Could I have some wide angle lens advice please?

[Ari]

I have a Nikon D7000 which came with a "kit" lens, 18 - 105VR

I really need a wider angle lens for taking photos of things like small rooms, car interiors, that kind of thing. But they need to be of the best quality I can get.

Any advice on what's good to get? Keeping the price down is important, but good photos more so. I don't want to spend £300 on a lens just to be disappointed and have to spend even more on top, rather get the right thing straight off.

[K12beano]

Ari said:

... they need to be of the best quality I can get.

Yup - OK

Ari said:

Keeping the price down is important, but good photos more so. I don't want to spend £300 on a lens just to be disappointed and have to spend even more on top, rather get the right thing straight off.

A-ha....

I think you will need to decide one way or another. The "best quality" could be significantly more than £300. £300 might be good quality, but not "the best". My benchmark would be a 14mm f/2.8, or a rather specialised fish-eye. That might not be yours.....


Do you want fish-eye or rectilinear for a start?

[Ari]

The £300 was as an example. I don't want to spend £300 and then two months later spend £700 because the £300 wasn't up to snuff and find myself down a grand for a £700 lens in a bid to save money.

I need the photos to end up looking as natural as possible, although appreciate some distortion is inevitable. But I want to try and avoid the goldfish bowl look if that makes sense?

[Gad-Westy]

The two I would look at are the tokina 11-16 2.8 and Sigma 8-16 (this won't take filters though). In my opinion these are the best ultra wides available for crop bodies. Both around £500 I would imagine.

[Simpo Two]

If money is no object I was going to suggest the Nikon 14-24mm f2.8, but 14mm on DX may not be wide enough.

How about the Nikon 10-24mm?

www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/10-24mm.htm

[Ari]

Gad-Westy said:

The two I would look at are the tokina 11-16 2.8 and Sigma 8-16 (this won't take filters though). In my opinion these are the best ultra wides available for crop bodies. Both around £500 I would imagine.

Thank you.

That Sigma seems good value from Amazon; £800 down to £430, it's £550 at Jessops.:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-8-16mm-f4-5-5-6-Niko...

This is encouraging in a review too:

Importantly, this not a fisheye lens - this a true rectilinear lens - straight lines in the real world end up straight in your images.


Tokina seems to get plenty of rave reviews!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tokina-ATX-116-AF11-16mm-N...

[YorkshirePudding]

I've got a Tokina 11-16 and really like it.

Some sample shots on the Tokina Flickr group for you,

http://www.flickr.com/groups/tokina11-16mm/

Edited by YorkshirePudding on Friday 27th January 19:16

[Ari]

Simpo Two said:

If money is no object I was going to suggest the Nikon 14-24mm f2.8, but 14mm on DX may not be wide enough.

How about the Nikon 10-24mm?

www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/10-24mm.htm

I am tempted to get a proper Nikon lens. I'm battling against the fact that they're so much more money (that I could really do without spending) vs getting the very best I can on the basis of buy cheap - buy twice.

Lot of money though...

[Ari]

YorkshirePudding said:

I've got a Tokina 11-16 and really like it.

Some sample shots on the Tokina Flikr group for you,

http://www.flickr.com/groups/tokina11-16mm/

I really like that Volvo photo!

Thank you.

Trouble is, it's "only" £160 less than the Nikon...

[lloyd h]

Ari said:

YorkshirePudding said:

I've got a Tokina 11-16 and really like it.

Some sample shots on the Tokina Flikr group for you,

http://www.flickr.com/groups/tokina11-16mm/

I really like that Volvo photo!

Thank you.

Trouble is, it's "only" £160 less than the Nikon...

But its just as good if not better, read the Ken Rockwell review of it http://www.kenrockwell.com/tokina/11-16mm.htm

I have one and I'm chuffed with it!

[Ari]

lloyd h said:

But its just as good if not better, read the Ken Rockwell review of it http://www.kenrockwell.com/tokina/11-16mm.htm

I have one and I'm chuffed with it!

Agreed, but then at the bottom he says "I do know I always opt for the camera-brand lens when I have the chance, since it costs the least long-term."

Hmmm....

[Gad-Westy]

To be honest I think the tokina 11-16 is a fair bit better than the Nikon.

[lloyd h]

Ari said:

lloyd h said:

But its just as good if not better, read the Ken Rockwell review of it http://www.kenrockwell.com/tokina/11-16mm.htm

I have one and I'm chuffed with it!

Agreed, but then at the bottom he says "I do know I always opt for the camera-brand lens when I have the chance, since it costs the least long-term."

Hmmm....

Pretty simple decision for me, save £160-180 on buying the Tokina or spend the extra on the Nikon for the name.

[Ari]

Gad-Westy said:

To be honest I think the tokina 11-16 is a fair bit better than the Nikon.

Just reading the reviews, it is raved about for sure!

A more comfortable price too, think this is at the top of my shopping list right now...

[Simpo Two]

Ari said:

I am tempted to get a proper Nikon lens. I'm battling against the fact that they're so much more money (that I could really do without spending) vs getting the very best I can on the basis of buy cheap - buy twice.

Lot of money though...

Well, (1) it's not doing any good in your bank account (2) you're not spending it as such, merely moving it from one place (bank) to another (lens), and (3) you have a more valuable asset if you need/want to sell it. The bragging rights are just a bonus


ETA You could also consider s/h via eBay etc.

Edited by Simpo Two on Friday 27th January 23:38

[RobDickinson]

BTW there is a new 11-16 mkII on the way with better flare and coatings and an improved focus motor.

[kman]

the tokina 11-16 is long time rated as the best dx format UWA. If it is out of budget then the Sigma 10-20 is a good for the money.

[IrateNinja]

Another user of the Tokina here, absolutely no complaints and have been very impressed with its quality since picking it up.

For what it's worth, I'm sure the Sigma 8-16 was a fair bit more expensive than what Amazon have it for now when I was looking, and had it been £430 then I'd have looked at it a lot more closely.

[Ari]

RobDickinson said:

BTW there is a new 11-16 mkII on the way with better flare and coatings and an improved focus motor.

A new Tokina? Any idea when? Might be worth hanging on for the new one (and if it's dearer then the current one is likely to be cheaper in any case).

Doesn't seem to be on their web site yet.

http://www.tokinalens.com/products/tokina/index.ht...

Edited by Ari on Saturday 28th January 12:26

[anonymous-user]

I have the Tokina 11-16mm for my D90 and I can't rate it highly enough, and it doesn't surprise me to read that people rate it above the nearest comparable Nikon own brand.

It's is a great lens that is really, really sharp.

I love mine and I would have to be offered something pretty serious to get me to change.

I paid £470 for mine brand new a couple of months ago from some shady chinese ebay seller operating out of a flat in some awful part of London.