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Wide angle advice

R

RuleOfThirds

Well-Known Member
Maybe I'm overthinking the matter... but essentially I do want a (bit) wider perspective. And to keep my wife from being likeZ04 Wife this and because I don't want to accumulate lenses and systems like @dirk I think these are my options. Of my lenses from my signature I'm willing to let go of my S 85/1.8, and maybe my 20-60 I think I will be using it also indoors.... My GAS is coming from my trip to Berlin, where I was at several places where wider then 20mm would have been welcome. But same time, I love my pictures I took there with the 20-60. The 60/5.6 part was more limiting than the 20mm part.

Limiting is not a bad thing though. The constraints make you think harder and fun.

I think I have these choices:
- 2nd hand S Pro 16-35/4 (I'm in kind of negotiations with a dutch company) around 949.
- S 18/1.8 , maybe keep 20-60 849
- Sigma 16-28 2.8 849, after cashback
- S 14-28, 777

- My first choice would be the 16-35, because although it is F4, I still can use it as a walk around lens in a city for example. So most usability for how I see it. Never seen one in real life, but I guess a bit more robust, focus clutch (which I liked on several Fuji XF lenses). Generally wel regarded. But also bit slow in dark churches/castles, so wide-end part of the 14-28 would do equally fine/bad.

- 2nd would be a 18/1.8, and let go of the 20-60. It will be a very nice companion to the 24-105, and a good pair with the 35 or 50. Sample pictures I see with this lens are just stunning in rendering, micro contrast and I think an upgrade over the 20-60 being used only for the wide angle. Bit wider and much faster, and I guess much better image quality.

- middle ground.. 16-28/2.8 1 stop faster then 16-35, but less useful range to me.

- S 14-28, just much slower. at 16 it is already a (tiny bit) slower then 16-35 but has 14mm on its sleeve. In winter time I had indoors too high iso with 20-60@60 and I hate flash. Refrase... Probably I hate my inability to use flash properly I guess :)

Cheapest option, do nothing, and is perfectly doable :) Bottom line, 24 of the 24-105 is sufficient for me in 99% of my wide angle needs, to Peru for example I didn't bring my 21mm eq lens with me. Actually 20mm is widest I have ever had in a real digital camera. In my SLR time late 90's until 2001, I had a 17-35, 28-80 and a 100-300. Barely used the 17-35, I hated the distortions on < 24, max I would then go was 20. But I was in my learning period and learning with film is so not comparable to digital with instant feedback.

Questions...
how is image quality / rendering (not only sharpness) of the applicable lenses compared to the 20-60, so 20-35 part of the 16-35 for example.
how is image quality / rendering of the 18/1.8 vs 20/3.5 (compared both wide open, and both at 3.5).

there is no real favourite. I put the 16-35 on top because that is the one that I wouldn't be changing that often back and forth when out with my family. That is a big bonus.
Small story in the end... when we were visiting Spain I was using a 23/1.4 as my main lens (a 35mm equivalent), and at several places like alcazabas/fortresses I was changing 14mm (21 equiv) and my 23mm back and forth. The gap between these two focals was too big, and I didn't have my GR3 yet. Didn't like that experience too much. But this was only the case inside in a fortress/church etc. where the space to walk was constraint.

After this decision I will keep my gear as is for at least several years (no real promises though, and if I choose the cheapest option no promises at all). I have a short trip comping up early July with cities and museums, and summer vacation with travel by car early august with lot's of nature, city and museum.

(btw I did see @Richard Wong yt video comparing 14-28 and 16-35, very nice video @Richard Wong !!! loved it).
 
