Choice of 2 lenses....

Jaffster

Jaffster

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Danny
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I'm torn and undecided between:

Sony 11-18mm f4.5-5.6 DT AF Lens
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-sony-11-18mm-f4-5-5-6-dt-af-lens/p1013640

Sony 16-80mm f3.5-4.5 ZA VS T* DT Lens
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-sony-16-80mm-f3-5-4-5-za-vs-t-dt-lens/p1017255

Now I've wanted both a super wide angle lens and a replacement for the kit lens, I went into the Sony shop last night in the trafford centre and had a mess with the 11-18 and it does feel like a completely new world of photography.

I've read reviews on both, they both seem to get around 75%, the 16-80mm usually better.

The thing is, I'm wanting something wide for the wedding in November, something to get the whole ceremony into one shot, but I'm also looking for some better glass to shoot through at 'standard' focal ranges and the 16-80mm uses Carl Zeiss optics.

What are your views? I'm going to the trafford centre tonight and I will be bringing one home with me. Both lenses are compatible with the AFS flash system which I really need (rules out the Sigma 10-20mm and Tamron 10-24mm) so I'm putting this to you guys.

I understand Aperture and focal lengths etc but I'm not very technical when it comes to lenses I'm afraid.
 
check out the classifieds, i have a tamron 11-18 sony fit ;-)

pics to come tonight
 
sorry
i'm no techie and don't fully understand all this

are you using it on your a300?
if so it works fine on my a300
 
I'm not familiar with either lens, but assuming they're of similar quality and neither is a dog...

Ultra wide angle can be great fun, and since you already have a kit lens to cover the standard range the 11-18 would expand your focal length range further than the 16-80.

That said, if you intend to use the kit to shoot a wedding the 16-80 would probably be a better bet as anything much shorter than 16mm will start to give pretty heavy distortions. Also, the 16-80 is a bit faster at the long end which will potentially be helpful in lower light. How do the 16-80 and kit lens compare optically? Is the upgrade worth it for a few mm at each end and a slightly larger aperture?

Another thing to consider is a decent fast prime (35/50/85mm) unless you're looking to shoot all the stuff indoors with flash...
 
p1tse said:
sorry
i'm no techie and don't fully understand all this

are you using it on your a300?
if so it works fine on my a300
Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant ADI flash support.

Yes, the lens will work fine but the aftermarket ones do not support this and although many people don't see any difference, I have noticed a massive difference between ADI and TTL.
 
tbm said:
I'm not familiar with either lens, but assuming they're of similar quality and neither is a dog...

Ultra wide angle can be great fun, and since you already have a kit lens to cover the standard range the 11-18 would expand your focal length range further than the 16-80.

That said, if you intend to use the kit to shoot a wedding the 16-80 would probably be a better bet as anything much shorter than 16mm will start to give pretty heavy distortions. Also, the 16-80 is a bit faster at the long end which will potentially be helpful in lower light. How do the 16-80 and kit lens compare optically? Is the upgrade worth it for a few mm at each end and a slightly larger aperture?

Another thing to consider is a decent fast prime (35/50/85mm) unless you're looking to shoot all the stuff indoors with flash...
Click to expand...

I have a 50mm f/1.7 so that isn't going to be a problem. I've got the 'fast' lens part covered so it's basically between the two.

I think I'm swaying towards the 11-18mm after some extensive reading today, super wide angle does look quite appealing to me :naughty: especially for shots of the ceremony. Hence why I'm after the ADI support as I'll be using just the Flashgun which I'm quite confident will work it's magic for me.

The 16-80mm is an improvement over the kit lens, but for the price I don't think it's THAT MUCH of an improvement compared to what I'm paying.

Choices choices.
 
Anyone caught at the edge of the frame at 11mm may not be too pleased with the results.
 
Jaffster said:
I have a 50mm f/1.7 so that isn't going to be a problem. I've got the 'fast' lens part covered so it's basically between the two.

I think I'm swaying towards the 11-18mm after some extensive reading today, super wide angle does look quite appealing to me :naughty: especially for shots of the ceremony. Hence why I'm after the ADI support as I'll be using just the Flashgun which I'm quite confident will work it's magic for me.

The 16-80mm is an improvement over the kit lens, but for the price I don't think it's THAT MUCH of an improvement compared to what I'm paying.

Choices choices.
Click to expand...
Cool. Wedding aside I think you'd get more for your money with the wide angle.. just watch the distortion and flash coverage at the wide end and get a load of practice in first - I find shooting ultra wide particularly unforgiving...
 
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