C100: C100 Wide Angle Lens Advice/Options

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robzila27

Member
I am humbly seeking advice/recommendations on wide angle lens options for my C100. I am shooting various handheld (run 'n gun) documentary segments in small doctor's office exam rooms. Typical doctor/patient interactions and need to be able to capture both parties, at times, in the shot.

Currently I am only using the EF 24-105 due to the fact that it has IS and that is a MUST.

I have been looking at the Sigma 17-50 2.8 and the Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 but get confused about the APS-C vs Super 35 sensor difference and when I look at the "Angle of View" spec's compared to the 24-105, It doesn't appear that I'm gaining much.

Any advice, thoughts or guidance would be much appreciated.
 
The 17-55mm f/2.8 IS is a great addition to the 24-105, and there are some who use it as their primary lens instead of the 24-105. It has great IS just like the 24-105, though its build, image, and versatility is inferior (I think). But you're right, it's not THAT much wider. For that, the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is the best bet. There are cheaper Rokinons and Samyangs but the Tokina is worth spending a little more. You can get either version I or II, whatever is on sale, there is not much difference in them for Canon video shooters.

After you get the Tokina, you still may want to have the 17-55 in your kit. Sometimes you want to switch to something wider than the 24-105, but want to keep it on for a little longer and continue to be versatile. After that you'll want to get a 70-200mm F/4 IS. And then you'll be all set... for a while. :-)

For my C100 I carry and use the 24-105mm 70% of the time, then the Tokina 11-16mm 20% of the time, then the 17-55mm about 10%. And I carry the 70-200mm f/4 IS for interviews, and only occasionally for B-roll. I also just got a Canon 35mm f/2 IS for a versatile low light, small addition to the kit, but I haven't used it enough to give you solid advice about it. Good luck!



robzila27 said:
I am humbly seeking advice/recommendations on wide angle lens options for my C100. I am shooting various handheld (run 'n gun) documentary segments in small doctor's office exam rooms. Typical doctor/patient interactions and need to be able to capture both parties, at times, in the shot.

Currently I am only using the EF 24-105 due to the fact that it has IS and that is a MUST.

I have been looking at the Sigma 17-50 2.8 and the Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 but get confused about the APS-C vs Super 35 sensor difference and when I look at the "Angle of View" spec's compared to the 24-105, It doesn't appear that I'm gaining much.

Any advice, thoughts or guidance would be much appreciated.
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I use a Tokina 12-24 F/4 in addition to my canon 24-105.
I rather use the little extra range compared to the 11-16, because I don't care about loosing one stop.

The tokina 12-24 is very well built and has focus hard stop which is rather useful.
 
Yeah I have the 24-105, Tokina 11-16, and Canon 17-55. I'd say the 24-105 gets the most use hands down because of the range, though the 17-55 does have much better IQ. For basic use 17 is plenty wide for me on Super35 but I find the mechanical quality of the 17-55 to be seriously lacking. Just has a bad feel and the rings have terrible throw, especially the zoom (which is reversed for some reason). I do still use it a lot just because the image rocks but am consistently annoyed by it.

The Tokina has nice build quality but is really a specialty lens in my bag. I has a very nice look when you need it though it does flare pretty bad and it lacks the versatility the other options offer. It is an amazing lens for time lapse, which is why I've held onto it.
 
remsyatassi said:
I do still use it a lot just because the image rocks but am consistently annoyed by it.
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Great description of the 17-55.

I like my 24-105 for the ability to jam a closeup shot without having to swap lenses, but the brightness shift on zooming and the overall blah image (compared to the 70-200 2.8) really bothers me. If only there was a 17-105 2.8 IS with a really good image.

Despite all the whining, the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS is still probably the best option if you have to get a wider shot and also need to be able to get in a little tighter for a reaction from the patient.
 
I recently picked up the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 and it's a fantastic lens! It's damped better than any of the Canon L lenses I own. It's also great for shallow DOF. Unfortunately, It's only slightly wider than the Canon 24-105L. I do have the 24-105L, 24-70L, 17-40L amongst others for my wides. I had been using the 5D3 prior to purchasing the C100 so my kit isn't that wide for Super 35mm. For an ultra wide solution the Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 as mentioned earlier would probably be my lens of choice.
 
I have the Tokina 11-16 and a Canon 16-35 2.8. The latter is a still photography carry over but it works well to fill that range gap with my lenses. I was considering the 17-55 for the IS but noticed that the Sigma version in 17-50 2.8 gets pretty good reviews as well and also has IS. Anybody ever try or consider that lens? It's considerably cheaper especially on the used market. Sigma's so-so resale value is a bonus there except when you have to sell it.


Roger over at Lensrentals does a review of the ultrawide offerings:
https://www.lensrentals.com/rent/canon/lenses/wide-angle/sigma-17-50mm-f2.8-ex-dc-os-hsm-for-canon
 
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My go to lens for C100 have been the tokina 11-16mm for those really wide shots and my most common lens to use is the sigma 18-35mm. I have access to the canon cine lens but more often prefer the sigma as it is multipurpose and light weight.
 
