36 and 35 and 52.5 with those two lenses as the 50 is a bit rich. And then on the tele prime side, I have the 85 and 135 GMs.

[@mstphoto99]

@@nomad0714 I had the a7R3 + a6600 but sold them both and got the a7R4a - 2 cameras in 1 Shooting with the 200-600 can effectively take me to 900mm in crop mode which is so handy.

[@glowingeye]

Loved the photos, thanks for sharing!

[@darmokula8283]

Great video James! Fantastic photos, but the explanations you gave regarding f stop with the variety of lenses was excellent (not just depth of field but also sharpness).

[@Michael_Robinson]

The mystery building seems to be Elin's Tower (there's an entry on Wikipedia).

[@jeremyt2374]

James I like the world map on your wall, as you've already been to one of the New Zealand's, can I suggest its time to visit the other one! Cheers from the right hand New Zealand.

[@bts_fan_rkive]

What are you holding on your bag for your camera?

[@PROWATCHES]

Great photos

[@cliffterpher]

Excellent video James - loved your explanations and images.

[@Theincrediblespud]

Where about in the UK are you here? It looks beautiful.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

I've never done this It's 😮something I'll try It does mean you can keep.a high shutter speed too Say f5...?

[@weisinsoong6738]

The topic seems quite advanced

[@fionahaughton4912]

Why is it so important for a subject not to break the horizon line? How about going just low enough so that the whole of the lighthouse was above the horizon? Would that work?

[@grumpyrocker]

35mm is too wide for me. I sold my Fuji 23mm (35mm equiv) because I didn't like the width. I'm a weird landscape photog that prefers being closer, 50mm-ish or using telephoto.

[@Chir0pt3ra]

I've got the 2021 Sigma 35mm F/1.4 DG DN Art. Do you think it's at all comparable? It's a little cheaper I believe, and (I imagine) a little bit heavier, but It's insanely sharp with a beautifully smooth bokeh and DoF.

[@ekjellgren]

I think a shot of that power line pole with the sunset in the background would have been nice. Oh.. you did that later :)

[@WizardOfCheese]

might wanna up the green luminosity a tad, looks like you've got it at -50 or something, really stands out from the yellow in a blotchy way. guessing you're using vsco? great vid btw, love the 35 as a field of view for landscapes (or anything tbh! lol) great focal

[@paulcomptonpdphotography]

Very interesting to see photos like that

[@Heyfrendoo]

Top video ! 🤘🏼 What focal length app are you using?

[@makagio]

have you used 40mm for landscape ?

[@MRCHAT32]

¿How do you atach your camera to the backpack shoulder strap??

[@eddiegremlin]

If you'd have gone a little further down the steps, you'd have got a few pictures of the Puffins. Sadly only one nesting pair so far this year. I'm sure you walked right passed us at the top carpark when you headed up to the hut at the top.

[@ravenman7876]

Hey James, Im sorry for this stupid question and if you dont want to reply no worries.... I was thinking about buying my first actual camera for photography, because my last one is a compact nikon coolpix l330 that literally has so blury, out of focus and grainy images and even after doing some editing it didnt make the cut..... So would you recommend me trying to repair the camera or buying a new one and of so could you recommend me something for a beginner with possibility to charge the battery on the go because i travel quite a lot.... So if tou answer me i would be thankful if not and this question makes no sense and is stupid amd tou will ignore it ok....

[@edikici]

Do you see a huge difference between 1.8 version of this lens and the 1.4 version, enough to invest the extra money?

[@chirsd666]

The inexpensive Sony FE 50mm f1.8 is surprisingly very decent in the centre at f1.8.

[@cameraprepper7938]

I do not need aperture 1.4, I neither need autofocus, so I have the excellent and compact Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which have outstanding optical image quality, at lest as good as the Sony, the Voigtländer is better built than the Sony and it is cheaper. I als have the very small and light Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar 35mm 1.8 ZA

[@mamonakh]

Hi, James! Another great video. What mobile app are you using as DoF calculator?

[@fintanusa]

What about apparent focus and real focus. Like the difference between a 20x25 print and a 40x50 print DOF?

[@fintanusa]

@Text me on telegram 👉@jamespopsys Sorry Jamie and thanks for the selection. I don't use telegram. Any other messaging app?

[@stephengriffiths8312]

Hi James, thanks for another great video. One question, when shooting shallow depth of field with wide angle do you focus directly on the main subject? Eg the lighthouse? Or do you use zonal focus area? Thanks

[@RamblingTog]

Did you get bored with Lumix or did they not give so much sponsorship?

[@richduzzi8752]

OK, you slipped up in this video! Ssooo are you reincarnated; a time traveler; space alien (maybe that one's a stretch)?. WAIT - A LONG-LIFE VAMPIRE? LOL But A "TELEGRAPH POLE"??? Keep up the great work - LOVE your videos!

[@jaymst66]

Hey, don't know how to message you so,.. are you Ok? Two weeks without a video, a little worried.

[@thegroove2000]

Thanks.

[@Dargubus93]

5:20 Yes they gave a god sence of whats happening, that somone was geting poked by the gras while siting in it.

[@jpokeefe]

Very useful. Thanks!

[@amermeleitor]

9:04 app name please?

[@freakairways]

It's called PhotoPills

[@saipranavmothukuri4105]

is lumix g85 good enough to get started in wild life photography? can some one please help my budget is around 800$

[@gord_tomlin]

Good points in this video. Was that bannister a sobriety test?

[@johnclay7644]

Informative.