I just purchased a K30 with 18-55mm lens..I want to do panoramas ...what is a good wide angle lens to get for this?

[carrrlangas]

the one that came with the camera is actually pretty good...
I took this photo with it and really like the result.
I think stitching with a normal lens (between 28 and 40mm) is more used for panoramas and there are a bunch of good manual lenses in that range. More so being you´´ll probably use them stopped down to f/8 or f/11...
Modern cheap options would be FA28, DA35 and DA40XS (keep in mind these are normal lens not wide angle but they are easier to stitch)

[Kozlok]

The 15 Limited is always a popular choice, and if you want even wider, the DA10-17Fisheye is an excellent lens, but it is a fisheye, so make sure you're OK with that before buying one. Sigma has a 10-20 and an 8-16 that are not fisheyes that both are very nice.

[camerons]

I just purchased a K30 with 18-55mm lens..I want to do panoramas ...what is a good wide angle lens to get for this?

Have a think about what you actually want to do. Wide angle seems like the natural choice for landscapes but can often make them look insignificant and lose impact. If you're wanting to stitch photos together you'll probably want a more normal focal length to minimize distortion and get closer to your subject. This gives it more impact.

I'd say play with what you've got for a while yet. Get some good stitching software and use the camera in portrait orientation.

That said, I've got the Sigma 10-20 which I've been quite happy with. It is fairly susceptible to flare though. I also haven't used it anywhere near as much as I thought I would.

[Na Horuk]

Great IQ, Pentax, full automation: Pentax 16-45mm, Pentax 12-24mm, Pentax 14mm, Pentax 15mm, Pentax 21mm
Samyang, great IQ, cheap, no AF, no lens contacts, only auto-aperture: Samyang 16mm f2.0, Samyang 14mm f2.8, Samyang 24mm
Sigma, decent and at a good price: Sigma 10-20mm, Sigma 8-16mm
Hm, Tamron also makes a wide zoom, I think..

But wide angle is not as simple as it seems. I suggest you really get the hang of your 18-55mm at 18mm.

"Panoramas" also implies it is stitched together, so the lens doesnt need to be all that wide. An older Pentax 24mm or 28mm should do just fine and it wont cost too much, if you dont mind full manual lenses.
If you want to make it look like a panorama without actually stitching, just zoom to 18mm, Av mode at f8 (if the scene is bright enough), and then set crop to 16:9.

[Adam]

I just purchased a K30 with 18-55mm lens..I want to do panoramas ...what is a good wide angle lens to get for this?

The DA 15mm would be a great starting point. Currently on special at Adorama: Pentax SMCP-DA 15mm F/4 ED AL Lens for DSLR, USA 21800

[Yos]

Don't forget to mention Tamron 10-24mm lens.
At least I am very happy with my copy
Great all-around lens if you are on a budget as it is cheaper than Pentax and Sigma wide angle lenses.
Cheers
Yos

[interested_observer]

Good Evening,

As has been pointed out, the 18-55 is a pretty good choice, since you are going to be stopping down to around f8 to increase the depth of view within the image. You can also do a lot of experimentation with focal lengths. You can stitch shots together from 50mm, then again 30mm and then 18mm and compare them against each other. I think you will find that the wider focal lengths, bring in more "scene" in the foreground. Also, I think that you will be surprised at the level of detail in the narrower focal lengths as compared to the wider focal lengths. Stitched panoramas can be shot at any focal length. Its just the longer the focal length the more shots you need to stitch together for a view - but the detail within the image will be increased when compared to a wider lens.

I only point this out, since some experience will help you finally decide on which wide angle lens to possibly purchase. There are a number of choices - Primes of 17mm, 15mm, 14mm along with Zooms of 8-16, 10-20, 10-24, 12-24. One aspect of wide angle lenses that your current 18-55 will not really exhibit is the amount of distortion at the wider focal lengths - 8, 10, 12mm etc. especially along the side and corners. This is just a byproduct of pulling in a lot of scene around the edges, so that it can be recorded on the sensor. Another side effect is that the center is pushed back a bit in order to make room for the additional view coming in from the sides.

• https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/107938-sigma-8-16mm-club.html
• https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/84539-sigma-10-20mm-club.html
• https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/103557-tamron-10-24mm-club.html
• https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/45425-kit-lens-club.html

Wide Angle lenses pull in more scene and "stuff" it on the fixed size sensor, i.e., as the focal length gets smaller, there is more view that needs to be laid on to the sensor. With stitching, you are actually adding pixels for each short that you are using to stitch into a panorama. Also, shooting in landscape orientation, produces some very loooong skinny images, while shooting in portrait mode (camera tipped up on its side) provides some increased vertical height.

If you don't have any stitching software, Microsoft ICE is very good and its free - just a download...

• Microsoft Research Image Composite Editor (ICE)