budget wide angle lens

[burnt_toast]

im going on vacation in a month and would like to try to take pictures with wide angle lens. like the nifty fifty for around 80-100 used, is there just a thing for wide angle lenses? canon mount.

thanks

[adblink182]

i think the 50mm 1.8 is the only lens in that ballpark. A true uwa (ultra wide angle) is going to cost you somewhere around $350ish(used) and upwards of $600 new. You might find a kit lens in that ball park, but 17mm on a crop sensor is not what i would call "wide" but its as wide as your going to get a $80 budget unfortunately.

I paid $400 for my used sigma 10-20mm.

[MikeAK]

I think adblink182 basically said it all. If you find a "true" WA lens used for under $400 then I'd be very suspicious as to why. Your looking at least in the $400-$600 rang as a starting point.

[Kasakato]

A normal lens, let alone a wide lens, is impossible to find at 80-100. As you noted, pretty much your only option is a used 50. I'd upgrade to the Tamron 17-50 at $400/50 if at all possible. Its "wide", fast, and "cheap".

[SENSEI]

im going on vacation in a month and would like to try to take pictures with wide angle lens. like the nifty fifty for around 80-100 used, is there just a thing for wide angle lenses? canon mount.

thanks

I'm going to assume you're on a cropped body.
So you're going to need at least a lens that starts at 17mm to be considered "wide".

Another option is to pickup the nifty and learn how to take some kick ass panoramics if you're shooting landscapes.

Otherwise, you're not going to be able to find something that fits your needs within your budget. Have you looked in to renting a lens for week?

[burnt_toast]

yes crop body, 40D. i know that 80-100 is a long shot, but around $300 is still good. adblink where did you get your sigma?

[adblink182]

bought it from the BST section on POTN.

90% of my gear I have bought used (college student what can I say) either off of POTN (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/) or Fredmiranda (http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/).

When buying used of course you have to be careful. Research the seller (feedback), see the examples and don't rush into things. I usually waited around 3-4 weeks before I actually found the perfect "deal" with the right circumstances that made me feel comfortable.

with all the gear I have bought, I have never had a problem yet *knock on wood*

[jamescl]

another cheap option would be to consider the kit lens (if you don't have one)...you could probably pick it up on the forums or craigs for $50-70 (fit your budget) and the 18mm is at least wider than 50mm.

renting is another option, as already indicated.

[AudiDude]

The kit lens is the only thing that comes to mind.

[burnt_toast]

i was thinking of getting the kit lens, but i know that i will replace it later on so might as well get something that will last longer... the sigma that adblink has, seems like a good deal... i guess i have to keep lurking around POTN for a deal... but if i dont find one in a month, where can i rent some lenses?

[eelfliw]

You won't find a WA lens in good condition for $80 - $100 in EF mount. FD or FL mount may be. But not EF.

That said, what are you going to use WA lens for? Large DOF? Perspective? Corner distortion special effects? Or simply a wide angle of view?

If you only need it for wide angle of view and you are using a digital camera, you can look into stitching software that allow you to take multiple shots of parts of the same scene and then stitch it together. Google panoramic shots for more info.

Alternatively, you can rent a WA lens.

Finally, unless you really need a SLR, a P&S is a cheap way to get into WA lens.

Photography isn't about having lots of equipment. It's about creating great pictures with what you have. Unless there's some very specific look that you must have in your pictures that can only be created by WA lens, try to focus (no pun intended) on getting great pictures instead of of the lens.

[burnt_toast]

You won't find a WA lens in good condition for $80 - $100 in EF mount. FD or FL mount may be. But not EF.

That said, what are you going to use WA lens for? Large DOF? Perspective? Corner distortion special effects? Or simply a wide angle of view?

If you only need it for wide angle of view and you are using a digital camera, you can look into stitching software that allow you to take multiple shots of parts of the same scene and then stitch it together. Google panoramic shots for more info.

Alternatively, you can rent a WA lens.

Finally, unless you really need a SLR, a P&S is a cheap way to get into WA lens.

