15-85mm or a real ultrawide?

I have both, and love them both. It's about the look, if you want the UWA look and creativity it brings then the 10mm is a must. If looking for a walk around that will be more versatile then the 15-85 is the lens. I use my 15-85 and 70-200 more for my "street stuff" than I do my 10-22. The 10mm UWA can make people look a bit odd at times, but also can be quite fun.

I've had a few ultrawides in the past and never used them much. All eventually sold. Unless you're serious about landscapes, 15 is pretty wide on a crop. I won't ever buy an ultra wide again, just too specialized.

Earwax69 wrote in post #14838859
What range do you think you use most on the 15-85? I am now thinking that 700$ might be a bit too much for my modest needs...

Strangely, I find myself mostly at the extremes of this lens. I'm either reaching out at 70-85mm or trying to fit everything in at 15-35mm. What does go in its favour is the ability to leave the house with just one lens. I could probably use a 10-22mm as I want to shoot more composed shots requiring massive DOF but for now, the 15-85mm is very versatile and fits most everything I shoot.

Now, going back and looking at your original list, it looks like you have 50mm and up already well covered. If you did go for the 15-85mm, you might not use your 50mm or 85mm very much if at all and could give you the option of selling both to help finance the move to the zoom. Alternatively, I would like to point out that there have been times when I would have killed for f1.8 @ 85mm rather than my f5.6 regardless of its great IS.

Unless you're dirty, filthy rich, lenses are always going to be a compromise.

I could buy all the L lineup right now but there's really no need as photography is just a hobby for me. Also the wife would be soooo wtf! What did you do with our money??!!

Like you say, I dont plan to sell my primes as they are quite useful and dear to me. However I've got a 2011 mac mini that I could sell. I absolutly dont use it.

I totally understand! It's what happen most of the time when I use my zooms.

The 10-22mm make more sens as it covers what I miss but practicaly, if I need to change lens each time I want to pass 22mm, it's going to be more a lenses changing competition than street photography session.

Tomorow morning I go downtown trying what I have. I'll bring the 18-55mm, the 55-250mm and the 50mm 1.8. At the end of the day I might have a better idea of what I need.

Problem is I got so much job to do that I dont even know when I will be able to go shooting (apart tomorow)... clients keep my busy nights and week-ends.

I went to shoot this morning, first in some rather poor residential area (more traditional japanese houses) then at a park. For the small streets of Japan, 18mm doesn't cut it. It was too tight. That eliminate lenses like the new 18-135mm. At the park, I used the 55-250mm most. It's really the ideal lens for anything with kids and animals.

My 18-55mm IS gave quite poor corner sharpness for most of the pics I took. I sure hope the 15-85mm will be better in that regard.

When I had this question, I went for the Tokina 12-24F4. Sometimes, 12mm isn't wide enough on my crop bodies, but this is rare.
I also have the Canon 24-105L, and I can tell you that it is a very sharp lens, especially at the wide end.
The reviews of the 15-85IS are variable. Some have it sharper at the long end in the corners, and some have it sharper at the wide end. You do get lots of vignetting and distortion at the wide end, something that I now can avoid with the Tokina and the 24-105L combo.
If you want sharp corners at the wide end, you may consider the Canon 10-22. It is not an easy feat to find a lens this wide that will give you sharp corners at 10 mm.
My 18-55IS did pretty well in the corners outside, stopped down. Wide open, there was too much distortion at 18mm, too much vignetting, and 18 is not wide enough sometimes. It is here that an ultrawide will help out.
What do you want to photograph, and how often? If you have a frequent want to shoot architecture, I'd want a real ultrawide.

Earwax69 wrote in post #14837727
Hi! I was looking for a prime in the wide end but though that maybe the 15-85mm would fit the bill better. I want to get a wider lens to try a bit of street photography.

Here what I use mainly:

Canon 24mm 2.8 - too soft
Canon 50mm 1.8
Canon 85mm 1.8
Canon 18-55mm IS II
Canon 55-250mm IS
Tamron 90mm Macro.

The lenses I use the most outdoor are the 55-250mm and the Tamron macro.

The main selling point of the 15-85mm for me is the 15mm. It's wider than anything I got. Then there's USM and IS.

I'll go in the city this week-end to see what I use most. The 18-55mm or my 55-250mm.

Can you clarify street photography for me please. I read it as taking candids of people in the street, but others have interpretated it as taking architecture shots.

