Good wide for a 10D at DVinfo.net

Jeff Miller · January 4th, 2006, 10:53 AM

I'm getting started with the 10D and a EF 28-135. It seems like a nice lens so far but is nowhere near wide enough for anything indoors. So I'm contemplating either going all out with a 15mm ("24"mm) fisheye, or a somewhat more purposeful 17-40mm zoom, or a cheaper job-specific non-zoom wide.

Does the 10D really turn a fisheye into a wide with it's crop factor?
Is 4 stops pretty slow for that 17-40?
Is it easy to live with a non-zoom lens? To me zoom seems important to get focus, compose without moving around etc but perhaps not.

Thanks for any help!

Meryem Ersoz · January 4th, 2006, 11:56 AM

my walk around lens for a digital rebel is a tamron 24-135, which i like quite a bit, but it is still not as wide as i would like, so i have a 15mm fisheye ordered up. i can let you know how it works. should be here in another day or two. the problems is the crop factor makes wide angle not-so-wide, so i think you have to go wider out to compensate. yesterday, the light was really weird here, so i looked outside and there across the street from my house was a beautiful double rainbow. sure wished for that fisheye then.....

also, i have a nice 100mm macro lens which is a prime, and it can take a huge range of pictures. you should go to your camera store and test-drive a prime, you will be amazed at how little you miss having a zoom and how beautiful and sharp the images are!

Keith Loh · January 4th, 2006, 12:00 PM

I have a 28mm-105mm for my 10D as well and would be looking at a wide angle as well. Unfortunately, I'm also in love with USM and man those are expensive.

K. Forman · January 4th, 2006, 12:45 PM

I've been taking the WD-58 off my GL1. Now... If I could only afford a decent tele that will work for both ;)

Meryem Ersoz · January 4th, 2006, 01:05 PM

this guy's photography website is inspiring. on this page, he checks out a sigma 10-20mm ultra wide, which appears to take really nice shots and might be what you're looking for, jeff. seems worth a look....

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/sigma_10_20

the best stuff on his site, however, is his mad scientist experiments with the sigma 300-800mm (yes, you read that correctly), to which he adds 8x worth of teleconverters. heh. crazed!

Keith Loh · January 4th, 2006, 03:19 PM

quite nice!

Keith Loh · January 4th, 2006, 03:27 PM

Man that guy's bird photography makes me cry. And ironically he is color blind.

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/52821060

Jeff Miller · January 4th, 2006, 04:58 PM

Thanks for all the help everyone!

Meryem Ersoz:
I'd like to hear (or see!) with the fe! I guess you are on 10D?
Someday I'll fall for primes, I'm still in beginner's league for now
If the Sigma 10-20 is good enough for that Rob guy to use then it's good enough for me!! Doesn't look like he's having trouble in low light either. Great site too, holy smokes

Keith Forman:
I have the WD58 as well! Great glass. Are you fitting it on somehow? The filter for my 28-135 is 72mm, too big :/ Maybe I'll try the XL2's wide converter, lol

K. Forman · January 5th, 2006, 07:57 AM

I guess there is a major difference in the cameras- I have the Rebel D100? Sweet little DSLR, and the lens I have is a EFS 18-55. The WD and all my filters fit perfect.

Jeff Miller · January 5th, 2006, 08:58 AM

Yeah I guess so, the I don't know anything about the D100 but is still DSLR so I guess it's a lens more then camera issue.
What do you need a wide for anyway, you already have native 18mm on a non-cropped EF-S glass :D Just kidding.

Oh and putting the XL2 WA adapter on my EF didn't work at all, lol

K. Forman · January 5th, 2006, 09:15 AM

I tell you... with only like 300 different camera models already out, and new ones popping up, it is hard to keep track! I can't even find the series number on the box, or the cam, so I really have no idea what I have anymore. All it says is Rebel, and on the bottom it has DS6041.

