Best landscape lens // For the new photographer on a budget // Please share.

Good evening POTN members. Thank you for taking the time to read my questions. I'm budget minded and very new to DP. I would like you fine folks to share with me my options on the best budget lens for Landscapes. I would like to shoot Sunsets and lightning. The Glass will be attached to either a 1D MkII body, or a 40D that will be purchased next week.
Please share your experiences with me and help me gain some knowledge...Thank you for taking the time....SK

The 17-40L probably is your cheapest bet that will fit on the 1DII, but is still a great lens. An used one is about $600.

+1 for 17-40L... you have no really choices (except maybe the Tamron 17-35 which seems fine too) if you search a lens usable on a 1D & crop sensor

Titi

If you feel up to manual focusing, you could look for one of OM Zuiko 21/2.8, 24/2.8, 28/2.8 and an adapter. Each would probably cost you $100-$200 and a high quality adapter ($80 from Fotodiox) is worth the investment. There are f/2 versions of these lenses but they tend to be awfully expensive. The f/3.5 versions are fine and very inexpensive. There's also a Zuiko 16/4 fisheye and 18... both tend to be expensive but they work really well on the APS-H format.

You can also use a Canon 10-22 on the 1D series if you remove the plug on the back of the lens and don't use it shorter than 12 mm. I tried this on my 1D3 and 1D4. A 12 mm lens on the APS-H sensor gives you about 100 degrees field of view.

Finally, the 17-40 is a really good lens when stopped down to f/8. Since you're thinking of photographing lightning (which usually comes with wind and rain) you will need a filter to seal it. You will probably need a fairly dense ND filter too...

On a budget I'd get the 40D and then look at the EF-S 18-55 IS. There is not lens in this price range that will beat the 18-55 for landscapes, and the lens covers the heart of the range you will need (though something down to 15mm would be better I have to admit).

If you had more money to spend, the EF-S 15-85 would be worth considering mainly for that 15mm end.

You can use almost any lens for landscapes?!

24 2.8

28-105 3.5-4.5 II

Sigma, Tamron and Tokina all make decent UWA for crops.

Any of the kit lens replacement lenses (or even a kit lens...) for crops.

If you're shooting stopped down, they'll all give you decent pics. Just depends how slim the budget is

"On a budget I'd get the 40D and then look at the EF-S 18-55 IS"
+1

18-55 kit lens for landscapes on a 1.6 crop??? I hated my kit lenses and sold them first opportunity I got..

IMHO it's worth paying an extra $200 and getting something your happy with.. Nothing worse than always regretting purchases

If u get the 40d I would look at a sigma 10-20.. You could probably pick up a used one for around 400-450.. It's an awsome lens and it's just about as wide as lenses come.. If u get the 1d I would get the 17-40

18 on a crop really doesn't cut it for landscapes in my opinion and you will wish you could go wider

Moto4SK wrote in post #13948703
Good evening POTN members. Thank you for taking the time to read my questions. I'm budget minded and very new to DP. I would like you fine folks to share with me my options on the best budget lens for Landscapes. I would like to shoot Sunsets and lightning. The Glass will be attached to either a 1D MkII body, or a 40D that will be purchased next week.
Please share your experiences with me and help me gain some knowledge...Thank you for taking the time....SK

Hard to recommend anything since you really don't say what your budget limitation is, nor if you are looking for a prime lens or a zoom lens. Many to choose from...a price range/lens type would help to narrow things down, otherwise you'll be getting recommendations that are all over the map. That being said, because of the 40D crop factor you'll probably want a lens that's about 15mm on the wide end, so as someone else has already suggested, the 15-85 would seem to fit the bill.

noisejammer wrote in post #13949541
If you feel up to manual focusing, you could look for one of OM Zuiko 21/2.8, 24/2.8, 28/2.8 and an adapter. Each would probably cost you $100-$200 and a high quality adapter ($80 from Fotodiox) is worth the investment.

Actually, the OM21 is a 3.5, not a 2.8 and sells for much more than $100-$200...closer to $450, give or take.

Quite...if you've got a OM21/2.0 (which exists, as does the 3.5) I'll pay 300 for it, no probs Market price is more like 450 for the 4.5 and over 500-600 for the 2.0.

Landscape doesn't require crazy fast glass - you tend to stop down, shoot from a tripod, all that fun stuff. Also depends on how you want to shoot your landscapes - not everyone likes ultra wide (I don't on full frame most of the time), and my most used landscape lenses are my 24-105 and Contax/Zeiss 35/2.8. Sometimes the 17-40L. Most of my favorite landscape shots are stitched panos, the single shots are often 'longer' than 24mm. Depends on you style - 'landscape photography' is NOT synonymous with 'ultra wide angle' (which I consider anything under 24mm FF equivalent to be).

You can't really go far wrong with the 17-40L. Great glass, fits both cameras, decent range on both, good to very good stopped down, and you won't see the corners (weakest spot) on 1.6 or 1.3x crop. It's just not very wide on a 1.6 crop..

Is outdoors sports your primary? 1dII would make sence then with fast AF lens.
If not, but landscapes, 1DII and old MF lens is simply stupid.
Spend money for 40d, 18-55 Ef-s IS lens, couple of filters, tripod and remote shutter release. And get Lightroom software.

mattia wrote in post #13949918
Quite...if you've got a OM21/2.0 (which exists, as does the 3.5) I'll pay 300 for it, no probs Market price is more like 450 for the 4.5 and over 500-600 for the 2.0.

Apologies - it was early in the morning and I didn't check. You're quite correct on them being 18/3.5, 21/3.5 and 21/2.

As for price - well it depends on where you shop. Visit KEH and you're going to pay quite a bit more than you would if you bought it in a yard sale. $450 for the 21/3.5 seems very high - one was sold on fleabay earlier this month for $315.

The 21/2 is a different story... these fetch a LOT of money - one went for $1400!

If memory serves there's also a Contax 21... something like f/2.8 and similar to the ZE 2.8/21? I expect that would also be north of a kilodollar.

i shoot a load of landscapes....myself. 17-40 f/4 is what i use and what i would suggest....you shoot at f/11 or tighter anyway. the glass is sharp and fairly cheap for "L" series glass. you dont need IS for landscapes and the amount of sharpness you gain from the 17-40 over a kit lens or any other non "L" series is unbeatable. just my $.02

? Any lens with a steady tripod

Thank to each of y'all. Once again this forum is very kind to those of us just starting out in DP. I get my bonus on 3/6 so I'm doing my homework now. I was set on a 1D MkII...however many members have made excellent points about the 40D as my first body. Landscaped and Motocross / Supercross are my passions, and were I've been lurking for some time. Budget? I'm set pretty good at $ 1100.00 to get started. Again the 40D is seems priced right and should get me very good results with a learning curve of course. The other monies will be spent on Glass, Tripod, bag, cards. That being said; I have options. I will pick up my landscape glass first, and focus on a 70/200 f4 in a few months. Thanks again everyone. I'll do some research on reviews for the glass each of y'all suggested....SK