New wide angle lens

[TMG1961]

The camera i am using is a Sony a7rii and at the moment i only have the Samyang 35mm f/1.8 AF lens as a full frame lens. There is so much information to be found online and sometimes it is confusing, one says the lens is great and another says it is just ok or wouldnt even use it if given for free.

I am looking for 2 more lenses. One a tele lens and a wide angle lens. I am not sure if i want to go for a zoom lens for the wide angle or a prime lens. Maximum focal length of 28mm for prime lens, for zoom lens it should have at least a minimum length of 24 mm.

It probably will be a used lens, budget is around €1000. Not sure if anyone uses sony full frame a7r cameras. What lens do you own and can you recommend?

 

[TMG1961]

Yes, the one I'm going to is also within 15m2 🙂
And it's always full of people, you have to wait to be advised because they are at most 2 to serve the customers (you have to avoid going on Saturday...).

In that case, all that's left to do is browse the private-to-private sales sites. There must be some in the Netherlands, right?
Or be patient and save a bit!

This makes me think that a "seeks or sells used equipment" section could be useful on this board in a more or less near future.

There are private-private sales sites here. The only problem i have with buying a €1000 lens from a private person is the fact that you don't get any warranty or as we say here warranty until the front door. So if there is a problem you don't have anything to fall back on. That is why i rather buy from a shop or website were they give me a warranty, in most cases it is 12 months for used lenses and cameras.

 

[Morexp57]

There are private-private sales sites here. The only problem i have with buying a €1000 lens from a private person is the fact that you don't get any warranty or as we say here warranty until the front door. So if there is a problem you don't have anything to fall back on. That is why i rather buy from a shop or website were they give me a warranty, in most cases it is 12 months for used lenses and cameras.

I totally understand. The only time I've ever bought a used lens was from someone I know and trust.
So saving money...

 

[TMG1961]

I totally understand. The only time I've ever bought a used lens was from someone I know and trust.
So saving money...

If i know and trust the person then i would do that too. But unfortunately most people i know that do shoot photos are either Canon or Nikon users. Sony users are a minority where i live.

 

[Chavezshutter]

Hi TMG,

I have the Tamron 17-28 f2.8 and more recently the Sony 20mm f1.8, the tamron is decent, not amazing but still pretty capable and quite affordable, I have used it for about 2 years in landscape and astro and it perfoms pretty well. The Sony 20mm is very impressive, specially for astro, its a better quality lens all around , I researched it for a while before buying it and have recommended it to others who bought it and are happy with it. For me 20mm is about as wide as I want to go in most cases. If you're not interested in astro or need wide apartures there is f2.8 lenses or even f4 which are more than capable for most landscapes. As for zoom or primes for a wide, it's a hard choice 😆. I personally prefer primes for wides, better value for money in my opinion. Tamron and Sigma have some good options, though admitedly some of the Sigma art lenses are getting up there in price, they are making some very good glass lately. Tamron too has started going upmarket with their newer releases. Give me a bit of time to have a look around (lots of new lens releases to check out) and see what other recommendations I can make.

 

[TMG1961]

Hi TMG,

I have the Tamron 17-28 f2.8 and more recently the Sony 20mm f1.8, the tamron is decent, not amazing but still pretty capable and quite affordable, I have used it for about 2 years in landscape and astro and it perfoms pretty well. The Sony 20mm is very impressive, specially for astro, its a better quality lens all around , I researched it for a while before buying it and have recommended it to others who bought it and are happy with it. For me 20mm is about as wide as I want to go in most cases. If you're not interested in astro or need wide apartures there is f2.8 lenses or even f4 which are more than capable for most landscapes. As for zoom or primes for a wide, it's a hard choice 😆. I personally prefer primes for wides, better value for money in my opinion. Tamron and Sigma have some good options, though admitedly some of the Sigma art lenses are getting up there in price, they are making some very good glass lately. Tamron too has started going upmarket with their newer releases. Give me a bit of time to have a look around (lots of new lens releases to check out) and see what other recommendations I can make.

