Newbie Taking Landscapes

[ZerocoolAstra]

Wow...price in USD is 950

Translated into our ccy its almost 1350SGD might also hit mid 1.4K after GST

didnt knw i had to pay so much more for AF ... super low morale now... :flush:

sell d5000. buy D90, and then can buy the cheaper lenses
this is the reason why some of the seniors are unhappy with Nikon's marketing style.

But my belief is that the D5000 was targeted at the entry-level crowd to buy mainly the 18-55 and maybe the 55-200. You are one of the rare ones that is looking for the more 'unusual' lenses.

Seriously... to pay S$1.4K for (which lens?), the Nikkor 10-24 DX looks like good value.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Shortlist:

a) AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED

b) AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 G IF-ED

c) Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124 Pro DX II

d) Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM

and perhaps any more that others might add.

The 4 lenses listed have auto-focus with the D5000.

 

[Kopiko79]

hey zerocool, the 1.4K was a rough calc on my part for the Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM, not sure if i will regret if i buy this model.

On ur list the nikons (price too high almost 1.6K) / tokinas (no AF zoom) are out.

Wats the diff on the market between Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM & Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM? i assume its only the constant aperture?

I bought the D5000 coz i am indeed entry level...have a long way to go before i consider myself an initiated user

 

[perfecto]

sorry if im hijacking this thread,

I have similar problem with TS, looking for a UWA lens but difference is that my gear is a D90 and would probably offer more possibilities in terms of lens selection.

Initially, i was also leaning towards Tokina 11-16 given the rave reviews but seems like Sigma 10-20 does give Tokina a run for the money.

my use would primarily be for landscape and previously i wasnt sure if 1mm really DOES make that DIFFERENCE? furthermore, i would also want to be able to capture night shots with my UWA lens, in this case isnt it better to get the Tokina since it is F/2.8? I read from places if you want to take night shots eg. in the cities, the lower F stop will make the difference and help if u have shaky hands?

any thoughts? if not im also starting to lean towards Sigma 10-20

 

[jaRv1s]

hey zerocool, the 1.4K was a rough calc on my part for the Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM, not sure if i will regret if i buy this model.

On ur list the nikons (price too high almost 1.6K) / tokinas (no AF zoom) are out.

Wats the diff on the market between Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM & Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM? i assume its only the constant aperture?

I bought the D5000 coz i am indeed entry level...have a long way to go before i consider myself an initiated user

don't buy the F3.5 sigma... i tried it when i want a wider option... it's way soft in the corners... the older, cheaper 10-20mm is much better...

 

[Octarine]

my use would primarily be for landscape and previously i wasnt sure if 1mm really DOES make that DIFFERENCE? furthermore, i would also want to be able to capture night shots with my UWA lens, in this case isnt it better to get the Tokina since it is F/2.8? I read from places if you want to take night shots eg. in the cities, the lower F stop will make the difference and help if u have shaky hands?

1mm at the wide end does make a difference.
If you talk about night shots handheld (e.g. people or wherever a tripod is not possible or with flash) then Tokina might be better. For tripod usage and long term exposure the aperture will be around f/8 anyway. By this you will have sufficient Depth of Field and with a tripod the handshake is eliminated.

 

[azrinarizz]

I would go for AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED, Tokina AF 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX, Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM, Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM Aspherical. You need the wide for landscape. Sometimes you can see a distorsion which gives a fisheye look on certain wides

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

hey zerocool, the 1.4K was a rough calc on my part for the Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM, not sure if i will regret if i buy this model.

On ur list the nikons (price too high almost 1.6K) / tokinas (no AF zoom) are out.

Wats the diff on the market between Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM & Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM? i assume its only the constant aperture?

I bought the D5000 coz i am indeed entry level...have a long way to go before i consider myself an initiated user

aiyah... you never read the last line of my post, which stated that the 4 lenses I listed HAVE auto-focus capability with the D5000.

Also in a slightly earlier post, I provided a link to the DPReview site, which confirmed that the II version of the Tokina 12-24 f/4 DX has an in-built autofocus motor. So what do you mean by "tokinas (no AF zoom) are out" ??

i feel sad leh... I put in the effort to find the links and even the pictures for you, and you didn't click on them...

 

[Kopiko79]

woops...Zerocool.....be cool; no la not intentional to disregard ur msg. was late for work this morning so i just skimmed thru ur posts and reply the questions on the top off my mind
but thks buddy, alot of useful info :thumbsup:

 

[Kopiko79]

managed to get a price quote Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.5 EX DC HSM - S$880.00

Is the price reasonable ?

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

woops...Zerocool.....be cool; no la not intentional to disregard ur msg. was late for work this morning so i just skimmed thru ur posts and reply the questions on the top off my mind
but thks buddy, alot of useful info :thumbsup:

hahaha just disturb you only la.

