Finally made the jump to the L-mount alliance after shooting Fuji for like 6 years and I gotta say, the sensor size difference is blowing my mind but my wallet is definitely feeling the sting now lol. I picked up a Lumix S5II last month because I wanted those colors and the phase detect is a total game changer compared to the older contrast-only stuff. Anyway, I am planning this massive road trip through the Southwest next month—doing Arches, Zion, the whole bit—and I realized I am completely missing a proper wide-angle lens for those big landscape shots.
Ive been looking around and man, some of these L-mount prices are just wild. I saw the Leica glass and almost choked on my coffee... obviously those are out of the question for me right now. I've mostly been a prime shooter but I'm open to anything as long as it's sharp. My budget is pretty firm at around $550, maybe $600 if I skip a few nice dinners on the trip. I was looking at the Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 but even that is pushing it unless I find a crazy used deal.
I have a few specific needs for this trip:
- fast enough for astro (f2.8 or better ideally)
- light enough for long hikes in Utah
- decent weather sealing because of the dust in the desert
- something that doesn't have crazy onion rings in the bokeh
The weird thing is I'm seeing some manual focus stuff from Laowa that looks interesting but I've never actually shot fully manual on a full-frame body before so I'm a bit nervous about nailing focus at infinity or dealing with weird distortion on the edges. I usually do a lot of astro too so coma is a big concern for me. Are there any hidden gems I'm missing? Maybe some older adapted glass that works well with the L-mount flange distance without being a total brick to carry around? I really need something that isnt gonna weigh down my pack while I'm hiking 10 miles a day but still gives me that wide FOV for the Milky Way.
What are you guys using for your budget wide setups on the S series or Sigma bodies that wont break the bank?
> My budget is pretty firm at around $550, maybe $600 if I skip a few nice dinners on the trip. Unfortunately, finding something really reliable for astro in that price range is tougher than it looks. I had issues with some cheaper lenses having terrible coma at the edges, which totally ruined my Milky Way shots last year. Are you strictly looking for a zoom, or would you consider a prime if it meant getting better weather sealing for those dusty trails?
