looking for a good wide angle prime on a budget

[craveprints]

<p>Hello all! I am searching high and low to find the best wide angle lens (not fish eye) for my canon eos 40d. I do have a 50mm prime, as well as a 28mm-135mm and a 70mm-300mm and I know that 28mm is covered in the zoom but that lens is too heavy for my wrist now when I use it for a prolonged periods of time (broken wrist a while ago) plus I think the shutter speed is slower than when I bought it. So I figured try to sell the heavy zoom and buy a wide angle prime I was looking at a 28mm but may go lower if you guys have any good suggestions my budget is really less than $200 preferably (willing to shop around for a good used one to get within my budget) but up to $500 if necessary (which I would really love to avoid). I will be using this for street photography, and the 50mm prime is good for now, but I do want to go lower. Thank you for you sugguestions.<br>

Cheers! Amanda</p>

[jaydesi]

<p>The Canon 28mm f/2.8 is a decent lens on an APS-C camera like your 40D. You should be able to pick one up used from KEH.com pretty close to your $200 price...I think I paid $210 for mine from them in EX condition, but BGN is also just fine, which is substantially better than "bargain" would suggest. Also consider picking up a lens hood and cap(s), as used lenses from KEH don't come with them unless specified in the description. (Edit: Just checked, and they have 2, with caps, in EX condition for $199 and $205.)</p>

<p>If you want something faster than f/2.8, for a much heftier price is the Sigma 30mm f/1.4, which is a great lens. It might be hard to find used, and new is going to be pushing your $500 limit.</p>

<p>Even though you only requested primes, Canon's kit lens, the 18-55, is a decent zoom and isn't very heavy, and covers a decent range for a reasonable cost. It isn't as fast as the primes, of course. It also helps cover the range you'll be giving up by selling the 28-135.</p>

[mark_pierlot]

<p>In addition to the 28/2.8 that Jay has recommended, the 24/2.8 and 35/2 are also decently sharp lenses, the first of course being wider and the second longer than the 28mm.</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>28mm and 35mm are not wide on a 40d. I would try a 24mm or even a 20mm...For $200, I would look at the older sigma 24mm 2.8 super wide II. They are small and quite sharp though sample variations might differ a bit. Got mine for $100...</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>Sigma makes a 20mm f/1.8 that cost $629 at B&H. You might be able to find a used one for under $500. You should also consider a zoom like the Sigma 10-20, Tokina 12-24, or Tamron 10-24. The Tamron is a little lighter than the other two, but none are very heavy, and they all balance nicely on a mid-sized camera. They all cost less than $500 new and used ones are around.</p>

[paddler4]

<p>On a 40D, 28mm is almost a perfect "normal" (neither wide nor long) lens, like the 50mm on a film camera.</p>

<p>I would borrow a zoom that goes shorter to see how wide you want to go before buying a prime. Most zooms that go into the wide range for crops go down to 17 or 18 mm. Canon's newest of that ilk goes down to 15mm. I shoot a crop (50D). I don't use a prime for wide angle, but I use the Canon 15-85 when I want to go wide, and I am often well below 20mm. YMMV.</p>

<p>By way of comparison, in the film days, the shortest prime that most people considered a wide angle was 35mm, equivalent to 22mm on your camera.</p>

[craveprints]

<p>Thank you all so much for your suggestions! At the moment I am leaning toward the Tamaron 10-24mm but I think I am just going to go out and play with some. Thanks again</p>