Another lens I’ve coveted from a distance for the last few months is the Canon 24mm f/1.4L II (US $1749).
This super fast wide angle prime lens is supposed to be one of the sharpest that Canon has ever produced. Great for landscape photography, and certainly low-light situations.
And for this, I’ve been dying to test it in the field with my night landscapes.
So, along with the new 500/4, Canon sent me the new 24/1.4 for my Rocky Mountain National Park trip.
Photo courtesy Canon
As you can see, it is quite low profile and inconspicuous. I could see myself using it quite a bit while traveling and walking foreign cities.
While obviously not as versatile as the 24-70/ 2.8, the ease of use, amazing sharpness, and small design make it really appealing to me.
Forest and Creek, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 13 sec. @ f/22, ISO 200, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer, 77mm Hoya Pro 1 Digital NDx16
Forest and Doe, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/10 sec. @ f/8, ISO 320, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer
Forest Trail, Canon 17-40mm f/4L, Canon 5D MKII, 1/800 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 160
Fishing The Alluvial Fan, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/5 sec. @ f/22, ISO 50, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer
Dream Lake Night, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 15 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 1000
One of my favorite applications for this lens while in RMNP was capturing the landscape at night. It’s difficult to achieve a shot like this without a really fast lens, unless you’re wanting a star trail (from the longer exposure time) or a lot of grain and noise (from the super high ISO). The 24/1.4 was perfect for keeping the grain and noise low while still shooting fast enough to leave the stars in place. And this was on a night when the moon light was minimal.
Dream Lake Star Trail, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 240 sec. @ f/5, ISO 250
I was even impressed with its macro capabilities. With a closest focusing distance at 3 in., gorgeous wildflower shot are possible. Though not a true macro lens, I was impressed with its close-up abilities.
Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/640 sec. @ f/2, ISO 100
Bear Lake, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/60sec. @ f/11, ISO 100, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer
The Alluvial Fan, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/8000 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 100, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer
Half Moon Over Odessa, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/250 sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 250
Odessa Lake Reflection, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/50 sec. @ f/4, ISO 400, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer
Stars Over Odessa, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 0.4 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 4000
Odessa Lake Night Panoramic, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 0.4 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 3200
Odessa Lake Sunrise Panoramic, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/80 sec. @ f/4, ISO 400, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer, Singh-Ray 4×6″ Galen Rowell 3 stop Soft-Step Neutral Density filter handheld
I have a suspicion that this lens comes in handy most with weddings because of how insanely fast it is. But because of its sharpness and relative versatility, it’s a great landscape/ nature lens. My main issue with this tool was focal length. At 24mm, I found myself backing up and still wanting to see more. I may have found it more helpful with landscapes if it were a 20/1.4. However, it’s not. So, with that said, I found it to be gorgeous, with just a few limitations.
Overall, the Canon 24mm f/1.4L II is sharp, fast, versatile, and well built. This lens is a great tool in the Canon arsenal!
For more detailed specs, I again relied on the great people at the-digital-picture.com. They have fantastic reviews and accurate information.
andrew slaton | blog 