[allachie9]

Great shot Ed.
Looking forward to seeing your shots from Yosemite, a place I've long thought about visiting sometime.

See you mentioned your Fuji. Now that's a coincidence as I've just bought a Fuji X-T1 as my new travel camera. I bought it with the 18-55 kit lens, which really is very, very good, and have just added a Fuji 10-24 lens for my big sky shots. I'm impressed with the results I'm getting.
Here's one I shot a couple of days ago -

A Clearing Sky

[M_Six]

^^^Nice detail, Alan. Very crisp shot.

[Itsed65]

Nice Alan. The 18-55 is indeed an excellent lens. I would love to try the 10-24, but I got a great deal on the used 14, so I went with that for now.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Nice Alan. The 18-55 is indeed an excellent lens. I would love to try the 10-24, but I got a great deal on the used 14, so I went with that for now.

I just compared the 11-24mm and the 14mm and I'm going with the EF 14mm f/2.8L II. They are both excellent lenses, but the 11-24mm is MASSIVE and heavy. I thought there'd be more difference, but the difference between 14mm and 11mm seemed minor to me.

I like to carry my entire kit with me. I've usually got the 702/500mm hanging on my right shoulder, the 5Dsr/70-200mm around my neck and my 24-105mm/15mm fisheye/1.4x/2.0x/25ET and other doodads in vest pockets. The 11-24mm wouldn't begin to fit in a vest pocket. To carry it, I'd need some sort of belt rig.

I don't take a lot of ultra-wide shots, but they're indispensable in certain situations. I particularly like "big sky" shots. Here's one, taken with the fisheye and de-fished with DxO Optcis Pro, that shows the view from my nest where I shoot a lot of my bird-in-flight shots:

View From My Seat by David Stephens, on Flickr

Even de-fished, it's not entirely rectilinear and I cropped out some smearing in the corners. Hence, my desire to upgrade to a true rectilinear ultra-wide. I'll probably add it to the arsenal before year end, budget allowing. Oh, they're both expensive, so that wasn't a big factor in my decision.

To me, ultra-wides re kind of like super-telephotos, you can always use more, and you seldom use the in between focal lengths, so I didn't consider the zoom capability key.

Now, for architecture, they're both good, but the 11-24mm does give some significant added flexibility in that application. Both are amazingly distortion free. It's mind boggling. That's not a big usage for me, but the 14mm does a fine job. Look at the lack of barrel distortion in this shot with the 14MM:

Ultra-wide Demonstration by David Stephens, on Flickr

Thanks to Canon CPS for the loaners.

[allachie9]

Just love the big sky shot Dave, but WOW, that architecture shot is fantastic.
I agree entirely with your comment about the zoom requirements, or lack of.
Since getting the 10-24 I think it's been stuck at the '10' end since it went on the camera.
But having got used to using the '16' end of my 16-35 f/2.8L on my full frame camera, the '10' on the little Fuji is around the same at 15.2mm (equivalent).
So the Fuji 14mm, whilst being a fantastic lens, probably just wouldn't feel wide enough.

Ed, we ought to meet up so you can try the 10-24, and I'll get a shot with the 14mm.

[dcstep]

Thanks Alan. I'm a sucker for those shots, when the opportunity presents itself.

Just to be clear, I was speaking of the full-frame EF 11-24mm f/4L. There are some EF-S ultra-wides that I'm not familiar with. There's also the full-frame 8-15mm, fisheye to rectilinear. In general, in comparison, the EF 14mm and EF 11-24mm are true rectilinear lenses with amazingly low distortion for such a wide focal length.

[allachie9]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Thanks Alan. I'm a sucker for those shots, when the opportunity presents itself.

Just to be clear, I was speaking of the full-frame EF 11-24mm f/4L. There are some EF-S ultra-wides that I'm not familiar with. There's also the full-frame 8-15mm, fisheye to rectilinear. In general, in comparison, the EF 14mm and EF 11-24mm are true rectilinear lenses with amazingly low distortion for such a wide focal length.

Yes, I was with you there Dave.
I've looked at the 11-24 myself (wistfully) to use on the 5D3. It's an amazing lens, but the price is eye-watering.
To put things into perspective, and recalling a conversation my wife and I had a couple of days ago, that lens costs more than we paid for our first house when we married !

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by allachie9

It's an amazing lens, but the price is eye-watering.
To put things into perspective, and recalling a conversation my wife and I had a couple of days ago, that lens costs more than we paid for our first house when we married !

Yes, but, surely she's longed for something lately that's experienced similar inflation.

[Itsed65]

Slow for Landing by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Ed, I love the landing pose.

Here's one of my first shots of a yellow-headed blackbird:

Yellow-headed Blackbird Poses by David Stephens, on Flickr

[dcstep]

An immature bald eagle flew by me yesterday and gave me a glance:

Immature Bald Eagle Flies By by David Stephens, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Another yellow-headed blackbird, this time in snow:

Yellow-headed Blackbird Portrait In Snow by David Stephens, on Flickr

[Itsed65]

I saw that Denver was getting hit again. It was in the 80's here today. Wonderful shots!

[Itsed65]

A turkey vulture hung around too long near the osprey nest and papa bird was not happy about it

Deterrent by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Great osprey-action shots Ed.

Yes, it was 75 on Friday, then snowing hard on Saturday.

[dcstep]

Heron Squabble

Lover's Spat? by David Stephens, on Flickr

[Itsed65]

Today's entertainment: the ceiling fan

Carl Watching the Ceiling Fan by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[M_Six]

^^^^LOL!!!

[Itsed65]

Heading out tomorrow for Yosemite. Got my Fuji kit packed as well as a Pelican full of Canon gear. From my last trip 2 years ago:

Bridalveil from Vally View by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[M_Six]

Enjoy and be safe, Ed. Looking forward to pics.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Enjoy and be safe, Ed. Looking forward to pics.

[Itsed65]

Yosemite Fall from Swinging Bridge by lennycarl08, on Flickr