Ultra Wide Angle Lens

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Ade B

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Tokina 11-16


Anyone on here got one. Does the novelty wear off?

Cheers

Ade
 
I don't have that lens, but I do have the Canon 10-22mm. It's a wonderful lens for landscapes and some indoor shots - I wouldn't want to be without it now.
 
Haven't got one yet but am sorely tempted for interior shots of projects and also the odd landscape..

It will also mean a new camera bag..

Mrs B is taking a dim view.. she was happy for me to dabble with welding glass filters (about £2).. :rolleyes:

Anyone got one (Nikon fit) they never use?
 
I've seen estate agents use them for interior shots.

From the photos I've seen it obviously captures a lot of room's features but I find the perspective a bit misleading. It depends what you're after I guess.
 
The photographer who took the brochure photos for my flat used one. He managed to capture an image of my dining room which is not large by making it look very poky. The perspective is very distorting.
 
Is there really a need for ultra wide angle lenses? I ask, because most digital cameras offer a stitch system where you can take a series of pictures which are stitched together to form a landscape type picture. I ask this not from a photographers viewpoint or any remote knowledge of wide angle lenses:D
 
For example have a look at the photos for this house:

link

The rooms are considerably smaller than the photos makes them look
 
Without you seeing the actual house it's perhaps hard to tell.

In those pictures the depth has been exaggerated by about 30%.
 
True - but I was thinking more of the fisheye look that some lens give. That lens "flatters" the room. Mind you if I was looking to buy I would be a wee bit miffed to be so misled and it would actually put me off the house / agent.
 
I was thinking more of this sort of thing than crappy estate agent pics.

Having said that, it would be useful for interior pics of completed projects - its very difficult to get across a completed bathroom space without it looking like an advert for tiles or taps..
 
I regularly use a 16~35mm f/2.8 on various Canon bodies. Much depends on sensor size too. On an APS-C Canon sensor there is a 1.6 crop factor so that 16mm encompasses the angle of view equivalent to a modest 25.6mm on a 35mm frame (24 x 36mm) The Canon APS-H sensor has a 1.3 crop factor so 16mm shows an angle of view equivalent to 20.8mm. This lens only produces the 16mm angle of view of about 104 degrees on a full frame 35mm sensor.

The Tokina lens will mandate a 77mm filter because the constant f/2.8 aperture while zooming requires a large piece of glass for light gathering. It has a constant f/2.8 aperture and it will produce a 104 degree angle of view but it is only designed to work on an APS-C sensor sized camera. If you have a Canon camera, you will need it to be capable of taking EF-S lenses.

You should ask yourself why you think you need to buy this focal length because this lens can be hired for a trial week for £42 which is a small cost for discovering whether you like the image it provides. Check the compatibility notes and you are good to go.

Wide shots on small formats will always show some form of distortion at the frame edges and things to watch for are barrel distortion on straight edges near to the frame edge, very small subject matter in the image frame and distortion of human features with the camera too near to the subject. Post image capture processing may be needed and onerous.

Upside may include excellent sharpness in depth with little need to focus so, as a walkabout lens, wide-angle views tend to be more snapshot ready. Including more of the subject (the more you include the smaller the image in the frame except when very close) so a scene in a narrow street can be taken with a wide-angle lens and show far more than a standard lens will cover. Downside may be uneven illumination of image frame edges because of substantial vignetting as you close the aperture down.

The view of wide shots can look a little formulaic and some imagination is required to make the most of the extreme viewpoint. Try to keep the camera back vertical and perpendicular to the ground. A tripod can be very helpful in achieving this when shooting wide-angle.
 
Tokina 11-16


Anyone on here got one. Does the novelty wear off?

I've got a 11-18.

The novelty does wear off a bit IME but not in a bad way.

I refer to mine as my 'magic weapon'. When at events where things are confined, or there are people and no room you can get in close and make a shot.

Problem is the desire to go wider. I've been tempted by the Sigma 8-16.
 
Think I'll try the hire route first, bit more cost effective. I've a D90 - its a slippery slope.

I'm not worried about distortion as Lightroom gets rid of the silly wavy stuff and a bit of wide angle zoomy perspective is part of the fun.

I've appeased Mrs B by not buying a lens (or a new iMac which I've been eyeing up after borrowing one last weekend for a competition entry) instead I've just bought a new monitor :D

Need to get out this weekend and take some pics.


Cheers

Ade
 
I've got a 10-24 wide angle lens and having recently come back from a great driving holiday around southern Ireland I think your concerns are well placed, I probably took 400 pics but only a handful where I used the wide angle.
My Nikon 18-200 is great for landscapes and close ups and I would not worry now going away without my ultra wide because I know that for 95% of shots the 18 mm lens is fine:

Here are some of those where I took the trouble to put the ultra wide on...

DSC_0329.jpg


DSC_0245.jpg


DSC_0184.jpg


DSC_0174.jpg


DSC_0115.jpg
 
Would moving from a DX camera like D90 to FX like D700 give you what you're seeking. I have the D90 but am tempted to go FX
 
An ultra-wide is a very useful tool ... there are many situations where you simply can't get further back with a standard wideangle.

Years ago I used a Tamron SP 17mm with my 35mm bodies, not crazy wide but just so handy for interiors and travel. I vowed to stick to just two lenses when I went digital ... my current 'walkaround' is a 17-85 but due to the crop factor that's equivalent to 27mm at the wide end. I do miss being able to go wider.
 
My current "walkabout" is the nikkor 18-200. Same as Clegsr and I think *** uses same lens too. It covers off 95% ofwhat I want. I also have a 60mm f2.8 for photographing macro shots. Think I should have gone for the 105mm f2.8 but too late now. If I went FX the 60mm would be fine but the 18-200 is DX so would be cropped at the sensor. Am tempted with a wide angle though too
 
Nice pics Clegsr. You've sort of confirmed what I thought in that whilst useful to have in the bag, it becomes an expensive bit of ballast for a lot of the time... :). The 18-105 kit lens I've got covers most wide angle stuff.

Re full frame - fast growing Baby B starts nursery with his brother in a few weeks :eek: so burning £xk on new kit is not an option currently sadly - I've hardly touched the limits of the kit I've got. Firmly of the belief that it is not the gear that makes the picture. I've just entered this. Kit is not a big consideration :D

I had a go on a friend's D700 and was surprised at the weight (not up there with a D3 mind) but was impressed by the quality of the pics, as much to do with the quality glass he was using and what he pointed at. If I did take the plunge to full frame I'd consider jumping to Canon.
 

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