Wide angle for my 6D

I tried the search but most wide angle discussions seem to be about crop sensor cameras.

The 24-105 is my walkaround and I am quite happy with the 6D/24-105 combo. I am debating getting a lens that lets me get wider - open to primes and zooms.

Conditions:
- Cannot be too heavy - lighter the better
- budget of around 1000$, can stretch a little maybe

I have read up about the 16-35, 17-40, Tokina 11-16. The TS lenses are out of my price league. The last option is to continue using my Tokina 12-24 (its been left behind in the US while I am in Dubai right now..., so haven't tried it)

Unless you need the 2.8 max aperture, the 17-40 is a good ultrawide.

For a landscape lens, I am not particular about a 2.8. After all, I specialize in F4 and above - 24-105 and the 100-400

Its still a 1 lb lens - I would really like a lightweight or I may never carry it around.

kram wrote in post #16390193
For a landscape lens, I am not particular about a 2.8. After all, I specialize in F4 and above - 24-105 and the 100-400

Its still a 1 lb lens - I would really like a lightweight or I may never carry it around.

You arent going to find a full frame capable zoom wide angle much lighter unless somebody is making one with plastic lenses. You could go with a prime, but at what focal length? I like the ability to control perspective using an ultrawide zoom. I cant imagine being stuck that wide with a prime, but thats me.

It is possible to use your Tokina 12-24, even tho it's technically a "crop only" lens. It will fit and work on a full frame Canon to about 18 or 19mm wide. Any wider than that and you'll get heavy vignetting and might risk the rear element of the lens striking the mirror in the camera (I don't know whether it will or not... have never wanted to risk it). Image quality will not be quite as good as some full frame design ultrawides. There is more wide angle distortion... i.e. the Toki isn't as well corrected for FF.

The 17-40/4 might be your most versatile Canon option at a reasonable price ($840). Since all you have now is f4, that certainly shouldn't bother you on a wider lens, where f2.8 or faster is arguably less necessary than it is on mid-range and tele lenses. The 17-40L comes with a lens hood and uses 77mm filters.

The Canon 16-35/2.8 II is the premium option. At larger apertures it is not as sharp in the corners as the 17-40, though. Plus it's well over your budget ($1700 US). And it uses rather pricey 82mm filters.

The Tokina 11-16 isn't an option. It's another crop only lens. Some use it at 16mm only on FF successfully, but it's sort of a waste to not be able to use it fully.

Tokina does offer the 16-28/2.8 ($700 US), which is a full frame capable lens. Note that it has a protruding front element that makes it very difficult or near impossible to use filters.

Tokina also offers a 17-35/4 ($550), that uses 82mm filters. I don't know much about it.

Personally I use the Canon 20/2.8 quite a bit and like it. It's a bit smaller and lighter than the zooms, though it's somewhat on the large size for a prime. It sells for $480-530 (currently offered with a $50 instant rebate), without a lens hood (add another $20-45 for a hood). Nicely wide with minimal wide angle distortions. It uses 72mm filters. I like it a lot on crop cameras, too.

Sigma offered (maybe still does) a 20/1.8.... I have never used it, but heard quite a bit about lack of sharpness at larger apertures and slower AF. It's an older model without HSM focus. It's also fairly large and heavy for a 20mm prime (82mm filters)... larger and heavier than the Canon 17-40 zoom, in fact.

Heya,

If you just want ultrawide, and want the quality glass, without the cost, you can look into some Rokinon/Samyung/etc glass. Great stuff. Don't let the price make you think you're getting less.

Rokinon 14mm 2.8 comes to mind.

Wide. Fast. Sharp. Manual.

Very best,

Tokina 17mm f/3.5mm prime? Older lens, 77mm thread, good glass, nice and light.

Sigma also makes a 12-24mm for full frame- but it's much bigger and heavier than the Tokina 17mm.

+1 for the Rokinon 14mm (made by Samyang. sold under many names). I just bought it and it's fantastic! I looked at zooms for my 5D3, none of the ultra wides impress me with their test results and they are very expensive. I figured I'll be mostly shooting on the wide end anyway, that's why I went with this lens. It's manual focus and f stop, does not 'talk' to your camera, but it doesn't really matter. Set it to 1.5ft at f5.6 or f8 and you're good to go for landscape.

I only took it out once (yesterday) to try, very pleased. No vignetting worth talking about, ultra sharp, very little to no flare, even with the sun in the image.

I do have the 10-22 Canon for my 40D, a fantastic lens too and one of the reasons I'll never give up my crop camera (and will replace the 40D with something newer eventually)

I really could not be happier. Actually considering one of their TS lenses as a future purchase now. Also a lot cheaper than other options and with a TS I'd use manual focus anyway, and a tripod.

Check them out, read reviews, then buy

Edit to add: there's a long thread about the Samyang/Rokinon 14mm here with many samples, check it out. I did order a focus confirmation chip, which will allow for in camera focus confirmation (beep) which I think will be handy if getting really close, for landscape it's not necessary. If you mainly want to shoot architecture you pretty much need a TS lens if you want to go this wide IMO

How often do you feel that your 24-105 isn't wide enough? If often, a 17-40L is probably a good idea, if not often I would definitely just go with the Samyang 14/2.8 or even the EF 20/2.8.

I would vote for the 17-40. I just got mine for my 6D and I absolutely love it. I've always wanted it on my 7D but didn't like the focal length. Not only are the images excellent but the build quality and overall feel are top notch. Best lens I've owned aside from my 70-200L.

is there a Lightroom profile for the 14mm Rokinon/Samyang..? I didnt see it in the drop down option for lens profiles, but was wondering if there was one that would show up if it recognized the focal length or something.

I personally have a 6D/17-40 combo. It's a great lens (IIRC it's Canon's lightest L lens). It's also "inexpensive" (relative to other L lenses), so it has that going for it.

One complaint I have are soft corners. If you do a search you'll find that's the biggest complaint. That said, I've read that even the 16-35L II falls prey to the same issue. Therefore, if you want corner to corner sharpness, you're likly looking at a prime. And if you're on a budget, I'd go with what everyone else here suggested- the Samyang/Rokinon 14mm.

for the LR profile, read through the thread for the lens, there are links how to find it. I did find it, but still can't see it in LR5, have to dig deeper. Also google might get you some that somebody made. The adobe installer thing says installed. Have to fiddle with it some more, hardly ever use lens correction, but with ultra wide lenses it can be handy. I think there is one for the 40D and one for the 5D2 or something like that.

edit: once installed the lens profile will show under Canon as brand for some reason. I used a profile install app from adobe that's linked somewhere in the thread. Not sure why it shows up as Canon, but don't really care, it works

There are other profiles you can download too, made by other photographers. Might try one if I'm not happy with what I have.

Zeiss 21mm 2.8 or Zeiss 28mm 2.8
They also make an 18mm f4
If I had the money, the 21mm would be on my lens at all times.

for zooms.....

16-35L II = the best

17-40L = runner up