Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Username: Password:

Follow NI-Wild

Author Topic: wide angle - landscape lens  (Read 5434 times)

NeilB

  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 0
  • Posts: 212
wide angle - landscape lens
« on: March 18, 2010 »

As the above suggests Im looking for a good lens to get some nice landscape pics, looking for few suggestions at a resonable price

neil
Logged

Kirth

  • Sr. Poster
  • ****
  • Karma: 5
  • Posts: 263
    • Kirth Ferris Photography
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2010 »

I used to have the sigma 10-20mm lens. You can get these for around £300 second hand on eBay.

In saying that a prime lens like a 14mm manual focus will be far sharper and as it is going to be on tripod manual focus won't matter.

I bought a 14-24 2.8 one today for press work and the odd landscape and it was £1300 so the range in price is vast.

What body do you have?
Logged

NeilB

  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 0
  • Posts: 212
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2010 »

nikon d90
Logged

twentyclicks

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 57
  • Posts: 1079
  • Photographer, wanderer, bike enthusiast
    • twentyclicks
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2010 »

I concur with the manual focus.  Wide angle lenses have inherent depth of field anyway so focusing for me is usually more mathematical with them - I pre-focus using the depth of field scale to the hyperfocal distance, then snap away.  My old lenses have this printed on them but it's a standard formula and there are tables online.

On the smaller sensor, the 14mm would equate to a field of view similar to a 21mm (in film speak) which is a great general landscape lens.
Logged
Craig
-----------------------
"Go thou my incense upward from this hearth,
And ask the gods to pardon this clear flame." - Thoreau

chris

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 6
  • Posts: 991
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2010 »

I toyed with the idea of getting a wide angle lens for a while but I decided not to and now when I want a wide angle I just stitch the pictures together in photoshop.


A 360 pano from hen


A 180 pano from lamagan
Logged

twentyclicks

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 57
  • Posts: 1079
  • Photographer, wanderer, bike enthusiast
    • twentyclicks
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2010 »

Nice Chris <<< good point!

Do you use Hugin to stitch the pics?
Logged
Craig
-----------------------
"Go thou my incense upward from this hearth,
And ask the gods to pardon this clear flame." - Thoreau

chris

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 6
  • Posts: 991
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2010 »

Nice Chris <<< good point!

Do you use Hugin to stitch the pics?

No, just photoshop CS3. I've heard that its not very good, but I can't see any problems although having only used photoshop I've nothing to compare it too.
Logged

RedLeader

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 175
  • Posts: 1977
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2010 »

That Lamagan shot is awesome. Did you use a tripod?
Logged

chris

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 6
  • Posts: 991
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2010 »

That Lamagan shot is awesome. Did you use a tripod?

nope, hand held all the way! I used a tripod on the 360 from hen, stitched from 22 images I think.
Logged

suspectmonkey

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Poster
  • *****
  • Karma: 9
  • Posts: 1447
    • Jon Patterson Outdoors
Re: wide angle - landscape lens
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2010 »

The Sigma is a very popular wide angle lens, but I am quite tempted by a Tokina offering such as the 12-24 f4.  I have a Tokina macro lens, and the build quality is sensational.  Tokina seem to like using lots of metal so you get a really solid feeling lens that will be especially happy outdoors.  They also make very smooth zoom/focus rings with good sized grips, and the "clutch" mechanism for switching between MF and AF is a nice idea. 

I must say I'm slightly wary of Sigma lenses.  I bought a 24-70 F2.8 from new and was really dissappointed.  The zoom ring was really stiff towards the wide end right out of the box, and the images were consistently soft.  In all fairness I probably should have returned it to get serviced under warranty as it may have just been a bad 'un, but considering it was from their "EX" range I kinda expected more.  That said I do like my cheap and cheerful Sigma 70-300, but considering I bought it for £120 my expectations were a lot less :)

Take a look here for some lens reviews.  Personally I'm not a big fan of reviews that spend all their time shooting test charts rather than using them out in the field, but it does give a good overview of the key features and any obvious flaws.
Logged
 

Bottom Sponsor

Recent Topics


Lough Shannagh by Scribble [March 22, 2023]

Where has everyone gone? by Glenn B [March 02, 2023]




Hello 👋🏻 by RedLeader [March 13, 2022]

Overnighter on 21st August by Wolf_Larson [November 02, 2021]

crabbing by Glenn B [July 19, 2021]


Slieive Binnian Hike by Rugged Track [November 06, 2020]

Silent Valley by Binnianboy [June 28, 2020]

Is it safe... by Rugged Track [June 02, 2020]




You've got a mention... by NorthernSky [December 12, 2019]


Hen Mountain Wild Camp by Rugged Track [November 28, 2019]

Happy Valley by Binnianboy [September 30, 2019]





Seven Sevens 10th August by RedLeader [August 20, 2019]