On what sony camera are you using those 2 lenses?

The sony 20mm f/1.8 is new just over €1000, will put it on the list and see if it comes up as a second hand one. The tamron 17-28 also goes on the list, it is around 800-900 euro new.

 

[Chavezshutter]

On what sony camera are you using those 2 lenses?

The sony 20mm f/1.8 is new just over €1000, will put it on the list and see if it comes up as a second hand one. The tamron 17-28 also goes on the list, it is around 800-900 euro new.

I use them on my a7iii, my brother's a7riii and my gf's a6400.

 

[Andy Smith]

Hi TMG1961,
Just to throw in a couple of options.

I have a few friends shooting Sony and hear good things about the Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 G lens as a good wide angle lens which is around $600 new
there is a nice review here:

Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 G Review

www.kenrockwell.com

or for a zoom option there is the Sony Zeiss FE 24 - 70mm f/4 which is around $900 new I think.

Zeiss FE 24-70mm f/4

www.kenrockwell.com

Both are decent lenses from what I hear.

For teles I think it is hard to beat the Sony FE 70-300mm G FE OSS f/4.5 - f/5.6 for around $1,000 new also

Sony 70-300mm FE G OSS Review

www.kenrockwell.com

As you are aware, glass is very important and your choice is a tough one as it is a decision you should preferably only make once, we all go through the process should I /shouldn't I etc but ultimately you should have a gut feeling as to which focal length you really prefer, so go with your gut feeling.

 

[TMG1961]

My list for the wide angle and tele lenses so far is.
Wide angle
Sony FE

I use them on my a7iii, my brother's a7riii and my gf's a6400.

Thank you. I asked because some lenses struggle with the 42MP of the A7Rii

 

[TMG1961]

Hi TMG1961,
Just to throw in a couple of options.

I have a few friends shooting Sony and hear good things about the Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 G lens as a good wide angle lens which is around $600 new
there is a nice review here:

Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 G Review

www.kenrockwell.com

or for a zoom option there is the Sony Zeiss FE 24 - 70mm f/4 which is around $900 new I think.

Zeiss FE 24-70mm f/4

www.kenrockwell.com

Both are decent lenses from what I hear.

For teles I think it is hard to beat the Sony FE 70-300mm G FE OSS f/4.5 - f/5.6 for around $1,000 new also

Sony 70-300mm FE G OSS Review

www.kenrockwell.com

As you are aware, glass is very important and your choice is a tough one as it is a decision you should preferably only make once, we all go through the process should I /shouldn't I etc but ultimately you should have a gut feeling as to which focal length you really prefer, so go with your gut feeling.

I usually check the reviews on https://sonyalpha.blog/

It will be a difficult decision that needs to be taken carefully. I first need to make up my mind if i want to go down the prime or zoom lens road.
After that i can start looking at the options i have and in which order to buy the lenses.

 

[Chavezshutter]

I usually check the reviews on https://sonyalpha.blog/

It will be a difficult decision that needs to be taken carefully. I first need to make up my mind if i want to go down the prime or zoom lens road.
After that i can start looking at the options i have and in which order to buy the lenses.

Yet another thing to think about with wide lenses is the front element. In some wide lenses (usually ultra wides more often) the glass is a round dome like piece which extends beyond the outer casing of the lens and they dont have a thread for filters, this means you cannot use regular filters on them, they need special filter systems. I don't know if filters are something youre interested in but I though I would give you a heads up. Both the lenses I use and recommended have flat front elements like any other lens. Still got a list coming your way...

 

[TMG1961]

Yet another thing to think about with wide lenses is the front element. In some wide lenses (usually ultra wides more often) the glass is a round dome like piece which extends beyond the outer casing of the lens and they dont have a thread for filters, this means you cannot use regular filters on them, they need special filter systems. I don't know if filters are something youre interested in but I though I would give you a heads up. Both the lenses I use and recommended have flat front elements like any other lens. Still got a list coming your way...

I have no experience with filters. Wouldn't even know how to use them.

