Landscape lens for D40?

[IanC]

Hi, im thinking about a new lens for my D40. Im currently getting into my landscape photography a bit more and was wondering if there was a decent lens that you guys could reccomend me?

eventually i will be upgrading to a d90 (probably next year) so i would like any lens that i buy now to be compatible with any nikon i may buy in the future.

Thanks for any help, Ian

 

[sooyeshun]

sigma 10-20mm ?

 

[Barney12]

I just love my Sigma 10-20mm which I bought when I had a D40. I've now upgraded to a D90 and its still the lens I use the most!

A few recent shots with the 10-20mm:

HTH

Barney

 

[aberal]

Depends on your budget to be honest and I think you'll find that all lenses that will work with the D40 will work with a D90. Unfortunately that's not true the other way round - I'd have suggested the Tamron 17-50 but don't know whether that would work on a D40.

 

[who?]

Any budget in mind?

the 10-20 sigma?


Oh and

lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens
lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens lens


edit : landscape lenses

 

[Frogbad]

Strangely I always prefer a decent 70-300mm zoom for most of my landscape work, prefering to isolate specific details of interest, ratehr than include a wide vista, if I do need to go wider I can always stitch images together

 

[IanC]

My budget would be around £200.

 

[danbroad]

Sigma 10-20 would be the usual choice, but it's out of budget by around £150.

Failing that, remember that the kit lens goes down to 18mm and really isn't half bad with the right postprocessing [maybe budget for DXO instead so the distortions can be cleaned up?]

There's always the motor-or-no-motor Tamron 17-50 [though you'd be very lucky indeed to find one for less than around £230 used].

Of course, who said that landscapes have to be shot wide?

 

[IanC]

Excuse my ignorance but whats DXO?

 

[danbroad]

DX Optics - a RAW postprocessing software. It's major trick is a knowledge of common camera/lens combinations - and the distortions that that combination produce.

Unlike some postprocessors, it can correct for your lens's combination of both pincusion and barrel distortion at once. BTW, I don't use it - so I have no vested interest in it at all. But some swear by it.

Alternatively, on the lens front, maybe try for an older AI-S prime? Your D40 and the D90 will be able to use it - albeit as a manual lens. Manual focus, but at wide focal lengths you can use hyperfocality. With a cheap lightmeter, you'd be set...

 

[Philx1979]

try and save the extra £100 and go for the Sigma 10-20mm i`ve got a d40x and its an awesome lens mate, you wont be dissapointed.

 

[IanC]

Thanks for eveyones help, i think i will go for the sigma 10-20mm and save up the extra for it.

 

[sooyeshun]

yea..buy cheap...buy twice...lol

 

[Andysnap]

Now before you go off and spend your hard-earned on a 10-20mm have a think. If you use an ultra wide angle for landscapes what can happen is that you end up with a great shot of lots of very tiny things a long way-a-way. I find that 18mm is plenty wide enough and if not then stistch a couple together (easy in PS). I use a Nikon 18-70mm (about £130-£150 2nd hand) and a Sigma 24-60mm. And as Frogbad says theres nowt wrong with isolating interest in a landscape with a longer lens either. Just a thought.

Andy

 

[Luke_]

Tokina 12-24mm

 

[Mr Mike]

I also have a D40 and decided to go with the Sigma 10-20, I found on the kit lens nearly every lanscape was shot at 18mm so it was obvious to me i wanted wider and the sigma fitted, much sharper than the kit lens!

Just be careful your feet are not in the shot

 

[ecniv]

Tokina 11-16

I have one. Pics in a set on flickr (link in signature)

best hing is to get your hands on one. Anybody near you have some of the lenses. You could meet up and try the lenses.

Check the results at home and make a better informed decision then.



Or just buy one and live with it . Ultra wide is fun

 

[The Matt]

I love my 10-20. Great lens and comes in handy in a lot of situations...

But!

I find my 18-50 gets used more for landscapes. It's a much more useful range of focal lengths. Super-wide is great for some things, but for some it's just too wide.

 

[IanC]

decisions decisions lol, i had been toying with the idea of getting the 18-200 vr but thats a fair bit more money. a mate of mine has the 55-200 vr and the focusing and image quality is much sharper than my standard kit lens. i like the extra zoom that the 18-200 could offer but then i like the wideangle viewpoint that a wideangle lens offers

 

[Naith]

Another vote for the Siggy 10-20mm. I bought mine when I had a D40x and now it often sits on my D200.

If you're prepared to buy second hand you shouldn't be TOO much over-budget...

 

[StewartR]

Now before you go off and spend your hard-earned on a 10-20mm have a think. If you use an ultra wide angle for landscapes what can happen is that you end up with a great shot of lots of very tiny things a long way-a-way. I find that 18mm is plenty wide enough and if not then stistch a couple together (easy in PS).

Good advice.