Sony 18-55mm Kit lens

chocky

chocky

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Si
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Hi all, firstly just wondering if anyone else has the same problem? My Sony kit lens is doing my head in, big time. At the wide end im getting barrel distortion, since i like landscape photography and i cant afford a proper wide angle lens i use the kit lens :bang:. Example pic below. Nowthen like i said, i really cant afford a decent lens but im due a tax rebate in the next couple of months (although i may be spending it on finally doing my driving test but ill decide on that later) totalling around £400, i dont want to spend all of it and would prefer to spend about half of it, but im after a lens that doesnt do such a pathetic job at the wide end, i only realised that this lens distorts yesterday and before this i was really happy with it but now im extremely cheesed and cant even look it in the eye :D. Im not bothered what kind of zoom capabilites the replacement lens has as long as its wide end is somewhere around 18mm (or less but defo not much more) due to my cropped sensor. The sony 16-105mm has been recommended but im curious to hear if it suffers from the same distortion. ..... babbling again so ill shutup now :) ......


DSC01301_2.jpg


Thanks all :)

Si
 
Also i must add i dont have a zoom lens so would it better to get something like the Sony 16-105mm or should i just go for a tamron 17-50mm f2.8???
 
To be honest that photo looks excellent, there seems little wrong with it and its far better than what some of us could do.

if you do want a new lens then I would recommend a 17-50mm f2.8 by Tamron, alot of landscape photographers use this lens and can be had for around £200-£250.
 
mastertrinity said:
To be honest that photo looks excellent, there seems little wrong with it and its far better than what some of us could do.

if you do want a new lens then I would recommend a 17-50mm f2.8 by Tamron, alot of landscape photographers use this lens and can be had for around £200-£250.
Click to expand...

see, told you to get the tammy mate ;) :p

but yea I agree that particular picture looks alright, bit distorted but don't forget looking out at the sea like that you're going to get a slight natural curve on the horizon anyway
 
mastertrinity said:
To be honest that photo looks excellent, there seems little wrong with it and its far better than what some of us could do.

if you do want a new lens then I would recommend a 17-50mm f2.8 by Tamron, alot of landscape photographers use this lens and can be had for around £200-£250.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate, im just really cheesed off about it, i shouldnt be as the kit lens is only a cheapo lens anyway but ill defo put the tamron on my list, Thanks :)


TurnipFarmer said:
you could always use PTLens to correct the distortion?
Click to expand...

Thing is ive already got loads of software on my comp for photos (CS5, photomatix, nik silver efex and colour efex etc etc) but i hardly use any of them, mainly for RAW conversion and cropping but im a big fan of trying to get the best out of the camera rather than any editing, and truth be told, i want an excuse to buy a lens anyway so this seems like a perfect enough excuse to me ;)

Si
 
timmygcsc2308 said:
see, told you to get the tammy mate ;) :p

but yea I agree that particular picture looks alright, bit distorted but don't forget looking out at the sea like that you're going to get a slight natural curve on the horizon anyway
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lol yeah i think its joint top of the list atm. Yeah i understand about the natural curevture and all that but this photo seems a little extreme to me. As i say above im after an excuse to buy a new lens anyway but i was planning on getting a telephoto lens not a kit replacement but i dont really have an urgent need for a zoom lens so im not too bothered about that :)

Just realised i can sell my kit lens and minolta 35-70mm f4 to fund a new lens so i could go up to £300. Also just found the Tamron 17-50mm at onestop digital http://www.onestop-digital.com/prod...d=301&osCsid=5b7a46a4c55d7c8f0e14bc9c9c6b5811 for £249.99 brand new!! Does anyone know if the front element rotates? Just wondering if its awkward for a cokin p series or a CPL.
 
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chocky said:
lol yeah i think its joint top of the list atm. Yeah i understand about the natural curevture and all that but this photo seems a little extreme to me. As i say above im after an excuse to buy a new lens anyway but i was planning on getting a telephoto lens not a kit replacement but i dont really have an urgent need for a zoom lens so im not too bothered about that :)

Just realised i can sell my kit lens and minolta 35-70mm f4 to fund a new lens so i could go up to £300. Also just found the Tamron 17-50mm at onestop digital http://www.onestop-digital.com/prod...d=301&osCsid=5b7a46a4c55d7c8f0e14bc9c9c6b5811 for £249.99 brand new!! Does anyone know if the front element rotates? Just wondering if its awkward for a cokin p series or a CPL.
Click to expand...

I don't think it does rotate:thumbs: also congrats on the purchase if you get it, I don't own one myself as I'm more of a prime lens person but the Tamron has always been temptation.
 
done deal, tamron 17-50mm it is, cheers fellas, i might even post some results when i get it in a few weeks :) im so excited im gonna add it into my sig lol

Thanks again all!!

Si
 
hi Si ! :)

I think that all zooms have distortion issues if they are wide. some just have it in smaller scale. get yourself a lughtroom 3 , upload a raw and you will be able to correct the distortion nicely. It has all the necessary info about the lens if you work with raw.
 
TBH don't forget the earth is round (despite what those lying flat earthers would have you believe ;) so I'm not convinced you are not just seeing the earth's nature curvature here given how wide the shot is.

Have to say that wouldn't bother me at all - you could probably straighten it if you really think it's the lens...
 
chocky said:
done deal, tamron 17-50mm it is, cheers fellas, i might even post some results when i get it in a few weeks :) im so excited im gonna add it into my sig lol

Thanks again all!!

Si
Click to expand...

I look forwad to seeing the results
 
mastertrinity said:
To be honest that photo looks excellent, there seems little wrong with it and its far better than what some of us could do. .
Click to expand...

The horizon is bulging like a bulgy thing.


puddleduck said:
TBH don't forget the earth is round (despite what those lying flat earthers would have you believe ;) so I'm not convinced you are not just seeing the earth's nature curvature here given how wide the shot is.
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You can't see the Earth's curvature from the ground otherwise as you turned your head the horizon would appear to fall downwards. If you look behind you, it's at the same level as it is in front of you. You don't see the curvature in a left to right sense, you see it in a distance sense as in the 'line' is where it drops below your eye level.
 
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just to let you all know, my barnd new Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 just turned up at the door :) Thanks for all your advice :)

Thanks to the tammy being awesome, ive put my other two lenses on ebay (sony 18-55 kit lens and minolta 35-70 f4) to get back a bit of cash as well :)

Si
 
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