wide angle add on for regular lens?

[mdude85]

Hey...I have a D30 and thinking about getting a 50 1.8 lens. Is there some sort of add-on I can get for a prime lens that lets me shoot at a wider angle, or do I just need to buy a wide angle lens?

[mttmrphy]

First I would recommend the 50mm 1.8 to anyone. Its a fantastic lens for the price!

Depending on how wide you want to go you should most likely just find a nice wide angle lens. You have a lot of options here depending on how much you can spend.

[mdude85]

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I want the 1.8 because I'm on a tight budget. So you would suggest just getting a lens instead of an add on? Is there even such a thing as an add on to get a wide angle effect? What do you know about the EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II ? I think I can get it online, perhaps used, for under $100. Is this a decent quality wide angle lens or crumby? I don't worry too much about over-the-top quality, because I use photoshop a lot and I'll be able to edit the photos.

I am also wondering if there is an add-on for a fisheye effect.

If I could get the 50 1.8 with some sort of "wide angle addition" that would be ideal I think.

[Andy_T]

Mdude,

using the 50 mm with an add on would maybe not make as much sense as buying one of the 28 mm or 35 mm primes in the first place. There are primes available right down to 14 mm (at a price).

Good wide angle cnoverters (like the Olympus WCON-08 or Canon WC 58 ) only change the focal length by a small factor (e.g. 0.8 ). Still, you will most likely lose some sharpness as opposed to the 50/1.8. Also, those converters ain`t cheap, either.

Best regards,
Andy

[FrenchAmateur]

I confirm the recommandation for the 1,8 of 50 mm.

I dont know how the 28-80 II but I have in front of me the tests of the I, III and IV versions...

Optically, it is satisfying, and even good if you close one stop as they are less than average wide open.

Around 1,5% of distorsion at 28 mm.

The III and IV version are "USM", but the "cheap" version that does not allow manual focusing while AF is on (which is the basic advantage of USM...).

So if you find a good one as a second hand, this is not a bad solution.

A better one would be the 28-105, I or II, but only the 3,5-4,5 USM.