Really nice landscape and architecture stuff here, but I picked this lens up to shoot people, and here are a few from its first outing... all are at 14mm and 5.6.
Hiking Brunswick Mountain, the tallest peak on the north shore of Vancouver. The Z7 and 14-30 make a nice, lightweight but highly capable combo for this sort of thing. Far easier to carry over long distances than my previous D810 and 14-24. More photos here if anyone is interested.
Bigtrouble wrote:
so how are people feeling about this lens? I've been on the fence having sold on my 14-24 f2.8 (nikon)
I have had the Nikon 14-24 f2.8 (sold when I got the Tamron 15-30 f2.8) and the Nikon 16-35 f4 VR (sold when I got the 14-30 f4S) and the fabulous Tamron 15-30 f2.8 VC (still own but am selling) and I now own the diminutive but excellent 14-30 f4S.
Compared to the 14-24 f2.8, It's line ball at 14mm, but then the 14-30 gets sharper than the 14-24 at longer focal lengths.
I rate the lenses as follows *IMO*. You have to make judgement calls on things like maximum aperture, lens size, filter use etc:
4) Nikon16-35 f4 VR - The 16-35 f4 VR is definitely the weakest of the bunch. It is very good in the middle focal lengths and VR was a bonus in it's day before IBIS, but the Tamron has VC and the 14-30 f4S has IBIS in the camera.
3) Nikon 14-24 f2.8 - The 14-24 f2.8 only loses out slightly to the Tamron 15-30 f2.8 VC, the Tamron just seems a little more crisp through the range, but the Nikon has the advantage of 14mm, the Tamron is really only 15.5mm at it's widest not 15mm as advertised. You have to make a judgement on whether you need wider than 15.5mm. They both need huge filter adaptors.
2) Tamron 15-30 f2.8 VC - The Tamron is line ball with the Nikon 14-30 f4S through the range for sharpness, but it's huge size and weight is against it as is filter usage, but it does have f2.8 max aperture. It is also only about 15.5mm at the widest, not really 15mm as advertised. This was a real favourite lens of mine, but there are too many compelling reasons to have the 14-30 f4S over the Tamron now.
1) Nikon 14-30 f4S - As stated above, it is line ball with the Tamron for crispness through the focal lengths but it is so tiny, so light, goes to 14mm and can easily use filters. This is why it is a winner for my use.
Lance B wrote:
1) Nikon 14-30 f4S - As stated above, it is line ball for crispness through the focal lengths but it is so tiny, so light, goes to 14mm and can easily use filters.
I wonder which is the 14-30 actual angle of view at the nominal 14 mm FL, considering the automatic correction of distortion. I guess it's not a 14 mm any more.
Is there anybody who has measured the distortion-corrected FL at the short end?
Ripolini wrote:
I wonder which is the 14-30 actual angle of view at the nominal 14 mm FL, considering the automatic correction of distortion. I guess it's not a 14 mm any more.
Is there anybody who has measured the distortion-corrected FL at the short end?
Someone did a comparison with the 14-24 @ 14mm and it was at least as wide if not wider. Before distortion correction, it is much wider than 14mm.
Thanks Lance! I am likely going to pick one up for my upcoming trip to Morocco (leave in a couple weeks!)
Felt the same way about the 16-35 f4G nikon. It was not only softer than the 18-35G, 14-24 f2.8G and tamron 15-30 G1 that I owned, it also less consistent in terms of autofocus. I would get nice sharp results up close, but when I tried to take a wide shot with the 16-35 at a conference it looked like I was taking it with a cell phone. Prob a bad copy
I stumbled onto this thread while researching the 20mm 1.8G. I truly was convinced the 20 G would be my uwa lens for my Z6.
All of the examples and experiences on this thread have well convinced in the 14-30’s versatility and overall solid ability to produce images pleasing to me.
I think I’ll live without the wider aperture for my photography at this point. If I do begin to delve into Milky Way shooting, maybe the 20 1.8 S will make it into my kit. Or possibly the 14-24 2.8 S - if I happen to stumble on a similar thread when that lens is released. ;-)
A couple times during my outings in Black Rock City I caught myself thinking 'I could use a wide angle for this'. Since the dusty alkaline desert is the last place you want to change lenses in - I finally put it on for one session and came back to several places that (in my mind) benefited from the 14-30 attached to the camera.
