Cheap and Wide Angle?

[droosan]

Since moving from EOS 3 to 10D, I miss the EOS 3's faster focusing, quicker shutter response and larger, more informative viewfinder. But I console myself with the belief that in a year or so I should be able to afford a used 1D(mark I) that will fix those problems.

But the one thing that I can't wait that long for is wide angle. I don't mean really wide, I mean, 24mm at 35mm equiv. This has started me thinking thoughts that I have never thought, buying a non-Canon lens.

Does anyone know of a cheap (<$500) 14-17mm prime lens that works half-way decently on a 10D? (doesn't have to be very wide aperture. f/4 will do)

BHphoto has a Tokina AF 17mm f/3.5 AT-X 17AF Pro Aspherical Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS for $409 but marks it "Special Order". Does anyone have or know anything about this lens? Photodo gives it a 3.0 which isn't awful for something this wide. Does anyone have a Tokina lens they like? I know people will trash them, especially on this site, but I am not going to afford Canon's 14/2.8 for a long time ($1800), and after I get my 1D, Canon's 20mm ($400) will do.

[GPR1]

I don't know anything about the Tokina lens, but for a little more money than your budget you can get Canon's 17-40 f4 L, my favorite lens I own. Excellent quality. If you can swing the extra cash, it's a top choice.

Greg

[photamat]

I don't know about a prime lens but I own a sigma 15-30. Its a decent lens for its price(around US$500.00).

[SWPhotoImaging]

For just a little more than your $500 target, you can have a very fine 14mm prime in the Sigma 14mm f2.8 EX Asphyrical HSM lens. I love mine. Fast AF, great low-light, extreme DOF, colors are good, etc. Of course if you later move to a full-frame sensor, you'll be taking a lot of pictures with your feet in them :)

[droosan]

For just a little more than your $500 target, you can have a very fine 14mm prime in the Sigma 14mm f2.8 EX Asphyrical HSM lens. I love mine. Fast AF, great low-light, extreme DOF, colors are good, etc. Of course if you later move to a full-frame sensor, you'll be taking a lot of pictures with your feet in them :)

I don't think my wife would agree that $900 is "just a little more than" $500. :)

Thanks, everyone. Some good ideas. Keep'm coming.

[Laziferous]

How about $700? That's only a little more than $500... kind of :lol:

I have to agree about the 17-40 f4L lens. I own this lens, and can vouch for the quality. It is a little out of your price range though. Get used to people recommending higher quality lenses. It's just a fact that they're better. Most people don't consider the monetary aspect when giving a recommendation on a lens. They are simply recommending what they believe to be the best lens, for whatever focal length is being asked about. It's unfortunate, but in most cases, quality will cost you. That of course, doesn't apply to the "nifty fifty", and similar.

Good luck in your quest.

[gcogger]

I've been thinking about the same sort of lens myself. I've seen quite a few good comments about that Tokina lens and no bad ones :-) As well as being very good optically, it is supposed to feel pretty tough. Search for comments about the lens on this and, possibly, the dpreview forums.

[SWPhotoImaging]

Actually, you can find the Sigma for much less than $900.

Here's a mint cond one on eBay with a "buy it now" price of $519:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4687&item=38236178 67&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

And a brand new one for $675:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4687&item=38232906 19&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Still isn't <$500 though :wink:

[daaaveman]

I don't have one, but people sure seem enamoured with the sigma 12-24....it runs $669 new at B&H. It doesn't get any wider than that.

[Andy_T]

Ever heard about the Zenitar 16 mm/2.8 Manual Focus Fish-Eye lens?

Sold for about 150$ new on eBay.

Of course, you'll have some distortion with it (it's a fish-eye lens), but this can be corrected with software like Pano-Tools, for example.

There are some older threads on the forum ... but they may not be possible to find, since the board search is not working correctly for older posts.

Daaaveman ... It doesn't get wider, huh?
There also is a Peleng 8 mm manual fisheye lens... THAT should be wide enough!
I think Guillermo freige owns one and has posted some very nice photos with it.

Best regards,
Andy

[daaaveman]

Good point. I knew better......ya got me. Sigma makes an 8mm fisheye too.....

[hodad66]

Don't have it yet but hear good things about the sigma 15 fisheye..... use

debarrelizer or panotools to adjust distortion or leave it fisheye....... :)

http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/product-features.asp?id=744523197

[droosan]

Don't have it yet but hear good things about the sigma 15 fisheye..... use

debarrelizer or panotools to adjust distortion or leave it fisheye....... :)

http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/product-features.asp?id=744523197

The description on that website says that the lens has 180 degree field of view. Is that correct? Does anyone know of a way to convert lens length to field of view?

[Haifidelity]

I used the affordable Tokina 19-35 F/3.4-4.5 (less than $200.00) but just recently sold it. Not because it wasn't any good, it actually was a very good performing lens and had no reservation about it's quality for landscape work at f/8.0+

From all reports, the Tokina 17mm F/3.5 prime is a good performer too, but I have no first hand experience.

[hodad66]

droosan, on the 10D with 1.6 factor you're looking at 24mm :oops:

[droosan]

droosan, on the 10D with 1.6 factor you're looking at 22.4mm

Thanks. How did you work that out? 15x1.6 = 24. So does 180 degrees not equal 15mm? I am thinking 15mm has to be less than 180 degrees. Do anyone know of a table or a formula?

[Jesper]

How about $700? That's only a little more than $500... kind of :lol:

And $700 is surely a LOT less than $900!! :lol:

I have to agree about the 17-40 f4L lens. I own this lens, and can vouch for the quality.

Another vote for the 17-40 L, it's a very good, high-quality and very popular wide angle zoom lens, and not expensive for an L lens.

[SWPhotoImaging]

I guess I min-understood the original question, in which a PRIME lens recommendation was requested. If I were going to buy a (anopther) wide zoom, there are only a couple of lenses I'd be interested in, and they are both Canon "L" glass. Not exactly in the $500 range, I'm afraid. . . .

[RbnDave]

Everytime the subject of cheap wide angle comes up I rave about my Tokina 17mm. This lens is great. It is very, very sharp and built strong too. For some reason no one else has this lens. I own the Tokina 17mm and Tamron 28-75. That combo is as sharp in my opinion as any canon L lens in that same focal length range. Save your money and get the Tokina. You won't miss zoom at wide angles.

[hodad66]

Here is a pbase link with shots from the sigma 15

http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/15_28_ex

on the 10D it won't be 180 degrees...... and another link
for Debarrelizer so that you can streighten the distortion.

http://www.theimagingfactory.com/

[blackviolet]

The description on that website says that the lens has 180 degree field of view. Is that correct? Does anyone know of a way to convert lens length to field of view?

on a film body or 1Ds, it's 180degrees from corner to corner diagonally. on the 10d, it's quite a bit less than that, but it's still pretty fishy and wide. i love mine. i have the zenitar as well, but the sigma with its AF is great for so many different things... plus it's an EX

[Andy_T]

Blackviolet,

that is very intersting ...

apart from the MF vs AF, how does the 150$ Zenitar compare to the 500$ Sigma?

(Sharpness, fishyness :lol:)

Best regards,
Andy