Wide angle lens....

[Jay Jolliffe]

I need help picking a wide angle lens. I'm not looking for a fish eye one. What I want to do is take pics of various doors & door ways in Venice. Last time we were there I wish I had a lens to do so. There are some really nice doors & there are some funky ones. With the narrow alleys between the buildings it's hard to take a pic with the lens I have. Also I'm not looking to spend hundreds either. I've been looking & some are way beyond my means....I don't know if it make a difference but I have a Canon Rebel txi

[Dave Gaul]

I was hoping you would have said you have a Nikon, because I would know just the lense you need.

How wide of a lense do you think you need? Ultra Wide lenses can be tricky to shoot with from what I've read. How wide is your widest lense now?

[John McClanahan]

Unless you want the distorted wide angle look, be sure to read up on what to expect from a wide angle lens. Careful camera placement is required to produce a natural look. The wider the angle, the harder it is to reduce distortion. The size of the camera's image sensor determine what focal length of a lens would be considered wide angle. A wide angle lens for a pro camera will be a normal lens on your Rebel.

John

[Sean Troy]

A 35mm 2.8 lens would be perfect for that use and many others. On your camera it will act as a 50mm lens.

[Dave Gaul]

A 35mm 2.8 lens would be perfect for that use and many others. On your camera it will act as a 50mm lens.

That's what I was thinking too, but wasn't sure what he already had, nor how wide he wanted.

Also, I know the Nikon kit lenses go down to 18mm, wouldn't that be wide enough (not sure what range the Canon kit lenses go down to)?

[Sean Troy]

Canon has the 18-55mm also but having a 2.8 gets you so much more.

[Dave Gaul]

Canon has the 18-55mm also but having a 2.8 gets you so much more.

Good point.

[Joe Angrisani]

Jay.... What lens did you have in Venice before? (as a point of reference)

FWIW, a 35mm f/2.8 lens is a bit slow for a prime lens (prime means one focal length, not a zoom). I'd want a 35mm prime to be f/2 or better. And aperture really won't change the composition on a shot of a flat wall. And to top it all off, a 35mm lens is FAR from wide angle on a consumer dSLR with a 1.6X or 1.5X sensor.

Let us know what you shot in Venice, and what lenses you have in your kit, and I'll follow up.

[John McClanahan]

Be sure your are sitting down when you price a fast wide angle Canon lens.

[Jay Jolliffe]

The lens on the camera is a standard 18-55 that came with it. I think this will be ok...I guess I asked before seeing what lens I had. I tried it at the distance that most of the alley ways are & it will work.....Thanks for all the info...

[Joe Angrisani]

About the only thing that's a step up in the Wider Dept is going to be one of the 10-20mm or 12-24mm zooms. I shoot Nikon so I don't know Canon's specific offering, but I'd guess at least $700, if not more (even used). I have used the Nikon 12-24, the Tokina 12-24, and the Sigma 10-20. In all honesty, you're splitting hairs on the optical quality and the resulting image quality. I lucked into the Nikon at a cheap price, then had it head-to-head with the Tokina for several months, then a Sigma presented itself for an even longer comparison period. I ended up keeping the Sigma since it is MUCH better at 10mm than either the Nikon or Tokina 12-24. ;)

I don't think the early Tokina will work with your Canon since the early Tokina doesn't have a focus motor in the lens. The lastest Tokina version will. The early Sigma will work with your Rebel. With patience, careful shopping, and luck, you might be able to find a clean, used Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 for about $300. You could find one fast for $400. Nice travel compliment to any 18-xx zoom.

That said, your 18-55 should work fine. That's 29mm in old film terms, and I know I didn't have anything wider than a 28mm for many years. KEEP IN MIND: A super wide angle lens is not really for "getting it all in". It can be used that way, but the interesting shots come from getting close to your subject while keeping the background (and it's context) in frame and in focus.

And you're never locked in. If you find a situation where you can't frame a whole door with your 18mm, simply choose a detail, reset to about 30mm, get a little closer, and make that your shot.