Decent ultrawide (17mm - 19mm) lens for under $200

[aldevo]

I'm starting a project that will require the use of an ultrawide lens somewhere between 17mm - 19mm (I've rented a 20mm lens and it's just barely too tight).

I can't reliably rent this equipment in my area, so it appears I'm going to have to purchase it.

Here's what I need / don't need:

- Price cannot really exceed $200 - unless it happens to be for the Canon EOS system for which I already have a camera body.

- The project is in B&W, so I don't care about color transmission

- I don't need a lot of lens speed. An f/4 or f/4.5 lens would be fine.

- The lens should be sharp with good contrast when stopped down to f/5.6 or lower.

The available Sigma 18mm f/3.5 lens for the Canon EOS system immediately caught my attention, but it's tough to imagine any Sigma lens for a film body being worth a damn.

Does anybody have a recommendation; preferably one based on firsthand experience?

 

[Jesper]

Both Tokina and Tamron made decent 17mm lenses that are not too uncommon to find used at a good price (with some luck you could find one at $200).

However, if it is just for a project perhaps you can rent or borrow a lens. Personally I am very fond of Nikkor 15/3.5 but that ones is more expensive if you want to buy it.

 

[Jeff L]

I like my Tamron 17, but there are others that prefer the Tokina.

 

[steelneck]

I know this is a bit over your budget, but it is on the other hand a new lens. You could have a look at Seagull MC 17mm/f4. I do only have a link to a Swedish dealer for this chinese lens:
http://www.photax.se/kmrr/obj/mf/mfobjektiv.htm

I bought one my self a year ago for about 2300 swedish crowns (about $300) and i think it performs very good compared to its price.

 

[2F/2F]

I have some thoughts to add:

1. Canon 17-40, should be rentable anywhere that rents. I "hate" zooms in general, but I like this lens very much. I have shot I don't know how many weddings with this sucker, and it is sharp enough for me, a zoom hater, even on a digital camera. Should look even better on a technically sound piece of film. (I do not like to stop this lens down past f/8, and use f/5.6 whenever possible. It has the best sharpness and "character" in that range, IMO.) It is small, light, and cheap. It needs a better hood, IMO. I would definitely use an adjustable bellows lens hood with it if I had the time and luxury to perfect things on a tripod.

2. Canon AE-1P and 17mm S.S.C...but $300 is probably more like it for this.

3. Nikon equivalent of the above (Nikon's is an 18, I believe)

4. Rent #2 from me for the project.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I have the Tamron SP 17mm, and it's okay--best stopped down around f:8 or so. I had the Tokina long ago, and the Tamron seems a bit sharper, but neither is really fantastic. The build quality on the Tamron is a little better, and the earlier version has built-in filters, which are handy for B&W. The later version, which I have, requires a hood that has threads for filters and is usually lost, and as I recall, it takes very large filters, like 82mm, but check before taking my word on that. I usually just use 3" gels in a clip on filter holder that also has barn doors to act as something of a shade. The Tamron is also an Adaptall II, so you can use it on various camera bodies. The original Adaptall II-EOS mount is something of a rarity, but it's just a solid metal adapter, and you can find Chinese knockoffs on eBay that are perfectly usable. You may even be able to find one that is chipped for EOS, which will give focus confirmation on bodies that offer that feature (not sure if that applies to any film bodies).

 

[Oren Grad]

I can't reliably rent this equipment in my area, so it appears I'm going to have to purchase it.

Have you checked with Calumet, over by the Galleria? Their rental catalog, at least, shows ultrawides for both EOS and F mounts. Of course, if you need to rent for any length of time, you'll bust your $200 limit.

The other possibility, if you can tie up the money for the duration of the project, is to buy a decent used lens and then re-sell it when you're done.

 

[Russ - SVP]

I have and use the first version of the Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 lens. (model # 51B, with built in filters). I find it to be very good. Nice contrast and quite sharp. I highly recommend it.

http://www.adaptall-2.com/lenses/51B.html

Kiron Kid

 

[eSFotos]

I have Tokina AT-X Pro 17mm F3.5 in Canon EF mount. It is an AF lens.
Build quality is equal to Canon L standard if not better. Feels so solid and heavy.
IQ wise, it's quite sharp stopped down. Shows some CA wide open but disappears stopped down.
It is now discontinued but still show up on e*bay.
Within your budget.

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

The Tokina/Vivitar 17mm F/3.5 *can* be a very good lens (much better than the Tamron 17mm). It has a lot of sample variation (the Vivitar branded ones seem generally better).
The 2 Vivitar branded ones I have (of two different generations), are very sharp, even in the corners stopped down a stop or so. Contrast, flare resistance and distortion are a bit worse than with my Zeiss 18mm, but not bad (consider the comparison is made with a lens which was once a sacred beast).

I've heard that the Sigma 18mm can be quite o.k., but large sample variation there....

Another route could be the C/V 15mm on a cheap rangefinder body (Soviet?). The lens is very sharp and has low distortion. Only the vignetting and not framing through the lens are drawbacks. Another plus is that it's really tiny!

 

[Mark Fisher]

Another vote for the 17-40mm. It is more than $200, but you could buy it and resell it later for much less than $200...probably less than the rental cost!

 

[cooltouch]

I also own a Tokina-built Vivitar 17mm f/3.5. I find it to be quite sharp and contrasty and can recommend it.

 

[sangetsu]

I also picked up a 17mm Tokina Pro ATX in a Nikon mount, and I am quite happy with it. I paid $200 for it, and it included a receipt for a recent cleaning and service at the Tokina factory.

 

[Russ - SVP]

Actually, the newer Vivitar (Cosina built) 19mm isn't all that bad either.

Kiron Kid

 

[cmo]

With a little luck you might find a Nikkor 18mm, non-AF at that price, it's often overlooked. There were several versions, I have the 3.5 AI and use it on EOS and Leica M cameras with Novoflex adapters. A good lens, it's just a little big.