Recommendations for an ultra-wide angle EF lens?

[GrandMasterK]

I have the canon 24mm f1.4L II and lately i've been running into more and more circumstances where I need an even wider view. I've never used anything wider than 24mm so I'm not really sure which size will do it I figure i'd look at a 12mm or a 14mm primes (non fisheye). Main issue here is price. I am not looking to spend more than $300-400 which doesn't give me any options from the canon line and I don't know squat about other brands.

 

[beagle100]

I have the canon 24mm f1.4L II and lately i've been running into more and more circumstances where I need an even wider view. I've never used anything wider than 24mm so I'm not really sure which size will do it I figure i'd look at a 12mm or a 14mm primes (non fisheye). Main issue here is price. I am not looking to spend more than $300-400 which doesn't give me any options from the canon line and I don't know squat about other brands.

you can go with expensive lens 16-35, 11-24, etc
or with a non-Canon brand like the Rokinon 14mm 2.8

 

[jsecordphoto]

for that price range you're looking at the Rokinon 14. For a little more you can pick up the Tokina 16-28, which is very sharp when stopped down, but not so great wide open.

 

[GrandMasterK]

why would one pick a 14mm over a 12mm or vice versa with such a small difference in focal length?

 

[TCampbell]

Help me understand...

What are you shooting?

Why primes?

I own the Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM II. It's a VERY expensive lens so I don't casually recommend it and would normally suggest looking at something more affordable such as the EF-S 10-22mm or the new EF-S 10-18. But you mentioned you want a prime and that made me wonder why.

There are lots of possibilities and in many price ranges. I know lots of astro-imagers who want the Rokinon. But they use a Rokinon with manual aperture and manual focus because in astrophotography you'd set all that manually anyway. For a different need, the lack of electronic control might be a problem.

In reviews, usually the actual Canon brand glass wins over competitors (not always though). But I've noticed that some of the newer 3rd party lens designs (particularly from Sigma) seem to have really upped their game and often surpass the Canon glass.

 

[Big Mike]

why would one pick a 14mm over a 12mm or vice versa with such a small difference in focal length?

It's a 15% difference....not insignificant.

 

[spiralout462]

Does it have to be EF? Have you considered EF-S?