Want to buy Tokina 11-16. Good choice?

R

robbertdam

Hi all,

I want to buy a new lens for my short. I currenty own these lenses, but I like to have one that gives a more crisp image and is easier to get good result from. Current lenses for my T2i/550D:

- 18-55 mm Canon (kit)
- 50mm 1.8 Canon

I watched this video from Philip Bloom:
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/13/dslr-lenses

He recommends the Tokina 11-16 as good starter lens.

Some questions:
- Wise choice? Or are there better alternatives?
- What about image stabilization? Is not on this lens? Can't find anything about it
- Would this be a good general-purpose lens with which I can shoot 80% of my movie?

Thanks,

Best regards,
Robbert
 
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Welcome to IndieTalk, Robbert.

The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is definitely a very good ultra wide-angle lens on crop sensor cameras like the 550D. However, from what you've said, I don't know if it will be the best option for you. Achieving a crisper image and making it easier to get good results are not things this lens is necessarily going to help you with - what it will be good at is letting you get some very wide angle shots.

I haven't watched that video, but I would disagree with Philip if he does say that it's a good starter lens; it's a lens with limited, very specific uses. It doesn't have image stabilisation because it's so wide-angle and it wouldn't be particularly useful, and lenses of a similar focal length are equally lacking. Your third question is a stylistic rather than technical choice, but most people wouldn't consider it a general purpose lens, and it would be difficult to shoot the majority of a film on it unless you were going for a very unusual look.

The Tokina would be a useful addition to your lens collection, and is a one of several lenses I'm considering purchasing in the new future - its closest competitor for me is the similarly priced Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 - but I don't know if it will do what you want it to. It's generally considered more difficult to achieve an aesthetically pleasing shot with a very wide-angle lens than with a normal or telephoto, so it won't make it easier to obtain good results, something which is down to the person behind the camera much more than the lenses.

If you want a new and potentially breathtaking perspective in your shots, go for it - but be sure that you know its limitations and realise that it will be an interesting lens to use some of the time, and an addition to your current setup rather than a replacement.
 
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Thanks chilipie for your very complete answer. Just one more question: how good or bad is this 18-55 mm Canon? (kit)
The thing is: I'm investing a lot of time on my script, pre-production etc. People tend to say a kit lens is useless.
So if an investment in a better lens would give me considerable better result for this short, I go fot it.
However, the final result will be for the web only. I wonder if people will notice the difference then.
So.. should I look for a replacement of the kit lens or can a better spend my money on something else.
 
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Don't buy. Lens right now.

The ultra wide angle lens is an essential for any lens kit, and yes you'll outgrow your kit lens (and the cheap 50mm 1.8) eventually.

Rent some lenses. Loom at local photography stores to see if they offer rentals, or check out borrowlenses.com or lensrental.com or similar. For a production, you can rent several lenses for the price of buying only one. The only reason to buy is if you're shooting every day/week of the year with your camera or renting it out yourself.

Admittedly, nice lenses are one of the best investments for your camera kit because they "last forever". Electronics like your camera body and monitors, etc are outdated 5 minutes after you buy them, where items like a quality tripod or good lenses (like the Canon L series or Zeiss) with proper care will last many camera body upgrades. Still, if you don't know what lenses you really want but you do want to buy, rent them for this production, find what you like and buy it for the next.
 
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Robert,

I very recently placed my order for a Tokina 11-16. Had to do a bit of searching, though... B&H, Adorama, and others are sold out, with some individual sellers asking a much higher price than normal.

Pretty excited about receiving it, though I agree with some of the other comments... not sure that I would consider it an all-around general purpose lens.

Most people go for a 50mm f1.8 (fast, shallow DOF, etc.) - as you already have - but you may find that it feels a bit too telephoto in use on a smaller sensor camera.

Have you considered something like the Sigma 30mm f1.4? I would consider it a "normal" lens over a wide or even a 50mm (again as it pertains to APS-C type cams w/ crop factor.) It's a fast, sharp lens, and cheaper than the Tokina 11-16.

It stays on my camera most of the time. To me, it "feels" like a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera.
 
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@PaulGriffith: Thanks, this is a good suggestion I hadn't yet thought of. However, the problem is I will shoot the short during weekends and evenings, probably scattered over several weeks, maybe months. I will work only with volunteers (it's a non-profit movie), so I won't have the luxury of shoot the entire thing in a few days. So rental will become much to expensive.. maybe I should buy some used lenses and sell them after the production is complete. That's almost renting isn't it ;)
 
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i have exactly the same setup robbertdam. and too have been looking at the superwide tokina. a friend with a similar setup has just bought it and swears by it. the reason im looking to get it is so i can film in cramped locations and not feel too claustraphobic
 
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chilipie said:
Given how much more expensive FF sensors are to produce and the growing numbers of crop-sensor cameras (particularly with M4/3") I can't see shortback lenses becoming obsolete in the near future.
Click to expand...

Nope, crop sensors will always be hobbyist cameras. I don't know a single pro photographer (and I know several) who uses anything but a full frame as their primary camera.
 
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Gonzo_Entertainment said:
Nope, crop sensors will always be hobbyist cameras. I don't know a single pro photographer (and I know several) who uses anything but a full frame as their primary camera.
Click to expand...

I hadn't said otherwise. But there's a market for big (but non-FF) sensor cameras, and it's going to be around for a while. For a lot of professional photographers FF is definitely the best choice - but there are a huge number of photojournalists and sports photographers using the 7D and 1D Mk. IV (which is more expensive than the 5D and has an APS-H sensor).
 
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Compared to the Tokina for around the same price, i would advise you to look into the Canon 10-22. Both are good wide lenses.

Between these two you can decide which suits most of your shots better. Would you bet better off with a larger focal range or Tokinas fixed 2.8 with a shorter range.
 
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