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06-02-2009, 03:58 AM   #1
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Cheap Wide angles?

Hey guys I'm after a resonably cheap wide angle to use on my ME Super. I've got a M28 but I crave something a bit wider. I've recently seen a few Samyang 18-28mm F4's on ebay. Anyone had any experience with this lens? Any tips on brands and models to look out for. Of coarse I would love a pentax wider than 28 but the ones I seen lately all seem to go for more than I really want to spend at the moment.

Cheers

mike

06-02-2009, 04:10 AM   #2
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Hello Mike,

Check out Tokina SL-17. I use it on my ME Super and it's a great wide lens. See Third party lens reviews and Tokina's web site for more info. There are not so many of these lenses on Ebay (which in itself speaks something about the lens quality :-), but when they do show up, they go for something like 50-60 EUR, which is in my opinion a very fair price for such quality lens.


Regards,
Bostjan
06-02-2009, 06:55 AM   #3
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Vivitar also made a wide series: 17mm, 19mm, and a third (24mm???) I have the 19 (f3.8 I think) and it's not bad. On full format, that's crazy-wide.
06-02-2009, 07:24 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by mikengstrom Quote
Hey guys I'm after a resonably cheap wide angle to use on my ME Super. I've got a M28 but I crave something a bit wider. I've recently seen a few Samyang 18-28mm F4's on ebay. Anyone had any experience with this lens? Any tips on brands and models to look out for. Of coarse I would love a pentax wider than 28 but the ones I seen lately all seem to go for more than I really want to spend at the moment.

Cheers

mike
Someone local had a screw mount version of the Samyang 18-28mm for sale and I too have been keeping my eye out for something in the 18mm range for the SP. I went to look at it - I am no authority but it was awful. I think everything except the glass was cheap plastic and honestly it made me think of a dollar store toy. Looking through it - it just seemed distorted and didn't focus very well. They are cheap, but in this case you get what you pay for.

06-02-2009, 07:49 AM   #5
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By and large, cheap FF wide angle zooms aren't all that fantastic. OTH, there's charm in imperfection and wide is W I D E after all

Mike Cash has some excellent results with a super wide (20mm?) Cosina.

I have mixed feelings about my Vivitar 21/3.8 TX lens, it can be good but it's terrible with flare - and veiling - which sort of ruins any shots of trees etc.
06-02-2009, 09:50 AM   #6
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If you're not sure how wide you want I'd suggest a superwide zoom such as a Tokina 20-35 f/3.5-4.5:


(Tokina 20-35@27mm wide open, K20D)

or perhaps the later, less metal Tokina 19-35 f/3.5-4.5. (The Vivitar+Phoenix+Cosina 19-35 is easier to find, but I don't think it's the same as the Tokina.)

The Tokina SL 17 is bad wide open, okay at f5/6, and quite good at f/8:


(Tokina SL17, Kodak 400UC)

But it's a very wide lens on film -- composition is much easier with the zoom
06-02-2009, 11:09 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by mikengstrom Quote
Hey guys I'm after a resonably cheap wide angle to use on my ME Super. I've got a M28 but I crave something a bit wider. I've recently seen a few Samyang 18-28mm F4's on ebay. Anyone had any experience with this lens? Any tips on brands and models to look out for. Of coarse I would love a pentax wider than 28 but the ones I seen lately all seem to go for more than I really want to spend at the moment.

Cheers

mike
QuoteOriginally posted by Rustyoldbug Quote
Someone local had a screw mount version of the Samyang 18-28mm for sale and I too have been keeping my eye out for something in the 18mm range for the SP. I went to look at it - I am no authority but it was awful. I think everything except the glass was cheap plastic and honestly it made me think of a dollar store toy. Looking through it - it just seemed distorted and didn't focus very well. They are cheap, but in this case you get what you pay for.

I have a Cambron 18-28mm 4-4.5 which is indistinguishable from the Samyang 18-28mm.




I don't know where Rustyoldbug gets the idea of plastic because nothing but the lenscap is plastic on my lens. On the contrary it is reasonably well built, not super but better than many other things.

Image quality is also better than I expected for the price of the lens. I shoot it exclusivity at 18mm so I can't speak for other focal lengths but here are a couple of examples.

Full image, shot at about f/8



100% crop of 3200dpi scan, centre of image.


Centre is quite sharp if stopped down. Corners are bad if not horrible but then this is a mid 80' zoom so you can't expect that much. My recommendation is that if you find it at a reasonable price try it.

06-02-2009, 01:00 PM   #8
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Sounds like there must have been two versions of the lens over time. I think I remember the metal one from somewhere.
06-02-2009, 03:26 PM   #9
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I just bought a tokina 17mm wide angle on ebay. I should have it tomorrow.
06-02-2009, 05:26 PM   #10
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Original Poster
hi again, thanks for all the replies so far, its good to get an idea of what brands are out there and which ones to look for. I live in New Zealand so the 2nd hand market here isn't that big especially for pentax gear, the local trading/auction site usually only has around 30 pentax lenses at a time. You see the same few buyers asking questions and bidding quite a lot.
I have been checking ebay a bit (to much) lately. Sometime the exchange rate and postage can make it a bit expensive to buy offshore, but our dollars on the way up at the moment.
I think I need to exersize a bit of paitence looking for one of these.
Cheers

mike
06-02-2009, 08:30 PM   #11
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I had the Samyang 18-28 lens, it looks exactly the same as Jimfear's Cambron:



It's pretty well built, and works well on digital too (got A contact).
06-02-2009, 08:34 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by frank Quote
I had the Samyang 18-28 lens, it looks exactly the same as Jimfear's Cambron:



It's pretty well built, and works well on digital too (got A contact).
These both look like Tokinas?
06-02-2009, 08:36 PM   #13
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There is also the Tamron 17-35 F/2.8-4.0 with the aperture ring on it.
06-02-2009, 08:57 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by jgredline Quote
These both look like Tokinas?
I think both were made by Samyang instead of Tokinas, 'cause the lens was made in Korea:

06-02-2009, 08:59 PM   #15
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Good point Frank.
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