Which wide-angle lens to choose for Nikon? SLR cameras of this manufacturer can be divided into two groups. For models ranging from amateur to D500, image sensors have a reduced APS-C format (Nikon calls it DX), while cameras older than D610 have full-frame sensors (FX).
Optics must be selected in accordance with the size of the sensor, because a full-format ultra-wide-angle lens will not provide the necessary viewing angle on APS-C cameras.
The difference here is that you can use smaller DX format optics on full-frame FX cameras with lower resolution. This is not ideal, but if it was used on a DX model (for example, a lens for Nikon D3100), and then the owner switched to FX, then it can still be used.
Sigma 10-20 / 3,5
This Nikon camera lens offers a brilliant combination of performance, specifications and quality. It costs $ 399.99. It features a constant maximum aperture and lack of image stabilization.
It is newer, bigger and better than the original Sigma ultra-wide lenses that can still be purchased, and not much more expensive than its predecessor. This is a professional high-quality high-aperture optics with a quiet ring ultrasonic zoom and a seven-petal diaphragm. The model is quite impressive and is endowed with a thread for a filter with a diameter of 82 mm. According to user reviews, the sharpness and contrast are excellent, uniform at all focal lengths. The color of the border is very well controlled, the distortion becomes really noticeable only at the short end of the range. This is a great lens for the Nikon D3100 and other full-size models with an excellent price-performance ratio.
Sigma 8-16 / 4,5-5,6
It features an incredibly wide viewing angle and smooth autofocus with only 2x zoom and the absence of a filter ring.
Sigma 10-20 / 3,5 lenses are a bit like modern classics in their specifications, performance and price, but if you need more wide-angle optics, then you should pay attention to this model. She only has a twofold zoom, but at such focal lengths an extra 2 mm gives a huge difference in the angle of view. The lens is quite long, because the lens hood is built into its body, but the assembly is very good, the zoom ring works smoothly, like the ultrasonic AF system. According to users, the only drawback of the ultra-wide angle is the more noticeable barrel-like distortion at the lower end of the range, but it has no equal as an optics providing the maximum possible viewing.
Nikon AF-S DX 10-24 / 3,5-4,5G
Like other lenses suitable for Nikon, this model, in comparison with similar third-party optics, seems too expensive ($ 796.95). In his favor is the presence of a 2.4x zoom, the same as the Tamron 10-24 mm, although the latter will cost almost half the price. But Nikon's build quality and design are excellent, with ultrasonic autofocus, which provides fast, quiet and smooth tuning, along with excellent controllability. The sharpness of the image at the middle aperture is not more impressive than that of most other competing lenses, but the manufacturer still retains clarity with an open aperture, and the image remains clear at the corners of the frame. Vignetting is also quite well controlled.
Tokina AT-X Pro 12-28 / 4 DX
With a minimum of 12 mm focal length, this Nikon wide-angle lens is not as wide-angle as most of its rivals, but offers a larger maximum zoom that provides it with greater versatility. It feels reliable and has a new silent SD-M AF, based on the HMS system (giant magnetoresistance). According to customer reviews, optics still lack a constant manual mode, but you can quickly switch from manual focus to automatic and vice versa using the switch on the lens. The size of the barrel-shaped distortion disappoints at the minimum zoom settings, but it is practically absent at long focal lengths. The sharpness is worthy of respect, although it is not as good as the Tokina 11-16 mm.
Tokina AT-X Pro 11-16 / 2.8 DX II
The relatively insignificant 1.45x zoom at both the minimum and maximum focal lengths is not impressive. But the specification that sets it apart from the rest is the widest f / 2.8 aperture, which remains constant over the entire range. This makes this wide-angle lens for Nikon one of the fastest lenses on the market. Updating the previous model includes an autofocus drive, which allows it to be used with cheaper Nikon cameras, such as the D3300 and D5500, which do not have built-in AF motors. Sharpness is good across the entire zoom range, although the color fringing is a bit excessive and the distortion levels are somewhat disappointing.
