This is from my blog..
Most importantly are there some wide options I am missing ??
(not to chat about but to buy !)
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FOCUSING ON WIDE S35 LENSES
Once one is not shooting motion with a canon DSLR, but with an F3 or FS100 the lens options change, specifically at the technically challenging wide end
Basically Canon lenses go away (subject to developments) and PL lenses that would bash the mirror and Nikkor G lenses come into the picture
It seems to me that there has been little development, by stills companies, of high performance wide lenses to cover the APS/S35 format
The format is relatively new in stills world and development has been concentrated on reducing cost rather than increasing performance
(see the slew of crap 18-XX zoom lenses that cost virtually nothing)
This lack of development fundamentally reduces the options as does the total lack of manual only ‘legacy’ stills glass designed for S35/APC format
What is a wide lens?
I guess I would want in the 16-17-18 zone - wider than that could be described as a special purpose or comedy lens
And like all lenses ideally one would like in the region of F2.0
There is no reason a 17/F2 could not be made - it is just that stills lens people have thus far not applied development funds in that direction
Cine people have however put money into the S35 format
Witness the Cooke S4 18 T1.4 – Ideal !
But a lens of that class is not generally affordable
So that leaves stills offerings
On the prime front there are some fine lenses leica, zeiss etc in the 18 F3.5 zone generally costing around 1000 pounds
A little overwide (IMO) is the nikkor 14 2.8 that gains a little light compared to the 18mm offerings and can be had quite cheap as it is not 'fashionable' due competition from the 14-24 G mentioned below
The nikkor 14 2.8 has a 'proper aperture' but can be a challenge to ND with its massive front element
But of course focuses 'the wrong way' if you are not a Nikon shooter
All of these are expensive lenses that cover FF35 - so you are not really using all you are paying for – and some are heavy too
Examining the Nikon 'DX' offerings we see a hole in the offer 10.5fish - 35 1.4 nothing in between
There are no prime wides from stills companies optimised for the S35 format
While we are on FF covering lenses it is worth mentioning the nikkor 14-24G zoom
This is a wonderful quality optic that focuses internally and will not create matte box issues when zooming - and FS100 users must consider ND !
So the last option to consider is APC/S35 coverage wide zooms
Again the APS format came to the stills world a long time after manual focus left it - so there are no smooth MFs to be had in the bargain bin
The prime contenders are the Canon 17-55, the nikkor 17-55 and the tokinas 11-16 and 16-50
Currently the canon is ruled out for control issues
Leaving the nikkor 17-55 and the two Tokinas 11-16 and 16-50 (probably similar 16-XX Tamron and Stigmas too)
I think at this point one needs to evaluate the amount of lens changes you want to make and how wide you want to go
Personally I consider 11 to be a bit of a joke lens so I am much more up for a 16-XX lens
I’m going for the nikkor 17-55 because I’m a nikon shooter, others may find the Tokina 16-50 more appropriate to their lens set, those looking for a super wide are indeed served well by the 11-16
Of course the FS100 18F3.5 kit lens has great width to value but is a little bendy to be considered as a high performance wide
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Other wide lenses worth considering ..
nikkor 17-35 zoom - proper aperture often rough focus
nikkor 20-35 same but cheaper and worse
nikkor G 16-35 (too expensive for the reach)
Stigma 18-70 2.8-4 zoom (great reach)
Red lenses 18-80 and 17-50 (too heavy)
Red 18mm prime (too expensive)
Cosina 19-35 (its junk but cheap I bought and rejected it – see the last post)
Sony Lenses? Im not convinced yet that there is sutable feel with focus or control of aperture - but they have some stuff that is good on papaper