My Lens Holy Trinity

I just completed my holy trinity today. I purchased the new Sony 16-35 G Master mark 2. This makes my holy trinity a 16-35, 24-70, and a 100-400. I had originally purchased a 70-200 (the G F4 model), but I constantly found myself wanting more reach, so I sold that and went with the 100-400. Even still I find myself wanting more reach, but for most opportunities, it is perfect.

I’ve really struggled with my decision on wide angle options. I was waffling the 14mm G Master prime and the 16-35mm. The main two reasons I went 16-35 had to do with filters and flexibility.

Most of my photography is landscapes and cityscapes. I’m often out in public or in the elements and frequently changing lenses is not always easy and rarely desirable. Although the 14mm with the aperture of 1.8 was very attractive, fact is, I’d throw it on to get a few shots, but then I’d want to switch back to my 24-70 for most shots. I do genuinely believe that given I’d have to change lenses frequently I’d likely no and miss opportunities. 16-35 gives me the wide view for vast landscapes or tight city views, but it also offers that 24-35 range so I can get some subject isolation when I want it. To me, this meant less lens changes and increased likelihood of actually using it.

My camera does have an impressive dynamic range, but it isn’t unlimited, and thus I like gradient filters for sunrises/sunsets. I also like traditional ND filters for waterfalls or moving clouds/traffic to show that sense of movement. Even though the 14mm has a gel filter option, I already have filters. Filters I actually like. The 16-35 has a 82mm thread, which is the same as the 24-70, so I’m already set.

My filters, PolarPro Summit, says they’re fully compatible to 17mm lenses, so I am interested in testing them out at 16 to see if it will work, or if I’ll have to do a minor zoom to make it work. I’ll be sure to update when I get a chance.

These are the only three lenses I have at the moment. But since switching to Sony, I’ve had 11. I started off buying more affordable lenses, sensibly, but after encountering issues, I’ve been upgrading, but only now am I where I want to be.

My first lens was the kit lens, 16-50 power zoom that shipped with the a6400. I remember taking some beautiful shots at sunrise in a marina, but it was so soft around the edges. Since that time I’ve gone from a 24 MP APS-C sensor to a 61 MP full frame. The need for better resolving lenses has increased, and although Sigma does a fantastic job for much less, I really appreciate Sony’s attention to size and weight.


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