edmondcarson Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Just wondering what the best wide-angle lens would be to use with a D3 body. I'm considering the 14-24 2.8 but not being able to use a filter bothers me. What would be the best wide-angle excluding the 14-24. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Take the glass out of a double threaded filter. There will be some vignetting at wide settings. Or use a step up ring, 72>77. I really have not found much use for filters on digicams except for a pola one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_in_PA Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Edmond, Don't take this the wrong way, but if you are in the market for a D3 and are asking this question... is it the best choice for you? What will you be doing with your photos? The D3 is really designed for a pro to use in pro applications. For most photography, for the five grand you spend on a D3, will a D300 and a whole bevy of lenses serve you better than a D3? I used to use a D1 in a previous job, when it was the latest coolest thing, it's a big heavy camera for most of the very "non-professional" photography I actually do in my life now. For me, the choice is clear. A D3 and 3000 dollars worth of lenses would be a better investment than a D3. The D3 is a pro camera for pro work that might be ill-suited for a lot of photography, including some pro photography. What will you be shooting? How big will you be printing? These are important questions to ask first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerryballard Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 I plan on using my 17-35 2.8 which I really like. Don't see any need for anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edmondcarson Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 Peter, I will be shooting landscapes, architecture, and a little of everything else. I frequently print 13x19 and am constantly dissapointed with the lack of resolution with my d70s. I often crop and enlarge and going from 6 to 12 megapixels is a must. I want the 2.8 b/c I often shoot by hand in low light. I have sold all of my camera equipment and am replacing everything. True, I'm not a pro, but I have the money for the D3 and 3000 dollars worth of lenses and I have no problem with a big heavy camera. I love using a polarizer and not being able to with the 14-24 is a problem. I have wanted a full frame camera for years and I want a lens that will take full advantage of it. I'm committed to buying pro lenses because it's silly to have one without the other. If you have a suggestion for a lens I hope you'll respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey_edelstein1 Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 If you look at nature and landscape books you will see that the authors use mostly nothing wider than 24mm lens, occasionally 21mm. Since the D3 is FF do you really need 14mm. An Xpan was if I remember really equivalent to a 24mm lens, it was the almost 3:1 aspect ratio that gave the wide look. I would get a spread of two primes, they are really not that large and you will get excellent pictures for less money and less weight and compact carry size. Also, filter will fit most 21 and 24mm lenses. I like the Zeiss zf 25mm and Nikon 28mm F2.0 ais, and Zeiss 35mm ZF. It depends on what you want to do. Generally I find Zooms are good on one end of their range and just fair on the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh_davis Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Check out Thom Hogan's and Bjorn Rorslett's lens reviews. www.bythom.com and www.naturfotograf.com. They haven't gotten to the 14-24 yet, because it's so new, but you can get a lot of useful info and informed opinion on lots of lenses, wide-angle and otherwise. Enjoy your gear--I'm envious. HWD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughes Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Edmond the 14-24 is a huge waste of money just get a 24-70 use it use it and then use it some more and when you find it is not adequate buy another lens. Please get the lens to fit your photography not the other way around. A 14mm lens is pretty much useless on a 35mm camera except for very specialised uses. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjacksonphoto Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Look at the 17-35mm f/2.8 AF-S. A polarizer on an ultra-wide usually results in uneven coloring of the sky, so the 14-24 is not an ideal lens for polarizer use anyway. I would tend to worry about that exposed front element, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_in_PA Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 As R Jackson says above, a polarizer is not a useful filter on the 14-24, so the lack of filter capability is not such a big deal. That said, I love ultrawide stuff, so if you're going with a D3 and have money to burn, I think I'd lean toward the 14-24, 24-70, and 70-200 f2.8 lenses. If it were me, I'd get the 24-70 first, then add the wider or longer depending on what I needed. Alternatively, you could get a D300 and a 12-24, a 17-55, a 70-200, and have enough money left over for a bunch of really sweet primes that would suit the kind of photography that you do perhaps better and give you the same kinds of results with better resolution than you are shooting now (I think your photos are QUITE good, btw...) You say you don't mind the weight of the D3. I used to say that about the D1 until I got the opportunity to carry the beast around for a few days. Plus, those big 2.8 lenses are super heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walterh Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 If the detail offered by a D300 is not sufficient for your landscapes you should go for medium format or larger. The primary advantages of the D3 are not really more detail if working from a tripod. An alternative would be shooting 6x9 film with say a Mamiya 7 and wide angle lenses. Just food for thought^^. