Wide angle FX - Versatile prime or do it all zoom?

tiger0096

Hi everybody,

I just switched from a D7000 to a D610 and at the same occasion I sold my Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 and my Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX. Having that said, I'm out of a wide lens for my new D610. I've looked at the older threads in the forum, I found a lot of thread comparing the wide primes, but I haven't found anything comparing the primes to the zoom lenses.

I'm an all-around photographer but I don't much portraiture, I love taking pictures of everything when I'm travelling, I do some macros, some night shots, some landscapes and action sports shots.

I'm looking to add a wide lens to my collection but I can only afford one lens ( budget is around 700$CAD). I'm thinking of the 28mm 1.8G or the 18-35mm new G version but I get confused after reading all the reviews, so here I am seeking for your help. I don't mind going for a third party if there are any good options.

Here is my collection :

Nikon 50mm f/1.8
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR1
Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro
Sigma 150-600mm contemporary

I'm deeply in need of a shorter lens and looking for your expertise.

Thanks for your help and sorry for my english, I'm a french Canadian

heartyfisher

How did you like your 10-20 sigma? That will determine if you like wide-angle zooms or a prime or 3....
When you used your 10-20 what focal lengths were you at most of the time or did you use all the 10-20mm focal lengths, what did you think of the range? If you can determine that, you can decide on your primes or zoom... I am not into wide-angle myself so I just kept my DX wide-angle zoom and used it on my D610..

Hammie

I would look at the 16-35mm f/4 lens. It is the closest 10-20 DX to FX conversion of them all.

PB_PM

While the 16-35mm VR is a nice lens, it clearly doesn't fit the OP's $700 budget.

heartyfisher

The old Sigma 12-24 is not the sharpest but its very wide and sharp enough on FF..

spraynpray

Your budget is the problem. I am not one who routinely ignores peoples budget constraints and recommends esoteric high-end gear, but in this case the lens that serves those requirements best in my camera bag is the Nikon 24-120 f4 which is outside your budget a bit. I think you would get great value out of it and soon forget the extra price though. Maybe you could look at used or refurbished? I only use primes for specific tasks like macro or nightscapes, preferring the flexibility of the zooms to get shots when it counts.

heartyfisher

oh there also a nice Tokina 16-28mm f2.8 that is within your budget..

Pistnbroke

I did exactly the same and now use a Samyang 14mm F2.8 ...forget zoom its so sharp you can just crop..I shot 130 people sitting for a wedding breakfast from a balcony and you could print a 100% crop for individual table groups.
Check out the sharpness on DXO with your camera and compare to the values for your old lens/camera combination..
Done it for you D7000/10-20 sigma 4 MP sharpness rating
D610 Samyang 14mm ...19mp sharpness rating ...

Although the ~Tok 16-28 is rated at 15MP the field map is terrible below F8

What more can you say about $US 350 ..5x as sharp and with the focus chip in it focus is no problem

spraynpray

@Pistnbroke: I have corrected your post for you. Can you please use the edit facility in future, it's under the cog top right (not the quote).

Rx4Photo

Do what heartyfisher suggested and look at your past photos using the Sigma 10-20mm. If you find that you rarely used it at the ultra-wide end then perhaps you probably wouldn't want to acquire a new lens in that comparable focal length for full frame. That said, I think if you want something somewhat wide - for taking pictures inside where the 50mm is still too short - your idea of looking at the 28mm f/1.8 is probably the way to go. Plus it's f/1.8 for lower light situations.

The only nit I have with using a manual focus ultrawide lens such as the Samyang 14mm on a camera without an articulating rear screen is that many of the best photos with that type lens are taken from a lower angle. I often shoot my 14-24 (on FF) from a stooping or lower position for more dramatic images. Autofocus makes this easier but manual focus on a stationaly rear screen or looking thru viewfinder would make this more taxing.

tiger0096

My Sigma 10-20mm was not my best lens, but I found it was an OK lens. I used mainly at 14 to 20mm cause I found I was losing to much details at 10mm since everything looked "too far away". So I guess this leads me to want focal I need.

