I would imagine one would need to find from you...
Just what it is that you feel you would want such
an extreme wide angle lens for.

I have been a "extreme" wide angle lens photographer
for over sixty years. I have the Sigma 10-20 wide angle lens you are asking about. And I find the lens to be an
excellent one for what I want from such a lens as it is.

Of course this lens focal length is not what it might
seem if you have the reference point which one might
have from being aware of the difference between the focal points of a film camera verses a digital camera...

With you Nikon digital which has a focal point of 1.5 above
what the mm indicates on a lens.. and thus when you
purchase the 10 to 20 mm in a digital camera it would
give you the focal lengths of 25 to 50 focal point from
your films point of view...

Thus it is not an extreme wide angle but merely a wide
angle...

I will mention that any time I have went to purchase these
wide angle lens.. and I go to amazon.com or ebay.com
I find that there are a great number of these kinds of lens for sale from individuals who have had them for a few months and most of them are on sale for a great price because the previous owners did not find them to be worth the price they paid for them....

Second.... I would seriously advise you to go on line and
do a google search for photographs photographed with using this lens.. you can find hundreds of thousands of photographs uploaded on the internet with any lens there is.. just search for your lens name and look at the photos which were shot with this particular lens..

If you are looking to make super wide angle lens photographs then I might suggest that you goggle up the
"Lensbaby" lens set.. you can get into a fish eye wide angle lens for one third the money you might have to spend on the lens you are thinking about...

I use the Lensbaby system on my Nikon 80 and find it an excellent means to make interesting photographs..

Good luck..

Jim, I am glad that you found the way to safely remove your card.. I have been putting in flash drives, for years and not
ejecting them... and I have not had any bad results for doing so.. but I am well aware there can be damage done...

Most of the time, I empty my photos onto my computer and
when I take the drive out, I just re-format it as soon as I Put it back into my camera....

Jim...

James,

When you put a flash dirve into your computer through
one of the USB slots in your computer..

Your computer should, depending on whether you have windows and not OS Mac..

Your computer should, see your flash drive and a window should pop up, and ask you want you want to do with it..

Just click on the "SHOW FILES". option or cliick
on your "my computer" icon and look for a new
drive letter listed on the left hand side..

You will have a C drive.. that is your main memory installed in
your compouter, and usually you will have a D: under it,which is usually your dvd drive..

But regardless of what you had, your flash drive will be assigned
a letter.. so, if you have C, D and a E than the E would be
your flash drive's letter.. The letter will disappear when you
pull the drive out of the usb slot..

Now when you get ready to remove your flash drive..
you just go back into "my computer".. and put your
mouse's arrow on the drive letter, that your flash drive is
under.. and "right" click your mouse on that letter and
a box will come up with a few options listed on it, and one
of those options will be for you to click, your left mouse button on, to make it safe to removed that flash drive..

In many windows systems, there is often a little Icon on the
bottom of your screen, near your time is.. and it will show up after you have inserted your flash drive.. Often this little icon will be hidden from sight, until you left click your mouse on a little
arrow pointing up on that same bottom bar... If you find that icon there, it will be a way there for you to click and make it safe for you to remove you flash drive..

If you have any questions.. or problems, get back on here and give me a yell... we will figure something out....

Yes, the old rule was.... set the shutter speed
at least the same as the focal length...

But that was a general idea.. there are steady hands and no so steady.... One could use some systems as to hand hold a camera with a shutter speed slower than the focal length and get away with it..

I used to take my left hand, bend it up so that my arm rested against my chest, while making a cup with that hand.... Lay the camera body in my cup hand..

compose the shot, push the shutter button half way in,
take a breath in, blow it out slow take another breath in and while slowly exhaling squeeze the shutter down..

However, I would recommend that you go to Wal Mart
and get that one stick camera tri-pod. It comes set in the length of a walking cane.. you can let it out to six feet..

