Trying out a wide angle lens. Thoughts?

[Carol]

Using a Sigma wide angle lens (10-20mm F4-5.6). I'm finding that this is harder to use than my kit lens. The wider angle offers a wider angle of view, but at the expense of some sharpness. Thoughts?






This is the dam in Mine Falls Park in Nashua, NH. It was originally built for to supply water for the Nashua Manufacturing Company in the mid-1800s. The gate house was built in 1886, and was used until the mills folded in 1946.






In the mid 1980s, a Canadian company entered in to a partnership with the city to rebuild the facilities in to a modern hydroelectric generating plant. It now supplies 3 megawatts of electricity per hour for the local power company.

 

[Sukerkin]

Nicely composited shots, Carol.

As you can see tho', as well as some loss of sharpness with a wide-angle lens you also get a degree of distortion that worsens towards the edges of the field.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I think they're fine. Sharpness is good, but overrated, especially in nature shots. You do have to keep your water level, though. Also, when using very wide lenses, you get effects where the sides lean in towards each other. You can do perspective correction in PhotoShop or the like. I'd also clean up the overhead branch hanging into the first frame.

But you can't beat a wide for landscapes. Good stuff!