New lens, or lens attatchment?

dave196

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Hey tpf,
just got a nikon d70, with a 35-70 lens.
Wanting a lens that will do wide angles ok, and for a good price.
So i was thinking about getting a 0.45x wide attatchment, is their anything wrong with this?
Or is it worth the extra money to get a new lens, and if so which cheaper lens's are good for wide angles. thanks
 
Lens attachments...ugh.

You really should have gotten the Nikon 18-55mm lens, why didn't you? That's the standard range for a lens.

How wide angle do you want?

Standard for a crop sensor DSLR! There is nothing wrong with 35-70 in the fast or slow version. Also maybe he bought the lens with the camera! So, did not have the choice of lens!

SAVE your money do not buy a .45x attachment!!! Save your money and buy a wider lens. Even one from a third party lens maker will give you better results than putting on one of those wide attachements. You will be highly disapointed in the attachment. Basically putting cheap glass on the end of your lens, turns the lens into a cheap lens!
 
Lens attachments...ugh.

You really should have gotten the Nikon 18-55mm lens, why didn't you? That's the standard range for a lens.

How wide angle do you want?
Well it's a D70, so he obviously didn't buy it new. Probably whoever was selling it didn't offer the 18-55 ;)

Anyway, reg is right. A new lens will yield far better results than any attachment.

How wide, and what's your budget ('cheap' is relative)?
 
If your budget can afford it, I will definitely go for the faster lens. If you don't later down the road you will wish that you would have. Just my 2 cents.
 
Thanks all for very helpful input, i will no longer consider the attatchment.
Im looking at spending around $250-$300 on a wide angle lens, even though i paid less for the camera.
I know good glass will last a long time, and the d70 is more an in between camera to use while i save up for something a little more serious.
I mean the lens with it now is quite alright for every day use, which this camera will mainly be used for.
 
Your choices are:

$60, used 24mm f2.8 ais manual focus nikkor (won't meter on the d79, so you'll have to "guess and check" the exposure).

$100, used 24mm f2.8 nikkor, autofocus

$200, used 20mm f2.8 ais manual focus nikkor (won't meter on the d70)

$350, used 10-20mm sigma

$400, used 18-200mm VR nikkor

I get these prices based on what I've sold these lenses for before on the used market.... you may have to search for a while to get such a deal.
 
Since your current lens covers standard to short telephoto, I'd suggest an ultra wide like a 12-24mm if you want something really wide. On the other hand, the 18-55 is one of Nikon's best lenses for the money.
 
Staying within your budget guidlines. I suggest the Tamron 17-35 f/2.8-4.0 lens $299 (Adorama right now, known reputable store online). It has a good wide range. Fairly fast apature. Complements the current lens you have. Can be used on film and full frame cameras. It's a pretty good deal. And 100x better than one of those screw on adapter things.

There are better / faster lenses in this size range. But they do not meet your budget. Some mentioned are 5x what you listed for budget. The Tamron would be a very good lens for someone starting out!
 
I think ill go with the 10-20 sigma, as im tired of stitching shots to make fake wide angle shots.
Will that auto focus on a d70?
Even though thats higher than my price range, the extra cost seems worth it for the extreme wide angle lens.
I think my photography tutor is giving me a Nikkor 70-300, which will mean i will have all the lens's that ill need for the time being, unless i start doing portraits!
 
How many shots are you routinely stitching together now? Three at a time? The 17-50 mm lens has twice the field of view of your existing lens.
 
I think ill go with the 10-20 sigma, as im tired of stitching shots to make fake wide angle shots.
Will that auto focus on a d70?
Even though thats higher than my price range, the extra cost seems worth it for the extreme wide angle lens.
I think my photography tutor is giving me a Nikkor 70-300, which will mean i will have all the lens's that ill need for the time being, unless i start doing portraits!

D70 has the body focusing drive so it will AF any of the AF lenses for Nikon. So no issues there with lenses. Not sure of the price differences but the really wide Tokina has better reviews. Built a little heavier. I think its a bit more than the Sigma though. I am considering the Sigma as well. Right now widest I have is 20mm.
 
How many shots are you routinely stitching together now? Three at a time? The 17-50 mm lens has twice the field of view of your existing lens.

Well for most wide angle shots I do between 3-10, depending on how far away from the subject I can get. That being said 2 days ago i stitched 27 shots together, yay auto stitch and photoshop.
The 17-50 may be another good option, that i will look into.

Going into the boxing day sales today, try and haggle at a camera shop for a new flash and wide lens.
 

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