Is a 14mm f/2.8 manual-focus lens a good choice for indoor action shots on a Sony NEX-3N?
Asked 12/18/2015
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I shoot with a Sony NEX-3N and the 18-55mm kit zoom. I’m considering a Rokinon/Samyang 14mm f/2.8 for wide uses like landscapes and astrophotography, but I also want to photograph people playing fast-moving indoor sports in a small gym from about 10–20 feet away. As a beginner, I’d like a faster lens for better shutter speeds, but I’m worried about focus and depth of field. Would this 14mm f/2.8 be useful for indoor portraits/action, or would a more conventional prime such as a 30mm be the better choice?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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Probably not. The Rokinon/Bower/Samyang/whatever else it is being marketed as this week 14mm f/2.8 is a manual focus lens. That makes it difficult to use for photographing action. And while it is true that before the late 1980s pretty much all lenses were manually focused, it took many folks a lot of practice and years of experience to get highly proficient at shooting sports.
To get the advantage of a "fast" lens you need to shoot it at a wider aperture that allows you to use shorter shutter times. This means dealing with the narrower depth of field that using a wider aperture entails.
In the case of the 14mm lens in question, the problem is compounded because at that focal length you need to be very close to your subject to fill the frame. At closer focus distances the depth of field is even narrower than the same lens at the same aperture when focused at greater distances. But for a wide angle action shot to work you need the action to be in the foreground. There's not much more boring than an "action" shot with an empty foreground and all of the players in the background!
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
10y ago
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Probably not for your indoor action use. The 14mm f/2.8 you mention is a manual-focus ultra-wide lens, which is a poor match for fast-moving sports if you’re still learning. Manual focus can work, but it takes a lot of practice to do well with action.
Also, 14mm is extremely wide on APS-C. From 10–20 feet away, people will look small in the frame unless you get very close, and getting close with an ultra-wide can create exaggerated perspective that is usually unflattering for portraits.
A fast lens helps shutter speed only if you use the wider aperture, and that always reduces depth of field. With 14mm, depth of field is relatively generous, but the bigger issue is framing and the lens being manual focus.
So if your main goal is indoor portraits and action, a more normal prime around 30mm is the safer, more useful choice. The 14mm still makes sense if you specifically want ultra-wide landscape or astro work, but not as your main indoor sports/portrait lens.
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