Wide Angle for Digital SLR

[Michael Moore]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30066&item=3834440352&rd=1

I am looking for a wide angle lens for a Digital SLR and I wanted to know what you think of the one above and if anyone knows what a good model would be to look at

Thanks
Michael

[Robert Mann Z.]

it depends if you like sharp pictures...

i can recomend a sigma 20 1.8 which is fast, wide, and tack sharp

[Michael Moore]

Ya I know the picture quality on that lens is going to suck but I heard/read some where that Digital SLR cameras don’t have a good wide lens ability. I do skateboarding and snowboarding photography so wide angel lenses are a must. If anyone could shed some light on the subject it would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Michael

[Neil Fisher]

" but I heard/read some where that Digital SLR cameras don’t have a good wide lens abilit"

this is because, most dSLRs have a largeish crop factor. This means that lets say 10d has a crop factor of 1.6 The 15mm 2.8 canon fisheye then becomes a 24mm non fish eye. Basicly all lenses are multiplied by your cameras crop factor. The only two cameras the have a full frame ( no crop factor = 1.0 ) are the Canon 1Ds and the Kodak DCS Pro SLR n & c. However both of these are very expensive.

if you want a nice wide angle, the sigma 12-24 become a 19-38. However it's a rather slow lens, f/4.5-5.6.

Or take a look at sigmas 8mm lens, but it's pretty slow too.

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/html/zoom_intro.htm

The most common and realistic wide angle I use is the canon 17-40 f/4. It's wide enough, to create a little distortion, and f/4 is alright for regular day light.

[Jeff Donald]

Neil, it depends what you mean by non-fisheye. The lens still exhibits 100% distortion of a fisheye, but not the 180 degree angle of view from corner to corner.

Canon has just announced a 10-22mm EF-S lens that will only work on the Digital Rebel and the 20D.

[Michael Moore]

Thanks guys funny Neil that you used the 10d as your example ;) . That is the camera I was looking at getting lol. I have found a few lenses that look good and I have checked them out in stores so I have a good idea what I will need to get the shot I want. I cant wait till I can finely give up the film camera and move into the 21st century, I am going to keep the film camera because sometime slides are nice but it will be a once in a while thing.

Thanks again
Michael Moore

PS the lens I found are
1) Canon 17-40L
2) Sigma 12 -24
3) Sigma 15-30

[Pete Bauer]

Michael,

Since you mentioned the 10D...Canon has recently announced the 20D. It'll in the same price range as the 10D (roughly $1500-1600 for the body) and be nearly on par with the 1DMarkII in most respects. Supports the new EF-S lenses as well as the standard EF line, and has USB 2.0.

Can't wait to get mine (well, ok, actually it'll be my wife's!!!)...have it on pre-order at Zotz. If you can wait a month or so for it to hit the street, appears that it'll be the bang-for-buck king of the DSLR world.

Cheers,