Looking more seriously at wide lenses

PaulWog · May 25, 2014

I'm starting to look more seriously at wide lenses. I came and asked advice before, but it wasn't the right time for me to buy. I feel like like the requirements of full-frame compatibility, but wide on a crop sensor, with built-in focus motor and budget-friendly = impossible. That's what I'm looking for.

There's really three options for me this summer:
1) Get a wide lens and up my budget to up to $1000. It has to be full-frame compatible.
2) Hold off, and use the S95 point-and-shoot in RAW mode with a tripod as a temp wide lens.
3) Hold off, and get a full-frame camera. Do panoramas with the 50mm lens. Pluses & minuses, I lose out on wide shots, but the 50mm & 85mm become more useful. Not sure what the 70-300mm VR becomes on a full frame (I know what it translates to technically).

I'm curious if there have been any recent price drops, announcements, etc, about wide angle lenses. My gear is listed below in the signature area.

CaptainNapalm · May 25, 2014

I have the Nikkor 12-24 f/4 DX lens. It can be bought used in great condition for about $500-$600. It is an amazing quality lens on DX camera. I was going to sell it when I upgraded to a D600 full frame about a year ago but was surprised it worked wonderfully (no vignetting) on my FF camera in the 16-24 range which is still very wide. So I decided to keep it and have been shooting with it as my wide angle lens since. I assume this would be in your budget to get and could serve you well for now. And if you choose to sell it later in favour of a FF wide angle lens, you can be assured it holds its value well so you should be able to get back for it almost as much as you paid for it provided you take care of it. Anyways, that's what I would do if I was on budget.

PaulWog · May 25, 2014

CaptainNapalm said:
I have the Nikkor 12-24 f/4 DX lens. It can be bought used in great condition for about $500-$600. It is an amazing quality lens on DX camera. I was going to sell it when I upgraded to a D600 full frame about a year ago but was surprised it worked wonderfully (no vignetting) on my FF camera in the 16-24 range which is still very wide. So I decided to keep it and have been shooting with it as my wide angle lens since. I assume this would be in your budget to get and could serve you well for now. And if you choose to sell it later in favour of a FF wide angle lens, you can be assured it holds its value well so you should be able to get back for it almost as much as you paid for it provided you take care of it. Anyways, that's what I would do if I was on budget.

This is somewhat what I feared (I would love to own the 12-24mm, but it doesn't give me that "buy me!" impression quite yet). I'll think this one over carefully. I've got some more time. My upcoming camping trip next month I'll probably do without (in part because I get worried when I bring expensive gear & occasionally have to use my trunk as a 'safe' storage system).

I'm still open to any additional or alternate suggestions. I remember I looked into the 11-16mm Tokina with built-in af motor, but steered away since I heard at 16mm it's not superb, and across the board the color rendition and sharpness is subpar in comparison to the 12-24mm.

TheFantasticG · May 25, 2014

I don't have any IQ problems at 16mm with my Tokina 11-16mm II. Love it. And if I ever go full frame I won't be rid of it because it works just fine at 16mm on FX.

hamlet · May 27, 2014

TheFantasticG said:
I don't have any IQ problems at 16mm with my Tokina 11-16mm II. Love it. And if I ever go full frame I won't be rid of it because it works just fine at 16mm on FX.

This really depends on what you mean with IQ problems. For instance: comprable to my prime lens or my pro lens, it has much more chromatic aberrations and the images look much softer. But i too am satisfied with this lens because i only need a wide angle lens for 10% of my photography.

PaulWog · May 27, 2014

Well, I'm back to the deliberation and planning-for-the-future board for now. I do want a wide lens before the end of this year, but I'm just not sure how to go about it.

I promised myself when I got rid of the 16-85mm VR that I wouldn't go with any APSC-only lenses ever again. I also promised myself after my focus-problem lens that I got rid of that I would only buy in stores that I can test/return in person at. Finally, moving to full-frame isn't possible since it's too pricey, and nothing new has come out that makes for a compelling upgrade (D610 = underwhelming technological jump, just serves as a full frame). This all severely limits my options (well, really, the bank account and responsibility with money is what's limiting things). I can't buy the 11-16mm since it's not available locally, and I'd have to have it shipped from the US to Canada, and then I'd have to hope that the focus is good. The 12-24mm is $1000-$1100, which really is twice what I was looking to spend. Then there's sub-par choices which are overpriced by $150 at my local shops (brought up to $650) such as an older Tamron wide zoom.

