A New Lens

Post by **johnriley1uk** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:31 pm

I've just got a new SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm lens, so I thought I'd like to share a picture:

It's Brothers Water in the Lake District.

mr_e · Post by **mr_e** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:36 pm

Nice photo (leads the eye through very nicely), and I've not heard of that lake before. Shows you how good my geography is, considering I lived in Cumbria for ages. Is it true that after a certain focal length, lens begin to give spherical distortion a bit? Can't get my facts right in my head on that one.

Post by **johnriley1uk** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:41 pm

The wider a lens is, the more difficult it is to design it so that straight lines remain straight lines. At the extreme, the fish-eye lens doesn't bother to try and you end up with some wild and wacky results.

This 12-24mm is "rectilinear" so straight lines should remain so, but at the extreme wide end it does start to bend a little.

The other thing you might be thinking of is "spherical abberation" which causes colour fringing in telephoto lenses. I am not going to attempt to explain that one!

Chrissie · Post by **Chrissie** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:29 pm

I like the effect of the clarity of light as it hits the rippling water and the different textures in the composition. The sharpness and colour quality enhance the experience.

Post by **Mike** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:35 am

It is a quality photograph!

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:28 pm

I agree, with no camera knowledge at all, I will not attempt to comment and sound good so I shall leave you with this compliment..... It is good enough to be on a decent postcard

Believe me, after trying to find five average ones in Madeira to send home to Granny, that is a compliment!

Post by **johnriley1uk** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:56 pm

Thank you for that, but wouldn't Granny wonder why you sent her a picture of the Lake District from Madeira?

You need to be careful of Grannies - I sent mine a nice little tale of Haggis Hunting in the Highlands and she was quite cross. She wanted to know what the weather was like.

So my favourite postcard phrase now is "The sky is bluer than even this picture postcard can depict". Sometimes this, too, does not go down well.