Wide Angle Lens Recommendations

Having recently purchased a D500, in addition to the Tokina 10-17mm and Nikon 60mm that Ive had when I was using a D300, what are the best rectilinear wide angle lenses available these days?

I had the Nikon 12-24 f/4 but sold it when I purchased a D800 and have been using the Nikon 16-35 f/4 and Sigma 15mm.

Nikon, Tokina, Sigma???

Recommendations appreciated

Been off the DX wagon for a while but I'd consider these options:

Nikon 12-24

Nikon 10-24

Tokina 11-16

Tokina 11-20

Tokina 12-28

Back when I shot a D200 I initially used the 12-24, then got the Tokina 11-16 and preferred it optically (though never really shot side-by-side) but missed the long end. The other options didn't exist but I'd consider them now. Not sure about performance comparisons though. Found Tokina to be the most reliable of the 3rd party companies. Sigma's are generally decent too.

I shoot the 16-35 on the D810 and love it. The 35mm end comes in very handy at times, so glad I have it over a 24mm(16mmDX) long end.

Cheers,

Chris

For Nikon wide angle on DX, the 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 is a stunning performer. It needs a big (9") dome, and I use it with a 35mm extension on my (Seacam) system. Seacam do recommend a 40mm one...

Nikon D500, Seacam Superdome, 35 mm extension. 1/60@f/8, ISO125.

I never really liked the focal length or quality of the 12-24mm.

Adam

Thanks Adam,

Tokina makes a 12-28 f/4 that gets fantastic reviews topside, a fixed aperture, half the price and built like a tank.

Was hoping someone in the Wetpixel Community had some experience with that lens.

Cheers,

Gary

I never used my Sigma 15mm EX DG on a DX camera, but love it on my D800 and the possibility o use a minidome with barely no soft corners at f/9+
The above mentioned Tokina could be a good solution too, but it's to check how this lens behaves with your dome.
Chris

@ChrigelKarrer-The Sigma 15MM EX DG is an FX fisheye lens, the OP was wanting opinions about rectilinear wide angle choices for DX.

Surface performance is (at best) a poor indicator of how any lens will perform behind a dome port. Some very good topside lens perform poorly, while some mediocre topside lenses perform well.

There is sadly no substitute for experimenting with a given lens behind the right sized dome port (with the right extension) to indicate lens performance.

The 10-24mm is a good choice and it is known to work well.

Adam

I understood that OP is looking for a rectilinear DX lens,
but his Sigma will be probably enough wide to fulfill his needs.

How much will the Sigma 15MM EX DG change when used on a DX camera? To be honest, never tried that.

Chris

DX focal length lens translated into equivalent FX Lens.

DX Model Lens on: Nikon 1.5 DX Canon 1.6 DX

Tokina AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO 16.5-30mm 17.5-32mm

Tokina AT-X 14-20mm f/2 21-30mm 22.4-32mm

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX fisheye 18mm/107 deg 19mm 97 deg

Nikon 16mm f/2.8D fisheye 18mm/107 deg

Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 G fisheye 15mm/164 deg

I just rented the Sigma 14 mm lens from borrow lenses and it was absolutely fantastic, able to get some very interesting very shallow depth of field shots in Hawaii this past week. I am a canon user though I'm sure they probably make this for Nikon as well.

The Tokina 10-17mm is a better choice on the D500 than the Sigma 15mm.

My understanding of the OP's enquiry is that he is seeking a rectilinear wide angle lens on his D500, rather than a fisheye one...he has already mentioned that he has a Tokina 10-17mm?

@Katy-kid-How are the corners with the Sigma 14mm? Shallow DOF implies small apertures?

Adam

Surface performance is (at best) a poor indicator of how any lens will perform behind a dome port.

To an extent I would disagree with this Adam. I think that topside performance combined with relevant technical data can indicate whether or not a lens may perform well underwater. In my experience mediocre lenses never do perform better as a result of being used underwater.

Hi Paul,

Perhaps I am somewhat mis stating this although I'm not sure...

The world's most popular SLR fisheye lens for underwater is the Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5, which produces (surface) images that are really not great!

The Nikon 16-35m f/4 performs much better behind a dome port than the infinitely superior (on land) Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. Actually, the 14-24mm underwater is shockingly bad....

One of the best rectilinear wide angle lenses that I have found for Nikon FX underwater is a legacy Tokina 17mm f/3.5. It outperforms the Nikon 20mm f/1.8 and the Sigma 20mm f/1.4. Both of these lenses are infinitely superior to it on land....

