What should I look for in a wide-angle lens for Nikon DX, and is a 24mm prime worth it over the kit lens?
Asked 2/24/2014
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2 answers
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I shoot with a Nikon D7000 and my girlfriend uses a D5100, so we share DX lenses. Right now I mostly use a 50mm f/1.8 and the 18-55 kit lens, and I’m considering adding a wide-angle lens for landscape, architecture, and possibly street photography.
I’m unsure what matters most when choosing a wide-angle lens. For example, considering something like a Nikon 24mm f/2.8 prime:
- For landscapes and architecture, do I really need a fast aperture?
- Besides landscape and architecture, what are common practical uses for a wide-angle lens?
- How much better would a 24mm prime actually be than my 18-55 kit lens at the same focal length?
- On Nikon DX, is 24mm even wide enough to give a true wide-angle look?
What features and tradeoffs should I prioritize when choosing a wide-angle lens for these cameras?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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For landscape photography the advantage of most prime lenses over kit zooms is not the maximum aperture, it is the sharper image it can produce at middle apertures (i.e. f/4-f/8) and better performance in the areas of distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration. While you can correct for those in post, you do so at a price of maximum sharpness.
Traditionally a lot of street photography has been done using 35mm lenses and 35mm film. That field of view equates to 23mm with your APS-C cameras. The wider aperture of a prime lens allows shooting earlier in the early morning twilight and deeper into dusk. The image quality concerns mentioned above in relation to landscape photos also apply, although distortion is not generally as big an issue for street photography.
There are also other use cases that will take advantage of the faster aperture, night sky photography being the most obvious. While that might not be a use case that you would ever consider there are many users of such lenses for which that is the primary focus of their photography. Just as you like to do street photography and portraits, those use cases may be ones which others would consider things they might one day do, but never end up actually doing.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
12y ago
0
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For your use, the main things to evaluate are focal length first, then image quality. On Nikon DX, 24mm behaves roughly like a 35mm equivalent, so it’s more of a moderate wide/normal view than a dramatic wide-angle. If you want a stronger wide-angle look for architecture or landscapes, focal length matters more than maximum aperture.
A fast aperture is usually not the main reason to buy a wide lens for landscapes, since those are often shot around f/4–f/8. The bigger advantages of a good prime can be better sharpness at working apertures, and better control of distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberration, and flare.
Compared with your 18-55 kit lens, a 24mm prime may improve image quality and low-light shooting, but it won’t be wider than the zoom—you already have 18mm available. At 24mm, the kit lens is likely only a stop or so slower, so the practical difference may be modest unless you specifically want better optical quality or street/low-light use.
Wide lenses are also commonly used for street photography and for emphasizing foreground subjects against a broad background.
Prioritize: focal length, distortion, flare resistance, image quality, filter compatibility, size/weight, and cost.
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