Tokina 11-16mm Wide Angle on a D3000?

[psesinkclee]

Hi there.

I've got a Nikon D3000 (with 15-55mmVR, 55-200mmVR, and Sigma 50mm 1.4) and am looking to get a wide angle lens for an upcoming vacation where I should be able to get tons of great landscapes and interesting urban shots.

I've been looking heavily into the Tokina 11-16mm as well as the Tokina 12-24mm to fit my needs and I'm stuck on it now.

I know that the 11-16mm will not AF on the D3000 body, and I was wondering how big of a deal that would be to have to keep it in MF all the time. I was thinking that sometime next summer I'll be able to afford a D90 body (which it will AF on) as my new main and I'll keep the D3000 as a second body.

Here are my main questions:
-Will MF on the 11-16 be a real pain?
-Is the focal range better on the 11-16 or the 12-24?
-The 11-16 is f2.8 and the 12-24 is f4. Should I suck it up and MF with the 11-16 for the speed?

Thanks!

 

[molsen]

If you're going to be doing landscape and other still shots, manual focus on the 11-16 should be a breeze. Not so for moving subjects, however.

Regarding aperture: On one hand, the f/2.8 on the 11-16 is nice because it'll be better indoors and in the evening. BUT, if you're just doing daytime shots, the f/4 of the 12-24 will be fine because you'll be stopping down to f/8 or so on either lens anyways for the depth of field.

The only problem with the 12-24 f/4 is that it's kinda soft at f/4 at the long end of the zoom range. You have to stop down to f/5.6 to get it sharp again, whereas the 11-16 f/2.8 is sharp throughout the entire zoom range at any aperture.

Unless you're confident in your MF abilities, get the 12-24, unless you don't think you'll be photographing any moving subjects. You'll hate yourself for missing good shots while you're on vacation. When you get the D90 or better body with internal motor, sell it and get the 11-16. It's one of the better wide angle zooms you can get for a DX body.

 

[psesinkclee]

Thanks for the reply.

It looks like between the 2 lenses I posted earlier that the 11-16 is the winner and the MF won't be bad (plus, then I'll have a nice lens when I get my d90 in the future).

I've been searching online and also see the Sigma 10-20mm and the new Sigma 8-16mm have built in motors and can work with my current body.

Any thoughts on these as well?

 

[molsen]

I still like the 11-16 because it's faster (f/2.8)

 

[traylorc]

I just purchased the Tokina 11-16 to go with my d90 and I so far I really like the results.

As a noob, I'm still learning the nuances of photography...but nonetheless I like what I'm seeing so far.

 

[Dao]

Everybody is different. So, maybe set you existing lens (18-55mm) to MF and then use it. If you like it, that's cool ... if you hate it ... then you may need to find a different solution.

 

[psesinkclee]

Everybody is different. So, maybe set you existing lens (18-55mm) to MF and then use it. If you like it, that's cool ... if you hate it ... then you may need to find a different solution.

I shot some scenic shots from my apartment of the lovely vacant lot with building rubble and the university down the road haha. Not quite scenic, but its what I have to work with here in Albany right now.

I used my Sigma 50mm 1.4 and used MF. Not too hard with the helpful focus dot that lights up. I'll play around with it for a while then see what I should do.


BUT, that new Sigma ultra wide 8-16 is still enticing

 

[Infidel]

Everybody is different. So, maybe set you existing lens (18-55mm) to MF and then use it. If you like it, that's cool ... if you hate it ... then you may need to find a different solution.

Good advice in theory, however I personally wouldn't recommend MF performance on the 18-55mm kit lens to be used as a bench mark. What I mean by this is that the focus ring is incredibly thin (difficult to grip), as well as somewhat loose and wobbly. All in all, it provides horrible tactile feedback as you're attempting to focus. On the other hand, a proper MF lens (or at least something a considerable step up from the kit lens, ergonomics-wise) is a completely different animal when attempting manual focus...it's much easier. Given enough light and a decent focus ring, using MF on a baby Nikon isn't that bad.