wide-angle lenses for the NEX-FS100

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steditrak

Active member
I've been told that some manufacturers make wide-angle lenses without barrel distortion. Sounds good to me. Anybody know which manufacturers make "distortion free" wide-angle lenses for the NEX-FS100?

Inquiring minds need to know.
 
Get the Sony Alpha mount adapter for the E-mount, and then get the Tokina 11-16mm with Sony Alpha mount. It's about the best you can do without going absolutely nuts.

I doubt you find anything without some perspective distortion, but some lenses are worlds better than others.
 
The Tokina is a fine lens - especially rehouse by Duclos.

It seems to me that there has been little development, by stills companies, of high performance wide lenses to cover the APS/S35 format

The format is relatively new in stills world and development has ben concentrated on reducing cost rather than increasing performance

(see the slew of crap 18-XX zoom lenses that cost virtually nothing)

This lack of development fundamentally reduces the options

What is a wide lens - I guess Id want in the 16-17-18 zone - wider than that could be described as a special purpose lens

And like all lenses ideally one would like in the region of F2.0

There is no reason an 17/2 could not be made - it is just that stills lens people have thus far not applied development funds in that direction

Cine people have however put money into the S35 format

Witness the Cooke S4 18 T1.4 - :)

But a lens of that class is not generally affordable

So that leaves stills offerings

On the prime front there are some fine lenses leica, zeiss etc in the 18 F3.5 zone

A little overwide (IMO) is the nikkor 14 2.8 that gains a little light compared to the 18mm offerings and can be had quite cheap as it is not 'fashionable' due to the 14-24 G mentioned below

The nikkor 14 2.8 has a 'proper aperture'

But of course focuses 'the wrong way'

All of these are expensive lenses that cover FF35 - so you are not really using all you are paying for

Examining the nikon 'DX' offerings we see a hole in the offereing - 10.5fish - 35 1.4

There are no primes wides from stills companies optimised for the S35 format

While we are on FF covering lenses it is worth mentioning the nikkor 14-24G zoom

This is a wonderful quality optic that focuses internally and will not create matte box issues when zooming - and FS100 users must consider ND !

So the last option to consider is APC/S35 coverage wide zooms

Again the APS format came to the stills world a long time after manual focus left it - so there are no smooth MFs to be had in the bargain bin

The prime contenders are the Canon 17-55, the nikkor 17-55 and the tokinas 11-16 and 16-50

Currently the canon is ruled out for control issues

Leaving the nikkor17-55 and the tokinas

I think at this point one needs to evaluate the amount of lens changes you want to make and how wide you want to go

Personally I consider 11 to be a bit of a joke

Im going for the nikkor 17-55 because im a nikon shooter, others may find the Tokina 16-50 more appropriate to their lens set, those looking for a super wide are indeed served well by the 11-16

Of course the 18F3.5 kit lens has great width to value but is a little bendy to be considered as a high performance wide

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Other wide lenses worth considering ..
nikkor 17-35 zoom
nikkor G 16-35
Stigma 18-70 2.8-4 zoom (great reach)
Red lenses 18-80 and 17-50
Red 18mm prime
Cosina 19-35 (its junk but cheap)

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The Tokina 11-16 is so easy to keep in focus. I also got, but have not used much, but have read good things about, the Sigma 20mm f1.8 Nikon lens. Seems to be more work to keep in focus than the Tokina, but is faster. Takes 82mm filters.
 
Kraut69 said:
The Tokina 11-16 is so easy to keep in focus. I also got, but have not used much, but have read good things about, the Sigma 20mm f1.8 Nikon lens. Seems to be more work to keep in focus than the Tokina, but is faster. Takes 82mm filters.
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Perhaps not exactly what you're asking for, but, this 14mm Rokinon is a pretty nice prime lens for the money....
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/769532-REG/Rokinon_FE14M_C_14mm_Ultra_Wide_Angle_f_2_8.html

The Rokinon is available in both Nikon and Canon mounts. I have the Canon mount and use it with an EOS adapter. Since there is an aperture ring on this lens, I have manual aperture control when mounted on my adapter. Distortion is small, and, if you have the PTLens plugin for Photoshop, you can remove the distortion.
 
steditrak,

I don't think anyone makes lenses with no distortion; it's just a case of how much or little, and what you want to pay. And you don't say how wide you need. But for a tight budget, I'm looking at the Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 (equivalent to 27mm-80mm in 35mm terms). For about $440, it seems like a decent value for an all-rounder. Review:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-17-50mm-f-2.8-XR-Di-II-Lens-Review.aspx

@eheath, your profile says you have this lens... what do you think of it?
 
AtticusLake said:
steditrak,

I don't think anyone makes lenses with no distortion; it's just a case of how much or little, and what you want to pay. And you don't say how wide you need. But for a tight budget, I'm looking at the Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 (equivalent to 27mm-80mm in 35mm terms). For about $440, it seems like a decent value for an all-rounder. Review:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-17-50mm-f-2.8-XR-Di-II-Lens-Review.aspx

@eheath, your profile says you have this lens... what do you think of it?
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I like it so far, i got mine for about $350 on ebay. 17 is nice and wide, my only gripe is the focus ring is about a 1/4 turn but i wouldnt expect much more from a nikon G lens. Overall, real nice lens in my opinion, it will be on my camera alot.
 
cuervo said:
Perhaps not exactly what you're asking for, but, this 14mm Rokinon is a pretty nice prime lens for the money....
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/769532-REG/Rokinon_FE14M_C_14mm_Ultra_Wide_Angle_f_2_8.html

The Rokinon is available in both Nikon and Canon mounts. I have the Canon mount and use it with an EOS adapter. Since there is an aperture ring on this lens, I have manual aperture control when mounted on my adapter. Distortion is small, and, if you have the PTLens plugin for Photoshop, you can remove the distortion.
Click to expand...

Cuervo, did you tried to put it in a matte box? Is the big front element interfeing with the filters? I am considering this lens but need to know if I can use ND filters (4X4) with it.
 
steditrak said:
I've been told that some manufacturers make wide-angle lenses without barrel distortion. Sounds good to me. Anybody know which manufacturers make "distortion free" wide-angle lenses for the NEX-FS100?

Inquiring minds need to know.
Click to expand...

So does the Sony E Mount 16mm lens have crazy distortion? I thought that lens got fairly good reviews...
 
when i get my 11-16, ill compare it at different focal legnths to the tamron 17-50 at 17.
 
Has anyone tried the the lensbaby tilt-shift thing for the E mount? It essentially turns a full frame lens into a tilt shift. I bet something like a 14mm FF wide could be used to eliminate the perspective distortion when used as a tilt shift (which is the most noticable form of distortion in extreme wide angle lenses in my opinion).
 
cgold said:
Has anyone tried the the lensbaby tilt-shift thing for the E mount? It essentially turns a full frame lens into a tilt shift.
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Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Lensbaby devices (like the Composer) only take their own optics, which are mostly 50mm -- though they do have wider ones.
 
eheath said:
I like it so far, i got mine for about $350 on ebay. 17 is nice and wide, my only gripe is the focus ring is about a 1/4 turn but i wouldnt expect much more from a nikon G lens. Overall, real nice lens in my opinion, it will be on my camera alot.
Click to expand...

I was afraid of this. Is it like that crappy Sigma that I have? I have been getting pissed off at that thing lately just for that reason.
 
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