Ultra Wides fun and DX cameras

Mr Bump

Mr Bump

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I just spent a nice while reading Ken Rockwells excellent article below on how to use ultra wides and the things they offer.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-use-ultra-wide-lenses.htm

I must admit I am very drawn to this type of photography, I have a D7000 so a DX, what kind of lens should I be looking at to explore this at a budget?
 
The best of the ultra-wide zooms is the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, a truly amazing optic - that's going on £500 new, probably mid-£300s used. Sharp all the way across the frame, it really does the D7000's sensor justice.

The Tokina 12-24mm f/4 and the Nikon 12-24mm f/4 are brilliant also; the Nikon edges it on the build quality front but new it is expensive.... you'll pick up used copies of both for about £250 and £450 respectively. I used both on a D2x and they were brilliant. On a budget, the Tokina is the best value ultra-wide on the market I reckon. Buy it used and it's even more of a bargain. This is the kind of thing I used to shoot on my 12-24mm:


Setting the trap... by Pat MacInnes, on Flickr

A lot of people like the Sigma 10-20mm because it's at the budget end. There are two versions, one is the newer f/3.5 version and there's a variable aperture version too.

I've no first-experience of the Tamron 10-24mm, but it never seems to be mentioned with real enthusiasm. There's also the Nikon 10-24mm that can be had cheapish on the used market but being Nikon, does command a high RRP of about £650.

If you want to have real fun then check out the Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye.... one of the sharpest, most bonkers lenses I've used. Size-wise, it's only slightly bigger than a 50mm. I've seen them going for as little as £250 used, which is an absolute steal considering the amazing optics and build quality. And it focusses down to about an inch so is brilliant for extreme close-ups. There are other fisheye's on the market but this is the one that gets the plaudits. This was shot on the 10.5mm:


Fighting To The End by Pat MacInnes, on Flickr

For a few years I used a Sigma 14mm f/2.8 on my DX bodies. Build-wise it was amazing and sharp as anything, but it was particularly prone to flare (as is the case with ultra-wide lenses). Like the 10.5mm, it focussed down to something like an inch from the front of the lens, which made it seriously useful for putting small objects in the frame. This was shot with it:


Who's afraid of a little spider? by Pat MacInnes, on Flickr
 
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Cheers looks like the Tokina for me I have seen it mentioned a few times.
I am mainly a nature and birdy type but just find often at the end of a nice walk there happens to be a nice pub and fancy a nice wide angle to capture those sort of pictures.
 
I have a Sigma 8-16mm and it's totally awesome, the effective range on a crop camera is 12-25mm. It's the widest non fisheye zoom lens you can currently buy.



A shot at 8mm

 
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specialman said:
SDK - that is mental zoom range! How's the close-focussing?
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That's only part mental. Fully fledged in the barking stakes is the Canon 8-15mm designed for full frame! :D
 
I have the Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 and its an amazing lens. But at £459.00 (on Amazon), I wouldn't exactly call it budget. I do have a D7000 but I haven't used it on that yet. I previously used it on my D3100.
 
SThornton said:
I have the Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 and its an amazing lens. But at £459.00 (on Amazon), I wouldn't exactly call it budget. I do have a D7000 but I haven't used it on that yet. I previously used it on my D3100.
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I suppose it's relative - the Nikon is going on £800!!! The Sigma does tend to sell for low prices though on the used market, which is a bonus if you don't mind used kit and want to shell out the least amount.
 
specialman said:
I suppose it's relative - the Nikon is going on £800!!! The Sigma does tend to sell for low prices though on the used market, which is a bonus if you don't mind used kit and want to shell out the least amount.
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When you put it up against the Nikon, it does look that way! Lol
 
DemiLion said:
That's only part mental. Fully fledged in the barking stakes is the Canon 8-15mm designed for full frame! :D
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That's a fisheye lens though, so you'll get bent straight lines.
The Sigma 8-16 is not a fisheye so distortion is minimal.

specialman said:
SDK - that is mental zoom range! How's the close-focussing?
Click to expand...
Min focus distance is 24cm
 
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sdk any more shots with the 8-16mm? i have the sigma 10-20mm and like that here is 1 at 10mm in a room 18x12


scout by hoochy1, on Flickr
 
I have the 10.5 and it is ace. You can "correct" the fish with a hemi plug in too making it simply ultra wide. 2 in goodness. Doesn't autofocus on my only dx body (nowadays) though it served me well on manual focus.

For travelling with the d3100 I've now recently got a sigma 14mm 2.8 which does work on the d3100 with autofocus. I've used it on both dx and fx and love it. It's not perfect but great. Typically on FX the edges can be soft and vignette'd (though the latter is an easy fix in ACR)
Also it's prone to lens flare. That said it's a great lens, super wide, fixed and fast. It's larger than the 10.5 fish unfortunately. But most lenses are.

I owned the 10-20 once upon a time and that was nice, just not fast enough aperture wise for my taste.

I've heard a lot of good things about the tokina 11-16, both versions. If I was into zooms I'd definitely get the newer version, for the autofocus on my baby Nikon. If af wasn't a concern I'd get either version.
 
I also had a Nikon 12-24 many moons back. I don't remember a fat lot of good about it but I think that's more down to my memory :)
 
Just replaced my 10-20 Sigma with a Tokina 11-16, purely as it's faster. Never had any issues with the Sigma other than it being that little bit slow indoors, but other than that it was a great lens. The Tokina seems great but I've not shot it in anger yet.

I've whinged before (as have others) but how about some UW DX Primes!? I don't particularly need the zoom but a fast, high quality 10mm prime would be excellent :)
 
Mr Bump said:
Cheers looks like the Tokina for me ...
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Looks good: link. And KR agrees: "Small-Format Digital: On Nikon, get the Tokina 11-16mm ..."

Mr Bump said:
I just spent a nice while reading Ken Rockwells excellent article below on how to use ultra wides and the things they offer.
... I must admit I am very drawn to this type of photography ...
Click to expand...

Mr Bump said:
... find often at the end of a nice walk there happens to be a nice pub and fancy a nice wide angle to capture those sort of pictures.
Click to expand...

I can't quite get those two quotes to work together. I'd suggest another read of the intro to Ken's article. Then, later he says:

"Most beginners, myself included for 15 years, think wide-angle lenses are for "getting it all in."

"The best photos most users get with ultrawides are made inside large spaces ..."

What sort of shots do you want to take at the pub? Might you get away with a 35 mm f1.8 DX prime?

Just my thoughts ...
 
Mr Bump said:
Cheers looks like the Tokina for me ...
Click to expand...

I've only just found out that the Tokina lens comes in two versions: the Mk II (link) that has a motor that will allow the AF to work on a D5xxx, D3xxx, D60 or D40(x) ; and the Mk I (link) that doesn't. But at 11 mm to 16 mm AF isn't critical ... just so long as you remember and either use MF or simply set the focus to ∞ or to your working distance.

There's one for sale on the forum (link).
 
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