Photography isn't about having lots of equipment. It's about creating great pictures with what you have. Unless there's some very specific look that you must have in your pictures that can only be created by WA lens, try to focus (no pun intended) on getting great pictures instead of of the lens.

i dont have a lot of equipment, right now all i have is a 40D, 28-135, borrowed 50 F1.8 and 430EX... but i would like to add a few lenses to that including a wide angle.

i like the wide angle look instead on a panoramic, and as i mentioned around $300 - $350 is still ok with me...

thanks for the tip

[TenzoR]

kit lens 18-55

and take multiple pictures and photomerge it into a panoramic.

[michael_ramone]

The 18-55 mm IS kit lens is decent.

http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_18-55_3p5-5p6_is_c16/page5.asp

Is it perfect? Of course not. I think it's a good value for the price, though.

[ryan_lau100]

Your options are pretty slim. As others said:

1. Kit 18-55 ($50-$75)
2. Tokina 11-16 ($600-$700)
3. Sigma 12-24 (???)
4. Canon 10-22 ($600-$700)
5. Sigma 10-20 ($400-$500)
6. Tamron 17-50 ($350-$425)

All prices used of course.

The kit will work and alows you to stitch if need be. If anything just tweek in Photoshop.

[Astin]

The cheapest wide angle out there is the new Tamron 10-24mm, which sells new for around $460 CDN. I doubt you'd find too many used ones since it was just released and isn't even available in many stores yet.

Quality seems to be hit and miss on early reviews though. There seems to be good and and bad batches, so some trial-and-error-and-exchange might be needed. Pain in the ass if you ask me.

Personally, I'm looking at the Canon 10-22mm and Tokina 11-16mm as options (I have a Canon obv), but neither is anywhere near your price range.

[CameraBill]

kit lens 18-55

and take multiple pictures and photomerge it into a panoramic.

A well stitched quality panoramic is more impressive than a WA.

[burnt_toast]

I paid $400 for my used sigma 10-20mm.

is that USD or CAD? and shipped?

[aximrocks]

also

Tokina 12-24 f/4 ($500)
EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS ($1000+)
Tamron 10-24
Tamron 11-18

I love my Tokina 12-24, sharp, outstanding color and contrast, and is built like a tank. An ultra-wide gives you unique perspectives, but you need to pay careful attention to the composition because the foreground is so dominant in ultra-wide shots. here are a few shots that I've taken using my tokina 12-24 & Rebel XT

12mm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2214/2311784349_b4ddd66094_o.jpg

14mm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2322/2395916206_047b76caf4_o.jpg

12mm
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/3165851950_538c0b2fd1_o.jpg

[burnt_toast]

also

Tokina 12-24 f/4 ($500)
EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS ($1000+)
Tamron 10-24
Tamron 11-18

I love my Tokina 12-24, sharp, outstanding color and contrast, and is built like a tank. An ultra-wide gives you unique perspectives, but you need to pay careful attention to the composition because the foreground is so dominant in ultra-wide shots. here are a few shots that I've taken using my tokina 12-24 & Rebel XT

12mm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2214/2311784349_b4ddd66094_o.jpg

14mm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2322/2395916206_047b76caf4_o.jpg

12mm
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/3165851950_538c0b2fd1_o.jpg

nice pics... where did you get you Tokina 12-24 f/4?

[x21hx]

nice pics... where did you get you Tokina 12-24 f/4?

aden has it for $499 (cheapest I've found so far)

[aximrocks]

nice pics... where did you get you Tokina 12-24 f/4?

I bought it from sigma4less.com a year and half ago. grey market version, US $490 shipped

[adblink182]

I had the tokina before my sigma but sold it, was too soft for me (not saying they are ALL that way, I just got a soft one)

I just checked my paypal history, and I paid exactly $420CAD for my used sigma. Keep in mind I think that was when the Canadian dollar was trading closer to par.

[bpopd]

Your options are pretty slim. As others said:

1. Kit 18-55 ($50-$75)
2. Tokina 11-16 ($600-$700)
3. Sigma 12-24 (???)
4. Canon 10-22 ($600-$700)
5. Sigma 10-20 ($400-$500)
6. Tamron 17-50 ($350-$425)

All prices used of course.

The kit will work and alows you to stitch if need be. If anything just tweek in Photoshop.

Dont forget...
Tamron 17-35 F/2.8-4 used for around $250-300

Theres one on the BST forum for $350.