You screw your camera on the end of it.. prop it up in front of you and use it as a tri-pod..

It is really light and small, one can take it anywhere, and it keeps your mind off the shutter speed... when one wants to
use a small aperture...

While out in the woods, looking for photo shots, I was accosted by a large mean dog.... who came out of no-where and was on me in a flash.. That stick end pointed in his face, kept him from getting at me..

There should not be too much difficulty in your endeavor to
get the knowledge you would need in order to understand and use the manual settings of the camera.

As you stated, you are familiar with the basic of it. I figure you might just not know what the "differences" would be to be able to use them properly...

The major factor in using the manual setting for the camera is for you to choose what in your photograph is going to be focused sharp and what is not.

This is called the "depth of field"....

Any picture you take will have a number of different F stop and Shutter speeds that will give you the proper exposure.

Now the question is which set do you use for the intended shot?

let us put some objects in a scene for you...

five feet in front of you is a rose bush, six feet behind that bush is a barn.. fifty feet behind the barn is a old rusted car...

We have these items at different distances from the front of the lens.....

which of the three do you want focused in your shot?

Now focus on the middle object... which is the barn..

What ever aperture you use will set the focus length...

If you open the aperture up to lets say 2.8 You are going to only get that which you focused on, the barn sharp in the photograph.... the bush and car will not be focused...

If you use the smallest aperture which can be F 16 or larger
then all the objects will be in focus...

This might be a bit awkward to explain... since most camera lens now are zoom ones.. as in the years past
there were more lens which were not zoom than there are now.. When one had a lens with a set focal size.

lets' say... a 50 mm lens.. there were markings on the lens rings to showy one what areas of the scene would be focused when using a certain aperture settings..
but now that they have these zoom lens, which contain about fifty different focal lengths in them and at each focal point the focused area would be different...

One could go on line and see out each focal point and get a focus chart for that lens length...

What I mean is that you can find a chart for the 35 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm and so on... as when you choose your zoom position that position would have a MM size set...

The basic chart used to read:

If your subject is ten feet from you and you focused your lens on the subject and then you used F 8 that photograph would have any object in focus with one third that distance in front of the subject and two thirds the distanced behind them....

If you just wanted the barn... in focus you would open the lens to it's widest setting... 1.2, 1.4 2.0 etc... and adjust
your shutter speed to match that light.. and the barn would be in focus alone....

Forgive the inability to write....

You might be "medium" school....

Old school would be those of us who did photography seventy years ago.. when there were not any meters available to those of us who did not have the money for such fancy expensive gadgets....


The old school worked it out in his mind.....

If I recall it correctly.... the system went like this:

Film was rated by ASA which designated the degree
of sensitivity to the available reflective light from our chosen "subjects"...

Let us say we were working with an ASA of 125 black and white...

One would set their shutter speed at 125th of a second.
The F-Stop would be 8..... for a scene or subject who was in bright light but not direct sunlight nor in any shadow..

One would adjust the F Stop... by one click down if the subject was in the sunlight and one click open if they were in the shade.. etc...

Then one would bracket three stops each way for shots that just had to be made right...

Film photography could be corrected by enlargement filters in the dark room for bout three to four stops off the proper one..

Later in the sixties and seventies, the film processors had machines which would read a person negative when it was processed and make the proper adjustment in the printing of the print.. etc... Professional labs could actually correct a shot which was off five and six stops..

Second point, is that you are not making that much sense too me..... Whether you are using a hand held meter
or using a meter built in a camera You are "still" using a meter...

It would be my hip shot response to say... One would just have to choose one of them and "learn" and how to get one's subjective "good" shot from them.

A "good" photograph of any subject would be from a person's subjective choice of what a good photograph would be....

Your idea of a good shot might not be my idea of a good shot... Subjective ends.. is relative to photographic expressions.. Yes?