I can´t say about the quality, but my user experience is that after I got the 14-28 my 20-60 stayed at home more often. The ability to capture encompassing interiors and narrow streets was so much fun. But, when my 18 arrived all of a sudden low light was really fun again. So for me, my primary kit is now 14-28, 28-200 plus primes 18,50 and 100 macro. But I do not want to sell my 20-60,24-105 and 70-300 because they have their place and time and I am a proud gear-head. But my primary kit covers all stuff I normally shoot and my secondary line of lenses when there is something extra like a roadtrip or a specialty shoot. but the here is nothing streamlined into one system or anything. Oly for m4/3, Nikon for aps-c and lumix for fullframe. plus boatloads of instant cameras. So not much help in me, but I felt like sharing my feels after using the gear, others have to chip in with the quality-
 
I had the 20-60 as kit lens with my S5, and when I sold it for the 24-105 and found I was missing that lens. And in the end when I bought a second body (the S5iiX), I bought that lens back...

And I was happy again...

However... Now I have the 28-200 combined with the 16-28, and some primelenses, the 20-60 is only gathering dust..

Back to your question:
I'm very happy with my 16-28, which gives excellent IQ and has a F2.8. is a good fit with my 28-200, and would be a good fit with your 24-105F4.. It gives you also more light in dark places.

However, the 16-35 is a lumix pro lens, i expect a step up in quality... But yeah F4

And remember that Sigma lenses turn the other way around for zooming in... Doesn't bother me, might bother you.

I also thought about the 18mm F1.8, would be a good fit with my other primes... But yeah, no zoom.

In the end, it's stays a difficult decision...
 
it’s just, on the one side I would like to have an uwa, but find it a bit pricey to buy a speciality lens (at least to me) for around 800. For a lens like 24-105 I know it is worth it to me.

16-35 pro is a lens I do see as a very useful focal range, not that one trick pony kind a lens. Like the 85. Except it was less then half the price of an uwa

My heart says 18/1.8, my mind says 16-35, my budget says 14-28 and my conscious says. It is just GAS get over it
 
I did something “wrong”. Looked at pictures taken with a 14-24/2.8 sigma. Taken by someone who knows how to use it very well. Now Lumix 14mm is top on the list
 
RuleOfThirds said:
My heart says 18/1.8, my mind says 16-35, my budget says 14-28 and my conscious says. It is just GAS get over it
Click to expand...

I've been there and you should probably trust your conscious. But I will add my $0.02.

I think the 18mm prime is too close to the 20-60mm to be of use. If you want to go wide, then get a lens that starts at 14mm. I have the 14-28mm and think it's a wonderful lens. It seems to output images with better colour than the 20-60mm too. It's light and internally zooms, and as @Richard Wong showed in his review the IQ is great.

As for low light shooting, the S5 and S5II/x handle high ISO nicely so the aperture range of the 14-28mm is not a problem in my view.
 
I was only getting £50 trade in for my Pentax-K mount Samyang 14mm f2.8 so I kept it and bought a £20 adapter for it.

If you want a fast cheap UWA this is good, I bought it years ago for astro/Milky Way/Aurora landscapes and used it on APSC. I've still to do this with FF S5ii.

It has excellent sharpness even wide open and I got really good photos from it, I've only so far tried it on interiors with S5ii which weirdly looked less distorted on FF but there used to be LR corrections for it.

If you want to try astro/nightscapes without forking out serious money for Sigma 14mm f1.4 or something spending £100 for a used one and a MF adapter is the ticket.

I've good daytime landscapes with it also, it is razor sharp if that matters. Sun flare, sun ghosts and 6 pointed stars are not too nice but are 'crearive' to some people. Also the lens condensation at 3am on the big curved element but any astro long exposure needs heated lens bands.

I should try and dig some photos out to demonstrate even though taken on Pentax.

But it looks likely I'll be using this for years on the S5ii unless I find a pot of gold to buy Sigma 14mm f1.4 for astro stuff. It may even be quite good for video and clips in the mountains, hiking etc.... on the to do list!
 
Nevyn72 said:
However, the 16-35 is a lumix pro lens, i expect a step up in quality... But yeah F4
Click to expand...

