Need a good inexpensive wide angle lens or wide angle conversation lens!

alexiac

Hello everyone! I have been a member of the community for a while however, mostly use the forum to read about topics I'm interested in rather than posting. Please bear with me as my photography "lingo" is far from what I've seen on most of the other posts.

I am in need of a wide angle lens but do not have the funds right now for what I'd like to get so I've been searching for a very "low budget" way to go about this until a little down the road when I am able to purchase a more expensive wide angle lens. I've seen many on Amazon with rave reviews but want to make sure I am not going to end up with something that doesn't work with my camera/lenses.

My gear:
Camera: Canon 60D
Lenses: Canon EFS 18-135mm & Quantaray 18-200mm

Any suggestions on a good (and compatible) wide angle conversation lens? I am definitely open to purchasing a wide angle lens but unfortunately want to spend less the $125 right now. If you have any recommendations for one in that price range please let me know.

Thanks!!


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ziggy53

With the two lenses that you have listed I'm afraid that a wide-angle conversion lens would not be recommended for best optical quality. I mean that a wide-angle conversion lens on either the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS or the Quantaray 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OS will not optically couple very nicely. You would probably get a sharp center that would quickly degrade and produce very soft and unusable edges and corners and tons of chromatic aberration.

If you can live with a manual focus fisheye lens, the ROKINON 8MM F/3.5 ASPHERICAL IF CS II UMC fisheye can produce generally very nice images and give you a much wider FOV than either lens you listed. Some examples from a Flickr group:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/1284660@N20/pool/

KEH has a couple of used copies available in Canon EF mount (both at $168.00USD):

https://www.keh.com/365360/rokinon-8mm-f-3-5-aspherical-if-cs-ii-umc-fisheye-manual-focus-manual-aperture-lens-for-canon-ef-mount

That's the best I can recommend that even gets close to your budget.

TonyCooper

ziggy53 wrote: »

With the two lenses that you have listed I'm afraid that a wide-angle conversion lens would not be recommended for best optical quality. I mean that a wide-angle conversion lens on either the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS or the Quantaray 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OS will not optically couple very nicely. You would probably get a sharp center that would quickly degrade and produce very soft and unusable edges and corners and tons of chromatic aberration.

If you can live with a manual focus fisheye lens, the ROKINON 8MM F/3.5 ASPHERICAL IF CS II UMC fisheye can produce generally very nice images and give you a much wider FOV than either lens you listed. Some examples from a Flickr group:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/1284660@N20/pool/

KEH has a couple of used copies available in Canon EF mount (both at $168.00USD):

https://www.keh.com/365360/rokinon-8mm-f-3-5-aspherical-if-cs-ii-umc-fisheye-manual-focus-manual-aperture-lens-for-canon-ef-mount

That's the best I can recommend that even gets close to your budget.

I have purchased from Keh and been quite pleased. I would rather buy a name brand
used lens from Keh than take a chance on an off-brand new lens or adapter.

Mitchell

What will be your use for this lens? You already go down to 18mm, how wide do you need to go?

puzzledpaul

Good 'ol Ken seems to like this'un

http://kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/10-18mm.htm

It also happens to be one I'm considering - to go with a 7D2 for a specific idea / project I have in mind, where I need a UWA and don't want to spend a lot ...

No idea about street / used prices your side of the pond tho'

pp

alexiac

Wow! I am so thankful for all of the quick responses! The reason I have 2 very similar lenses are because I had purchased a 20D and the Quantaray 18-200mm was the lens I got with that. Due to an unfortunate accident, my 20D was dropped (inside my house - on carpet) & the battery compartment popped open and a few springs that are in that area popped out. It appeared to be okay until it began shutting off during photo shoots. I was using a piece of strong tape to firmly hold the door to the battery compartment closed and it was working okay but I had a friend who was a photographer that offered to sell me her 60D (18-135mm lens included in the price). I kept my 20D (with the intent of having that door latch repaired) so I could use as a backup & basically did the same with the lens.

I started realizing I need a wide angle lens when I started turning down Weddings & shoots with groups of people due to not having the lens to get the proper results.

I'm a full time mom & work full time so I really didn't mind turning them down & didn't need the extra stress. I stopped booking shoots regularly and stuck to reading the forums, learning & perfecting my editing. I kept my website, business, etc. up to date. I did a couple of boudoir & engagement shoots recently and started getting a ton of unexpected business in turn (plus it made me remember how much I love photography)! So here I am. Jumping back into the waters again, only this time, want to be prepared.

I hadn't thought about selling/trading one of my lenses but it makes total sense!! I think I'll take everyone's advice & purchase a wide angle lens that is a little more expensive. It'll end up paying for itself in no time at all!!


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puzzledpaul

alexiac wrote: »

I started realizing I need a wide angle lens when I started turning down Weddings & shoots with groups of people due to not having the lens to get the proper results.

Well, I did my first (and hopefully last, but unlikely*) ever wedding shoot about 3 weeks ago and took 700+ frames over the course of 3 days - it was a DIY gig, so set up day, W day, take down day.

Almost all of this was shot with a 1.6 crop (7D2) + 24/105 f4 combination (+ flash).

Whilst I'm aware of the benefits of FF - especially for this type of ordeal, weddings are not on my radar re pix I want to take, so buying other gear was a 'no no'.

I mention this, because of the crop factor / FF issue re buying lenses (in case you could ever see FF being part of your gear?) - buying the 24/105 was my price for shooting this wedding (older daughter) ... gotta get something out of the deal.:)

As I've also got a 1.3 crop body, it'll work on that too ... which an EFS wouldn't.

pp

* Also got another daughter ...

ziggy53

alexiac wrote: »

... I started realizing I need a wide angle lens when I started turning down Weddings & shoots with groups of people due to not having the lens to get the proper results.

...

I hadn't thought about selling/trading one of my lenses but it makes total sense!! I think I'll take everyone's advice & purchase a wide angle lens that is a little more expensive. It'll end up paying for itself in no time at all!!


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Makes sense to me.

JasonMorrowPhoto

I use to own this lens before it was stolen from me.......incredible lens!!!!!

http://www.tokinalens.com/tokina/products/atxpro/atx116prodxii/