Wide Angle manual lenses recommendations

Peter7100

Peter7100

Senior Member
Is there any older wide angle manual Nikon lenses worth buying (if they even exist)? By wide I am talking about 10mm to say 12mm for use on a crop body.
I know there are several AF choices of more current lenses eg. Sigma 10-20 (older and newer versions) Tokina 11-16 (older and newer versions) and the Nikon 10-20 DX. Having read reviews on the latter mentioned, each one has some sort of issue that slightly puts me against any purchase. When it comes to shooting really wide I would be ok with using a manual lens, so any info on same would be appreciated.
 
TwistedThrottle

TwistedThrottle

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Not sure of any old wide angle MF lenses, but I am a big fan of the Tokina 11-16 you mentioned. If the AF bugs ya with the whirring of the screwdrive, the clutch system used to switch between MF and AF is pretty handy and quickly becomes MF. If you need a wider lens, check out the Rokinon 8mm f3.5, which is not a rectilinear lens. Its a manual focus fisheye but with the profile in Lightroom, you can straighten out the lines if you prefer. I use my 11-16 fifty-to-one compared to the 8mm, but its still fun to shoot with once in a while.
 
B

Bikerbrent_RIP

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I have the Tokina 12-24 F4 lens and love it. However, many time I have considered getting the 11-16 replacement. Also, for what it is worth, I have, as of yet, used a Tokina lens I have not been happy with. I can't say the same for some other lens brands.
 
hark

hark

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:confused: Honestly I'm not sure if one exists, but it's possible. Just remember Nikon didn't offer film cameras with crop sensors so by the time they started making DX DSLR bodies, they made AF lenses to go with them. I don't know if they ever made anything wider than 14mm for 35mm bodies.

Hopefully someone who knows for sure will be able to give you a definitive answer.
 
Peter7100

Peter7100

Senior Member
hark said:
:confused: Honestly I'm not sure if one exists, but it's possible. Just remember Nikon didn't offer film cameras with crop sensors so by the time they started making DX DSLR bodies, they made AF lenses to go with them. I don't know if they ever made anything wider than 14mm for 35mm bodies.

Hopefully someone who knows for sure will be able to give you a definitive answer.
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I was thinking the same as so far I have been unable to find any info on such a lens.
 
Fred Kingston_RIP

Fred Kingston_RIP

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Nikon made a 13mm, a couple of 15mm, a few 18mm, a slew of 20mm in AIS... Their old MF lens were quite good... I don't understand your fascination with manual focus... nearly every Auto Focus lens made can be turned OFF to be manual focus lens.

I also wouldn't get too excited by what may be perceived as quality in today's universe... The older lenses were not corrected for various optical issues...but most all, new and old, can be corrected today with software...
 
hark

hark

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Echoing what Fred mentioned about a current AF zoom, have you considered the zoom lens made by Tokina? It's the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. They came out with a new version of the lens in case you decide to go with a preowned copy. Our former moderator, Don Kuykendall who has since passed, raved about it. I've never tried any Tokina lenses so can't give you any firsthand experience with one.

Tokina website info

B&H listing for the current lens (which is on sale right now)

B&H listing for the first version that has been discontinued


Current Tokina 11-6mm f/2.8

tokina_atx_i_af116cfn_atx_i_11_16mm_f_2_8_cf_1571265941_1512055.jpg
 
Peter7100

Peter7100

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FredKingston said:
Nikon made a 13mm, a couple of 15mm, a few 18mm, a slew of 20mm in AIS... Their old MF lens were quite good... I don't understand your fascination with manual focus... nearly every Auto Focus lens made can be turned OFF to be manual focus lens.

I also wouldn't get too excited by what may be perceived as quality in today's universe... The older lenses were not corrected for various optical issues...but most all, new and old, can be corrected today with software...
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It is not a fascination as such with manual lenses ;), more a case of looking for a bargain as in some cases there are some older bargain lenses out there.
Also when shooting ultra wide landscape with the use of grads and or polarisers, I find manual focus is the way to go, so the AF is just a feature that I wouldn't use on an ultra-wide.
I probably will end up going for a newer one but just exploring all options at the moment.
 
