Urgent need for lens advice!!!

[Zack Birlew]

Hey guys, well, it seems that I've got a problematic situation on my hands. I have my big "3-2-1" Chapman project for this semester coming up in about a couple of weeks and the location is in my house but, after doing some camera tests with my Nikon D90, it seems the 18mm end on my 18-200mm 3.5 DX zoom just isn't wide enough for the areas I'm trying to film in. I would try to reframe but every way I try to go at it just ends up with the same problem.

So, that brings me to lens options, the obvious choice being the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 zoom for Nikon. However, of course it wouldn't be available right now ANYWHERE except from Hong Kong sales on eBay and not from the guy I know. Now I'm in a pickle and I don't know how to go about it. I didn't want to spend too much money on this short project, hence the $560-ish Tokina, but it seems I may not have any other choice unless it gets in stock somewhere from now until the time I have to shoot.

The scene is at night with maybe only one 2K or two 1K lights coming in through the windows for moonlight, so the lens has to be fast, and I'm working on a Nikon D90, take that as you will. I want a lens that will carry over to a RED One/Scarlet/Epic, the Tokina at least offered the 15-16mm range, so that cuts out some other choices that might have worked.

Right now I'm looking at the possibility of either going with the 14mm 2.8 Nikon prime because it's manual and that'll help tame the D90's automatic ways or opting for the 14-24mm 2.8 Nikon zoom and working with that as it seems to be the best Nikon lens right now and it gives me some zoom range if 14mm isn't quite right. I really thought about the Sigma 10-20mm lens but, based on the reviews, it just wasn't what I was looking for. So, what do you guys think? Any alternatives or advice? Know of anywhere I can get a Tokina (preferably today)?

(P.S. Didn't quite know where to put this thread, Off Topic, Lens Test, or maybe even Jobs/Equipment? Dunno.)

 

[David W. Jones]

If it were me, rather than spending cash on a school project, I would just re-think the shot and use the tools I had.

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Nikon 14-24mm G: the best ever DSLR rig for landscape and architecture.

 

[Douglas Underdahl]

I bought an 11-16 Tokina from Adorama, I think. It took a while, like a week for it to be in stock. Couldn't get it from B and H. Someone gave Matsuyia on eBay a sterling review here and I was going to order from them but they were out of stock . . . The 14-24 gets rave reviews from everyone. It's pricey, though, but maybe more available? I have the 17-55 DX and in tandem with the 11-16, takes care of a lot. I also have some Nikon 1.4 and 2 primes for speed, and a friend with Zeiss speeds when the chips are really down. I guess none of this solves your problem, but I do recommend the 11-16. Buy it now even if you have to wait a week, and use it on the next project. Try to rent the 14-24. Also, the russian 16mm Zenitar is heap cheap and works.

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

On RED1 that has crop factor 1.7 to FF35 Tokina 11-16mm has about 18.7-27.2mm Angle of View...even Nikon 17-35mm real FF35 zoom lens is much better (expensive)...

Something better always available:

There is still Tamron 14mm f/2.8 analog FF35mm (for Nikon F and Canon EF dumb/Birger/Wicked Circuits-Alesniak) available officially from many Tamron resellers.

Expensive about Euro 1.500...

 

[Steve Gibby]

Zack,

I bought my Tokina 11-16, in Nikon mount, a month ago, right over the counter at a photography store close by you in Southern California. It was $560, and the store paid the sales tax.

The 11-16 is very crisp, wide open, and at all focal lengths. I like it! Great value - especially for the price. I use mine with the Underdahl Nikon DX mount - and it has worked very well.

If you PM me, I'll ping you back the info on the store and the salesman to contact. Could be he has another sitting in the stockroom.

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'm with David in post #2... Use what you have. Come up with more creative camera angles, framing, etc..

But if you insist on spending some money, the Tokina is a pretty good way to go. It's a "DX" format lens, so does not cover FF35 -- it comes close at 15~16mm, but just not quite. It does however cover the full "DX" sensor of the D90.

Sanjin brings up a good point about FOV between the different lenses, but this only applies if you have different cameras available so you can choose which one to shoot this or other projects on. An 18mm lens is an 18mm lens, regardless. The apparent FOV only changes based on your sensor or film format. What he's saying is that an 11mm on a DX sensor gives you roughly the same FOV as an 18mm on a FF35 sensor. But that really doesn't mean much if you're locked in to using a DX sized D90 or a RED One, etc..

The Tokina 11-16 is a little hard to find, but if you order one now you may have it in time. Gibby's tip may help you get one. A local camera store here had one last week and I almost bought it. If I were smart, I'd go back and get it. If they still have it...

