~$400 USD, wide zooms, and a crop Canon

**pres589** · 08-26-2017, 04:44 AM

Little thought exercise that may very well lead to a lens purchase for a family member. With a budget of around $400 USD, what would you buy? Camera is a crop-body Canon. Current lens collection is a 17-50 Tamron, 55-200 Canon, and I think a Canon 50 1.8. Owner has a penchant for zooms. My first thought was the Tokina 11-16, but there's also that updated Tamron 10-24, and that seems really versatile, especially with the Canon crop sensor size making 24mm pretty comparable to 40mm on full-frame. Canon themselves have a couple options, with a 10-18 that seems okay but is pretty slow, as well as a 10-22 although that lens is a bit beyond the budget new. A good used unit might do the trick though.

So what would you do? Use would be for museums, general walk-around, architecture etc. No interest in astro photography.

Thanks!

Ari · 08-26-2017, 04:51 AM

Those Ultra wides aren't really great walkarounds. You need to be careful about keeping vertical perspective correct to keep from having crazy looking images; they're best used on tripods. For a general walkaround, I wouldn't go below 16mm. You should keep an eye on KEH and the lens rental companies when they sell their gear. But I doubt you are going to find a Canon lens at that focal length for that kind of money.

Kozlok · 08-26-2017, 05:34 AM

The Sigma 10-20 f3.5 is $400 in every mount now.

Ari · 08-26-2017, 05:42 AM

That’s not what I would consider a walk around lens, though-too wide and too much barrel distortion in the corners.

**pres589** · 08-26-2017, 06:40 AM

The Canon 10-18 is available from many sources, brand new, for under $300. That said, it kind of seems like a decent-at-best, cheap wide, and we could maybe aim a bit higher.

Kozlok, do you think the Sigma 10-20 f3.5 is better than the new Tamron 10-24? They've updated the optical formula and added elements, and it seems better made as well vs. the 10-24 that was available in k-mount (as well as others). I like the zoom range offered with both.

VoiceOfReason · 08-26-2017, 06:44 AM

The 10-24 was convenient when I used to have. I used it quite a bit on the K5. Of all you named that is the closest to walk around.

08-26-2017, 04:44 AM	#1
pres589 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Wichita, KS Photos: Albums Posts: 4,529	~$400 USD, wide zooms, and a crop Canon Little thought exercise that may very well lead to a lens purchase for a family member. With a budget of around $400 USD, what would you buy? Camera is a crop-body Canon. Current lens collection is a 17-50 Tamron, 55-200 Canon, and I think a Canon 50 1.8. Owner has a penchant for zooms. My first thought was the Tokina 11-16, but there's also that updated Tamron 10-24, and that seems really versatile, especially with the Canon crop sensor size making 24mm pretty comparable to 40mm on full-frame. Canon themselves have a couple options, with a 10-18 that seems okay but is pretty slow, as well as a 10-22 although that lens is a bit beyond the budget new. A good used unit might do the trick though. So what would you do? Use would be for museums, general walk-around, architecture etc. No interest in astro photography. Thanks!

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08-26-2017, 04:51 AM	#2
Ari Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Freehold, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 856	Those Ultra wides aren't really great walkarounds. You need to be careful about keeping vertical perspective correct to keep from having crazy looking images; they're best used on tripods. For a general walkaround, I wouldn't go below 16mm. You should keep an eye on KEH and the lens rental companies when they sell their gear. But I doubt you are going to find a Canon lens at that focal length for that kind of money.

08-26-2017, 05:34 AM	#3
Kozlok Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Albuquerque Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,148	The Sigma 10-20 f3.5 is $400 in every mount now.

08-26-2017, 05:42 AM	#4
Ari Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Freehold, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 856	That’s not what I would consider a walk around lens, though-too wide and too much barrel distortion in the corners.

08-26-2017, 06:40 AM	#5
pres589 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Wichita, KS Photos: Albums Posts: 4,529 Original Poster	The Canon 10-18 is available from many sources, brand new, for under $300. That said, it kind of seems like a decent-at-best, cheap wide, and we could maybe aim a bit higher. Kozlok, do you think the Sigma 10-20 f3.5 is better than the new Tamron 10-24? They've updated the optical formula and added elements, and it seems better made as well vs. the 10-24 that was available in k-mount (as well as others). I like the zoom range offered with both.

08-26-2017, 06:44 AM	#6
VoiceOfReason Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Mishawaka IN area Photos: Albums Posts: 6,124	The 10-24 was convenient when I used to have. I used it quite a bit on the K5. Of all you named that is the closest to walk around.