Kit lens upgrade

[Bill19]

Hi everybody,
I've decided that its about time I parted with some cash to get a new landscape lens to build upon my Nikon D3200 and kit lens set up, I obviously want a quality boost but I also want to go wider since most the time I shoot at 18mm and usually long for that extra width. I've been trying to reads lots on here (quite a few people seem to have asked this question in the past, but most threads are a few years out of date, so thought I would ask again!) and else where and the Sigma 10-20 f4.5-5.6 and its very agreeable price tag keeps popping up, but lots of different tokinas also pop up as well as the Nikon 10-24mm which is much pricier. I guess my question is, is the extra investment in the Nikon 10-24 (or indeed any of the tokinas) worth it? Are the images that much better considering the hike in price?
For the same price as the Nikon I could get the sigma 10-20, a decent circular polariser and a decent ND filter as well, which could be a better over all investment?

Or my other option is completely replacing the kit lens with a Nikon 16-85, which covers its range and goes a smidge wider and a fair amount longer (though I do own a 700-300VR), so i would get a higher quality lens, but that itch for a wide angle i guess just wouldn't be scratched by an extra 2mm?

I'm terribly indecisive so I just want some peoples opinions and recommendations please!

Thanks

 

[Nawty]

From what you've said I would ignore the 16-85 and go for a UWA as that is what your photography is telling you you need.

In that respect, nowadays I would probably just buy the Nikon as I could afford it but I have owned the Sigma and it was perfectly fine, I got some good shots from it. The Tokina 11-16 is meant to be very good but for me the focal range is just a little too small so I might look at the Tokina 12-24 (I think it is).

Something of note, on UWA a CPL gives varying effect as the angle of view is so wide, some people don't advise it. Also, having tried them, I didn't find grad filters that useful as nowadays you can do it all in PP with much more flexibility and control too. So, if it were me I'd invest my money in the lens.

 

[Bill19]

From what you've said I would ignore the 16-85 and go for a UWA as that is what your photography is telling you you need.

In that respect, nowadays I would probably just buy the Nikon as I could afford it but I have owned the Sigma and it was perfectly fine, I got some good shots from it. The Tokina 11-16 is meant to be very good but for me the focal range is just a little too small so I might look at the Tokina 12-24 (I think it is).

Something of note, on UWA a CPL gives varying effect as the angle of view is so wide, some people don't advise it. Also, having tried them, I didn't find grad filters that useful as nowadays you can do it all in PP with much more flexibility and control too. So, if it were me I'd invest my money in the lens.

Cheers Ned, I've just been reading about CPL issues with wide angles, so I guess its not an investment I really need to worry about, I'm just very used to keeping my cpl strapped to my kit lens for landscapes! But then if I didn't invest the extra saving in filters, I have always been after a Nikon 50/1.8 as well.. mmm... It might come down to how long I want to wait, I could afford a sigma now, but would maybe have to wait a little for the Nikon, or maybe till my birthday in November for some extra cash... unless a decent second hand nikon pops up in the classifieds perhaps!