I believe each of us has our absolutely favorite lens, one we can’t imagine our kit without. For landscape photographer Mads Peter Iversen, it’s the 24-105mm zoom lens. Many of you would agree that this probably isn’t the first lens that comes to mind when you think of landscape photography. But in this video, Mads gives you five reasons why this is a lens every landscape photographer should own.
1. Jack of all trades
Many photographers would say that the 24-105mm is a “Jack of all trades and a master of none.” But, you can focus only on the first par. The 25-105mm is a great “grab-and-go” lens, as Mads calls it. You can capture so many different things with it, and you can do it fast, without changing lenses, so you won’t miss the perfect moment.
2. Less foreground, more background
With lenses wider than 24mm, you can include the foreground in the shot, but the background could end up being too small. With the 24mm, you have just enough width to add the foreground element, yet the compression is larger, so the background point of interest will be bigger and more prominent. Of course, it all depends on what you want to achieve. But if you want to emphasize the background, the 24mm is a good choice.
3. It looks “real”
Many photographers argue that focal lengths between 24mm and 50mm look “normal” compared to the human vision. In other words, they are close to how we see the world with our eyes. I tend to disagree when it comes to the 24mm, for me, it’s way too wide compared to what I see in real life, but it’s undoubtedly a useful focal length for landscapes because it creates dramatic images. Still, with the 24-105mm lens, you cover all those “normal” focal lengths and more.
4. Going wider than 24mm: panoramas
Just because the widest point of your lens is 24mm, that doesn’t mean you can’t go wider than that. You can always shoot multiple images and stitch them into a panoramic shot for even wider, more dramatic landscape photos. Plus, these photos will also have less distortion than those shot with ultra-wide-angle lenses.
5. Image stabilization
Sigma, Canon, and Sony 24-105mm lenses come with the image stabilization. It’s invaluable for shooting video, as it will be less shaky. But, you can also use it for still images and shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds.
24-70mm vs. 24-105mm
Other than giving you five reasons to own the 24-105mm lens, Mads also discusses why you should choose it over the 24-70mm. Sure, many 24-70mm have the f/2.8 aperture, while the 24-105mm lenses mainly have the aperture of f/4. However, Mads suggests that you think if you really need a your larger maximum aperture? After all, in landscape photography, you will mainly use the aperture that’s over f/5.6.
Another reason is that many 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses don’t have the image stabilization. However, in-camera stabilization can compensate for that, so this might not be a deal-breaker for most of you.
Finally, the 24-105mm covers a wide range of focal lengths. Therefore, you can add one wider and one longer zoom lens (such as 12-24mm and 100-400mm) and cover a huge range of focal lengths with just three lenses (and carry less gear around).
Would you agree with Mads’ points? What’s your go-to zoom lens for landscape photography?
[5 REASONS why a 24-105mm ZOOM lens is a MUST HAVE via FStoppers]
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