There is the Sigma 10-20mm which is going for $530 locally, however from what I've read it doesn't even function at 20mm on full frame. It looks like a great choice if I were to settle back with crop-sensor. That would leave me happily with my setup. Torn, really am...

hamlet · May 27, 2014

I checked for you to see for any other full frames and this one stuck out to me: review.

astroNikon · May 27, 2014

I use a 18-35 AF-D FF Nikon lens. Really a nice lens. I have fun with it using ND .3, .6, 1.8, 3.0 filters. I've been doing more night shots lately and it is my primary lens. On my d600 it does a fabulous job even compared to my d7000 in low, or very little light.

I had the older 20-35/2.8 AF-D lens ... but I just didn't like it .. not wide enough and more in the $800 range.
I had a 24/2.8 which I sold because my DX kit 18-105 had less distortion and was just as sharp. and my 24-85 was better too.
I also looked at the 20mm/2.8 but once again .. duplicate to the 20-35/2.8 and UWA on FF is really fun. So I got the 18-35/3.5-4.5

But if you are going to stick with crop then you look at those 10-20, 12 etc lenses.

What FF were you looking at getting - d4s that makes the d610 underwhelming ?

jaomul · May 27, 2014

Sigma do a 12-24 thats full frame compatable.

bigal1000 · May 27, 2014

PaulWog said:
I'm starting to look more seriously at wide lenses. I came and asked advice before, but it wasn't the right time for me to buy. I feel like like the requirements of full-frame compatibility, but wide on a crop sensor, with built-in focus motor and budget-friendly = impossible. That's what I'm looking for.

There's really three options for me this summer:
1) Get a wide lens and up my budget to up to $1000. It has to be full-frame compatible.
2) Hold off, and use the S95 point-and-shoot in RAW mode with a tripod as a temp wide lens.
3) Hold off, and get a full-frame camera. Do panoramas with the 50mm lens. Pluses & minuses, I lose out on wide shots, but the 50mm & 85mm become more useful. Not sure what the 70-300mm VR becomes on a full frame (I know what it translates to technically).

I'm curious if there have been any recent price drops, announcements, etc, about wide angle lenses. My gear is listed below in the signature area.

Sorry to say I think your too confused to get anything right now. Relax and do some more thinking about what you really need and what type of photography you do most ! Also remember buy cheap get cheap !! A 70-300 VR is a 70-300 VR and nothing else..........

JohnnyWrench · May 27, 2014

Aside from the crop sensor body, your gear is very similar to mine. I'll suggest the Nikon 16-35 f4 to round out your kit. It's a great FF lens and should be available used for less than your stated $1000 budget.

PaulWog · May 27, 2014

I appreciate all the responses. I'll look into additional suggestions.

bigal1000 said:
Sorry to say I think your too confused to get anything right now. Relax and do some more thinking about what you really need and what type of photography you do most ! Also remember buy cheap get cheap !! A 70-300 VR is a 70-300 VR and nothing else..........

I think you don't understand at all. I know what I want, I just don't have the money to buy the two things I want: full-frame camera, and a wide lens. I have to choose between the two, and make due as I go. I know what a 70-300 VR is. I own one. However, if I switch to full frame, it will have ~50% less reach. The way I could use it would change somewhat drastically. A 70-300 VR isn't the same on every sensor.

astroNikon · May 27, 2014

PaulWog said:
.... However, if I switch to full frame, it will have ~50% less reach. The way I could use it would change somewhat drastically. A 70-300 VR isn't the same on every sensor.

or crop more

I have a d600 and d7000. In this thread I learned about the "DX" mode of the FF
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/nikon-lenses/357014-f4-zoom-lenses-300-400mm-2.html

so you can have your cake and eat it too ... depending upon pixel density of what you are normally using, etc.

MOREGONE · May 27, 2014

The Tokina 16-28 f2.8 could be option, 16 is decently wide on DX and as an FX lens ready for future upgrades

I have the DX Tokina 12-24 f4 I used with my FX cameras happily from 18-24mm