The C100 has a Super35 sensor size... 24mm on FF feels about as wide as 17mm on Super35. But 17mm on Super35 is significantly wider than 24mm on Super35! For a given camera... focal lengths are all relative to each other, crop factor remains the same unless you do something to change it.

I don't find IS that important but the 24-105mm is a nice lens if you don't need speed. I've used the 18-35mm f1.8 Sigma, 17-55mm f2.8 Canon and 17-50mm Tamron and Sigma lenses. All are just fine. General purpose/doc the Canon is best, but the Sigma is amazingly sharp and kind of magical. The others are ok, Tamron has a less pretty look and the IS is too good for video (locks on too hard); Sigma soft in corners at 17mm. All are excellent, really, but those are my favorites!

My favorite UWA for video is the Tamron 11-16mm f2.8, which is also very inexpensive. Would make a decent complement to the 24-105mm f4 L and IS is not important at focal lengths that wide.
 
Thanks for all of the replies! I'm still trying to educate myself and come up with the best solution (of course, it would be much easier if I had every lens imaginable and was able to slap them on the C100 and make a choice). I still have some questions that are doing my head in, specifically the "Angle 0f View" versus "Focal Length" when trying to make decisions with only tech spec's as a reference.

Example:
Canon EF 24-105 f/4 (which I am using as a baseline)
Comparable APS-C 1.6x Focal Length: 38.4 - 168 mm
Angle of View: 84° - 23° 20'

Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8
Comparable APS-C 1.6x Focal Length: 27.2 - 88 mm
Angle of View: 78° 30' - 27° 50'

I guess my question is: Is the "Focal Length" or "Angle of View" a truer indicator of how wide your potential image will be when using both lenses on the C100?

The Tokina/Tamron 11-16, although highly recommended is giving me reservations due to the lack of IS and to be honest, once we are in the room and the door shuts, there is no opportunity to swap glass and the limited focal length scares me.

So, it may be boiling down to the Canon EF-S 17-55 and the Sigma 17-50. Cost is not a issue (within reason) but image quality, build, functionality definitely are.

Side note: anyone have any experience with the Canon EF-S 15-85 f/3.5? If so, should it even be in the conversation?

Thanks!
 
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I, like others, use the 24-105 almost exclusively (with a 70-200 f4 for CUs and interviews). For wide angle I'm thinking of going for the Tokina 11-16. I worked on an indie feature recently (shot on C100) and they were using the Canon 10-22 EFS lens. The images actually looked pretty good!
 
Why don't you try the EF 16-35 f2.8 L II USM lens. It is wide enough for your needs. If you are using it at the wide end, you may be able to manage even though it doesn't have IS.
 
robzila27 said:
Thanks for all of the replies! I'm still trying to educate myself and come up with the best solution (of course, it would be much easier if I had every lens imaginable and was able to slap them on the C100 and make a choice). I still have some questions that are doing my head in, specifically the "Angle 0f View" versus "Focal Length" when trying to make decisions with only tech spec's as a reference.

Example:
Canon EF 24-105 f/4 (which I am using as a baseline)
Comparable APS-C 1.6x Focal Length: 38.4 - 168 mm
Angle of View: 84° - 23° 20'

Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8
Comparable APS-C 1.6x Focal Length: 27.2 - 88 mm
Angle of View: 78° 30' - 27° 50'

I guess my question is: Is the "Focal Length" or "Angle of View" a truer indicator of how wide your potential image will be when using both lenses on the C100?

The Tokina/Tamron 11-16, although highly recommended is giving me reservations due to the lack of IS and to be honest, once we are in the room and the door shuts, there is no opportunity to swap glass and the limited focal length scares me.

So, it may be boiling down to the Canon EF-S 17-55 and the Sigma 17-50. Cost is not a issue (within reason) but image quality, build, functionality definitely are.

Side note: anyone have any experience with the Canon EF-S 15-85 f/3.5? If so, should it even be in the conversation?

Thanks!
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Why can't you swap lenses? Also... stabilization is pretty irrelevant on a lens wider than 24mm. If you're worried, get a monopod.

Neither of the angles of view quoted are correct for the C100... the L lens has a FF figure quoted; 17-55mm has a APS-C figure quoted; C100 sensor is in-between (much closer to APS-C).

For a given camera (unless you change formats) focal lengths are focal lengths. Field of view is dependent on focal length and sensor size... but sensor size is fixed on the C100 (assuming you don't crop or turn on EF lens mode) so all lenses behave the same whether they are EF or EF-S. Focal length is focal length for a given sensor size... change the focal length and you change the field of view, change the sensor size (put the 24-105mm on a 5D) and you change the FOV. But this is video 101 stuff, really...

What matters is just focus on focal length unless you switch cameras.
 
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