Peter7100

Peter7100

Senior Member
hark said:
Echoing what Fred mentioned about a current AF zoom, have you considered the zoom lens made by Tokina? It's the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. They came out with a new version of the lens in case you decide to go with a preowned copy. Our former moderator, Don Kuykendall who has since passed, raved about it. I've never tried any Tokina lenses so can't give you any firsthand experience with one.

Tokina website info

B&H listing for the current lens (which is on sale right now)

B&H listing for the first version that has been discontinued


Current Tokina 11-6mm f/2.8

View attachment 353710
Click to expand...

I know it seems to get great reviews for sharpness, however many people claim it is bad with flare and I like shooting sunsets. I have certainly not ruled it out and might end up with it:)
 
Fred Kingston_RIP

Fred Kingston_RIP

Senior Member
ANY ultra-wide angle is going to be sensitive to "flare"... It isn't specific to a single lens, it's just the nature of the basic front lens element's design for that type of lens. Of course, pointing it at the sun (sunset/sunrise) is going to be an issue... One that many photographers try to take advantage of for those type shots... Flare can be an artistic element...

If I were interested in that type shot, my goto would be my Tokina 11-16mm f2.8... on my D810 full frame. In crop mode... Using Adobe's New Enhance Super Resolution feature...
 
hark

hark

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Peter7100 said:
I know it seems to get great reviews for sharpness, however many people claim it is bad with flare and I like shooting sunsets. I have certainly not ruled it out and might end up with it:)
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If you want an ultra wide angle zoom with less lens flare, look at some that aren't f/2.8 lenses. The f/2.8 lenses tend to have more bulbous glass for the front element, and that can lead to more lens flare. However, all lenses can have issues with lens flare when a bright light source is in the image. Some just handle it better than others.

There are a few ultra wide angle zooms available. I think Nikon makes a 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6, but it's an AF-P lens. Not sure how well those lenses would work with your body. But I believe Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina make ultra wide angle zooms for Nikon DX bodies that aren't f/2.8. Just something to consider.
 
Peter7100

Peter7100

Senior Member
hark said:
If you want an ultra wide angle zoom with less lens flare, look at some that aren't f/2.8 lenses. The f/2.8 lenses tend to have more bulbous glass for the front element, and that can lead to more lens flare. However, all lenses can have issues with lens flare when a bright light source is in the image. Some just handle it better than others.

There are a few ultra wide angle zooms available. I think Nikon makes a 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6, but it's an AF-P lens. Not sure how well those lenses would work with your body. But I believe Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina make ultra wide angle zooms for Nikon DX bodies that aren't f/2.8. Just something to consider.
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Thanks for the reply Cindy. I am now considering waiting and maybe looking at a FF body and a wide angle to suit that(maybe Nikon 18-35). Been looking at the D800/D800e but prices seem to be on the high side at the moment in my opinion.
 
hark

hark

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Peter7100 said:
Thanks for the reply Cindy. I am now considering waiting and maybe looking at a FF body and a wide angle to suit that(maybe Nikon 18-35). Been looking at the D800/D800e but prices seem to be on the high side at the moment in my opinion.
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And that combo would be excellent. If you decide on a Nikon 18-35mm lens, just make sure it is the G lens. Ratings for the previous version list it to be not very good in comparison.

I have the Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G lens. It's lightweight and very sharp. Although it lacks VR, you really wouldn't need it. Recently I purchased the Nikon 16-35mm to have a slightly wider view for building photos, but if I didn't need that slightly wider focal length, I would have been quite happy with the 18-35mm. Initially I thought about selling the 18-35mm, but for now I've decided to keep it as a backup lens.

At least the options for FX wide angle lenses seem to be of a much better quality than what is available as ultra wide for DX bodies.
 
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