Sam
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jens Bladt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 7:35 AM
Subject: RE: Which wide angle zoom for the *ist D?
Thanks Mark. Funny how thers overxposure with the 16-45mm. In fact it might be a wide angle problem. I often get overexposed images with my A2.8/20mm - on film too!!?? Jens
Jens Bladt mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://hjem.get2net.dk/bladt
-----Oprindelig meddelelse----- Fra: Mark Stringer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sendt: 26. oktober 2004 01:43 Til: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Emne: Re: Which wide angle zoom for the *ist D?
I agree the DA16-45 should be the solution. If you can take one out and
shoot in bright sunlight and you are satisfied with the results, go for it.
I know there are a lot of satisfied owners of this lens. I am going to send
mine to Pentax with a memory card with examples, but they wanted my camera
also. I do not want to send my camera at this time.
The first link shows the problem http://www.cmstringer.com/pentaxtest/
The second link is all DA16-45 photos but with -1 EV. They look pretty good. http://www.cmstringer.com/abbeville5/
----- Original Message ----- From: "Frantisek" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Jens Bladt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 4:02 PM Subject: Re: Which wide angle zoom for the *ist D?
needWhen I had the same problem, I tried several. Several PJs, also myself, tried the Sigma 17-35. We all agreed that it's bad. IMNSHO, stay away from it. It's bad even on APS crop digital. The Sigma 3.5-5.6/18-50 is a cheap lens, not good optically until f/8. But it as you can get it for about 50 euro used, it might be worth a shot until you can get something better (which is why it ended in my bag, for exactly that reason, and I get paid even for images from this lens... gasp! I dislike using it though, and it was only unplanned additional living expenses that kept me so far from buying a 2.8/20-35 Nikkor or better a 2.8/17-35 Nikkor). Still, it was IMO better than the 17-35 DG Sigma... The 2.8/18-50 Sigma is too new to tell anything about. I saw just some sample pictures on the internet which had obvious corner softness wide open, but I distrust internet samples, I prefer using a lens myself. I have no direct experience with the rest (except the, now discontinued, Tokina 3.5-3.5/20-35 which I used on film, bought new, it broke on me three times before returning it for a refund... the 19-35 Tokina is more plasticky than the older 20-35...). Vivitar S1 is AFAIK a rebadged Cosina 19-35. I have saw several torn apart cheap Cosina zooms. It seems they are bottom of the pack (unlike their SL series and rangefinder series primes!). You can also consider used Tokina ATX 2.8/20-35. Used it goes for around 300-350 Euro. I almost got one, one friend from a big daily paper used it with D1X, and said it was good. The only one I tried on my camera was very bad though. Might be sample variance or bad usage by the previous owner. It was very small for a fast wide zoom, but the used sample I tried was optically very bad. Still, I know that judging used lenses is near impossible, their previous life might have ruined it (and believe me, I have myself ruined optically some - before I acquired them - perfectly good lenses <vbg>)
From what I heard, you could make best with the Pentax DA 16-45. No personal experience with it though.
This is all very subjective, and thus my opinions may be totally unusable for your situation. I do mostly photojournalism type jobs, so Ibest performance near wide open, and I don't care a bit about geometric distortions. You might do more architecture, and geometric distortions might make an otherwise fine lens unsuitable for you. Or you might be better with a 20mm prime? who knows ;-) Try to get to a good shop who carries most of them and ask them to test them outside on your camera. They should cooperate. That's the best way.
Good light! fra