I remember as a young boy, in the boy scouts, seeking my photographic badge.. etc.. I attempted to develop some black and white photographs. in Kodak's D-76
developer.. I measured the temperature as the instructions stated.. sixty eight degrees and let the negative sit in it,
for the seven minutes that the instructions called for..

I did not like the images.. I wrote a letter to Kodak and asked them what happened.... I got a nice long letter back from someone there in their office.. and he stated.

The instructions for time and temperature was a "general" settings. but that one was to take that time table and "adjust" it by adding or taking ten seconds from the chart's suggestions until I found the contrast which I wanted from my work... etc..



we called that search our search for "our mood" shots...

We would find our own white balance....

A meter is just a tool to help one to find that mood of their own...

One can do that very easily with these new digital cameras..

One just has to do test shots of different exposures at particular scenes.. until one finds their "mood" settings..

One sets the camera settings.... one shoots a shot and pushes the "play back" button and sees what it is...
on the spot.. Until one finds "their" mood setting for that subject under that light..

I found that when I used my Nikon D40 I had to push the white balance setting two clicks above what it suggested for me to get the mood I wanted... etc..

I do not do document photography anymore..

Weddings, places and family events....

I do mood shots now.. Just scenes which are captured in light which I like and enjoy seeing...

When I go to flowers.. I usually take my Tokina and Sigma lens in place of my Nikon and German lens.. as they are much softer and more gentle with the sharpness of the top name brand lens.. They give me a better mood... for what I like in a close up of a flower.. the color, shape, texture and design etc...

In my opinion, one has to learn their equipment to bring them to the place where one can make the photographs one envisions in their mind prior to aiming the camera..

Each built in meter of a camera is a meter.. just as a hand held one is.. One just has to take the time, use some discipline and learn how to use either meter.. to the degree that one can use it to reach their subjective goal..

There is not any "proper one way" for one to get to that place where one wants to be... in their photographic expressions....

The meter should be just one step in a person's effort to create the photo... it should not be the total means to that end... If you rely on the meter too much then the meter is making the photograph.

I think that one needs to learn either or both metering systems to the degree that the meter gives one a basic position in their efforts to making their final decision as to what settings to use..

My decision would be for one to use the meter as a tool instead of a Master in giving one the settings for any shot..

At least these are my thoughts on the subject.....

In 1962 there was a photograph contest...

$ 10,000 prize....

Hundreds of photographers of all ages and experience placed a photo in the contest.....

Winner: a eleven year old boy using a brownie box camera
and shot a black and white photograph out of the side window of a propeller air plane of the right side engine on fire....

No experience, no expensive camera and or equipment...

Take the walk, take what camera you want...

Look and if you see some scene or subject which "touches" your inner you... take the shot and "enjoy"...

Photography is between your subject and the inner true you....

Both of my Nikon cameras, have a feature in the Menu, which allows me to choose the size of the photo... prior to taking the photo..

If one was to adjust their size, then go to the ISO and set it to various sensitive settings, and do some test shots, one can easily find the proper setting for the photograph intended....

I have taken many photos with the 3200 setting and not lost any color or detail.. but then one does not have to go from one extreme to the other..

Instead of buying a lens.. per say.... just set the ISO to different settings and find the one which will allow you to shoot your shot in the available light and see which ISO would be best for you....

From what the original poster stated.. he wanted to shoot with a faster lens because the light was limited.. Getting a faster lens, is not the only way to allow the person to achieve what they want...

I would set the ISO use that number as my shutter speed and... and set
the F stop to various settings in that light until I found the proper exposure for what I wanted...

It just takes some time and a few test shots to find the right settings..

I use manual settings for all of my photographs.. and I never have to shoot many shots to find the right exposure I want...

that is one of the benefits of the digital camera.. no wasted film..

In the old days, when I was a photographer for the Corners office and state police crime scenes.. I used a 4 X 5 sheet film camera..

I had a polaroid back for my camera.. I would take test shots with it until I found the proper exposure for the actual film shots...