Can try getting second hand in the Personal Classifieds section.
$880 is a lot to pay for a lens, comparing with the price you paid for your camera.
It's your decision la. I think 10-20mm is a very good range. Based on night86mare's photos, I think that's the one to get!

 

[Kopiko79]

2nd hand ah...i did consider la but as u knw newbie ... i think when im more seasoned then i dare to buy 2nd hand. scared i nvr fully chk that the lens got any defects only after to realise it after i buy :bigeyes:

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

true true...

 

[Kopiko79]

i want focal length, as wide as possible.. 1mm at UWA focal lengths makes a world of difference sometimes. overall value for money, i think sigma 10-20 used to be that, especially if you get it grey, but i have not been checking prices for a while.

Hey night86mare, i think i am highly likely to get the Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM. It just that im feeling slightly anal abt the price that was quoted $880. Uwere saying there is this grey coloured set that is cheaper? Any idea if i can still get it @ funan or somewhere? Any thoughts on the $880 price tag?

Also, can u give some advise how do i interpret the aperture range on the sigma F4-5.6
does it mean the lens can only do within those ranges on my D5000? I hope this is not a noob question haha but if it is pls pardon coz im a noob.

 

[Octarine]

Uwere saying there is this grey coloured set that is cheaper? Any idea if i can still get it @ funan or somewhere? Any thoughts on the $880 price tag?

Grey set does not refer to the colour. Most lenses are black, exceptions are Canon's white L lenses, Carl Zeiss 'Zebra' lenses and a few others.
Grey means 'parallel imported' - which means they don't come with international warranty. Instead, you get 1 year shop warranty. If there is something wrong within 1 year only the shop will help you and arrange for repair / replacement for free. Think twice whether this is a valid model for as newbie, also given your limited knowledge.

Also, can u give some advise how do i interpret the aperture range on the sigma F4-5.6
does it mean the lens can only do within those ranges on my D5000? I hope this is not a noob question haha but if it is pls pardon coz im a noob.

It is a noob question and answered many times. Even Google will find direct answers if you key in this question. Beside this, the question is already answered in this thread. Read again slowly. Hint: it's the minimum (widest) aperture in dependency of the focal length on a zoom lens.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Grey set does not refer to the colour. Most lenses are black, exceptions are Canon's white L lenses, Carl Zeiss 'Zebra' lenses and a few others.
Grey means 'parallel imported' - which means they don't come with international warranty. Instead, you get 1 year shop warranty. If there is something wrong within 1 year only the shop will help you and arrange for repair / replacement for free. Think twice whether this is a valid model for as newbie, also given your limited knowledge.



It is a noob question and answered many times. Even Google will find direct answers if you key in this question. Beside this, the question is already answered in this thread. Read again slowly. Hint: it's the minimum (widest) aperture in dependency of the focal length on a zoom lens.

hehehehe... I never thought of 'grey set' that way! But yeah, I can see how the term is confusing.
TS, the F/4-5.6 thingy has been explained many times before, even in this thread, as Octarine mentioned.
At the widest focal length (10mm in this case), the smallest f-number you can achieve is F/4
At the longest focal length (20mm), the smallest f-number you can achieve is F/5.6
There is a gradual progression in between.

 

[Kopiko79]

Grey set does not refer to the colour. Most lenses are black, exceptions are Canon's white L lenses, Carl Zeiss 'Zebra' lenses and a few others.
Grey means 'parallel imported' - which means they don't come with international warranty. Instead, you get 1 year shop warranty. If there is something wrong within 1 year only the shop will help you and arrange for repair / replacement for free. Think twice whether this is a valid model for as newbie, also given your limited knowledge.

So can i assume if the set i get doesnt have an international warranty but a 1yr shop warranty i can conclude it is parallel imported? Then if thats the case i assume price can possibly be much lower than if the set has a manufacturer's warranty?

 

[elavan]

wah, if your're new (as i am too), i wouldn't jump to an ultra-wide so soon, i find UWA shots very challenging to frame and master, wouldn't be surprised if my keep rate with UWA is pathetic.

nonetheless all the best :thumbsup:

 

[Octarine]

So can i assume if the set i get doesnt have an international warranty but a 1yr shop warranty i can conclude it is parallel imported? Then if thats the case i assume price can possibly be much lower than if the set has a manufacturer's warranty?

If there is no international warranty cards (and that's the only thing that counts, no matter what sales man is promising) then it is a parallel import / grey model. The price will be lower, but not much. AFAIR from other threads it's not more than 100 bucks. The Service Center will accept the lens, no issue there. But they charge you for each and everything that people with international warranty will get for free. Decide for yourself if that suits your needs.
Warranty is a promise and a bet, based on statistics. The loser has to pay. As a customer you have to pay upfront, the manufacturer only has to pay upon a defect. You can do some online research whether there is an increased number of defects or problems reported.