Wide Angle for D3100

mudit

Hi,

I am looking to buy a new wide angle lens for my D 3100.
With so many lenses (Nikon and Sigma) available on the market, I am just not able to make up my mind which one to go with.

Can you guys help me in deciding which will be a good choice for me considering all aspects (including price).

Any suggestions will be helpful. Also, can you guys point me to a good website to read review of wide angle lenses?

Hope to hear soon.

Cheers,
Mudit

ohyeahar

Hey Mudit, what are you looking to photograph and what lens(es) do you have already?

These lenses come to mind when you talk about wide angle for DX:
1) Nikon Nikkor AF-S 12-24mm f/4 G ED IF DX (cost about USD 1K)
2) Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/.5-4.5G ED (cost about USD 900)
3) Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II AF 11-16mm f/2.8 lens (cost about USD 500)

mudit

Hi mate,

Thanks for your reply.

I already have Nikon 35mm f/1.8 prime and Sigma 18-270mm, apart from the 18-55mm kit lens.

I am looking to photograph landscapes and architecture mainly (planning a Europe trip).

Thanks for your suggestions. As always, obviously money is a factor, but I will be interested to know what the main differences are in quality with these lenses. Also, is there anything that Sigma offers on the same lines? I have never used Tokina, how are they ?

Cheers,
Mudit

ohyeahar

Sigma has these guys in its lineup:
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM (cost about USD 400)
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM (cost about 580)
Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM (cost about USD 600)

No personal experience with any of these wide angle lenses. Just from checking reviews, the 2 Nikkors seem to be the clear winner in terms of image quality and performance; only thing holding them back is the high price.

The Tokina is a good choice if you value the constant f/2.8 (which I think is not as important at wide angles but it really depends on what you’re trying to shoot). It helps that it’s relatively cheap. Thom Hogan seems to like this lens but does admit it has potential flare issues.

The Sigma 8-16mm appears to be a good choice with no apparent flaws, being able to go all the way to 8mm, and priced reasonably.

Again, no personal experience in any of these lenses. I just came up with this after a quick couple of searches. You should read the reviews of these lenses and think about what you want to spend.

mudit

Thanks mate for your comment.

I appreciate your help.

Cheers,
Mudit