For people in the streets then the 15-85 will be great as long as light levels are good. The extra 3mm from your 18-55 will be significant, its a LOT wider than you would think.

For shots of architecture the an ultra wide is a great lens BUT, I find unless you have something strong immediately in the foreground to anchor the shot, then the subject is usually a distant blob on the horizon.

I'll post a shot to show you what I mean. As I had to back away from this Cathedral to get it all in, even at 10mm, look how much of the shot would be empty and boring without the stone in the foreground. Now if you're shooting vertical then this doesn't count as the foreground is easy to fill, if you're not then you have to find something else. Also look at the distortion, another downside to the UWA, some like it, some don't. This is an example shot only ( I haven't corrected the distortion in post processing ) to show you the characteristics of ultra wide angle lens.

You could still use the 15-85 and stitch shots instead.

Sorry to revive the thread. I am still struggling with my decision.

So far, what I have gathered is that the 15-85mm lens is a brutally honest lens. Nothing to hide. It's good for black and white street photos and landscape but quite bad for portrait and low light.

I got few choices still;

- Canon 15-85mm and live with it, --700$

- Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 + Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 --760$

- Canon 10-22mm. And switch to my 55-250 when I want less wide. --632$

I love the fact that I dont need to change lenses with the 15-85mm however the lack of DoF will make all my photos look like documentary pics.

The tamron+Tokina look like a good idea at first except that the combo will weight 400g more than the 15-85mm.

I'll probably go with the 15-85mm even if I am salivating for the 10-22mm. Not sure the wife will be happy about it though...


@h14nha: Sorry, I though I replied to your post before... Amazing photo! I see what you mean with the distortion... Still the front mossy tomb is making your photo. Very nice.

I personally don't like zooms for (people in the) street photography - it takes too long to frame a shot with a zoom, by which time people are more likely to notice you and change the shot - with a prime, you move into position then take it. And I often opt for shallow DOF.

The 15-85 is a great one-lens solution for outside photography (I have owned it). 15mm is plenty wide for most landscapes. The 10-22 really shines when taking photos of architecture, particularly in cities when you can't back further up. It is a fun lens. I usually walk around the city with it and a prime or two.

@davomate: I do plan to get the 30mm 1.4 this year. The price have dropped to 334$ here in japan. However I want more wide for my immediate needs. Japan streets are small, really small. I plan to use 15 to 22mm, shoot people like mad, then crop and keep the best parts afterward. Also I need the 15mm because last week-end, 18mm was clearly not enough.

I would really like to have the 10-22mm however I would mean changing lenses far too often for my taste. It's fine when you prepare your shots but for snatching away with the family, it's not really an option.

I dont plan to do landscape (I dont have a car!) and I am a bit fed up with the temples and castles of Japan. However I love the small streets and weird little houses. 10mm might be too distorted for such personnal subjects. Hopefully 15mm will do the trick.

My biggest reluctance to get the 15-85mm is that the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 is only 230$ here. A third of the price of the Canon. And I really love a good deal.

The 15-85 is a great lens
Since i have it i seldom use my very sharp 10-20 (sigma)
The versatility light weight and IQ are just great!
Do note that 15 is significantly wider than 17 (i used to have the 17-85)
Well no matter what lens you use the narrow street of japan are great !!

Thanks Omer for the positive feedback.

"Do note that 15 is significantly wider than 17" I sure hope!!

I've found that my first forays with the 10-22mm have resulted in me throwing away a lot more shots, because the 10-22mm is a demanding lens to shoot with, especially if, like me, you're relatively new to DSLR photography.

When you nail it though, it's brilliant; the impact you can squeeze into a frame is remarkable!

pw wrote in post #14869782
=pw+;14869782]I've found that my first forays with the 10-22mm have resulted in me throwing away a lot more shots, because the 10-22mm is a demanding lens to shoot with, especially if, like me, you're relatively new to DSLR photography.

When you nail it though, it's brilliant; the impact you can squeeze into a frame is remarkable!

Exactly. the 10-22mm is a difficult lens due to the perspective distortion, but there are some shots that are impossible with anything else. I only bring it out when I know I need it, which is often! Anyone doing urban photography, architecture and landscape on a crop sensor will probably consider it their favourite lens, as I do.
I think one really needs both the 15-85mm and the 10-22mm.

an expensive hobby!!