Lens performance behind a dome port is unpredictable. Some great lenses work poorly and some not so great lenses work very well. Of course the same is true vice versa. The point is that it is impossible to predict a lens performance behind a dome port without trying it....

Adam

I completely agree on the Tokina 10-17: topside, really not very nice - but underwater pretty good. This could be the one lens that breaks Paul's rule!

Optics really isn't hit and miss. There are good reasons why some lenses work better than others behind a port but there are a lot of variables too. The problem is probably that some 'flawed' lenses probably have obvious flaws and not so obvious ones like the production of a curved image field which paradoxically, can help when imaging a curved virtual image. My point being that you can't negate the obvious flaws. Back in the distant past when diopters were fitted to wide angle lenses behind dome ports it was said that the cheaper diopters with one convex and one flat surface were the better ones to use because they induced curvature into the image - but they still weren't very good diopters.

This is my take on modern wide angles and their optics. Many high quality modern wide angle lenses incorporate 'close rage correction' (CRC) mechanisms which serve to increase image 'quality' as the lens focusses closer and part of this probably results in a flatter image field. Hence why an older lens without CRC may exhibit better apparent image quality underwater behind a dome. But it will still be an older and less well corrected lens so will limit image 'quality'.

To predict image quality behind a dome it would be useful to work a testing system which checks the flatness of image field at the focus settings used behind a dome

Perhaps instead of trying to develop better underwater optics we ought to try to figure a way of creating more curvature in the image field for lenses fitted behind domes? Disabling the CRC if possible might help.

I shoot with the D500 and I have the following wide angle lenses for it:

Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye

Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye

Tokina 11-16mm

I use the Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye all the time as it performs better than the Tokina 10-17mm @ 10mm which is what I shoot at. I have used the Tokina 11-16mm a few times but its simply not wide enough for what I am shooting underwater, but its an excellent landbased lense. If your after a rectangular DX lense for your D500 I recommend the Tokina 11-16mm

Regards Mark

I shoot with the D500 and I have the following wide angle lenses for it:

 

Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye

Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye

Tokina 11-16mm

 

I use the Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye all the time as it performs better than the Tokina 10-17mm @ 10mm which is what I shoot at. I have used the Tokina 11-16mm a few times but its simply not wide enough for what I am shooting underwater, but its an excellent landbased lense. If your after a rectangular DX lense for your D500 I recommend the Tokina 11-16mm

 

Regards Mark

Hi Mark

Which port are you using for the Tokina 11-16mm. I am using the 10-17 fisheye on D500 behind the Nauticam 4.33 inch dome and looking to try something different.

REgards

John

I'll be using the rectilinear wide angle lens that I purchase behind a Seacam Superdome.

It appears that the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-5.6 has been the lens most recommended to all that I've spoken.

Had a nice conversation with Walt Sterns the other night, he has been using and recommends the Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 with a TC-1.4 with his D500.

Hi garyyoss.

We were supposed to dive together with our friend Brandon when he was in town a little while back, but believe that we got blown out by Neptune that night.

You wrote that you sold your AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm 1:4 lens some time ago. I’ve got one that’s been sitting on a shelf ever since I retired my D2X bodies some years ago. I’d be happy to loan it to you if you’d like to test it behind your current dome and see how it compares to your old rig. The issue that you’ll have is that the only zoom ring that I’ve got for it is an Anthis/Nexus one, so you will not be able to adjust focal length while diving. You’re welcome to dive with it, do pool tests, (you could do that at my house if you’re in the mood), or otherwise explore its capabilities.

Barry

 

Hi Mark

 

Which port are you using for the Tokina 11-16mm. I am using the 10-17 fisheye on D500 behind the Nauticam 4.33 inch dome and looking to try something different.

 

REgards

 

John

Hi John,

I used the the Tokina 11-16mm with my Aquatica 8 inch dome with 28.5mm Aquatica extension (#48453). Honestly rectangular wide angle lenses are not suited for what I shoot as I mainly shoot with the Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye.

Have you thought about putting a 1.4x Teleconverter on the Tokina 10-17mm and shoot that behind your small dome for CFWA?

Regards Mark

 

Hi John,

 

I used the the Tokina 11-16mm with my Aquatica 8 inch dome with 28.5mm Aquatica extension (#48453). Honestly rectangular wide angle lenses are not suited for what I shoot as I mainly shoot with the Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye.

 

Have you thought about putting a 1.4x Teleconverter on the Tokina 10-17mm and shoot that behind your small dome for CFWA?

 

Regards Mark

Cheers Mark - Yes - I have already bought the Kenko 1.4 but need to get the right extension for use with the 4.33 mini dome, 20mm I believe. Better get it!!

All the best

John