Delta49 Loc: Central Indiana

I have been trying to decide if anything wider than 24mm is useful. I'm thinking about family gathering around the table, landscape, inside rooms, and street photography. I have been looking at the Tamron 15-30 mm G2, do any hoggers have this lens and what do you think about it and what do you use it for? Thank you for your comments and help.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

My 16-35 f/4L IS is one of my most used lenses. Seriously consider something wider than 24mm.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Just recently got a 18-55. It requires rethinking my whole approach to picture taking

Smolakid6X

I use a Sigma 12-24 with my Sony A7111 as my go to lens.

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

On a full frame camera I rarely go wider than 24. I have a 14-24 F2.8 that gets out a couple of days a year, mostly for night sky shots. Occasionally I do some close-quarter shots, but the distortion (not keystone) is a real pain - extension distortion (horse face), and skinny people placed near the edges look like they gain 100 lbs (volume anamorphosis) - is a real pain to deal with. My 24-70 F2.8 is sharper at 24mm anyway. When I need wider, I usually use a 45mm and shoot stitched panos.

luvmypets Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC

About a month ago I went to our local botanical garden and found a really cool shot that I realized would be better with a lens wider than the 24-70 that I was using. I have a Tamron 15-30 G2 which I thought I had loaded into my bag but it turned out to be my Sigma 50mm. I was ticked off at myself for not making sure I had the correct lens and when I got home the label maker was put to work making labels for each lens.

The "moral" of my story is that I would rather have something that I don't use often than to not have it when I want it. I am planning to return to the garden next week but the plants that were to be my foreground will probably not be as attractive. My loss for this year but a plan for next year.

I hope you enjoy the 15-30.

Dodie

flip1948 Loc: Hamden, CT

That sounds like a DX lens which would mean it's more like a 27-82 equivalent (if Nikon) and therefore not really that wide...compared to a 24mm or wider.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

I concur. My EF 16-35 f/2.8L III gets used quite often.

User ID

I agree that 24mm is a dividing marker. You used the word “useful”. In my work and thinking, I find that I use the word “necessary”. Although I find lenses wider than 24mm can be useful, I see them as optional (but fun!)

From 24mm upward I want lenses that don’t compromise system operation and features. But wider than 24 I tend to compromise about whether lenses are fully compatible with the performance and convenience features of the system.

User ID

A normal middling kit lens did that ?!?!? What was your “go to” lens before you acquired the 18-55 ?

(Download)

User ID

24 is the new 28.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I am in agreement with Gene 51, if you are going to be using the extreme wide angle for people photography watch very carefully the corners. These lenses have a lot of distortions. I have never used a Tamron 15-30 but I have heard good things about it.
The lens that I should use more is the Nikon DX 12-24 f4. I use it often with my D610 camera between 18 and 24 mm without vignettes. Like Gene I am using the 24 mm focal length often, a favorite focal length with the late Galen Rowell. When I am using my D7000 my wide angle focal length is the 18 mm of my Nikon kit 18-70 f3.5-4.5.

Good luck with your new lens.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

You mention "family gathering around the table, landscape, inside rooms, and street photography", presumably because you've come up against the limitations of 24mm when shooting in these scenarios. The fact is that every focal length has limitations. The relevant questions are 1) How often are you going to come up against those limitations, and 2) Are those limitations going to result in totally failed shots or would they be described as merely inconvenient or perhaps less than perfect but nothing that a little compromise can't fix.

You could find yourself asking those exact same questions about the 15-30 lens - but perhaps not so often. There's no absolute cut-off point, so the right answer is "It depends..."

More than once I've seen people who do real estate interiors say that 24mm isn't quite wide enough for them but 20mm is just enough. My own experience with landscape shots is that 24mm is occasionally not quite wide enough, and my guess is you'll hear people say the same thing about groups (especially indoors) and street photography. My evaluation is that 20mm wouldn't be a complete answer but it would provide very good coverage of your needs. Apart from primes, the only standard zooms that I know of that cover down to 20mm are the L mount 20-60mm and the m4/3 10-25mm (20-50mm FF equivalent).

Beyond that it looks like you're limited to whatever wide angle zooms you can find. The Tamron 15-30mm would cover you for most wide angle possibilities, but only you can gauge how often it would be needed and how essential it would be. Or put another way, only you can judge whether it would be worth the cost.

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

My favorite wide is my 16-35 Nikkor, used primarily for landscapes and church interiors.

DavidM Loc: New Orleans, LA

You may want to review the link below. I found it helpful...

https://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-use-ultra-wide-lenses.htm