 

[TMG1961]

This is a short list of possible candidates for wide angle and tele lens. The price behind the lens is the price for a new lens here in The Netherlands.
These are all zoom lenses, still looking at possible candidates for the prime list.

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 €949
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art €1199
Sony FE 16-35mm f/4.0 ZA OSS Vario-Tessar T* €1099

Sony FE 24-105mm f/4.0 G OSS €1049
Sony FE 70-200mm f/4.0G OSS €1199
Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS €1199
Sigma 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary €999

 

[Chavezshutter]

I have no experience with filters. Wouldn't even know how to use them.

Another rabbit hole 😂. I wouldn't worry too much about it now, just be aware of bulbous front element on a wide may give you issues with filters later.

This is a short list of possible candidates for wide angle and tele lens. The price behind the lens is the price for a new lens here in The Netherlands.
These are all zoom lenses, still looking at possible candidates for the prime list.

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 €949
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art €1199
Sony FE 16-35mm f/4.0 ZA OSS Vario-Tessar T* €1099

Sony FE 24-105mm f/4.0 G OSS €1049
Sony FE 70-200mm f/4.0G OSS €1199
Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS €1199
Sigma 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary €999

That's a pretty good list.

The first version of the Tamron 28-75 was the first Tamron lens that made me take notice of what the company was making. A friend had it and I got to use it for a few shots, pretty impressive, specially considering the price, It was and still is a lens used by lots of people including proffesional wedding photographers and event shooters. One of the stand outs as far as performance in the Tamron line up for Sony. The new G2 version is even better for image quality and build. For a relative lower costs Tamron has pretty good image quality but something has to give so this is where we get to build quality; The lens themselves are ok in terms of durability, but they are also made with a plastic body (polycarbonate for the G2) and some photographers hate that, the performance of the lens is not affected by it at all so it comes down to what you like in this decision.

Having said all that, I prefer the sigma 24-70mm you listed, my brother owns this lens and it is very impressive, leaps ahead in terms of build quality (specially compared to the first version of the 28-75 Tamron, though the G2 is an improvement), better image quality (these lenses are pushing Sony to make new version of their GM 24-70mm) and the price difference between the Simga and Tamron is not that much and worth it in my opinion. If there is a downside and this applies to a lot of the Sigma lenses it would be weight, its a tank of a lens at 840 grams ( G2 is 540 grams) but its very well made and built to last. All the Art series lenses are very good, giving some Sony G and even some Sony GMs a run for their money. My brother has the 85mm and 24-70mm and they are both great lenses. He also owns the 16m, 30mm and 56m (all f1.4s)for crop. All great lenses.

I wont comment on the rest now as I dont have much experience with them, when it comes to longer reach I use an old vintage Pentax FF/35 mm film lens -the Asahi Takumar 200mm F3.5 and when that doesn't give me what I want I can always pinch my brothers Sony 200-600m f/5.6-6.3 😆, but hey thats what brothers are for right? That will teach him to follow me into Sony 🤣.

 

[TMG1961]

Another rabbit hole 😂. I wouldn't worry too much about it now, just be aware of bulbous front element on a wide may give you issues with filters later.


That's a pretty good list.

The first version of the Tamron 28-75 was the first Tamron lens that made me take notice of what the company was making. A friend had it and I got to use it for a few shots, pretty impressive, specially considering the price, It was and still is a lens used by lots of people including proffesional wedding photographers and event shooters. One of the stand outs as far as performance in the Tamron line up for Sony. The new G2 version is even better for image quality and build. For a relative lower costs Tamron has pretty good image quality but something has to give so this is where we get to build quality; The lens themselves are ok in terms of durability, but they are also made with a plastic body (polycarbonate for the G2) and some photographers hate that, the performance of the lens is not affected by it at all so it comes down to what you like in this decision.