I was just really happy to find out the stuff I already had for my GL1 fit it, less I need to buy. I use the WD for those occasions my son has a school show, and those rooms are awful short. I can get all of the show into the shot. The lens I have for it is ok for average shots, but doesn't do anything more than 50 foot very well. I picked up a cheapo tele-extender for my GL1, but it is useless... everything looks like you have cataracs!

Meryem Ersoz · January 14th, 2006, 04:46 PM

jeff: i said i'd report in on the sigma 15mm fisheye...i really like it! it's exactly what i had hoped for...sharp, with a mild, not overly fishy effect, which is eliminated from landscapes simply by cropping (you need to crop anyway, because the lens hood vignettes) but appears in close-ups and medium shots as a nice effect (as opposed to a distortion).

i've taken some shots with it (dining room table, railroad tracks, wooded path, mountains), which illustrate the effect but nothing i would post just yet--no good shots, just test shots on the fly. as soon as i get a worthy shot or two, i'll post them so you can see for yourself. but it is an excellent addition, and i bought mine used from B&H for only $280, which included shipping, a nice price. i am very happy with this purchase. way, way nicer than the 24mm i was getting with my standard walkaround lens. sigma makes some good lenses and some eh lenses, and this one is a good lens, i think.

Andrew Khalil · January 15th, 2006, 11:00 AM

I have the 17-40 f/4L and I've been very happy with it. It's fast enough for most situations. When it isn't, I bring out the 50 1.8 which only costa 100 bucks and is awesome for all my low-light needs.

Dylan Couper · January 19th, 2006, 08:02 PM

I have the Sigma 12-24mm wide angle. Not a fisheye. My fav of all my lenses. I used it on a 10d, can't imagine how insanely wide it will be on a 5d when I get one! Best money I've spent on a lens yet.

Jeff Miller · January 24th, 2006, 01:05 PM

I wound up getting the Sigma 10-20, couldn't afford the Canon L that I wanted. It seems like a very square lens so far though, feels solid and the field of view is ridiculous. Completely useless when you want something that is any distance away but the degree of view seems like more then my eye(s).

January 4th, 2006, 10:53 AM	#1
Jeff Miller Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 227	Good wide for a 10D I'm getting started with the 10D and a EF 28-135. It seems like a nice lens so far but is nowhere near wide enough for anything indoors. So I'm contemplating either going all out with a 15mm ("24"mm) fisheye, or a somewhat more purposeful 17-40mm zoom, or a cheaper job-specific non-zoom wide. Does the 10D really turn a fisheye into a wide with it's crop factor? Is 4 stops pretty slow for that 17-40? Is it easy to live with a non-zoom lens? To me zoom seems important to get focus, compose without moving around etc but perhaps not. Thanks for any help! __________________ (insert long list of expensive stuff)

January 4th, 2006, 12:00 PM	#3
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	I have a 28mm-105mm for my 10D as well and would be looking at a wide angle as well. Unfortunately, I'm also in love with USM and man those are expensive. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

January 4th, 2006, 12:45 PM	#4
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	I've been taking the WD-58 off my GL1. Now... If I could only afford a decent tele that will work for both ;) __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

January 4th, 2006, 03:19 PM	#6
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	quite nice! __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

January 4th, 2006, 03:27 PM	#7
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	Man that guy's bird photography makes me cry. And ironically he is color blind. http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/52821060 __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

January 4th, 2006, 11:56 AM	#2
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	my walk around lens for a digital rebel is a tamron 24-135, which i like quite a bit, but it is still not as wide as i would like, so i have a 15mm fisheye ordered up. i can let you know how it works. should be here in another day or two. the problems is the crop factor makes wide angle not-so-wide, so i think you have to go wider out to compensate. yesterday, the light was really weird here, so i looked outside and there across the street from my house was a beautiful double rainbow. sure wished for that fisheye then..... also, i have a nice 100mm macro lens which is a prime, and it can take a huge range of pictures. you should go to your camera store and test-drive a prime, you will be amazed at how little you miss having a zoom and how beautiful and sharp the images are!

