Ultra Wide Angle Lens

[DWayne27]

I just got my new camera and the gear I wanted to get with it... For my good quality landscape/nature lens, I am debating between the Canon EF-S 10-22mm and the Canon EF-S 15-85mm. Obviously the 15-85 would be more multipurpose, and I am wondering if, in choosing between the two lenses, the 10-22 might be a little too limited and special purpose...

Any thoughts?

[ibenick]

I have the Canon 10-22 and I really like it, it spends the most time on my camera by far. There are some times when it would be really nice to have the range of the 15-85 but I think I would still go with the ultra wide. Can't be beat for shooting landscapes, canyons, etc. A few of the guys out here are big fans of the Tokina 11-16 which looks sweet but I like being able to zoom to the 22 with the Canon for those moments you really wish you didn't have your wide angle on.

[DWayne27]

Thanks for the input. Do you have any filters for it? I have read that filters will leave some serious vignetting on such a wide lens.

Any other thoughts on ultra wide vs 15-85 ish range?

[ibenick]

Yeah, I have a polarizer, UV and a set of neutral density filters. I was worried about vignetting but it hasn't been a problem at all, I haven't put more than one on.

If you're going to invest in filters I would suggest getting all in the 77mm size and then use step-up rings so you don't have to buy different filters for your lenses with smaller thread rings, at least for the expensive filters. Like my 18-200 is a 72mm and I use one step-up when I put my polarizer on it. There are down sides though, first, it can make lens hood use a problem and second, you'll have to pick up some extra 77mm caps. I get mine from amazon, $5 each.

[asdf]

Tokina 11-16 f2.8

[ratagonia]

I have the Canon 10-22 and I really like it, it spends the most time on my camera by far. There are some times when it would be really nice to have the range of the 15-85 but I think I would still go with the ultra wide. Can't be beat for shooting landscapes, canyons, etc. A few of the guys out here are big fans of the Tokina 11-16 which looks sweet but I like being able to zoom to the 22 with the Canon for those moments you really wish you didn't have your wide angle on.

I have the Canon EF-S 10-22 and enjoy it immensely, but, I have to learn to not take all the pictures at 10mm, a bad habit I have developed. It often shoot wide and then crop quite a bit, but have enough pixels for that to work well. It is a good idea to tell your friends that it is super wide angle, so they know to not rappel away too quickly.

Many pictures at http://canyoneeringusa.com/rave - and many many most taken with that lens.

Tom

[p40whk]

If you're undecided about what lens to buy, why not rent the ones you're thinking about for a few days to see what you think?

I've rented from this company (http://cameralensrentals.com/) and their service is top notch. I used their Canon EF-S 10-22 for two weeks and love it, it rarely came off my camera.

[ibenick]

I have the Canon EF-S 10-22 and enjoy it immensely, but, I have to learn to not take all the pictures at 10mm, a bad habit I have developed. It often shoot wide and then crop quite a bit, but have enough pixels for that to work well. It is a good idea to tell your friends that it is super wide angle, so they know to not rappel away too quickly.


I very much agree with what Tom says about always shooting in 10mm. Wide angle lenses can be a bad thing if not used properly and I won't claim I always use mine properly. It's another reason why I think the Canon has the edge because of the capability to zoom to 22mm as well.

[asdf]

I love my tokina.. the F2.8 is a must for shooting night stuff and the lens is $100 less.
http://www.pbase.com/lightrules/1022v1116

[DWayne27]

Any other comments on using filters with this lens? I think I will just pick up the basic canon 77mm UV filter to leave on my camera for the protection. I already ordered the 10-22, so, unless I dont like it, I will probably just stick with that one rather than worrying about shipping it back

[ibenick]

I'd like to hear if most people here leave those UV filters on for protection... I don't use them.

[ibenick]

One piece of advice with that lens, DWayne. You may already know this and the skilled photographers around here definitely know this, but I didn't until a few months back. Make sure you're shooting your landscapes in aperture priority, especially if you've got foreground elements. The corners of the image tend to get fuzzy unless it's set pretty high. Like I said, might be a stupid piece of advice but it was really helpful to me when I learned that so I thought I'd share.

[oldno7]

Hmm-interesting, I shoot everything in Manual.
But I'm not one of the skilled ones,:haha:

[ibenick]

I suppose manual would be a step beyond just aperture priority, I think that would put you into the more skilled category. I'm lazy, I don't like to have to think that much about each shot. I guess the point I was really making, whether in manual or aperture priority, is that ya gotta make sure your aperture isn't too large for sharp shots with a lot of depth, especially with an ultra wide angle lens.

[asdf]

well theres your problem :lol8:

[ibenick]

I'm happy being a half-assed amateur. :crazy:

[DWayne27]

So, I went out and shot around with the new camera and lens. Definitely excited to shoot more. How does one learn how to use a wide angle lens? I dont love the distortion I get shooting with it really wide. Seems like most people are saying they prefer shooting around 12 or 14... Is there a trick to learning how to use such a wide angle lens effectively? What do you find you shoot the most with such a wide lens? If I am going to be using it around 14 or so more often, I think I want to just pick up the 15-85 - that one has IS so that would be a bonus to that lens.

[p40whk]

So, I went out and shot around with the new camera and lens. Definitely excited to shoot more. How does one learn how to use a wide angle lens? I dont love the distortion I get shooting with it really wide. Seems like most people are saying they prefer shooting around 12 or 14... Is there a trick to learning how to use such a wide angle lens effectively? What do you find you shoot the most with such a wide lens? If I am going to be using it around 14 or so more often, I think I want to just pick up the 15-85 - that one has IS so that would be a bonus to that lens.

This guy gives some pretty good advise on the ultra wides:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-use-ultra-wide-lenses.htm

[CarpeyBiggs]

p.s. ken rockwell is a jabroni.

i have a love hate relationship with my wide angles. sometimes i love 'em, but they also can be super frustrating. it's easy to think that just because you can fit the whole frame in the view, it will look good. i contend that wide angle images are the hardest to make look nice. composition is tough.

that said, you will love the 10-22. you just have to learn the strengths and weaknesses of it. i used to keep my WA on the camera all the time, but i've moved now into a more moderate wide-normal view for the majority of my photos. however, in canyons, WA are fare and way the best.

the main trick for ultra wide is finding scenes that have multiple layers of interesting subject. if there isn't material to lead the eye from one layer to the next, it's easy to get lost in the photos. trial and error to see what you like, and what you think works. the distortion and optical defects are just part of the process of an UWA.

[CarpeyBiggs]

also, IS is usually not needed on UWA, because the focal length alone minimizes most camera shake. i've not used the 15-85, but it has a great reputation, and it would definitely seem easier to use than a WA, simply because it is much more similar to natural fields of view.