Recommendations for best wide angle lens...Please

[AtuspidsGoddess]

Prime...I am considering under $600 if possible...:mrgreen:

 

[NayLoMo6C]

Tokina 11-16

 

[sleist]

What do you consider to be wide? You have an 18-55. Do you need wider than 18mm? The 11-16 is a fine lens, but is considered to be ultra wide.
Given that you have the 18-55mm are you looking for faster glass? Prime or zoom?

OK - just noticed you specified prime in your post sorry. Many consider the Tokina 11-16 to be a prime (or 2), but then it's only 2.8.

There is also the 24mm f/2.8 (if 16 is too wide) which would pair nicely with the D200.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/66980-GREY/Nikon_1919_Wide_Angle_AF_Nikkor.html

$350

 

[analog.universe]

I just got the tokina and I love it

How wide is wide is an important question though!

I was originally looking for a prime as well, and ended up with the tokina zoom because: 1. there are no primes that wide 2. the tokina is a 2.8 anyway 3. it's wicked sharp! (not just for a zoom)

 

[Jarrod268]

Love my Tokina 12-24 f4

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[kundalini]

Switch1fx loves his 24mm f/1.4 and has shown some outstanding photos taken with it, but that's $2K.

I have the 20mm f/2.8 and it works well on both the D300 & D700. It's around $600. I can't get to my SmugMug account while at work, but I posted a shot last night taken with it in the Strobist thread in the Beyond the Basics forum. (It was not intended as a good shot, more of a test shot for the lighting thing.)

 

[Derrel]

Not sure what you mean by "best", nor by "wide". One of the best is the 24mm f/2.8 Ai-S, which has Nikon's Close Range Correction system of floating elements, and is one of the sharpest wide-angles for closer-distance work at apertures like f/5.6 to f/11--it is simply outstanding!!! On a 1.5x body, it's not very wide, but it is "semi-wide", and it produces a small amount of apparent perspective distortion when photographing people at normal indoor distances. Not a "lot" of apparent perspective distortion, but "some"; and yet enough, as they say, for artistic purposes. That would be my choice as "the best wide-angle prime for Nikon". Failing that, the 24mm f/2.8 AF-D is "okay", but not as good a lens as the older, better-designed, more-expensive Ai-S manual focus model.

 

[AtuspidsGoddess]

Since weddings and family portraits are going to be my primary line of work, I want a lens that will be able to accommodate at least ten people standing side by side with a working distance of a few feet if possible. I would like to be close to the subject and not have to move so far back, just in case I may not have the space if I'm in a small room.

So any wide angle lens with a large f-stop would be nice. The 18-55 is nice but I want one of those...just in case lens...in which I will need to shoot in low light condition.

Since I know very little about lens, will a f-stop of 2.8 be more than adequate?

 

[analog.universe]

wider than 18, 2.8 is as good as it gets... up until 24 in canon land, don't know if nikon is the same. a word of caution, all wide angle lenses are subject to a degree of perspective distortion, meaning if you're photographing people (which you will be) they'll get stretched out if they're too close to the edge of the frame. are you in fact looking for wider than 18? or something within the range of your current lens but faster?

 

[AtuspidsGoddess]

will an 18mm be more than adequate?...if u have a large group and can't back up any more...what do you pro's do?...break up the people?...just say no?

 

[djacobox372]

" a working distance of a few feet" <-- big mistake, portraits shouldn't be taken that close.

You need to make sure you're at least 10 feet from the subject otherwise you'll get unflattering perspective distortion. I would recommend a 20mm f2.8 prime. You might even consider a manual focus version--to save $$.

The nice thing about the prime lens is how small it is. You can just keep it in your pocket when using your longer lens.

 

[djacobox372]

will an 18mm be more than adequate?...if u have a large group and can't back up any more...what do you pro's do?...break up the people?...just say no?

Pros just stand back further. Youll rarely see anybody shooting portraits at less then 24mm (full frame, about 18mm on a d200)

 

[AtuspidsGoddess]

LMAO...they just stand back further eh?...and what if there are no more room?...ever been in a situation like that before?...not that it matters a whole lot...but yea...it seems...i'm just in the toy gathering mode...need to really get down to business and get just what will do the job and not what i WANT...

 

[inaka]

I love my Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6. It's my favorite lens by far.
Obviously not prime though...

 

[robb01]

Love my Tokina 12-24mm, plus side is its a bit cheaper option in the wide angle lens choice