Advice on choosing a wide-ish lens

[cuthbert]

Hello all.

I currently have a Canon EF 50mm f1.8, 100mm f2.8 macro and a 135mm f2.0 L.

I mostly do portraits and candids outside but there have been a couple of situations where i've wanted to do some work indoors where even the 50mm has been a little on the long side (i have a crop body) - plus it's nice to have something in the bag for landscapes/seascapes etc.

so, i'm thinking about the 35mm f2.

i'm loathed to spend megabucks on it because i won't use it that much - my 135 is on the camera most of the time, but i'd like something fairly fast, wide and sharp for those occasions where i need something a bit wider.

the reviews i've found on the 35mm f2 have been fairly mixed so really i'm asking if anybody here has any experience of this lens, is it going to fit the bill for me?

do you have any other recommendations for the same sort of price?

i would like to steer clear of ef-s mount glass - i'm planning on upgrading to a full frame body within the next 12 months or so (when funds allow).

 

[bindex]

I think with a 1.6x crop body I'd look at something a little wider, maybe 28mm or 24mm?

 

[cuthbert]

maybe a Canon EF 24mm f/2.8? any thoughts?

 

[bindex]

I've never actually used one so I can't comment specifically. I'd guess it's reasonable. Sigma do a decent 30mm too, although I believe quality can vary. Again I haven't had personal experience of one.

Unfortunately the only wide angles I have are the 35mm f/1.4 and the 17-40 f/4.

 

[Nod]

If 24mm would be wide enough and f/2.8 fast enough, how about a 24-70 f/2.8 zoom? IF it's wide enough, it's quite a nice range on a crop body but even nicer on FF. If it isn't wide enough, one of the few options to carry over onto FF (in zooms) is the Sigma 12-24. Pretty wide on a crop and extremely so on FF! Very little distortion, although exagerated perspective is (as you'd expect) there in abundance. Not ideal on FF for graduated filters (and, IMO, too wide for pols) but on a crop body, the front of the bucket lens cap can be removed and a screw thread revealed for filters. Even on FF, grads can be bodged over the lens hood (blu-tak) and all over filters can be cut from gels and fitted into the holder behind the rear element.

It can (apparently) be difficult to get a "good" copy - try before you buy (decentred elements may slip past QC).

 

[a1ex2001]

I have a 28mm F2.8 for exactly these situations and while it's never going to be L glass sharp it's never let me down and for the money I realy can't fault it.