January 4th, 2006, 01:05 PM	#5
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	this guy's photography website is inspiring. on this page, he checks out a sigma 10-20mm ultra wide, which appears to take really nice shots and might be what you're looking for, jeff. seems worth a look.... http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/sigma_10_20 the best stuff on his site, however, is his mad scientist experiments with the sigma 300-800mm (yes, you read that correctly), to which he adds 8x worth of teleconverters. heh. crazed!

January 4th, 2006, 04:58 PM	#8
Jeff Miller Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 227	Thanks for all the help everyone! Meryem Ersoz: I'd like to hear (or see!) with the fe! I guess you are on 10D? Someday I'll fall for primes, I'm still in beginner's league for now If the Sigma 10-20 is good enough for that Rob guy to use then it's good enough for me!! Doesn't look like he's having trouble in low light either. Great site too, holy smokes Keith Forman: I have the WD58 as well! Great glass. Are you fitting it on somehow? The filter for my 28-135 is 72mm, too big :/ Maybe I'll try the XL2's wide converter, lol __________________ (insert long list of expensive stuff)

January 5th, 2006, 07:57 AM	#9
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	I guess there is a major difference in the cameras- I have the Rebel D100? Sweet little DSLR, and the lens I have is a EFS 18-55. The WD and all my filters fit perfect. __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

January 5th, 2006, 08:58 AM	#10
Jeff Miller Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 227	Yeah I guess so, the I don't know anything about the D100 but is still DSLR so I guess it's a lens more then camera issue. What do you need a wide for anyway, you already have native 18mm on a non-cropped EF-S glass :D Just kidding. Oh and putting the XL2 WA adapter on my EF didn't work at all, lol __________________ (insert long list of expensive stuff)

January 5th, 2006, 09:15 AM	#11
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	I tell you... with only like 300 different camera models already out, and new ones popping up, it is hard to keep track! I can't even find the series number on the box, or the cam, so I really have no idea what I have anymore. All it says is Rebel, and on the bottom it has DS6041. I was just really happy to find out the stuff I already had for my GL1 fit it, less I need to buy. I use the WD for those occasions my son has a school show, and those rooms are awful short. I can get all of the show into the shot. The lens I have for it is ok for average shots, but doesn't do anything more than 50 foot very well. I picked up a cheapo tele-extender for my GL1, but it is useless... everything looks like you have cataracs! __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

January 14th, 2006, 04:46 PM	#12
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	jeff: i said i'd report in on the sigma 15mm fisheye...i really like it! it's exactly what i had hoped for...sharp, with a mild, not overly fishy effect, which is eliminated from landscapes simply by cropping (you need to crop anyway, because the lens hood vignettes) but appears in close-ups and medium shots as a nice effect (as opposed to a distortion). i've taken some shots with it (dining room table, railroad tracks, wooded path, mountains), which illustrate the effect but nothing i would post just yet--no good shots, just test shots on the fly. as soon as i get a worthy shot or two, i'll post them so you can see for yourself. but it is an excellent addition, and i bought mine used from B&H for only $280, which included shipping, a nice price. i am very happy with this purchase. way, way nicer than the 24mm i was getting with my standard walkaround lens. sigma makes some good lenses and some eh lenses, and this one is a good lens, i think.

January 15th, 2006, 11:00 AM	#13
Andrew Khalil Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 424	I have the 17-40 f/4L and I've been very happy with it. It's fast enough for most situations. When it isn't, I bring out the 50 1.8 which only costa 100 bucks and is awesome for all my low-light needs.

January 19th, 2006, 08:02 PM	#14
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	I have the Sigma 12-24mm wide angle. Not a fisheye. My fav of all my lenses. I used it on a 10d, can't imagine how insanely wide it will be on a 5d when I get one! Best money I've spent on a lens yet. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

January 24th, 2006, 01:05 PM	#15
Jeff Miller Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 227	I wound up getting the Sigma 10-20, couldn't afford the Canon L that I wanted. It seems like a very square lens so far though, feels solid and the field of view is ridiculous. Completely useless when you want something that is any distance away but the degree of view seems like more then my eye(s). __________________ (insert long list of expensive stuff)