Wide angle lens for Rebel XTi

[cowboy]

Have any ideas for a wide angle lens for landscape work. Most of the zooms I have found are beyond my budget. I have a 28 to 80 mm and find on the Xti I would like to go wider. I would consider a fixed lens and or MF to give me the equivalent of 28mm or so. Is there any such animal that yields good quality and falls in at $300 or less?

[DarkPenguin]

15mm f2.8 sigma.  Oh, and buy ptlens to go with it.

EDIT: Thought you said wider than 28mm equiv.

For 28mm equiv at that price you're probably looking at the sigma 17-70.

[cowboy]

Thank you Dark Pequin. I'm pretty new at this: What is a ptlens??

[Richowens]

Ptlens

PTLens is to correct distortion, vignetting and abberations in lenses. It is a Photoshop plugin.
I think tom asks for a $5.00 donation for it. Whatever the cost it is well worth it.

Rich

[DarkPenguin]

What he said.

The sigma 15mm is a fisheye.  It isn't as fishy with a crop camera but there are times that you want to correct the distortion.  PtLens is great for that.

What I liked about the 15mm was that if you didn't have to correct the distortion it was extremely sharp.  (Plenty sharp even if you did.  But the corners could get pretty iffy.)  Rather wish I hadn't sold it.

[cowboy]

Got it! Thanks again. I'll go hunting for the 15mm (used).

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

What he said.

The sigma 15mm is a fisheye.  It isn't as fishy with a crop camera but there are times that you want to correct the distortion.  PtLens is great for that.

What I liked about the 15mm was that if you didn't have to correct the distortion it was extremely sharp.  (Plenty sharp even if you did.  But the corners could get pretty iffy.)  Rather wish I hadn't sold it.
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Likewise. I think Michael had an article about using ptlens (or something similar) with  the Sigma fisheye a couple of years ago. I have used the Sigma 15 in just this way with nice results. I use a PS plugin called Image Align Pro (from another of Michael's reviews back then), which is very easy to use.

[artk]

I've been using the Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS USM lens for about 2 years and it has been a good lens for me plus it has a reasonable price.   Very sharp pictures with this lens.   I use it a lot at the 17mm setting.  Distortion is not too bad.  I bought this lens with my original Rebel XT and I upgraded to the XTi in December.  The lens has been great with both bodies.  

I also have the EF-S 10-22mm lens.  This is an awesome Wide Angle Lens and great quality.

[katemann]

I also use the 10-22 for landscape - it truly is awesome, though not at the price point that is requested here. My main lens for the Rebel is the 17-40 USM L. It is worth every penny.

hey artk - I upgraded my original Rebel for the XTi just a few weeks ago! How do you like it?

cowboy - your photography will take a huge leap when you can afford quality lenses. I know the price is formidable - and I can barely afford what I have, modest as it might be in some circles - but do save up for a higher quality lens. You will be astounded.

[cowboy]

Katemann,
Your response sure came at an interesting time. I have just decided to go for a quality lens even if I have to wait a bit to purchase it. I am enjoying my XTi. I am a desert dweller but recently had occasion to visit the northern Everglades near Palm Beach. Wonderful place, still quite wild, full of life of all kinds and the birds! Learned a ton about shooting a variety of subjects from sun up to sunset and all points in between. Hope you are enjoying your XTi as much as I am. (Had to pull out the instruction book a few times to handle the latitude of images I attempted.)
Thanks for the response.

[thomas517]

I also use the 10-22 for landscape - it truly is awesome, though not at the price point that is requested here. My main lens for the Rebel is the 17-40 USM L. It is worth every penny.

hey artk - I upgraded my original Rebel for the XTi just a few weeks ago! How do you like it?

cowboy - your photography will take a huge leap when you can afford quality lenses. I know the price is formidable - and I can barely afford what I have, modest as it might be in some circles - but do save up for a higher quality lens. You will be astounded.
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I second the 17-40mm L lens.
On a recent trip to Thailand it stayed on my camera 90% of the time.a truly excellent lens