Photographer Stan Moniz (@stanmoniz) is a stargazer and adventure enthusiast who likes to push his gear to the limits to create unique and breathtaking results. He recently got his hands on the Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master and in this video, the Alpha Collective member takes a deep dive into the lens and his experience using it for landscape, astro, underwater and more. “Spoiler alert: I’m going to have to go ahead and officially say that the 14mm is now my new favorite lens to shoot with,” says Moniz. “If you see me around town or possibly in a National Park somewhere, you can bet that I will have the 14mm with me.”
Watch Wednesday: Stan Moniz of the Alpha Collective takes a deep dive into the Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master and how he uses it for shooting landscape, astro and underwater photography.
Moniz admits that before the release of the Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master, he held the Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master as the best lens for astrophotography hands-down. “If you would’ve asked me a few years ago if an ultra-wide lens was possible at this size and weight, comparable to the 24mm, bearing the same elements and then some, I would say there’s no way, it’s not optically possible to make a lens this wide at an f/1.8 at this size and weight – no way. Well the 14mm is here now. The Sony engineers have done it again.”
It’s not just shooting astro that he’s excited about with this lens. He calls the continuous autofocus of the 14mm f/1.8 G Master “next level” after testing it for underwater and surf photography. “Waves come at you really fast, so being in focus is extremely critical. I couldn’t believe after the session was over and I was reviewing the images, every single shot was in focus. From the first shot to when the wave passed me by. That of course, is the product of two XD Extreme Dynamic Linear Motors that produce super-fast and precise and quiet autofocus tracking for stills and video.”
“Overall I have to say the Sony 14mm f/1.8 G Master is easily the best ultra-wide or wide-angle lens I’ve ever shot with in my entire career. This has been a dream lens come true.”
“This lens checks off all the boxes and in my opinion is the perfect lens.”
Watch the full video below:
