Which wide angle lens should i choose?

I'm looking for a wide angle lens to use with my D200. So far I looked at Nikons 12-24mm f4 and Sigmas 10-20mm f4-5.6 and Im tempted to go for the cheaper option and get the Sigma, but the Nikon is also within range if I find thats its worth the extra 400 bucks.

But then I found Tamrons 11-18mm f 4.5-5.6 and Tokinas 12-24mm f4. I have no experience with Tamron and Tokina, so are these lense any good? The Tokina seems interesting after reading some online reviews.

So any opinions on these lenses?

 

don't know about the tamron, i've heard the tokina has really awful CA, and i've heard the sigma is ok. If i had the money, i'd get the Nikkor, if you were to sell it it wouldn't depreciate as much for when you sell it back.

 

I went for the Sigma on my canon and I have no regrets. When looking used, I only saw the sigma for $450 and new was$500. I ended up getting mine much cheaper, so maybe that's why I have no regrets.
Dug

 

Thanks for your replies,

Although I can afford the Nikon lens, $400 saved, is still $400 towards something else The resell value is a good point, but not really an argument for spending an extra 400 in my opinion. If I beat it up enough, those money are lost anyway

I must admit Im leaning towards the Sigma right now, but I did read somewhere that it is not too sharp on 20mm? Any experience with that?

I tried both the Nikon and the Sigma on a camera in a store, and Nikon seemed to have a little less distortion than the Sigma lens on 12mm. But the Sigma lens seemed surprisingly good for a wide lens at this price.

 

I've been using the Sigma 10-20 on a D200 for about a year now and love it. It prouces nice colors and is sharp. A nikon lens is always going to be better and I have not tried the Nikon 12-24 so I cant compare but in my opinion the sigma is great, good build quality to. As for the 20mm end I think you'll find you rarely use it for anything other than 10mm. If you're going wide you want to go wide. If I was going to shoot at 20 I would use my 18-70mm. Put that 400 towards another flash or an get an SB800 or a couple sb600 and start useing Nikons creative lighting system.

 

When I used to work on 35mm, I had an 18mm and a 35mm lens that used to be my favorites for the type of stuff I will use the Sigma for, so although Im getting this for the wide end, using it on 20mm would be nice instead of changing lenses. I do not have a zoom in the 18-xx range that most people seem to have these days, although I used to have an 17-35, but I found myself using it mostly on 17mm and missing a wider lens. So if the Sigma is usable all the way it would be a good choice I think.

Is the Sigma nice and sharp in the corners as well?

Spending what I save will be no problem I'm also considering getting Sigmas 30mm 1.4 or Nikons 50mm 1.4. Always nice to have a fast lens in the bag as I'm not really a flash type of guy.

 

Here is a review site that probably speaks to the sharpness and such
http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html
dug

 

my uncle has the sigma 10-20 and loves it. I can't say much more than that though...

 

I own the 10-20mm ultra wide Sigma. Its not a speed demon, in fact its quite slow, but the focus speed is quick and quality is very good.

I love the pictures it takes.

 

Ok, after reading some more reviews, I am far from convinced that the Nikon is worth the extra $.

So I went to my local camera store, and they let me borrow the Sigma 10-20 over the weekend. I'll do some test shooting, and if I'm happy with what I see, I'll probably go for it!

 

I have the 14mm f/2.8 Nikkor, no regrets.

 

I was considering Nikons 12-24mm, without realizing they had the 14mm 2.8!

Thanks, gotta check that one out, it probably makes more sense than a 10-20 zoom anyway!