Recieved my 7D today! Wide-Angle lens advice (have 2 in mind)

[Tim Kay]

Hi all,

So I sold my dinosaur (Sony PD-170). Great camera, used it well, but the thought of tape and SD makes me think of the 'good ole days' --- OK so thats a bit of a tongue in cheek :)

I'm a convert from the Ex1 - after having my heart set on that camera I ended up with the 7D. While harder to operate, what a value for what it can do in the right hands!

. I earn my living doing camera and it has amazed me how much I took for granted using video equipment (i.e. autopilot). Owning the 7D will make me a much better Cam Op because I have to learn everything to get the best image possible!

One aspect is lens speed. I bought the 7D kit with the 28mm-135mm lens. I'm looking for a wide angle companion; here's the two choice I've come up with after filtering through many different threads.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Autofocus Lens ($720)

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX Autofocus Lens ($599)

*prices are from B&H

It's a tough choice, and heres some pro/cons I can think of with my limited research:

Canon Pros: name brand, more zoomablity, low distortion
Cons:slower lens, according to lensrentals.com it's a 'High Risk lens' for failure rate

Tokina Pro: Faster, Cheaper
Heavier, smaller zoom

Now my primary shooting method is gorilla style. Mostly narrative and action. I need an exellent low light lens as most of my framing will be with practicals and available lighting. My first short I want to film will be inside a park, mostly at night. Now is 3.5 vs. 2.8 a noticeable difference ? Will I notice more light coming in ? Is focusing a nightmare at 2.8?

I believe with the kit lens and one from above I'll have a sufficient range for achieving a wide range of looks and feels.

With that I welcome all opinions and advice!

[Chad Dyle]

I am about to buy the 11-16 for my 7D. I have heard good things about it. Another lens that you can look at is the Tamron 17-50mm with Vibration Control. I have the earlier model and really like it. The lenses that I have found myself using the most with my 7D are the Canon 50mm 1.2 ,Canon 100mm Macro 2.8 and Tamron 17-50 2.8. The 50mm is closer to an 80mm and the 100mm is a 160mm on that camera, but the Tamron was meant for smaller sensor and is accurate.
If you are nervous about the lens failing on you, check to see what the warranty is and if you can purchase an extended plan. The biggest challenge that we had when we added the 5D and 7D into our workflow was the lens change. We are accustomed to pressing a button to go in/out and not having to think about which lens will work best in the next situation. I can also suggest purchasing some king of shoulder bag to carry a lens or two in. You can also toss some lens wipes in there as well. With all of the switching, you will get a finger print on the lens :(
Is focusing a nightmare at 2.8? That really depends on who you ask. When I started using my 5D with the 50mm 1.2, I kept it at 1.2/1.4 almost all of the time. It was used primarily for detail shots as well as the bride getting her hair/make-up done. After shooting at the aperture for a while, you start to get the hang of it. When it comes to moving shots (first dances), it can get very difficult. Since you will be shooting in a park at night, I don't think 3.5 is going to work without some additional light. Depending on how wide of a shot you are shooting, I really like the smaller LED Litepanels.
You should also check out the "How to set up your 7D/5D" links people have posted on here. There are a few different opinions and you might want to try them all. You should also do lots of tests to see what ISO settings work the best for you. I don't mind hitting 1600 on my 5D, but I try to avoid it on the 7D. That is just my opinion as well.

I hope any of this helped!

[Bruce S. Yarock]

Andy,
Before I bought my 7d for video use, I had been also shooting photography with Nikon gear. One of my favorite lenses was my Tokina 12-24 f4. When I sold all my Nikon stuff after buying the 7d, one of the first things i bought was another Tokina lens, the 11-16 2.8. I raelly like this lens, although it doesn't hve the same beautifull color that i got with the 12-24 ( although that also might have been my nikon cameras).
The 11-16 is great for video because you can stay so wide that almost everything can be in focus. I also got the following lenses, which I'm real happy with:
Canon efs 50mm f 1.4
Canon efs 17-55 2.8 is ( great video lens)
Canon efs 70-200 2.8 is..What can i say? A phenominal lens.
I'd really like to get the Canon 24mm f1.4 but can't afford it now.
I also have a collection of older manual Nikon lenses, which i use with my Letus extreme. These lenses can be found inexpensively and can be used on the 7d with a nikon to Canon adadpter ring. You could , for example, pick up a 28mm o2.8 manual Nikon for $75 on ebay or craigs list, add a $30 adapter and you have another lens for the 7d.

Chad,
Which exact model litepanels are you talking about?
Bruce Yarock

[Chad Dyle]

Bruce,

The Litepanels Micro (Litepanels Micro Series) is what I have been using. I was thinking about upgrading to the MicroPro as it appears to be almost twice as bright without being twice as heavy. I have the Miniplus, but with two full size Sony batteries attached, it weighs as much as the camera and lens.