Paul posted comparison shots here in the forum between 16-35 and Sigma 16-28. As far as remember he found both equal in image quality.

RuleOfThirds said:
I did something “wrong”. Looked at pictures taken with a 14-24/2.8 sigma. Taken by someone who knows how to use it very well. Now Lumix 14mm is top on the list
Click to expand...

Check also criterias like size in the bag, weight and the option to use filters.

I bought my Sigma 16-28 because of these criterias. If it would have been bigger/heavier, I would not have bought it. I know it would only collect dust at home, if it is too big to take with me on trips. I am not really a WA shooter, so others might have more experience to judge the image quality.

In general, all modern Sigma lenses for LMount have excellent image quality. They are so good that I changed my lens line for LMount to almost 100% Sigma lenses. Only the Lumix 20-60 is a non Sigma lens.
 
You have two more options:

- Sigma 17mm f/4, very small and lightweight lens (225 grams) / 629 € new.
- Lumix 18-40mm f/4,5-6,3, also very small but not available yet.

I am with Peter in this; I love my Lumix 14-28mm. It is a keeper.
 
dirk said:
In general, all modern Sigma lenses for LMount have excellent image quality. They are so good that I changed my lens line for LMount to almost 100% Sigma lenses. Only the Lumix 20-60 is a non Sigma lens.
Click to expand...
What?

If you were Pentax forums moderator we would have you instantly shot, not even sent to gulag for your hideous treason of the motherland! Z04 Zeter01
 
Sigma, Leica and Panasonic are the founding partners of the LMount alliance. That is a stronger commitment and tighter integration than the usual third party offers for other brands.

Nevertheless, only Leica "owns" the LMount.

Pentax has no official alliance with other brands.

This is the reason for the name of this forum. To treat all founding partners equally.

But I am sure there are people in the Leica forum who have a different view ;)
 
We all know most Leica are snobs and tribals (I've only seen a single Leica user here), it is human nature, somewhat cultist but Pentax Forums (not all of them or most) are radicals.

It's completely pathetic, humans seem to require war, it's probably part of evolution?

Can't kill each other? Yeah use cameras and forums Z04 Wife
 
Oíche said:
We all know most Leica are snobs and tribals
Click to expand...

I would not go that far with a general superficial statement like that. I think with every brand there are a few "die-hard" enthusiasts who accept only one brand. "Their" brand.

You can find those among Leica, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Fuji users... you name it.

Obviously in forums it is easier to find them and it depends on the moderation of a forum how strong this behaviour / attitude becomes.
 
Cmon man some Leica won't use nothing else in L-mount and unfortunately I've met them.... Head melters

But as you and I say you get them in any brand

I don't think I was being superficial and some Leica users do use any L-mount or others.
 
S1R blags his way past security at the Leica champagne bar where he sees an attractive SL2 and says hey we share the same mount to be retorted by well that is about all we have in common dear :cool:
 
dirk said:
I think with every brand there are a few "die-hard" enthusiasts who accept only one brand. "Their" brand.
Click to expand...
Hahaha, I'm starting to think that I'm a Lumix-fanboy :D

I'm having a discussion on a Spanish Nikon forum about whether the S5 iix is the best hybrid camera on the market now that the Nikon Z6iii has been introduced...

Maybe I'll start another thread about "what is the best mid-range hybrid camera on the market", I think the comparison with the Z6iii is really interesting Z04 Pc5
 
xaviergut said:
Hahaha, I'm starting to think that I'm a Lumix-fanboy :D
Click to expand...
I'm a huge Lumix fan myself. Because Panasonic makes well designed & engineered products, which in my experience go the distance. I've got Stereo's, CD players, Cassette player, TV's, VCR's, a Breadmaker, Microwave, Shaver's, and a Fridge/freezer that have all given excellent service. And their camera's/lenses have been no different. They're not the cheapest, nor most expensive, but everything I've owned that's been made by them, has given excellent return on investment. Nothing to complain about here.
 
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