Full frame
Although the manufacturer’s full-format cameras allow the use of ultra-wide-angle DX-format optics, this option is reserved for emergencies, since the camera must work in crop mode, losing more than half of its resolution. Therefore, owners should invest in good lenses for Nikon, appropriate to the size of the matrix.
Nikon AF-S 14-24 / 2.8
This lens is striking in its size, but its performance is exceptional. Nikon's top-notch wide-angle zoom is designed for full-length SLR cameras, and it impresses with its performance. Although the lens does not provide the widest viewing angle, it approaches it and does so with a constant maximum aperture value of 2.8, and excellent image quality, and, most notably, remarkably low levels of distortion and aberration. Of course, this is expensive ($ 1,696.95), and not only financially. According to the owners, the lens is not just expensive, it is also large and heavy, with a very convex front lens, which requires a fixed, in the form of a petal, lens hood and prevents the use of conventional filters. Autofocus is incredibly fast - faster than all of its competitors.
Tamron 15-30 / 2.8
This lens is not as wide as the previous model, but it still has a wider viewing angle than most others. Tamron has developed a fast aperture zoom line with a constant wide aperture of f / 2.8, and this model has brought it into the ultra wide-angle range, continuing the tradition of impressive build quality, waterproof design, ultrasonic autofocus and image stabilization. This is a large lens, but it is well balanced on Nikon full-format cameras. According to user reviews, sharpness is impeccable from the center to the very edge of the frame over the entire zoom range. The color of the border is well controlled, vibration compensation gives an advantage of 4 stops.
Nikon AF-S 16-35 / 4G
The first wide-angle lens for Nikon with an optical stabilizer. It is based on the second generation of vibration reduction system and gives an advantage of four stops. The lens is inferior to the range of focal lengths and the maximum aperture of competing models, but has become a popular and easier alternative for landscape photographers - especially since standard filters can be installed on it. Its other advantages are silent ultrasonic AF with continuous manual tuning and a waterproof connection. According to the owners, the image quality is good, although the barrel-shaped distortion is very noticeable at 16 mm.
Nikon AF-S 18-35 / 3.5-4.5
This is a variable aperture lens that is smaller and cheaper than the 14-24mm and 16-35mm models. The user loses a little in the angle of view, and the variable maximum aperture is cheaper, which hints at an amateur audience. The lens does not suppress vibration, although overall the build quality is good. Another simplification is a complex rather than nanocrystalline coating of optics, although its resistance to halos and glare is still high. According to the owners, chromatic aberration is perfectly controlled for a lens of this price category, and small details are transmitted very well, even at the edges of the image, although the sharpness at the short end of the zoom range can not be compared with Nikon 16-35mm.
Sigma 12-24 / 4.5-5.6
This is the full-frame equivalent of the APS-C Sigma 8-16 mm format. With a 122-degree viewing angle at the shortest focal length, the lens is superior to everything available with Nikon full-frame SLR cameras without the need for a fisheye lens. There is an ultrasonic ring AF and provides excellent sharpness in the center over the entire zoom of the camera, although it falls to the corners of the frame when using wide apertures at short focal lengths. According to the owners, the barrel-shaped distortion is pretty well controlled, although it is often a weak point of ultra-wide-angle optics. The variable aperture is not ideal, there is no image stabilizer, but if the maximum possible viewing angle is the main condition, then this lens should top the list of applicants.
Tokina AT-X 16-28 / 2.8
This is a heavy and large wide-angle lens for Nikon weighing almost a kilogram, partly due to the constant aperture value of 2.8. It has a quiet DC AF motor and a HMS module, which, according to the manufacturer, provides a faster and quieter AF. This, of course, is true compared to some older Tokina models. Optics is distinguished by the presence of a mechanism connected to a ring, which serves to switch between manual and autofocus. According to the owners, this is very convenient, as it eliminates the need to manually set the modes on the camera body or lens. According to users, the control and image quality is very good, with a high level of sharpness in the center and a restrained color border, although the corners could be clearer. A built-in hood helps avoid double vision, but eliminates the use of filters.