Urgent need for lens advice!!!

[Kwan Khan]

Hummm.
Cinewalt uploaded video clip (Tokina 11-16mm, Mantis and Easy Rig)
(Note: Video will take time to load)
http://www.rent-a-red.com/WideLens.mov

 

[Steve Gibby]

To be clear, the Tokina 11-16 is not a true rectilinear lens. At its widest (11mm) you will get some barrel distortion, and as I previously touched on briefly, when using a lens that wide at very low (looking upward as in Cinewalt's tilt up to the street signs and buildings), and high (looking downward) angles you will accentuate distortion - again, nothing unusual for an extreme wide angle lens, unless it is a true rectilinear lens ultra-wide, like the ARRI 8R. To minimize bending you shoot more at mid-angles to the suject matter - or in certain creative shots and genres of production you sometimes actually shoot from high and low angles seeking that barrel distortion and line bending in your shots.

Unless I missed something, I don't see anything in Cinewalt's video that doesn't fit into what I described previously, and in the paragraph above - all expected characteristics of an extreme wide angle lens that is not fully rectilinear.

With the Tokina 11-16, barrel distortion is most pronounced at 11mm, much less at 12mm, and effectively disappears from 13mm to 16mm. Knowing that, you use the focal length, field of view, and barrel distortion (or lack thereof) you want for each shot sequence. Those new to shooting super wide angle lenses have a learning curve to maximize the positive attributes of the lens - and to avoid the nuances of barrel distortion, etc. - unless it is one of the rare true rectilinear ultra wide angle lenses.

 

[Shane Kelly]

for lens rentals, look here:
http://www.lensrentals.com/category/wide-angle/for-nikon

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

I just posted a brand new tread about my quick and dirty Tokina 11-1mm test on handheld RED1 here >>>

Shot with Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 ASPH. AT-X 116 PRO DX on RED1.