Saleavitt10 Loc: Maine

I want to work on my landscape photography skills. I have primarily been doing mostly wildlife photography. Recently won a Nikon D7100. Great camera. Lots to learn coming from a D90. I know most landscape photographers use a wide angle lens to maximize DOF. What would be a good wide angle lens for me to purchase get my feet wet?

I have always gotten good advise from this group. Thanks in advance!

GC likes NIKON Loc: East Greenwich, Rhode Island

I bought my 10-20 Sigma, just because I thought I needed a wide lens... I love it more every day. It stays on my D7100...........

Nick K Loc: Long Beach CA

I just picked up a tokina 12-28mm f/4 lens. I have taken a few shots with it, it seems to be very sharp.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

a question
does landscape always mean wide angle??????????? depending on the lay of the land almost any focal length can do.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Yes it does.
The OP will already have the 18-200 range covered (90.38% chance given the laws of probability)
So a suggestion to cover a range that is very useful in landscape photography, that the OP probably does not have covered yet (94.61% chance), is a very sensible suggestion.
The OP can already take the shots that you are talking about or thinking about, and the new ultra-wide lens will be for shots that the OP cannot currently take.

AlisonT Loc: Louisa, Virginia

I also have the 10-20mm Sigma and love it! I also have a 35-80mm and take most of my shots with one or the other.

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

Wide angle for landscape provides a particular "look" - wide angle perspective distortion. Close elements are larger than expected, distant elements are smaller. If you tilt the lens even slightly up from horizontal you have converging verticals.

Using a "normal" lens, or a lens of normal focal length minimizes these effects. However, they are usually not wide enough to capture the entire view.

If you set your camera to portait, and do a panorama shot, with overlapping images, you can merge these into a single in Photoshop or PT/GUI.

Depth of field can also be simulated by taking an image focused in the foreground (about 1/4 of the total distance, so that the closest elements are in focus, then take another shot from the same location, but focused further away, to ensure that the distant elements are in focus. You can stack these two images in Photoshop or Helicon Focus. Google focus stacking and you will find lots of good information.

Aside from these software-based solutions are the PC-E lenses, which are ideal for landscape. Without moving the camera, you can take three images, shifting the lens from extreme left, then center then extreme right, to get a perfect pano. If you want greater depth of field, you can tilt the lens downward to change the plane of focus from vertical to a more horizontal one, which increases depth of field dramatically. Nikon has 24mm, 45mm and 85mm versions of PC-E lenses. They are manual focus but you would want that anyway.

Here is a nice review on the 24mm

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/REVIEWS/lenses/nikon_24_pc.shtml

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

If you are looking for wide check out the Sigma 8-16

Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI

Nikkor 10-24 mm, awesome.

drmarty Loc: Pine City, NY

I would suggest the Nikkor 20mm F2.8D. I favor primes and the 20 is extremely sharp and delivers considerable DOF.

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

I use the Tamron 10-24 lens. Very sharp...Rich

Fotografer Loc: Denmark WI

Why not use your 24 to 70 or 70/200 grid the subject take the number of shots needed to cover and stich them together. Overlap 30% use a good tripod and wow.

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

No worries. Most lenses can be used for landscape photography depending more on your particular style than the lens.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

This is a great lens and added to the 24-70 you have most landscape shots covered. Of course if your idea of a landscape shot is 180 degrees then you should include some PP software.

GC likes NIKON Loc: East Greenwich, Rhode Island

I think it depends upon your "style", where you are and the effects that you want to create. Certainly standing on a mountaintop in China looking down at miles of the Great Wall you would not use a 10-20.