12-24DX or 14-24?

[L0rdMike]

Thinking about getting a wide lens for my D300. Now I know the 12-24 is made for a cropped sensor like my D300 and some say with the 14-24 you are paying the extra for full frame coverage.

Would the extra 2mm make much of a difference?
With the 14-24 I could use it if I ever plan on upgrading my body in the future.

So I am interested what would you guys pick?

 

[hunter20ga]

Obviously a large difference in price. Both are good lenses, but the common wisdom is that the 14-24 is already a classic. Great lens...but not as easy to carry around as the 12-24. And, yes, there will be a day when that extra 2 mm at the wide end comes in handy.

But...the 14-24 sets you up very nicely for a move to the fx sensor; and the f/2.8 vs f/4 for the 12-24 will come in handy sometime, too.

So...I thought a lot about the choice, and finally opted for a 17-55 and a 10.5 fisheye. Completely different! But I really like the fisheye for architecture shots and some landscapes, and the 17-55 f/2.8 gives me more versatility than either the 12-24 or 14-24.

Best of luck with whatever you choose.

Sorry...probably not a lot of help.

 

[Wail]

This should be a no brainer since it's lurking in your mind ... it has to be the FX 14-24 without question.

The only time you'd question this is: -

a) if you are going to struggle to afford it
b) if you are not at all happy about not having a front filter
c) you're unable to lug the weight of this

But since you've come this far down the path of wanting it; then it's almost a sin to not get it.

 

[StewartR]

Whilst I agree that the FX 14-24 looks like an instant classic, it really is a lot of money to blow "just in case" you might upgrade to full-frame one day. But when you have a DX sensor, the extra 2mm does make a difference. So I'd suggest that the DX 12-24 is a more sensible use of your money - and of course you can always sell it if you decide to go full-frame.

Or ... how about the Sigma 12-24? You can keep that even if you do upgrade, and 12mm on a full-frame sensor is insanely wide. There's a good review of the Sigma here.