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Newbie Wide Angle Lens Advice Needed


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5 replies to this topic

#1
Potshot21

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First post in the forum!

 

A little bit of background on myself, I purchased a D3400 a year ago as it was an excellent package deal that came with 18-55mm & 70-300mm lenses and camera bag and battery for a decent price. So far I've been getting used to using my camera and trying to learn techniques and tricks to better my skills. I have mostly tested my skills photographing my dogs or bringing my camera along on hikes and doing my best with landscape photography.

 

I'm looking to dive a bit deeper into landscape photography, and am curious what other lenses can offer the newbie photographer such as myself.

 

The one I've most been interested in is Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G prime lens. The 35mm focal length isn't as wide as I think I really want with the crop sensor, but the f/1.8 aperture seems attractive for low light photos and allowing me to capture some night images as well.

 

The other I'm considering is Nikkor 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6 lens as it will be far wider than the 35, but I'm worried the f/4.5 aperture will limit it's capabilities.

 

I've done my best to research on my own, but as I'm on somewhat of a budget I'd like some advice from seasoned veterans to make sure I'll end up with something useful and the best bang for my buck. So any input would be greatly appreciated! Please go easy on me, I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around all the camera lingo and settings :)

 

Bill



#2
Nikon Shooter

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but I'm worried the f/4.5 aperture will limit it's capabilities.

 

In landscape photography, one is well advised to shoot at

smaller aperture so why should you worry about the ƒ4.5?

 

The 35 ƒ1.8 is not a cheap lens btw!



#3
Merco_61

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The 35 isn't wide at all on DX as it is a normal lens. That is, the focal length is about equal to the diagonal of the sensor.

 

To check if 35 mm will be useful for you, take a piece of vinyl tape and lock the zoom on your 18-55 at 35 mm. You can then try out all situations except the low-light ones and see if it will work for how you visualize things.

 

If it is the DX version of the 35 you are looking at, it is cheap enough that you can probably get it just for the low light capabilities. I shot with one on my D7200 for a week in March. One week, one camera, one lens week ending March 25 2018 - Mini-Challenges, Member Contests, and Games - NikonForums.com

 

Shooting landscapes with an ultrawide is difficult. It is very easy to get bland photos unless your choice of viewpoint and composition is flawless. The speed of the AF-P isn't a problem as long as you have a good tripod as you will want to close down a bit to somewhere around f/8 tor optimum sharpness and DOF anyway.



#4
Ron

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The DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 is a very economical lens. However, it's not as wide as the 18-55 kit lens and, as Nikon Shooter has pointed out, when shooting landscapes, you'll probably be stopping the lens down anyway so it's slow maximum aperture shouldn't be a problem. On the other hand, if you're also planning to do some low light photography then the extra speed will certainly come in handy. Just be sure you get the DX version and not the more expensive FX version. 

 

Peter is also correct in stating that shooting landscapes with ultra wide angle lenses can be really difficult. And the wider you go, the harder it gets.

 

When I shot film, my favorite landscape lens was a 28mm f/2.8. And even after I saved up enough money to buy wider lenses, I often found myself gravitating back to my old tried and true 28mm. It just seemed to be the sweet spot between not wide enough and too wide.

 

Your 18-55mm is the equivalent of a 28mm lens on the wide end when used with your D3400. So, my suggestion would be to start there. 

 

--Ron



#5
Nikon Shooter

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The DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 is a very economical lens.

Just be sure you get the DX version and not the more expensive FX version. 

 

Thanks Ron, my bad! :P 


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#6
CyprusCorner

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The nikkor DX 10-20mm is great for landscapes as you'll be using a smaller aperture anyway, it's only limitation is shooting in very low light situations like night photography where you want both a wide angle and open aperture. 

 

Another alternative to the 35mm 1.8 DX prime is the Sigma 18-35 1.8. It's pricier, but now you've got enough zoom and aperture range to use for night photography, landscapes, portraits, etc.