02.15.10
This is one amazing lens wrapped in a lot of perceived complication. It is a manual focusing lens with the ability to tilt and shift and while doing so permitting aperture control (that’s what the E stands for). You can use this lens as a standard 24mm manual focus lens but in these days, most are lost without AF. The purpose of the PC-E series is two fold: corrections for doing architecture, straight line photography and extended DOF control. This combination of quality and flexibility puts the price of the 24PC-E up there and out of the reach of most shooters (but you can rent it easily).
“Why do you have the 24PC-E?” That’s a really common question and the simple reason is, it’s the corner stone of my Ultra Wide Pano kit. The 24PC-E is a stunning lens for landscape photography. In this role, it’s manual focus and tilt capability give you complete control of the DOF and point of focus. Having a 77mm front elements means it can utilize all the same filters you should carry for the 24-70AFS and 70-200VR2 which is real convenient for the landscape photographer. But don’t let the PC-E aspect of the lens scare you off. Here’s a 4pg PDF on using a PCE lens that makes it real easy to make the most of this gem!
Moose's UltraWide Pano Kit 85, 24, 45PC-E w/D3x