Best wide angle lens under $300

[Vic Vinegar]

I'm planning on taking a road trip in the fall and I want an ultra wide angle lens for my Canon 40D that is capable of taking nice landscape shots. I am not very familiar with terminology. I have a 24-105mm lens already.

I assume the smaller focal length means wider field of view. Other than that, I'm not quite sure how this stuff works. I've only been taking photos for about 6 months. Any advice on what to buy and what I should educate myself on? Thanks.

 

[jaomul]

Canon released a 10-18mm cheap lens recently that's very well received

 

[TCampbell]

The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is probably your best option in that price range.

Rokinon makes a couple of 8mm f/3.5 fish-eye lenses in that price range (about $250) - one has a built-in tulip hood, the other has a removable tulip hood. But the Rokinon lenses are completely manual (both focus and aperture.)

I think the Canon 10-18 will be more versatile.

 

[jsecordphoto]

For a little more you can find used tokina 11-16 for around $350. Keh.com is a great site for used gear

 

[Vic Vinegar]

The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is probably your best option in that price range.

Rokinon makes a couple of 8mm f/3.5 fish-eye lenses in that price range (about $250) - one has a built-in tulip hood, the other has a removable tulip hood. But the Rokinon lenses are completely manual (both focus and aperture.)

I think the Canon 10-18 will be more versatile.

I don't mind the manual stuff because I'll stand in a spot for a good 20 minutes snapping photos using a bunch of different f stops, ISOs and exposures and such. I'll take like 50 photos of the same thing. So for me the automatic stuff never appealed. I do mainly HDR landscapes. And how would I get rid of the fisheye effect? Could I do that in post processing or...?

 

[Vic Vinegar]

For a little more you can find used tokina 11-16 for around $350. Keh.com is a great site for used gear

Actually $300 is really pushing it. My budget is more like $250 give or take you know.

 

[Vic Vinegar]

So can someone explain why the Canon 10-18mm lens says it will not work on full frame? Is my camera sensor a full frame?

 

[jsecordphoto]

No, your camera is a crop sensor. That lens won't work on full frame because the image area is smaller than the size of a full frame sensor.

 

[TCampbell]

Your 40D has an APS-C size "crop frame" sensor. APS-C stands for "Advanced Photo System - Classic"... that was a drop-in cartridge type film used on some cameras and was thought to be somewhat innovative at the time (the camera could scan the film cartridge to detect what type of film was loaded... it was film that was starting to get some digital-like features.) The sensor on your 40D is roughly the same size as a single frame of the APS-C film. (roughly 15mm x 23mm)

A "full frame" camera provides a digital image sensor which is roughly the same size as a single frame of 35mm film (approximately 24x36mm).

So far as I know, Canon only made three digital sensor sizes...

ALL Rebel cameras use APS-C sensor sizes.
ALL mid-level cameras (10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, and 70D) use APS-C sensor sizes.
The 7D and 7D II also use the APS-C sensor size.

All 5D series bodies use "full frame" sensors.
The 6D also uses a "full frame" sensor.
The current 1D X flagship body uses a "full frame" sensor.
The 1Ds III (previous flag-ship body) used a "full frame" sensor.

But some 1D (non "s" suffix) bodies used "APS-H" sensors. E.g. the 1D Mk IV used an APS-H sensor (about 30% smaller than a "full frame" sensor.

 

[D-B-J]

For a little more you can find used tokina 11-16 for around $350. Keh.com is a great site for used gear

Tokina's 11-16 is killer. Well worth the slight budget stretch.

 

[Slothrop]

Hi. I'm new here - this is my first post. I have the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM, and I love it. It's not a perfect lens, but for the price you really can't beat it. I bought it for my old 20D and couldn't believe the pictures I was able to take. This is my main lens now - I only take it off for portraits and sports.

 

[ak_]

Vic, a lot of good landscape pictures aren't so wide angle, some are quite long FLs. You could find a used EOS film body for $30, a Tamron 24mm prime for $80, Adaptall 2 adaptor for $20. Scan the negs - Agfa/Fuji film is cheap. If the zoom lens you already have is EF, you've spent only $50 for full-frame 24mm.

 

[CanonFob]

For a little more you can find used tokina 11-16 for around $350. Keh.com is a great site for used gear

Tokina's 11-16 is killer. Well worth the slight budget stretch.

I couldn't agree more........incredible incredible lens!!!!!!