Which full-frame, wide angle lens has less distortion than the Nikkor 18-35mm?

Naboo32

Naboo32

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Andy
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I've been using the Nikkor 18-35mm AF lens on my D700, since I got it in January and have just one major gripe with it :| - on the widest focal length settings, there is a very pronounced distortion profile (barrelling in the centre and curving outwards at the edges.

I did read in reviews that this was the case, prior to buying it, but summized that, as a relative beginner, I probably wouldn't notice this or care much about it. Guess what ;)? I was wrong!

I've just sent off for a set of ND grad filters and a Cokin P holder, as I want to get into more landscape photography, without the need to do extensive HDR PPing on the results. On top of this, I do tend to shoot rather a lot of architecture at wide angles too and would like to do more of this sort of thing, but without the distortion.

So, that's the background info. What I'd like to know is:

Which is the best Nikon fit, wide angle zoom lens available for taking landscape/architecture shots (using filters, when required) on the FX-sensored D700?

Using the search function here didn't yield much and I did once ask this same question in a related thread and got absolutley no reply :shrug:. So, this one's just for me folks :D.

Thanks in advance for your input, especially from any experienced users of these lenses, who can supply photographic examples to illustrate the performance of their favoured lens :).
 
Can't you restrict yourself to a 28mm prime?
 
photon said:
Can't you restrict yourself to a 28mm prime?
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Well, not really, no. As I said, it's at the wider (18mm) end, where I'm having most of the trouble. It's less noticable at 28mm and nearly gone by 35mm. Besides which, I have a (faster) Tamron 28-75mm that can be relied upon for 28mm duties.

Regardless of the focal length (i.e. 20mm, 24mm etc.), I would be much happier with at least a limited zoom range.

Thanks for the suggestion though :).
 
Blapto said:
The 14-24 is an excellent lens, but you need to hack it a bit to use filters on it.
The 17-35 has less distortion than the 18-35. Thom Hogan's and Bjørn Rørslett's reviews might help you make up your mind. Both are extremely well regarded photographers and reviewers.
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Thanks for the links, Blapto, I'll check those out shortly :). I'd only really seen Ken Rockwell's reviews (5,000 TPers simultaneously preform a headshake at the mention of his name :D) of the 18-35 and the 17-35 lenses and he seemed to rate them both pretty highly.

As you've guessed, I've ruled out the 14-24 on the grounds of no filters possible, bulk, weight, price etc. It's just a little bit too specialised for what I had in mind ;).
 
17-35mm is great - if you can find one - been discontinued for a while
 
In a nutshell, the 28 f/2.8 AIS is one fantastic lens. Brand new it's about £400 (I think) .. a good 2nd hand copy can be bought for under £200.

The wonderful thing is, for landscape you really don't want a huge front element and this lens has a 52mm front thread. Excellent, as it shares the same CP as my 35/2 and 50/1.8 .. but it is miles ahead of these two.
 
You're going to get distortion with any wide zoom - at least a little. If it bothers you, I know PP is a pain but if you could configure some simple correction procedures for three or four focal lengths, once you've done them you should be able to apply them very quickly to subsequent images. It seems a shame to make a very expensive new purchase just to get rid of this problem when you should be able to PP it out quite easily.

This programme does this for you, amongst other things, but I think your lens is missing! Maybe you could contribute the data for it to them ;) It's here:

http://epaperpress.com/ptlens/
 
awp said:
17-35mm is great - if you can find one - been discontinued for a while
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:D Funny, I was involved in two eBay auctions, which both ended last night, for a couple of these 17-35s. The first was a slightly tatty one with no case, which went for about 660GBP on eBay UK and the other one was in excellent nick, with all the candy and it went for 770GBP (20GBP more than my high bid) on German eBay :'(.

This was the lens that I really wanted when I bought the 18-35 (familar story, eh?), so my thread here is mainly a "sanity check" before I go hunting for another 17-35. It's a terrible admission, but the only two Nikon lenses that I use on my D700 are the weakest links in my kit bag :( - my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 are both very strong performers, optically speaking. The other Nikon lens I own is the AF-S 70-300mm VR, which goes well soft past 200mm and is too slow for a lot of the stuff I try to use it for. I guess that I should have known better than to try and marry cheap(ish) Nikon glass to a high-end body like the D700 :nono:.

Before this thread dies off, does anyone have any experience to share with the Tamron 17-35, or any similar Sigma or Tokina FF lens :shrug:?
 
HoppyUK said:
You're going to get distortion with any wide zoom - at least a little. If it bothers you, I know PP is a pain but if you could configure some simple correction procedures for three or four focal lengths, once you've done them you should be able to apply them very quickly to subsequent images. It seems a shame to make a very expensive new purchase just to get rid of this problem when you should be able to PP it out quite easily.

This programme does this for you, amongst other things, but I think your lens is missing! Maybe you could contribute the data for it to them ;) It's here:

http://epaperpress.com/ptlens/
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:eek: Wow, HoppyUK, never seen that application before!

I don't own a copy of PS. I just use NX2 Capture, which has limited control of distortion, but nothing that I can use to fully correct the images from my 18-35. However, I see that the PTLens sotware works as a stand alone application and only costs $25 :naughty:.