-chad

[Mike Dulay]

I have the Tokina 11-16. Indoors in normal house lighting the 2.8 vs 3.5 makes a difference in how much gain you need. No trouble focusing with the Tokina, I just set it to infinity when on the move. I have a sigma that covers the 18-50 2.8, that one is a bit tougher to keep in focus wide open. The Tokina appears deeper focus beyond a few inches from the lens. The one trouble with the Tokina, it was hard to find for Canon mount.

[Johnnie Behiri]

Go with the Tokina.

Great lens. "Saved my life" on my first "run N gun documentary" made with the 7d a week ago in Japan.
More info soon.


Thanks.

Johnnie

[Bill Pryor]

That 11-16 gets great reviews, I'd go for it too.
I also got the 28-135 kit lens, but it's so slow that I don't use it for anything but outdoor shooting. Most of my dayjob type shooting involves interiors. I just ordered the Tokina 16-50 because I need a wide fast zoom. I already had a Tamron full frame 17-35 that's 2.8 at the wide end, so initially I ordered a Canon 24-70 f2.8 L lens. Unfortunately, the one I got had a loose floppy focus ring. I sent it back and got another one--same problem. Apparently Canon has some quality control issues going on there. I decided I didn't want to try for a third one because I need a lens next week, so I sent it back for a refund and ordered the Tokina which is here awaiting pickup. This particular Tokina gets up and down reviews, but I thought I'd gamble on it, since I'm so experienced at sending lenses back now.

I'd like to get that 11-16 later on, although I really don't need anything wider than 16mm at present for most of what I do. The 28-135, by the way, looks pretty nice under good light, so it's become my long lens. I'm pretty happy with it, especially for the low kit price. It's just too slow for shooting at 100 ISO indoors.

[Tim Kay]

The Tokina has a pretty strong consciences, impressive

Errrrhhhh, but I shouldn't get to excited about a lens that nobody has in stock!

Checked B&H, out; Amazon, same. Ebay prices are way above the $600 street price. Is this getting discontinued. I called up borrowlenses but they don't answer the phone. Any place local (to the Bay Area) that has competitive lenses for sale ? Called Gassers - they don't have the Tokina & Canon is out of stock.


I'm very interested in older lenses. How does this work - can I buy any older lens, get the appropriate adapter ring and it will work on the canon (sans AF & IS)? Is there a chart to look at? My parents have this old Canon from the 70's, tried putting that lens on but it doesn't work. I'd love to hear some recommendations on older wide variable zoom lenses.

[Bruce S. Yarock]

As I said, you can use most of the older Nikon manual lenses, which are inexpensive. Just get a few adapter rings and you're in business. As a matter of fact I have an extra 135mm f 2.8 in pristine condition if you're interested.
I also bought a Tokina ATX 28-70 f2.8, Nikon mount, to use with my Letus. I've also used it a few times with an adapter ring on my 7d, because it gives a bit more zoom that the Canon 17-55.
I picked up all of my Nikon primes for $100 or under each.
24mm 2.8, 35mm 2.0, 50mm 1.4,105mm 1.8 (beautifull),135 2.8.
Bruce Yarock

[Shawn Wright]

For what it is worth I have owned my 10-22 since the day it came out, so like 3 years ago. I am a pro photographer. I have used it a ton. And by used I mean roughly. I just do not baby my gear.

It works great. I just got my 7D and the thing is awesome. I do not know anything about the Tokina lens but that company has never had a reputation for making quality stuff. But the 2.8 thing is important I would think.

[Jim Michael]

Shawn, not sure about the build quality of Tokina since I've never owned one, but an image that stands out in my mind was from a negative someone brought into a lab I was managing several years ago. It was without doubt the sharpest image I've seen made with a 35mm camera, absolutely stunning. That lens could have been an outlier, who knows.

Some stills made from some of the lenses mentioned wouldn't hurt.

[Ted Ramasola]

Another vote for the Tokina 11-16.

Heres a project I recently did with the 7D. All the wide shots are shot with the tokina. Including the underwater scene.

Bantayan Island By Ted Ramasola On ExposureRoom

Ted

[Gabor Heeres]

I have been a photographer for many years before entering he videomarket. As a photojournalist I had the Tokina 12-24 f/4 on my 20D almost all of the time. It's just a well-built affordable lens with a great wideangle zoomrange on a 1.6x cropfactor DSLR. Though, I must say I have never used it for filmpurposes. Maybe an idea to have a look on this one for a try-out?

Gabor

[Jay Houser]

Yet another vote for the Tokina 11-16mm. The Tokina is a constant aperture lens, the Canon 10-22mm is not.

No zooms in video with the Canon.

The Tokina is the only EFS lens I own - the rest are Canon EF.

[Tim Kay]

I'm pretty sold on this lens. I should probably rent it for the weekend at the cost of ~$40, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it. With the crop factor this lens roughly 16mm which is perfect for what I need to do. Can look into fish-eye later on, but doubt I'll need to be that extreme. Constant, fast aperture is as important as how wide it gets.

Any ideas on why my 20 year old Canon glass didn't work? Is it because the film is FF and I have an aps (and thus just need an adapter?)