Having said all that, I prefer the sigma 24-70mm you listed, my brother owns this lens and it is very impressive, leaps ahead in terms of build quality (specially compared to the first version of the 28-75 Tamron, though the G2 is an improvement), better image quality (these lenses are pushing Sony to make new version of their GM 24-70mm) and the price difference between the Simga and Tamron is not that much and worth it in my opinion. If there is a downside and this applies to a lot of the Sigma lenses it would be weight, its a tank of a lens at 840 grams ( G2 is 540 grams) but its very well made and built to last. All the Art series lenses are very good, giving some Sony G and even some Sony GMs a run for their money. My brother has the 85mm and 24-70mm and they are both great lenses. He also owns the 16m, 30mm and 56m (all f1.4s)for crop. All great lenses.

I wont comment on the rest now as I dont have much experience with them, when it comes to longer reach I use an old vintage Pentax FF/35 mm film lens -the Asahi Takumar 200mm F3.5 and when that doesn't give me what I want I can always pinch my brothers Sony 200-600m f/5.6-6.3 😆, but hey thats what brothers are for right? That will teach him to follow me into Sony 🤣.

I don't mind the weight of a lens, i prefer a bit heavier setup. I used to walk around with a Nikon d7200 + 70-300mm lens and that had a total weight of 1.5 kg.

I am still looking into the prime lenses. Also need to figure out what the best combination of lenses will be for me. And the decide which of the 2-3 lenses to buy first and which one at the end of this year.

 

[TMG1961]

After some good thinking i have decided to go down the variable focus length road, otherwise known as zoom lens road.
Now only have to decide if the first purchase will be a wide angle or a tele lens and what focal length for the tele lens.

 

[Andy Smith]

After some good thinking i have decided to go down the variable focus length road, otherwise known as zoom lens road.
Now only have to decide if the first purchase will be a wide angle or a tele lens and what focal length for the tele lens.

Seems you are making headway TMG1961 with your decisions, not a simple choice to decide which one to get first and you know whichever lens you buy first there will be a perfect opportunity arise for the lens you didn't get first..

 

[TMG1961]

Seems you are making headway TMG1961 with your decisions, not a simple choice to decide which one to get first and you know whichever lens you buy first there will be a perfect opportunity arise for the lens you didn't get first..

It will be a i should have bought the other one first moment without a doubt. I will keep an eye on lens prizes and see if there is a good offer on any of them the next 2-3 weeks.

 

[Chavezshutter]

It's a tough choice isnt it? Take your time, ask questions and research your gear online if you can. A suggestion I can make is perhaps grab a zoom in the 24-70 ish range first - This zoom in my opinion is a must sooner or later as it covers the most used focal ranges and the price for a good zoom in this range is much more reasonable in price compared to a good zoom in wides or longer reaches like 200mm+. Then use this lens to work out what focal range you prefer, and get a prime in that range. I always recommend that if you want to spend money on better glass to go for the lens which suits your photography style the most. If you're not sure what your style is yet spending money on a 24-70 is not money wasted in my opinion, one of the most versatile lens around for FF you can buy.

 

[TMG1961]

It's a tough choice isnt it? Take your time, ask questions and research your gear online if you can. A suggestion I can make is perhaps grab a zoom in the 24-70 ish range first - This zoom in my opinion is a must sooner or later as it covers the most used focal ranges and the price for a good zoom in this range is much more reasonable in price compared to a good zoom in wides or longer reaches like 200mm+. Then use this lens to work out what focal range you prefer, and get a prime in that range. I always recommend that if you want to spend money on better glass to go for the lens which suits your photography style the most. If you're not sure what your style is yet spending money on a 24-70 is not money wasted in my opinion, one of the most versatile lens around for FF you can buy.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense.

 

[TMG1961]

Still looking into getting the new lens. One thought that came across my mind is the following. What about getting the Sony 28-70mm 3.5-5.6 FE OSS, which is less the €200 used and use that. Then figure out what focal lengths i use the most and get a prime that comes closest to that focal range.

Another option is to get the Sony FE 28-60 f/4-5.6, which is available for around €300 new

I can get a as good as new Tamron 28-75 for €549 or a Sony FE 24-70 f/4 for €450-500. The Sony 24-105 f/4 is a nit more expensive and starts used around €785.

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