The example of "Complex Distorion" shown on their website is so strikingly similar to the results I get, that I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if I found out that they'd used the same lens to generate it :D.

So, although it won't help improve shutter speeds (not really an issue for landscapes anyway), or the slight corner softness in the 18-35, it's certainly worth considering :).

Thanks for posting.
 
Photozone.de's tests show the Tamron 17-35mm to be mid-way between the Nikkor 17-35mm and 18-35mm, for distortion at the wide end.

The Tamron is the first lens I bought for a DSLR, but I've never tried it on full frame. I did intend using it with a film body, when required.
 
Naboo32 said:
:eek: Wow, HoppyUK, never seen that application before!

I don't own a copy of PS. I just use NX2 Capture, which has limited control of distortion, but nothing that I can use to fully correct the images from my 18-35. However, I see that the PTLens sotware works as a stand alone application and only costs $25 :naughty:.

The example of "Complex Distorion" shown on their website is so strikingly similar to the results I get, that I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if I found out that they'd used the same lens to generate it :D.

So, although it won't help improve shutter speeds (not really an issue for landscapes anyway), or the slight corner softness in the 18-35, it's certainly worth considering :).

Thanks for posting.
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You're welcome bud :) It's a shame you don't use Canon as their free DPP Raw software has custom corrections for all their lenses. Just select your lens and it picks up the Exif and corrects distortion, CA and vignetting with a single click. It's the future I tell you :D ;)
 
Yeah, my Olympus software has the same in-built feature. Very useful ;)!

Gonna have to have a little think about this now. If the Tamron is another 'halfway house' lens, as implied ;), then it's probably not a good idea for me.

I just need to snag the right deal on a 17-35, as I'm probably going to lose about 100GBP on selling my 18-35 (paid too much for it, second hand :bang:). Still, I was warned - this hobby ain't cheap :lol:!
 
In which case I'd go for the 14-24mm for peerless performance across the frame.

I still think a 24mm PC-E would be better though where architecture is concerned.
 
OK, missed that. If the 14-24 is too specialised/costly then the PC-E will be as well.

17-35 is an option although not cheap either.
 
That's right, gents ;). If I bought the 14-24, I'd probably end up leaving it at home when 'travelling light' and consequently, miss a lot of shots.

I read the link about the PC-E lenses and .... felt a bit scared :(! Waaay too complicated to use properly, for me.

All I really want is a simple to use, but flexible, wide angle zoom lens, which will give me excellent sharpness (if used correctly ;)) and low distortion, straight out of the camera. From everything that I've read, the Nikon 17-35 seems to be the tool for the job. I just need to find a way of getting one within my budget, as the cost of a new one rules it out :(.

Alternatively, I could stick with the 18-35 and just spend longer experimenting with it, until I find ways to use it which don't produce soft corners and then I could straighten out any distortion with one of the two programs mentioned :thinking:.

At the end of the day though, I'm a bit lazy and would (obviously) prefer to own a lens that didn't require such tremendous effort to shoot with. It seems like the 17-35 is my only way forward :shrug: ...

Again, thanks for the input - it's much appreciated :).

(:( Oh no! Have I used too many smilies, again?)
 
Blapto said:
Oh!
I'd forgotten about this product:
DxO Optics Pro
It has support for the D700 and 18-35mm. I have a license for it which I use on occasion. The user interface is a bit clunky, but it's good software. Download the trial and see how you get on with it!
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Had a closer look at this software, but the Elite version (mandatory for the Nikon D700) costs $295 + tax :gag:. Spending that amount of 'real' money in the 'virtual' world, always makes me feel like a mug :(. It might help to correct the fault in my 300GBP lens, but I don't see much other use for it (for me, as an amateur enthusiast, that is).

I appreciate you posting the link though, Blapto - it's good have someone thinking laterally on my behalf ;).
 
jerry12953 said:
I was also going to suggest this. It costs $20, I think.
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Indeed, ($25, actually), it's certainly an option worth considering :).


(from earlier...)
Naboo32 said:
:eek: Wow, HoppyUK, never seen that application before!

I don't own a copy of PS. I just use NX2 Capture, which has limited control of distortion, but nothing that I can use to fully correct the images from my 18-35. However, I see that the PTLens sotware works as a stand alone application and only costs $25 :naughty:.
....
Click to expand...
 
They do this sometimes...a Nikon 85mm AF f/1.4 went for £570 within minutes the other week.

Was tempted to get the 17-35mm myself but thought it better to post on here. :thumbs:
 
Blapto said:
Sometimes they put stuff up which is already sold. They're a bit slow to update the website.

Great guys though, buy with the utmost confidence.
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This was definitely added today, I check their list a couple of times every day (:help:).
 
awp said:
I'd say that price was low - mint ones go for around £750.00
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:lol: Well done, awp! They must have heard you - it's gone up to £750 now :eek:! Unless of course they had two and the cheaper one has sold :shrug:!?

Thanks a lot for the link anyway, sdb123 :thumbs:.
 
Naboo32 said:
:lol: Well done, awp! They must have heard you - it's gone up to £750 now :eek:! Unless of course they had two and the cheaper one has sold :shrug:!?

Thanks a lot for the link anyway, sdb123 :thumbs:.
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No worries....the price changed in the afternoon. :(
 
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