Tamron SP 11-18mm

Just read the mini-review of the new Tamron ultrawide (weitwinkel) here:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/...2011-18mm.shtml

Thought it would be a good choice of lens for UW - particularly for those of us shooting older Canon EOS eg 10D/D60/D30 where we can't use a ef-s. Plus you can actually attach it to a 1Ds, unlike Canon's offering.

Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this as an underwater lens?

Someone at my digital day last weekend had just bought one for their D60. I had a very quick look through it and it looked nice. But I don't know much more about it.

Alex

Rob,

do you really consider mounting an APS-C lens onto your 1Ds?

If you prefer black corners you could use an intentionally wrong hood (sun shade?)

What about the Sigma 10-20 ? I have ordered this lens (because it offers 2mm less than my acutal Sigma 12-24 and I hope it's less a compromise because full frame coverage is left out). But I have waited for the lens a few month already (maybe it still exists on paper only). But I think I remeber you have some emotional dislike for Sigma?

Regards,

Julian

Hi Guys,

When the Nikkor 12-24DX is used on a FF camera (Kodak) you can use it from about 17mm upwards w/ no black corners.

This Tamron, or the Tokina are very attractive for "mixed" camera owners like me and Rob who have 1.6x (20D) and 1.3x or FF camera. I don't want to buy an EF-S lens if I can help it.

I think that of all these new wide digital zooms, the Tokina is the best. (IMO). It's the same cost, but faster and better built. I'd like to get one.

Cheers

James

Yes, these lenses are interesting for me too because I don't have EF-S options with my 10D cameras. But even if a certain range of focal length does not deliver black corners I personally would not want to mount and work with a lens on a bigger sensor than the lens was designed to optically cover. For dual use (APS-C and bigger) Sigma 12-24 is the better option in my opinion. That's why I keep this lens, for my future full frame body

Regards,

Julian

There's a lot I like about the Sigma 12-24, but on the other hand, it is large, and prone to flare. Folks who "know" say that even on a FF camera, the 12-24 at 24mm is just as sharp or perhaps even better than the Nikkor 24mm prime.

Cheers

James

yes, but the zoom range is not usable (Tokina 12-24 below 20mm @FF). I personally don't like something like that

But you're right about the size, I remember Sigma 12-24 is to big for Rob's housing. But you got a zoom gear for your Sigma 12-24 for the Seacam housing, right?

Regards,

Julian

Yes, actually I made a zoom hear out of an Ikelite gear...:-)

Cheers

James

great!

I had to get on Sealux's nerves until they finally made one for me. Thickness less than 1mm, but it works

Anyone have a FLOODED Sigma 12-24 or Nikon 10.5 lens they want to sell?

ike@ikelite.com

flooded Sigma 12-24: not yet

Rob,

 

do you really consider mounting an APS-C lens onto your 1Ds? 

If you prefer black corners you could use an intentionally wrong hood (sun shade?)

 

What about the Sigma 10-20 ? I have ordered this lens (because it offers 2mm less than my acutal Sigma 12-24 and I hope it's less a compromise because full frame coverage is left out). But I have waited for the lens a few month already (maybe it still exists on paper only). But I think I remeber you have some emotional dislike for Sigma?

 

Regards,

 

Julian

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

G'day Yolly,

EF-s lenses are, as James says, not very attractive to those who have a non-EF-s camera. Particularly on the 1.3 crop 1dMk2 the tokina might be interesting - at least you have the option of mounting it to the camera without having to saw off various bits of plastic first

Sigma 12-24 is currently the only ultrawide (weitwinkel) zoom that will do full frame, but unfortunately as mentioned above it doesn't fit the Ike housing - although from Ike's interest perhaps he has a plan?

Perhaps you could send me your 12-24? As Ike is aware, I'm very good at flooding things I can then send him the slightly salty Sigma, as he has requested.

Hi Rob,

If I open my housing one day and see all my gear completely flooded - the first thing I will do is to call fedex immediately and send my lens to Ike, ok?

