I really need to find a wide-angle lens for my S5II like yesterday. I have this real estate gig in Seattle next Thursday and my 20-60mm kit lens just isnt cutting it for the tight shots in the bathrooms and smaller bedrooms plus the aperture is way too slow for some of these moody older houses. I was looking at the Lumix 18mm f1.8 because I read it has great sharpness and the size is perfect but then I saw some people saying 18mm still feels a bit cramped for professional indoor stuff. Then I looked at the Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 which seems like the dream but it is pushing way past my $550 budget right now and I cant really justify the extra $300 yet. My logic was maybe finding a used prime but there are so few L-mount options that dont cost a fortune. I also saw the 14-24mm Sigma but thats even more expensive lol. Is there any weird third party brand Im missing that actually has decent autofocus? I dont want to go fully manual because I gotta move fast between rooms. Just really stressed about the timeline and dont want to waste money on something that wont be wide enough...
Honestly, real estate in those tight Seattle houses is a nightmare if you arent wide enough. I have been in those tiny bathrooms and even 16mm feels like a squeeze sometimes. You might want to consider if you actually need autofocus for the interiors or if you are doing video walkthroughs as well. If its just stills, you might have more luck looking at manual glass that adapts easily, though I know you said you need to move fast. Before you spend any cash, I would suggest thinking about these:
- Are you planning to do more video or is this strictly for stills?
- How much barrel distortion are you comfortable correcting in post? Be careful with an 18mm... it is okay for general shots but for professional work, those extra few millimeters on the wide end make a massive difference in how the room feels.
