Wide Angle

Alex53

Alex53

Alex53

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Joined
3 Jun 2003
Posts
1,776
Location
Gibraltar
I'll get a full frame camera one day. Probably a 5D when they come down in price. Not because of the quality, though it's welcome, but because I want my lenses to be the focal lengths they were designed to be. I dont want long zooms to be longer, its not one of my needs. I do want my wide lenses to be wide, and on 1.6x crop even 18mm leaves me wanting wider.

While that happens, the solution is one of the digital only 10 or 12 mm lenses. Which ultra wides do you guys have and would recommend for a 300D and 10D owner? (Given that 10D = No EF-S, although ok with 3rd party 'digital only' lenses.)
 
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Yeah. And it wont break the bank, but I've also read very mixed reviews on it. I just dont want to end up with a really horrendous lens.

I dont need blinding quality, especially as I'd use it for landscapes and/or in good light, so I could stop it down. I dont print especially large. If its optically comparable to the kit lens I am fine with that for now.
 
Put it this way. I bought a Sigma 10-20 for £330. I sold a picture taken with it for £500.
 
Do bear in mind that there are a few superwides available to you - the Tokina 12-24 is generally considered to be better built and a touch sharper (although has more CA) than the Sigma 10-20.
There's also the Tamron 11-18, but I don't think it's as good as the others, from what I've read...

and[ an interesting one is the Sigma 12-24... This is a full frame lens, so when you do go full frame, you'll have something horrendously wide :)

edit : Sold all rights for £500? I doubt it!
 
AdWright said:
Well done - can we see which shot, or have you sold all rights for it?
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I've been waiting till its in print before I've posted about it :) I didn't sell the rights for £500, just a license for 2 years.

hoodmeister said:
Do bear in mind that there are a few superwides available to you - the Tokina 12-24 is generally considered to be better built and a touch sharper (although has more CA) than the Sigma 10-20.
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Ah but if you buy 12mm and you're out taking photos of something there could be a moment where you might go "If only I had the 10mm." I bought as wide as I could. Sharpness can be added later, to some extent. You can also use the Sigma 10-20 on a full frame camera, just creatively ;) At 13mm in black and white it creates a nice vignetting effect that can just about work.
 
Hmmm, perhaps - it's all down to personal preference. My widest lens is a 15mm, and I don't find myself wanting wider.
Still, if he really wants the widest rectillinear lens it still has to be the Sigma 12-24 ;)
 
hoodmeister said:
Hmmm, perhaps - it's all down to personal preference. My widest lens is a 15mm, and I don't find myself wanting wider.
Still, if he really wants the widest rectillinear lens it still has to be the Sigma 12-24 ;)
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Ah the other problem with the 12-24 is the filters. On the 10-20 you can just get normal filters and put them on. The 12-24 is one of those odd ones faik.
 
Tokina AF 17mm f/3.5 AT-X Pro prime lens is an option, equals the 90mm full format wide-angle lenses that most Landscape photographers use.

I have the Sigma 10mm-20mm as well, the 10mm is nice for ultrawide sky expanses etc but the Tokina is more of a workhorse landscape lens for me and it also makes you move and work the shot into the frame.
 
cyKey said:
Ah the other problem with the 12-24 is the filters. On the 10-20 you can just get normal filters and put them on. The 12-24 is one of those odd ones faik.
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This is true - although my own personal preference is "those odd ones" (rear gel // polyester) it isn't for most people. And there's no way to use a circular polariser.
 
Sysagent said:
Tokina AF 17mm f/3.5 AT-X Pro prime lens is an option, equals the 90mm full format wide-angle lenses that most Landscape photographers use.

I have the Sigma 10mm-20mm as well, the 10mm is nice for ultrawide sky expanses etc but the Tokina is more of a workhorse landscape lens for me and it also makes you move and work the shot into the frame.
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Just set the 10-20 to 17mm ;)
 
hoodmeister said:
Pfff! He does have a point, my Sigma 15-30mm is now my only zoom lens, primes all the way!
Again, though - primes aint everyones bag :D
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No, but they do fill it ;)
 
Oh I have absolutely no problem with primes. If the Sigma 10-20mm was a 10mm prime I'd pick it up gladly. In fact it would probably be faster and I'd take it to gigs :)

But the ultra wide primes are all more expensive and the 17mm would not really give me anything new focal length wise having the 18-55mm kit lens.

The 12-24mm would probably also be fine but the filters are definitely an issue here. In my part of the world (sunny Gibraltar) you definitely want a polariser.

Thanks for your comments guys :)
 
Hmm yeh I suppose at such a wide focal length I can get away with hand holding at 1/10s. It would also produce something different to the other lenses, because at a rock gig hardly any of the musicians are static enough not to cause some blur at that shutter speed.
 
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