Wide Angle Lense Question

[makushr1]

Hello all! First post here. I recently bought the Nikon D5100 and have been trying to learn all I can about photography.

I'm interested in taking a long exposure of the stars moving across the night sky. I've read and watched quite a few how to articles/videos on it. Once the weather is right (and my remote arrives in the mail), I'd like to give it a shot. Some of the articles I've read suggest using a wide angle lense. I've been trying to do some research on those specific lenses, but other than the fisheye lenses, I don't see any on the Nikon site that say 'wide angle'. What should I be looking for? I understand that the fisheye is an 'ulta' wide angle lense, but I don't think I want a lense like that (meaning that wide of an angle) for my 3rd lense. Suggestions?

I have the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G and the one that came with the came, the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR. Will those work with what I'm doing?

I'd rather not buy a new lense for just a single shot, but I do really enjoy the look of the wide angle leses.

 

[beachrat]

I'd say that basically 28mm and under is a wide angle lens.
I know nothing about the type of photography you're attempting,but the 18-55 covers the wide angle part.

 

[tirediron]

Your 18-55 gives you the equivalent field of view (FoV) of a 28mm lens when it's set to 18mm; this is due to the 'crop' factor caused by the fact that your camera's sensor is 2/3 the size of a full-frame camera or 35mm negative (the standard to which most cameras are measured). This is right on the edge of what is considered 'wide', however it will do a decent job. If you want to get a lens that will you a lot more viewing area, consider the Tokina 11-16, f2.8. This is one of the best of the third-party ultra-wide angle lenses (giving you an equivalent FoV to that of a 16mm lens on a FF camera).

 

[D-B-J]

I can also vouch for the Tokina. I just bought one, and whoah.. What a lens. I've used it indoors in a poorly lit room and at night under the stars. It performs phenomenally well. Just note that you will need to get the "II" version, as the first version does not have a built in focus motor. Also, you'll need a wider aperture than 3.5--sometimes I think 2.8 isn't even enough.

Best,
Jake


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Edit: Adding example photo's.


The Fremont Street String Band by f_one_eight, on Flickr


Astro Scouting by f_one_eight, on Flickr

This lens is phenomenal, and I highly recommend it for astrophotography.

 

[Vince.1551]

Loan a fisheye lens. Save some money If not, your kits lens aren't wide enough? 18x1.5 should be enough for most skyscapes

 

[TheLost]

Astro Scouting by f_one_eight, on Flickr

This lens is phenomenal, and I highly recommend it for astrophotography.

AURG!!! I've been trying to do astrophotography for the past few days and i suck!!! I hate it when people show good shots and make it look simple

<back on subject>
+1 the Tokina.. great lenses and not super expensive. Love mine (i'd love it more if i could get a shot like that!!)

 

[D-B-J]

Astro Scouting by f_one_eight, on Flickr

This lens is phenomenal, and I highly recommend it for astrophotography.

AURG!!! I've been trying to do astrophotography for the past few days and i suck!!! I hate it when people show good shots and make it look simple

<back on subject>
+1 the Tokina.. great lenses and not super expensive. Love mine (i'd love it more if i could get a shot like that!!)

Thanks. It's been a long road to that image, and there's plenty of room for improvement. The Tokina is a beautiful lens!


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