It is the same idea.....

No need to waste money on a new lens when what you have can be used to get the same result.....

I do not quite understand your focus on the need for the lens you are discussing...

If you need to have a better light situation in order to make a photograph...

you could certainly open up your ASA rating.. I believe the Nikon
system usually allows you to go to 3200 ASA and that should give you
the speed you need to capture what ever photo you need to take with a faster shutter speed....

I have seen some wonderful photographs made with the higher ASA ratings with deep saturated colors and hue..etc...

Why don't you take some test shots with using the higher ratings and see how they suit you....

When you start using a lens with the wide openings of the aperture of a lens it will drastically affect your depth of field focus... and that can be
essentially in making the photo as you want it....

The most effective and best quality photographs of any lens are taken
would be shot at F stops of 4 , 5.6 and 8.. so if you prefer sharp photos then you would want to raise your ASA up which will allow you to set your A Aperture mode and then the high ASA rating will give you hand held speed...

Just a thought....

When you go to the web site:

www.lensbaby.com

look up at the menu bar and click on "gallery"
and then click on "video" and it will give you some
samples of videos made when using the lensbaby optic system... and in that section you should find the spider video..

If you purchased the Composer, it comes with a "Double Glass optic" installed..

However one can switch optics in the Composer Body.

I did not know if you had any of the other optics and if you have some of the others one which of those might you have used to add your Macro set to it.

If you might be interested in some of the other optic which can go into your composer body.. Just go to:

www.lensbaby.com

and you can see the other optics and they have a gallery there of photos taken with the other optics...

As for the video... on the web site for lensbaby they have some video examples.. and one of them there has a Macro lens and it shows a movie of a spider creating a web.. and the lens is about one inch from the spider... A very interesting video...for me...

Which Optic did you use with your macro filters?

At first glance I would say.... the Sweet 35?

Yes, I agree that it takes much work to get the shot just right but then I find the more I put in, the deeper the sense of achievement...

Plus with your Nikon D90 you can use the Lensbaby system to work in video also...

Each of your photos have no focused spot in them...

The lensbaby is designed to create a "blur" in certain
area/s of your shot.. If you do not have any focused
areas then you are not using it correctly...

The best technique is to put your camea in Manual mode,

Place a aprature ring in your lensbaby optic...
of either F- 4, 5.6 or 8.

(these are the best F sizes for the best quality of photos from any lens)

Just focus on any object in the shot, and shoot a shot,
look at it.. if the photo is too light, switch to a faster shutter speed, if the photo is too dark, switch to a slower shutter speed...

Do this until your exposure is what you want. Then pick your focus spot and focus using the lens focus ring.

Then shift your lens around until you see through the viewer the complete picture and the area you want is in focus.. then re-focus your subject again.. and then
snap the photograph...

When you set your shutter speeds, to get the proper exposure, be certain that you never hand hold your camera with a shutter speed slower than what ever lens focual length you are using...

For example if you are using a 50 mm lens, never have the shutter speed slower than fifty...

If using a focal length of 100 mm keep your shutter speed faster than 1/100th of a second..etc..

Good hunting and snapping...

I am looking at your question here, and it seems that your objective
is the extra 100 mm this lens has to offer over your Nikon...

I think that if you are more concerned over gaining the extra focal length
of this Tokina lens.. and that is of value to you..

You might consider investing your money in a "Teleconverter"
for the Nikon mount.. thus you can use your nikon lens and get
much more than 100 mm more for the same kind of money.

I checked Amazon.com and they have quite a few teleconverts for your lens mount around 200 bucks...

You put it on your camera body and use your own lens and depending on the power of your teleconverter you could get much more than the one hundred mm the tokina lens would give you...

I forgot to mention that I own a Tokina wide angle lens..
it is 12-24MM focal length.

Here is a photograph I took with it one evening... I think the lens
is good enough for any kind of photographs...

Shot made with Tokina lens