Or I better leave the flooding out and send my undamaged lens to Ike? Even better: I could borrow the lens to Ike and Ike could borrow me a potential future DS-125 strobe for the same period for my next trip?

So you want to use the Tokina on your 1Ds from 20mm or so (vignetting shall disappear something around that) upwards? What about this: Simply use your Canon 17-40mm for your 1Ds (Really - some people use full frame lenses for full frame cameras - I am sure it’ll do better and wider as you can use the entire range) and get an APS-C wideangle zoom which fits on your 10D and into the Ike housing? Or is there a special reason why you prefer an APS-C lens on the 1Ds if you already have the 17-40 ?

Julian

edit: by the way, my Sigma 10-20 has arrived half an hour ago - first impression is great.

Thanks for the advice - I'll see if my 17-40L will work on the 1Ds. Hadn't thought of that...I thought you could only use Zeiss glass on the 1-series Canons. (Come to think of it - you live in the land of Zeiss. Let me know if you see a Contax RTS mount Zeiss 21mm in your local Aldi-mart.)

Good luck with the 10-20. I think we'll all be interested to hear how it performs. Perhaps some brick wall photos? I haven't been posting around here much lately, and I'm sure wetpixel has been the poorer for the lack of wall photography. If there's no suitable walls, 10mm should be sweet for humpbacks or whalesharks (both present in NW Oz at the moment if you're passing through).

P.S. Got an interesting phone call this morning from a wetpixeller re: that other wonder of German photographic engineering, the EWA-marine plastic bag. Seems the 1DsMk2 (!) doesn't allow proper function of a macro lens due to insufficient clearance between camera and the optical port up front. If my Queensland colleague's reading this, she may wish to post her problem online as I have full faith in Jolly and James' ability to engineer a solution.

Good to have you back Rob. I'm sure we can help her...;-)

Cheers

James

Just took a few pics outside quickly, no tripod or extensive positioning in relation to the wall (was pretty close too). Directly from the camera without any postprocessing.

10mm / wide open f4

10mm / stopped down to f11

the lens improves quickly when stopping down, already @f5.6

a quick real world shot, JPG extracted from RAW, not converted

zoom ring diameter is ~ 76mm.

By the way Rob, how it comes that you know Aldi?

Seems the 1DsMk2 (!) doesn't allow proper function of a macro lens due to insufficient clearance between camera and the optical port up front.

Very simple: try a Zeiss macro lens in the ewa bag, both being german, should fit

Julian

Julian,

Thanks for posting! Have you tried it on your FF film camera to see when it starts vignetting?

Cheers

James

G'day Yolly,

 

EF-s lenses are, as James says, not very attractive to those who have a non-EF-s camera.  Particularly on the 1.3 crop 1dMk2 the tokina might be interesting - at least you have the option of mounting it to the camera without having to saw off various bits of plastic first 

 

Sigma 12-24 is currently the only ultrawide (weitwinkel) zoom that will do full frame, but unfortunately as mentioned above it doesn't fit the Ike housing - although from Ike's interest perhaps he has a plan?

 

Perhaps you could send me your 12-24?  As Ike is aware, I'm very good at flooding things    I can then send him the slightly salty Sigma, as he has requested.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have tried the Tamron 11-18 on the 1DMk2 and it vignettes at 11-12 at all apertures and 13 wide open. A pity. I was hoping to get a UWA which could fit a filter. I guess the Sigma 12-24 with a homemade filter holder for the CP is all I can hope for. By the way, the Sigma DG version is better for CA than the non DG. Only thing is the color seems to have a yellowish cast... something that bugs me but I shoot in raw so it can be removed.

James, hold on a second ...

OK, don't have a digital FF camera, so I put it onto my EOS film body and it vignets over the entire range. From 10mm upwards the vignetting already dissapears at around 11-13mm. But if I select a small aperture and press the DOF preview button, the vignetting is still visible over the entire range.

From the viewfinder image it is hard to judge if it would work on a 1.3 crop camera (1DMkII is actually around 1.25, right?). It looks as it could be almost possible. If yes, there might be a chance that even 11mm is usable. But I can not evaltuate this.

Julian