SeptemberSubtlety24mmAi_2014_09_27_9195

Another set for the pixel counters! Having been a large format user before moving to the D800 I spent a long time thinking about whether to invest in the 24mm PC-E. Whereas with 5x4 you MUST use camera movements to get everything in focus because a 90mm is very wide angle yet has little depth of field, with a 24mm lens you have so much depth anyway...This series is one a few I have put up directly comparing a 24mm Ai carefully focused for max DOF with the PC-E carefully tilted for optimum plane of focus.

 

This composition doesn't really push the limits of DOF hard, but is quite tricky to tilt (rapidly falling away to one side with foreground high up in the frame). You can still see a considerable difference in sharpness in some areas of the frame. Don't forget though we are comparing a 30 year old lens and glass (albeit a fantastically good one) with a much more modern design with nanocoating etc etc.

 

Does this matter? As you can see, on Flickr at 1500ish pixels across no it doesn't, but you would notice it on a 30 inch print.

 

Done