Bit the bullet...

[NoKnees]

...and grabbed the Sony 11-18mm lens. That darn Microsoft Cashback deal through eBay and PayPal for "Buy it Now" items is going to be the death of me. Found one "like new" for $415, less $100 cashback, $315 bottom line...

I had wanted to pick up the Sigma 12-24 so I could use it full frame as well, but the price wasn't friendly, even with the MS Cashback deal on eBay..... Tamron is supposed to release their new 10-24mm lens any time now, but that's an unknown quality and price... You can find some good deals on the Tamron 11-18mm, but they are still almost $400 after shipping. I'm sure the price on this model will crash as soon as the updated version is released, but I'm just too impatient... Early Christmas for me I guess... ;)

So, to anyone who has used this lens, any "personality traits" I should know about? I do expect the normal amount of distortion at the super wide end... Actually looking forward to that a bit... How about filters and vignetting? I hear this can be a problem at the super wide end, but realistically, where do you start to notice it? I have clunky old C-PL (8mm?) that I may use occasionally.... Would upgrading to a 3mm or 5mm "slim" filter be worth it?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing with this thing as soon as I can... Like a kid with a new toy.. ;)

[Canuck935]

I think you are going to be happy with it. I know I am!

There is some distortion because of the extreme wide angle. But for something that covers such a huge angle of view, the distortion is actually very well controlled and you really need to "force" it to give you distorted looking effects. As for other personality traits, well I believe it gets soft in the corners if you shoot at less than ideal apertures. For filters, I use a Hoya PRO-1 UV filter on it without any vignetting at all. I wouldn't recommend using a polarizer on it for shots including any sky, since the angle of view is so great that you are going to get a parabolic shaped gradient in the skies from the polarizer. I use Cokin grad filters instead.

Check out the Sony DT11-18 Wide Angle group pool at flickr to see a bunch of samples with this lens.

Also, once you've had time to evaluate it yourself, please add your thoughts to the Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Super Wide Zoom user reviews. So far I'm the only person to have submitted a review for it.

[NoKnees]

Good call on the polarizer... Haven't used on on a super-wide in years thanks to aps-c sensors so I didn't even think about the uneven results it can cause as you go really wide... Thanks for the reminder!

Probably time to step up from my little A sized cokin selection too then.. ;)

I'll be moving over my old B+W UV filter from my 17-35d lens until I get something new, sounds like it should work fine...... I have a feeling my 17-35 is going to be getting a rest for a while...

Now to wait until it shows up on my doorstep...

- G

[NoKnees]

Okay, received it and took a couple quick test pictures.. Not going to call them photos, as it was more of a shakedown of the lens to make sure it was "ok".

Other than the tendency to underexpose by about 2/3 stops, seems fine. Will just have to get used to the differences of this one compared to others when it comes to metering...

Excuse the sensor dust, but here was one of my test shots, w/flash... Cloudy, late in the day.. Not ideal conditions... Quick dump from raw using Sony's IDC.. Might not look bad cropped... Should be a fun lens to play with on occasion...