Canon 24mm TS-E II Lens questions

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I have a a 5D Mark II.


I believe that aCanon 24mm TS-E II may work very well for my working style and creative vision. I am planning to purchase one soon.


I am looking forward to using it mostly on tripod for landscapes &amp; environmental portraiture. Is it very cumbersome to use handheld?


I would appreciate any reflections on your experience using this lens.


I want to protect such an expensive lens. What filter should I place on the lens? Do I need a slim profile UV filter? Do people frequently use circular polarizers with this lens?


Thank You
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If you're using it handheld just as Canon's sharpest and least-distorted 24mm prime, then no, it's not too cumbersome even with manual focus. Using the shift and tilt is cumbersome handheld, though. Couple of reasons for that - one is just accessing and turning the knobs while holding the camera, especially since some movements (e.g. rotation) are released by small switches. Second reason is exposure - tilt and shift affect the metering sensor, meaning shooting in Live View for proper exposure, or doing the metering before applying tilt/shift then manually setting exposure after movement. Focusing while tilted is also more problematic, but even with shift, focusing with Live View at 10x is very hard to accomplish handheld.


Bottom line, plan on using it on a tripod.


I use a B+W MRC UV filter. No need for a Slim or XS-Pro mount for this lens, the standard mount is fine. The image circle of a TS-E lens is huge, there is no chance of vignetting caused by a filter. The lens will vignette at the max shift setting, but that's the lens itself and a thinner filter won't help.


I find 24mm to be a great focal length for landscapes, and there a CPL can be a big help. Personally, I'll soon be getting an 82mm B+WK&auml;semannCPL to complement the 77mm version I use on my other lenses.


Hope that helps...


--John