Wide angle zoom vs Prime angle zoom??

[tonimcp]

Hello,


could anyone please clarify??

what is the difference between the two lenses??


wide angle zoom? prime wide angle zoom lens??



looking for a lens at the moment for landscape purposes??:umm:

[markjaffa]

By definition you cant have a prime zoom lens. "Prime" in lens' means a singular focal length - hence no zoom ability. Primes are generally sharper than their zoom cousins - and generally cheaper than a zoom lens that covers the same focal length, unless the prime is faster. Lens choice will depend on the body you are shooting with(crop or Full Frame), your budget, how much you are prepared to carry and probably lots of other issues. If you can give some more information it would be possible to recommend a good lens. :th3:

[Lance B]

I think you may have your wires a little crossed. I do believe it would be either:
1) wide angle zoom - a zoom means that the lens zooms or has a variable focal length, like a 16mm-35mm and therefore the lens focal length can be set from 16mm to 35mm, or
2) wide angle prime - this is a fixed focal length lens which means that there is only one focal length and as it is a wide angle prime, then it would be a focal length of 35mm or less for a camera with a full frame sensor or under 24mm for a camera with an APS C size sensor.

Zooms are more flexible as they allow you to adjust the focal length within their range and therefore you can adjust what you want in the frame, within reason. Sometimes there are compromises with zooms as their IQ is not generally as good as a fixed focal length, or "prime", lens. Zooms maximum aperture tends to be "slower" than that of a prime lens. When I say slower, this is in reference to the maximum aperture of a lens and a zoom may have a maximum aperture of say f2.8 or f4 which means that the metered shutter speed will be slower than for a prime which may have a maximum aperture of f1.4 or f2 which allows for faster shutter speeds. So, for example, a zoom with an f4 max aperture and is set to f4 may have a metered shutter speed of 1/50sec, whereas a prime of the same focal length but with a max aperture of f2 and is set to f2 will have a metered shutter speed of 1/200sec under the same conditions.

Generally speaking, a prime has better IQ, but there are cases where this is not always true.

[tonimcp]

Only wanted to spend max $700.00 I think the wide angle zoom is the go... i have the SONY DSLR a33 I just don't know what focal length I should be looking at?
Thanks markjaffa, and Lance B HELPFUL INFO.

[Lance B]

Only wanted to spend max $700.00 I think the wide angle zoom is the go... i have the SONY DSLR a33 I just don't know what focal length I should be looking at?
Thanks markjaffa, and Lance B HELPFUL INFO.

Ok, what you have is an APS C sensored camera and would therefore require a wide angle zoom under 28mm. Look at the offerings from Sony, Tokina, Tamron and Sigma and zooms that have focal lengths in the range that start from say 10mm - extreme wide angle and possibly too wide for you to consider just yet - or 16mm and upwards. You can, however get a "standard" zoom lens, which incorporates quite a wide angle at their wide end, like a 17-50. Here are a few links:

Sigma:

Wide angle zooms:
http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/wide-angle-zoom-lenses

"Standard" zooms with a wide end:
http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/standard-zoom-lenses

Tamron:

Wide angle zooms:
http://www.tamron.com/en/photolens/di_II_wide/

"Standard" zooms:
http://www.tamron.com/en/photolens/di_II_hi_speed/

Tokina:

Thier full range of lenses:
http://www.tokinalens.com/products/tokina/index.html

[tonimcp]

Many thanks LANCE B looking at those sites now helpful info very good:th3:

[unistudent1962]

Hi Toni,

What lenses have you already got?
Most DSLRs come with a 18-55 (or thereabouts), so if you are looking for something wider on an APS-C body you will want a MUCH shorter focal length than 28mm.
The Canon version is a 10-22mm zoom.

I THINK the Sony version is something like this:
http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/store/product.asp?idProduct=1973

[markjaffa]

Hi Toni,

What lenses have you already got?
Most DSLRs come with a 18-55 (or thereabouts), so if you are looking for something wider on an APS-C body you will want a MUCH shorter focal length than 28mm.
The Canon version is a 10-22mm zoom.

I THINK the Sony version is something like this:
http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/store/product.asp?idProduct=1973

+1 for the above. Your sensor has an approximately 1.5x crop factor - so the lens Mark mentions is approximately equivalent to a 16mm lens on a full frame camera. For a good visual comparison of what this length means in the real world, check out this link - http://www.tamron-usa.com/lenses/learning_center/tools/focal-length-comparison.php.

A 16-27mm lens is a pretty good Ultra Wide Zoom - but this particular Sony lens is not very fast at F4.5-5.6. With the budget you have it may be a good choice. I would check all the links Lance B gave you and make a list of suitable lens' from all the manufacturers. Then search for reviews on these lens, and try to make a decision from there! :confused013 Good luck ;)

[Kym]

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/10-20mm-f4-56-ex-dc-hsm-sigma is a very good WA Zoom

I have one and use it for landscapes, many AP members have this lens

[peterb666]

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/10-20mm-f4-56-ex-dc-hsm-sigma is a very good WA Zoom

I have one and use it for landscapes, many AP members have this lens

Agree. Oh by the way I don't have one but know plenty of people that do. Good quality and very compact, quite a reasonable price.

The other lens to look at if it comes in a suitable mount would be the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 zoom. Built like a tank and as sharp as a tack and fast for a wide angle zoom. The only downside is the limited zoom range.