18mm or 20mm lens

I'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon D50. It
needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200 to $300. I
would prefer a single length lens or a short zoom. Any thoughts on a good
choice?

Kevin wrote:
I'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon D50. It
needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200 to $300. I
would prefer a single length lens or a short zoom. Any thoughts on a good
choice?

For $200-300, you'll probably have to look at used, especially if you
want a single-length prime. I've been unusually happy with the Nikon
18-70 I got as a kit lens with my D70, and that's $289 new/imported at B&H.

If you really want a true digital wide-angle, try a lens like the Tamron
11-18. (Which is $569 before $50 rebate at B&H.) I have one, and it's
serviceably good. I like the photos I take with it.

I
"Kevin" writes:
'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon D50. It
needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200 to $300.

Get the entry level 18-55 Nikkor--good lens, low price, kind of slow.

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:02:44 +0000, Kevin wrote:

I'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon
D50. It needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200 to
$300. I would prefer a single length lens or a short zoom. Any thoughts
on a good choice?

What other lenses do you use on the D50? Knowing would make it easier to
recommend something that would mesh better with whatever you're currently
using.

I have a Tokina SD 12-24 f4 AT-X PRO that I use on my D50 that works very
well, but it's well outside your budget. In fact, just about any "short"
very wide angle zoom that's decent optically is going to be about double
(or more) your budget.

I've also been happy with a Sigma 18-50 f3.5-5.6 SD lens on a Canon D30
(not 30D). Cost me about $125 new, a couple years ago. Compact.
Reasonably sharp. Almost IF. Makes for a good, general purpose, one
lens system.

You realize, of course, that on the D50 18mm isn't all that wide. About
equivalent to a 28 on a 35mm film camera.

Stef

Kevin wrote:
I'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon
D50. It needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200
to $300. I would prefer a single length lens or a short zoom. Any
thoughts on a good choice?

The Nikon 18-70mm is a great lens.

"Stefan Patric" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:02:44 +0000, Kevin wrote:

I'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon
D50. It needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200 to
$300. I would prefer a single length lens or a short zoom. Any thoughts
on a good choice?

What other lenses do you use on the D50? Knowing would make it easier to
recommend something that would mesh better with whatever you're currently
using.

Since I just made the switch to digital last year, the only AF lens that I
have that is a Nikkor 35 - 70 which works well. I take a lot of photos of my
finished landscape work which generally requires a wider angle than the 35mm
allows. At some point I will also start looking for a decent telephoto.

You realize, of course, that on the D50 18mm isn't all that wide. About
equivalent to a 28 on a 35mm film camera.

According to the literature from Nikon, my current lens at 35mm has a 44
degree angle whereas an 18mm would have a 76 degree angle, and the 20mm a 70
degree angle, considerably more than the 35mm. On my old film camera, my
favorite lens was a tokina 28mm which was acceptably wide at 74 degrees.

Kevin

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon D50.
It needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200 to $300. I
would prefer a single length lens or a short zoom. Any thoughts on a good
choice?

Try to spend another $100 and get the Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4.5. It is a medium
speed zoom that is usable wide open and has minimal color fringing. It
internal focuses and the filter ring does not rotate. It is made mostly of
plastic (most are these days), but there is no wiggle to the extended
barrel.

See here as the Sigma 17-70 puts the hurt on Canon's crappy kit lens:
http://home.att.net/~jriegle/sigma17-70.jpg

The Nikon "kit" lens may be a good in budget choice. It is sharp, but
suffers from some color fringing.

"Kevin" wrote in message ...
On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:02:44 +0000, Kevin wrote:

I'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon
D50. It needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200 to
$300. I would prefer a single length lens or a short zoom. Any thoughts
on a good choice?

Since I just made the switch to digital last year, the only AF lens that I have that is a Nikkor 35 - 70 which works well. I take
a lot of photos of my finished landscape work which generally requires a wider angle than the 35mm allows. At some point I will
also start looking for a decent telephoto.
According to the literature from Nikon, my current lens at 35mm has a 44 degree angle whereas an 18mm would have a 76 degree
angle, and the 20mm a 70 degree angle, considerably more than the 35mm. On my old film camera, my favorite lens was a tokina 28mm
which was acceptably wide at 74 degrees.

Kevin

The 18-70mm Nikkor is quite good for a zoom, but non-zooms tend to be
better (unless you spend BIG bucks for the f2.8 big-heavy zooms). BTW,
I have a mint-condition, in box 20mm f2.8 AF Nikkor for a little over $300
(listed here - http://www.donferrario.com/ruether/fs-wides.htm). Holler if
interested.
--
David Ruether

http://www.donferrario.com/ruether

On Aug 25, 4:32 pm, "JohnR66" wrote:


The Nikon "kit" lens may be a good in budget choice. It is sharp, but
suffers from some color fringing.

The 18-55mm, I guess? The 18-70 is a good lens, especially for the
price. And if there's one thing it doesn't have, it's CA!

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:46:22 +0000, Kevin wrote:

"Stefan Patric" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:02:44 +0000, Kevin wrote:

I'm looking to buy a wide angle or wide angle zoom lens for my Nikon
D50. It needs to be 18mm or 20mm at least and my price range in $200
to $300. I would prefer a single length lens or a short zoom. Any
thoughts on a good choice?

What other lenses do you use on the D50? Knowing would make it easier
to recommend something that would mesh better with whatever you're
currently using.

Since I just made the switch to digital last year, the only AF lens that
I have that is a Nikkor 35 - 70 which works well. I take a lot of photos
of my finished landscape work which generally requires a wider angle
than the 35mm allows. At some point I will also start looking for a
decent telephoto.

You realize, of course, that on the D50 18mm isn't all that wide.
About equivalent to a 28 on a 35mm film camera.

According to the literature from Nikon, my current lens at 35mm has a 44
degree angle whereas an 18mm would have a 76 degree angle, and the 20mm
a 70 degree angle, considerably more than the 35mm. On my old film
camera, my favorite lens was a tokina 28mm which was acceptably wide at
74 degrees.

Because of your budget, you have 2 choices: get a not so wide angle zoom
in the 17 to 18 to 35 to 50 or 70 range designed for APS-C sized sensors
like the Sigma 18-50 f3.5/5.6 DC I suggested previously, or look for an
older used, manual focus AI modified, AI, AI-S Nikon compatible prime
lens on eBay. I see quite a few 17mm ones by Tokina and Tamron, etc.
designed for 35mm film cameras that would work fine for very little
money. Of course, they could only be used in manual mode, and the in-
camera meter won't function. At times, I use my 30 year old AI Nikkors
on my D50, and they produce better images -- sharper, less flare, better
contrast -- than the "modern" 12-24 AF zoom that normally stays on the
body.

Stef