bobgreen Loc: Maryland

I have been reading and researching about various wide angle lenses that may work well on my Nikon d7100. Most , such as the Nikon 10-24 and 12-24 as well as the various Tokinas and the Sigma 10-21 have received very positive reviews. I have narrowed my selection to eliminate those requiring 82mm lens simply because the benefits, if any, with these lens, doesn't justify the increased cost for the filters, polarizers, etc. ( given that all of these lenses perform very well). I've therefore narrowed my decision to the Tokinas 12-24, 12-28, 11-16, and the Nikon 10-24, 12-24. Given the price, used Nikons will suffice and approximate the costs of the others. I'd greatly appreciate the opinions of UHH members based upon real world experiences. Hopefully, I haven't missed other lenses out there! I do anticipate using the lens primarily for landscapes and perspectives. I'm not the "fit-it-all-in-one photo" kind of guy.

Thanks in advance!

Bob

Erik_H Loc: Denham Springs, Louisiana

The Tokina 11-16, while having a very limited zoom range, has served me quite well. Very sharp lens.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You are not likely to use an ultrawide with a circular polarizing filter, due to the uneven effect on blue skies.

https://havecamerawilltravel.com/photographer/polarizing-filter-wideangle-lens/

And for sweeping panoramas, the short focal length will introduce significant extension distortion - making distant objects appear tiny, close objects "larger than life" and lots of sky and foreground that need to be cropped. Also there is another distortion common with ultrawide lenses - anamorphic distortion, or volume anamorphosis - which seriously distorts and stretches elements in a composition. Round objects become egg-shaped, thin people suddenly put on 50 lbs and so on. Ultrawide lenses are best used in close quarters and at their worst when recording broad scenics.

I am not sure what you mean by "perspectives."

When I need to record a sweeping view of something, I typically use a longer lens and create a stitched panorama.

I shoot with a full frame camera, and I have a 14-24 Nikkor lens, and I shoot lots of landscapes, but I would say that it is the lens I use the least. It's too wide and there is too much extension distortion to make it useful for more that just a few special circumstances. This is just an opinion, and there will be many that will respond with how much they love their ultrawide lenses. But after a while, when the novelty wears off, many come to the realization that ultrawide lenses are not suitable for the types of photography they originally had in mind.

Here are a few examples of sweeping panoramas taken with longer lenses ranging from 45mm to 150mm on a full frame camera.

The last image was taken as a single image earlier this week with a 14mm lens.

45mm

(Download)

85mm

(Download)

85mm

(Download)

58mm

(Download)

100mm

(Download)

150mm

(Download)

14mm

(Download)

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

A really nice lens is the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8. An interesting characteric is that it smoothly transitions from barrel distortion to pincushion at 21mm. Very useful to know if minimum distortion is useful for any given shot.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

The Tamron 15-30 is an outstanding lens. I use it (in addition to others) for my architectural and real estate photography.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

IMO, Gene51's thoughtful, detailed comments and excellent photo examples are most useful and worthy of serious consideration by bobgreen, the original poster. /Ralph

Flash Falasca Loc: Beverly Hills, Florida

Had the Tokina 11-16 and now the 11-20, love them although after having the 11-20 wouldn't get the 11-16. I also use 11-20 on my FF camera it is great down to 16mm !!!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I had a Tokina 11-16 on my D7100. When I got a D750, I got the Tokina 16-28mm. Very nice, both of them.

Mary Kate Loc: NYC

I would check to see if Consumer Reports has any evaluations of cameras and lens. They might be useful in that you are getting an unbiased assessment of what you are looking for.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Bob, the new Nikon 10-20 from B&H is a good price and is getting good reviews. Check it out. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1341603-REG/nikon_20067_af_p_dx_nikkor_10_20mm.html?sts=pi-ps

ABJanes Loc: Jersey Boy now Virginia

I would agree, it fits in nicely with my 18-140MM.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

For sale: Nikon 14-24mm.

cmcaroffino Loc: Sebring, FL

I just got the new Nikon 10-20 P lens. Very inexpensive at $300 but I didn't want to spend a lot of money as another reviewer said I found I don't use the ultra wide angle that much, (I could live with nothing wider than a 24mm.) It is a sharp lens albeit a slow lens so for indoor use I would opt for the Tokina 11-16 2.8 that seems to be a popular lens with great reviews and one of the least expensive.

mrpentaxk5ii

The Tamron lens is a full frame lens, the poster is using a Nikon 7100 APSC camera and the 15-30 will not give him the ultra wide lens

he is looking for.

Leitz Loc: Solms

An FX 15-30 lens will give exactly the same effect as a DX 15-30 lens on a DX camera.