Lens upgrade

[masten]

Hello

I use a nikon d70s with a sigma 8mm f3.5. I display at 1500 cube face which results in images betweeen 700k and 1.5Mb

I want to increase image quality without increasing image size so Im thinking my only option is a new lens. So what're the option: nikon 15mm, sigma 15mm? What's best?

Currently I shoot 4 images. How many would I need for a 15mm lens with this camera? Im not too bothered about zenith and nadir as on 95% of images they are superfluous to my clients' needs.

What about shooting landscape rather than portrait? Would this enable me to keep it down to 4 shots with a 15mm lens, but then I guess the VFOV would be too low? I do need some vertical height but only enough generally to get the ceiling edges in.

Many thanks

Masten

[christophe]

hello Masten,

You can choose the 10,5 mm from nikon. I use the tokina 10/17mm and i think that the both are the best. But there are maybe some different opinions. We will see it in the next posts !

Regards

Christophe

[masten]

Hi Cristophe

Ive read there's little difference in quality and sharpness betweent the sigma 8mm f3.5 and the 10.5mm nikon. I remember looking at some examples and there was so little in it as I remember.

If Im gonna spend Ј500+ on a lens I want a significant and obvious difference.

Thanks

M

[christophe]

Masten,

I think the difference between sigma and nikon or (tokina) lenses is very significant.
i had a 8mm sigma lens and i talked to one guy (that you might know, Michel Thoby, a french guy) who made some very deep tests (if you search in google, you will find it), and he told me that the nikon and the tokina lenses are (was) the best. When i bought the tokina, i was amazed by the difference.

I hope you will find the one who makes the difference, but imho, after sigma 8mm it will be easy.

Regards

Christophe

[jordi]

Hi christophe!

Can you tell me what set of shoots do you use for the tokina in 17mm position?
in 10mm I mostly use 4(+30Є) + 4(-30є) or also 6+z+n...

Hope you or some other users can tell me, and also hope it would be something like 6(+30) + 6(-30) what would bring to an image around
15000*7500 px...(with my canon 400D)

Thanks in advance

[christophe]

Hello Jordi,

I don't remember the exact coefficient of the 400D, but i suggest you to stay in 10mm who gives a 16 mm (if the coef is 1.6). Then i imagine you can do 4 photos at 0° + zenith + nadir.

If you want more details and use a higher focal, i am not sure i can help you, i never did it.

I use a full frame camera so it's easier to make only 4 photos with a respectable quality.

Some members may have an idea more exact to help you.

Sorry for my cheap answer.

Regards

Christophe

[jordi]

Hi cristophe, and thanks for the answer :)

the exact coefficient of the 400D is : 1,6183712

I din't try it but I don't think that I can make 4+z+n, for the moment I'm at 6+z+n but normally as I told you 4+4

I just wanted to make bigger images now with this cam&lens I just get 11000x5500 pixels which is quite good or even more than enough, but I wanted to try more....

Anyway maibe someone who uses tokina 10-17 may have made the test to try it into a non full frame cam with 17 mm (which by the rule of three is giving 27 mm) how would be the setup... if not I'll try it myself...

thanks again

[masten]

Hi Cristophe. Yeah I found that page with those test and the Nikon is definitely better. Not massively but enough to make a good difference after processing

So Ill look into getting on of those.

Thanks

Masten

[barbi]

Hi!

I'm also planning to improve my technology and purchase either a 10.5mm fisheye or a 12mm lens for a Nikon D90 camera. Which one would you prefer? Which results in better image quality? I would like to avoid distortion, or blurring of parts of the images. I'm afraid that if I would purchase a 12mm lens, it would result in 15-17 megapixel images that are larger than the maximal 12.1 megapixel resolution (4288 * 2848) of the camera, resulting in some pixelation and blurring of the images. Am I right?

[masten]

Hi Barbi

Im not sure I get what you mean but the choice of lens makes no difference to the resolution with which your camera captures the image. The tighter the lens the bigger and higher quality (generally speaking) your resulting pans will be though of course you will have to shoot more images to get the result.

Masten

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Correct... the lens does not influence the camera sensor's ability, but the "wrong" lens on the "right" body can easily reduce the available pixels for the sensor.

