Photography Oi Big G, Wiiiiideangle!

[Gumbo]

I'm in the happy position where the boss at work (me) has decided that in order to capture images inside boats that we hire and sell, it is essential that we own a wide angle lens to slap on the front of my 400d which I will allow to be used for the purpose. (should I on occasion wish to borrow said lens for my own use, in my own time, I'm sure the boss (me) would allow it)

I seem to remember in another thread you (Big G) mentioned the Tokina 11-16mm as being an awesome piece of kit. If you had your time again would that be the lens you would choose around that price, or is there something else I should consider.

Other peoples input is also welcome.

 

[caLLous]

What sort of size are the boats? For really awesome interior stuff you can't beat a tilt-shift but they ain't cheap. I have the Canon EF-S 10-22 and it's great. No experience with the Tokina but I remember G mentioning it and the Sigma as well I think but that was in his Pentax days iirc.

 

[Gumbo]

The big problem is that the cabins you're trying to shoot are often only 6 feet or less across, so you can't get any kind of complete image without something wide.

I could stitch things, but that's just messy.

 

[caLLous]

Yeah that's where the TS-E lenses really come into their own, because you can shift the lens to the left, then take a shot, then to the middle, then to the right and you get a massive, perspectively-correct (if that's even a term) image. There's quite a good write-up about these lenses on Northlight-Images. But, yeah, they cost 3 times as much as a decent wide-angle, so see what the boss says about it.

 

[dysfunction]

What about one of those cameras that take a 360 degree image of a room?

 

[Gumbo]

What about one of those cameras that take a 360 degree image of a room?

Yeah, we've thought about that, but they're not really versatile enough to justify an actual purchase. Video tours of the hire boats will probably cover that kind of thing, this is more for brochure/leaflet use, and general mood landscape type of shots too.

Also a nice wide angle is missing from my bag, and this is an opportunity to get one, it's just which one to get...

 

[caLLous]

Tbh, if it's for mostly interior use, the constant f2.8 of the Tokina would win for me. Here's a comparison of five:

Conclusions
Which one is best? In terms of value, the Sigma are the winners - they offer high image quality and they are less expensive than the Canon; other than that, they are on par with Canon both in terms of build quality and AF. The Canon is overall the best in terms of image quality, but it wins by a slight margin and it is the most expensive of the five lenses tested.

The Tokina has good image quality and a very bright aperture, but it is relatively expensive and it has a very limited range of focal lengths; I'd recommend it only if you really need the 2.8 aperture (if you do a lot of low light photos).

 

[old.user4556]

The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is a sensational APS-C lens, super sharp right from f/2.8 which makes it ideal for low light and astro photography. Bear in mind the shallow depth of field at f/2.8 though. It's also a very well made lens, built like a tank. It's also much sharper with better micro contrast than my Sigma 10-20mm was (i've had two copies of the Sigma, one Pentax and one Canon) - all round better than the Siggy.

My only gripe with the Tokina is that it suffers more from chromatic aberration than the Sigma does, but if you shoot RAW (instead of JPEG) then you can correct for this in post processing.

However, if wideness is what you're after, you may want to consider the Sigma 8-16mm. It's much better from a resolution perspective than it's older cousin the 10-20mm (and on par with the Tokina). The drawback with the Siggy 8-16 is the built in petal hood and the bulbous front element which renders it useless if you want to use screw in or square filter kits. If you need to use filters, then the Sigma 8-16mm is useless. The other disadvantage is that it's not got as good a max aperture as the Tokina 11-16mm.

Would 8mm over 11mm be advantageous to your needs? If so, the Sigma 8-16mm gets my vote but beware it's shortcomings with max aperture and the inability to put any filtration on it.

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy...8-16mm-f4-5-5-6-DC-HSM-Lens-Canon-Fit_1519615

The Tokina is the best all rounder - sharp, fast aperture, well built and ultra wide.

 

[Tom]

I have the 10mm Sigma. You have to be careful not to shoot the back of your head with it.

 

[Exioce]

Yeah that's where the TS-E lenses really come into their own, because you can shift the lens to the left, then take a shot, then to the middle, then to the right and you get a massive, perspectively-correct (if that's even a term) image. There's quite a good write-up about these lenses on Northlight-Images. But, yeah, they cost 3 times as much as a decent wide-angle, so see what the boss says about it.

The Canon is only about £40 more than the Tokina or new Sigma on Amazon, so judging from that article it's the one to go for.
How much use do you guys get out of them?

 

[Gumbo]

Oi G, I hadn't thought of going as low as 8mm, now I'm considering it. Luckily Warehouse Express is just up the road, and I'm led to believe pretty handy people, so I'll perhaps go in and have a look/chat.

I think either the Tokina or that 8-16mm sigma would do a job for me. It might come down to feel in the end. I'm in Norwich on Thursday so I'll pop in then.

 

[old.user4556]

Warehouse Express are awesome, very good customer service but not always the cheapest.

Just keep in mind that if you want to look at getting filters for the Sigma 8-16mm then forget it. For me, that was a non-starter, plus I wanted the flexibility of a constant f/2.8 aperture.