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas lee Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 FWIW, I picked up the 14-24 2.8 yesterday. The lens is huge! The front element is rounded, but the lens hood offers some protection. I plan to use it on my DX bodies and my F5 when I am in a film mood. Regarding your situation, I'd get the D3, 24-70 and 70-200 right off and then look into a wide prime. Good luck and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 IMO, the best zoom lens for general photography with a D3 would be the new 24-70/2.8. It would be the "right" field of view for 80% of my photos, and by all reports better than my 28-70/2.8. A 14-24/2.8 would be considered a "super-wide" lens, better suited for highly exaggerated perspective. The concept of "getting it all" in one shot is common among dilettantes, but you get over it with experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenesmith1 Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 I will wait for another year or two for Nikon to get a D300FX equivalent so I can use full frame w/my 17-35mm and its filters. Else, I will seriously consider switching to Canon when they upgrade the 5D with a self cleaning sensor. I have only a mild interest in D3 with the 14-24mm... but, I think it will miss the mark for landscapers...who like using filters and not so heavy to carry in the backpack. IMO the D3 is targeting photojournalism, weddings, outdoor natural light portraits, and sport shooters. Though I really want the D3's ISO capacity for more flexibility with my snap shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey_edelstein1 Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 The post asked what the best wide angle lens for the D3 would be, not limited to zooms. Most of the zoom lenses are real bad distortion wise opened up at the wide end, large in size and mediocre at one end of their coverage range. Maybe a smaller prime WA would be better, if you can zero in on your needs and what lens will work best for your photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_landry Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 What was your favorite wide-angle lens when you shot film? Or did you start shooting when digital was born? In the case of the latter, then your interest in the 14-24mm is likely a jee-whiz reaction. It's surely a great lens, but I'm not sure it's an ideal landscape or architecture lens, kinda like the D3 isn't an ideal landscape or architecture camera. But since you have your eyes set on a D3, a lens of more moderate focal length may be in order. The 17-35mm is the natural choice if you must have a zoom and since it will still take filters and is not overly huge, it can be a workable landscape lens. As others have mentioned, the use of a polarizer is limited with wide-angle lenses. If you're not careful, you'll get un-naturally dark skies in one part of your image. For myself, it's not the lack of polarizer that would bother me with the 14-24, but the inability to use my ND Grads (I hate digital blending). Personally, for shooting landscapes (if I was forced to shoot digitally), I'd probably opt for the D300 and a 12-24 or similar lens; much cheaper, much lighter & smaller (a BIG advantage) and still has a 12MP sensor. Not much need for ISO 12800 and a big, bulky body when shooting landscapes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_lindsay Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 What Peter said. Coming to this forum for lens advise is silly for someone buying a D3. I have a D3 on order and the last thing I would be doing if going to some on-line forum for lens advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_lindsay Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 What Peter said. Coming to this forum for lens advice is silly for someone buying a D3. I have a D3 on order and the last thing I would be doing if going to some on-line forum for lens advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilkka_nissila Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Dan, online forums and web sites like this can give a lot better advice than camera stores. If you know already the performance of every lens on every camera, great. But some of us don't have such luxury. Since every digital camera is different, it is imporant to obtain specific advice for lens/camera combinations, and not the off-the-cuff comments of those who should know better but don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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