A 6mp camera with the right lens, can get almost as many pixels as a 21mp camera with the same lens.... in which case the 21mp camera would be a "bad investment" if only used for panos.

("bad investment" is of course to be taken lightly, but still it has merit).

Trausti

[masten]

>A 6mp camera with the right lens, can get almost as many pixels as a 21mp camera with the same lens

Im sure you're right Trausti but I dont get it. Can you explain?

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Better read what the experts on the subject say:

Andrew:

http://www.panoguide.com/forums/qna/7814/?page=7

For example shooting 4-around with the Sigma 8mm f3.5 FE on a 6MP 1.5x crop DX sensor Nikon body in portarit oreinetation I get a stitched 360x180 of just over 6,000 x 3,000 pixels; yet with the Sigma 8mm f3.5 FE on a 21MP fullframe sensor body Canon 5DMkII you only get a little larger 360x180 pano of 7,000 x3,500 pixels.

Jim (Smooth)
http://www.panoguide.com/forums/qna/7814/?page=7
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t239/smoothimages/panorama_forums/5DMKII_fisheye_compare.jpg

[barbi]

Thanks for the replies, this is exactly what I thought: that if wrong lens type would be selected I would get only low resolution images. The forum links you have posted suggest that a 12mm Tokina might be better than a 8 or 10.5mm Sigma fisheye. Which one would you suggest for me with the Nikon D90?

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

I am absolutely not qualified to suggest anything for you, since I only use Olympus equipment.

If Hans gives his opinion, I would urge you to follow his advice.

[bjornkn]

Thanks for the replies, this is exactly what I thought: that if wrong lens type would be selected I would get only low resolution images. The forum links you have posted suggest that a 12mm Tokina might be better than a 8 or 10.5mm Sigma fisheye. Which one would you suggest for me with the Nikon D90?
Note that those images shows the image circles on a Full Frame sensor, and not on a DX, which I believe your Nikon is? On a DX camera the 8mm will fill much more of the sensor, just like the quoted text says (with that 6Mpx camera).
More mm means more shots and higher resloution.
It's always a compromise.
Like Trausti I'm only using Olympus, and thus we feel safe because all our lens choices are good ;), while with Nikon and Canon you may end up with something that isn't optimal? ;) Listen to other Nikonians!

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Like Trausti I'm only using Olympus, and thus we feel safe because all our lens choices are good ;)

Good? You say GOOD?

Have you ever tried a 12-60mm? That is one FANTASTIC lens!

With the E-3 body it is unbelievably good. Fast and clear images.

The kit lenses I got with the E-520 body (14-42mm and 40-150mm) were really good in my opinion, and these are also praised as some of the best kit lenses available from any camera company... but comparing those to the 12-60 .... the only realistic comparison would be something like milk compared to bread.

[bjornkn]

Good? You say GOOD?

Have you ever tried a 12-60mm? That is one FANTASTIC lens!
I was just deliberately trying to be modest, to not upset our friends with Nikon/Canon too much ;)
No, I haven't tried the 12-60. Neither have I used my kit lens, but my 7-14mm is "glued" to my E body !
Not a bad lens that neither :)

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

I have never come across 7-14mm, but it is very highly praised EVEN by the NiConians, and what little I have seen shot with it, has been worth quite a few WOW's. It is indeed the next lens I am wishing for, and after that I should be set... except for a Samyang for 4/3 mount. Just for playing with it, and see how well it does. The price is so low that one simply can't be on the losing end by purchasing it.

Still for me to get the 7-14mm... it will require a lot of luck involved, since there is almost nothing "Oly" here in Peru. My E-3 with the 12-60 was a once in a lifetime lucky buy. Brand new camera (517 actuations - in shop)... for only 1230 dollars. Crazily lucky.

[HansNyberg]

Thanks for the replies, this is exactly what I thought: that if wrong lens type would be selected I would get only low resolution images. The forum links you have posted suggest that a 12mm Tokina might be better than a 8 or 10.5mm Sigma fisheye. Which one would you suggest for me with the Nikon D90?

For a Nikon APS like the D90 I would buy the Nikkor 10.5.

Stitching 6 around + zenith is always easier than stitching 4 around with a Sigma 8mm.

You will always get good controlpoints with 6 around.
This also means that it is much easier to do automatic template stitching in PTGui Pro

Hans