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Tokina lens still has 11-16mm x 1.5 = (or can show 16.5-24mm at DoF FF35mm) with Canon crop format.

It's not wide enough...

You'll get it wider with Nikon 17-35mm full FF35mm lens (also with manual focus/aperture control)...

If you have go to count FF35mm the widest and without fish eye sort of distortion effect you have to stop about 14mm at FF35mm.

The wider to go is to get a straight lines a bit curved for still lens design that is a difficult to manage without distortion at any further DoF size.

Only you get curved lines like at all (lovely) fish eye lens offers.

S35mm 3 or 4 perforation film maybe could get that straight lines (???) but in any other option at full FF35mm not at all.

That's all about the rules of lens physics.

Everything that is beyond or even before that is a pure manipulation in a different way(s)...of a pure marketing pot of lies...

 

[Peter Hodgins]

I would try to reframe ... So, what do you guys think? Any alternatives or advice?

"reframing" is the way to go ...knock some holes into your walls ... then cover them with paintings ... if you have to shoot from across the line.

 

[Nils J. Nesse]

Tokina lens still has 11-16mm x 1.5 = (or can show 16.5-24mm at DoF FF35mm) with Canon crop format.

It's not wide enough...

You'll get it wider with Nikon 17-35mm full FF35mm lens (also with manual focus/aperture control)...

Sanjin, I'm trying to understand your point, but it's difficult.

The Tokina 11-16 will be wider than the Nikon 17-35 on a D90, or a Red One.

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Sanjin, I'm trying to understand your point, but it's difficult.

The Tokina 11-16 will be wider { F*CK } than the Nikon 17-35 on a D90, or a Red One.

Nils,

sorry but now you should go back to school:

Canon EOS 5D vs. Canon EOS 20D — Full-Frame vs. APS-C sensors>>>

or

What Camera Should I Buy? > APS-C vs FF 35mm

or

simply Nikon FF35mm to APS-C or Nikon DX sensor crop factor is 1.6x

Tokina zoom starts at 11mm (APS-C tricky 11mm that is at starting point at 17.6mm for FF35)

and now please Nils don't drive me crazy because I do not have more time to explain...

get it right or not...

R1 crop factor is EVEN about 1.7x 11 = 18.7mm with Tokina 11mm ...so you could count please...

 

[Nils J. Nesse]

I know all this, the 11-16 is still wider than the 17-35 on the camera in question.

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Show me the example stills... of both to compare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nils J. Nesse]

Well I used to own both, but now only have the 17-35. The 11-16 was too wide for me on my DX camera.

 

[teamgoo]

not FF

not FF

the tokina is not a full frame 35mm lens. It is a DX lens made for the smaller DX sensor so there is no multiplier. There is only a crop factor if you are a FF stills photographer referencing the FOV of a FF stills lens on a FF sensor or Film camera, but for the rest who are used to S35 or the RED there is no difference in FOV.

 

[Zack Birlew]

Well, the thought also occurred to me to use maybe a 24mm 2.0 AIS with a 0.7x wide angle adapter to get roughly 16mm-on-the-edge-of-17mm or maybe get a 20mm 2.8 AIS and putting a wide angle adapter on that because it's just a few milimeters difference, probably I need 13-15mm more than 11mm. That might do the trick plus it will be manual, but I worry that the wide angle adapter might vignette on the lenses due to them being so wide.

However, I'm going to wait a bit before deciding. I have been experimenting with camera angles and everything again and again and I've found some solutions but they may not have the same impact I was hoping for and, ultimately, that may be what I have to do.

 

[Joel Kaye]

However, I'm going to wait a bit before deciding.

Can you rent a lens for the days you need it? Seems to me that would be the cheapest/easiest solution.

 

[Zack Birlew]

No place to rent SLR lenses as far as I know. Plus we're not allowed to rent outside equipment for these projects (I know, dumb as heck) due to some problems some other students had last semester or something.

 

[Joel Kaye]

No place to rent SLR lenses as far as I know. Plus we're not allowed to rent outside equipment for these projects (I know, dumb as heck) due to some problems some other students had last semester or something.

I guess the second part kills the idea, but I'm surprised there is no place to rent a SLR lens in the LA area (rental capital of the world). Heck, I can do that in Phoenix.

I like the idea of creatively shooting around it - that's what student projects are for anyhow. Perhaps you could stitch 2 shots together in post and be really crafty in your solution.

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Most decent camera shops will rent gear. But since you can't do that.... Maybe you could borrow a lens?