Also, I looked at the Tokina 16-28mm but the reviews were not very good. Maybe some one who really use it can say if it's true or not.

As other said, the Nikon 16-35mm is out of my budget.

The Samyang could be a good option, but the drawback Rx4Photo just mentionned is a big turn off for me, cause I do use my wide angle in odd positions too.

So after reading all your comments, if I want a good do it all wide angle zoom, I should up my budget a little bit, but it's not possible for me. So I will have to choose between the Nikon 24mm f/1.8 and the Nikon 28mm f/1.8 Nobody talked about the Nikon 18-35mm G version which would be a good focal range for me, but I'm afraid it would be too slow.

PB_PM

From the sounds of it, from your uses of the Sigma 10-20mm, something in the 20-24mm range is your ideal. The 20mm F1.8G or 24mm F1.8G, could be right up your ally. The 28mm F1.8G is okay, but it is known to have some issues, which the other two don't appear to suffer from (or at least not as much).

Another option on a budget is some older "D" series lenses (20mm or 24mm) from the used market. They might not be the cream of the crop, but on the 24MP and lower bodies they aren't that bad (avoid the AF 28mm F2.8 versions like the plague). You could then save up more for a higher end lens at a later date.

WestEndFoto

If you don't need a fast lens, say you are using it for scapes etc., then you may also want to consider the older AIS lenses, which I have in 20 2.8, 24 2.8, 28 2.8 and 50 1.2. They are not competitive to new lenses wide open, but if you are shooting landscapes, cityscapes or even night scapes with a tripod at f/5.6 to f/11, they are competitive. At this aperture, they are just as good as my 14-24 2.8. You can peruse my images here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/westendfoto/

If for some reason you are shooting wide open on a wide angle, then these lenses may not be suitable.

Pistnbroke

28mm is not wide these days and a big aperture for low light gives you no depth of field and fully open is usually the worst IQ for that lens. When I had my 10-20 I almost always used it at 10mm (equals 15mm on FX) for roomscapes inside churches and wedding landscapes ( lots of people).
You cannot go too wide if you can crop and you can just tape up the focus ring if you shoot at f 5.6

If you want zoom the Nikon 24-85 VR (avoid the old one) is cheap and sharp though only rated 13 MP on a 610 but that's a lot better than 4 !!! about US$ 300 second hand .

tiger0096

I must admit that your photos are really awesome, good work and keep going!! I'll have a look at the lenses you mentionned and now I know that I have to forget about the 28mm, I'll keep my mind for shorter focal. Now that I have that many options, I'll just have to look at what deal are available on the used and new market for these.

I'm new to the FX format and I'm not disapointed at all of switching. After reading many articles saying that DX format give you the best of lenses, I find that when I put a good lens on my D610, it really shines, way much better than on my D7000.

Thanks everybody for your input.

heartyfisher

I agree with @PB_PM, from your described usage, seriously consider the 20mm and 24mm f1.8. They are exceptional lenses. 24MP of the D610 gives you a fair amount of pixels to "digital zoom".

Pistnbroke

Go wide ..go 14mm ,,Go Samyang.

Parke1953

I agree with PB_PM very last statement. Save up for however long it takes (this is what I do) to get what you need and want, you will be much happier for it.

esquilo

@Pistnbroke: I have corrected your post for you. Can you please use the edit facility in future, it's under the cog top right (not the quote).

Sorry for going off-topic, but that only works on desktops and laptops. If you read this forum on a tablet (like I do) or on a phone, there is no cog.

EDIT by spraynpray: oh yes you can, I just did this on my phone. The cog is there but it is small.

Snowleopard

I have no complaints about the 14-24 F/2.8...... It would be awesome if I could get my hands on a 6mm F/2.8

WestEndFoto

I have no complaints about the 14-24 F/2.8...... It would be awesome if I could get my hands on a 6mm F/2.8

Just remember that every tiny scratch and particle of dust is going to be in focus.