Ugh, I feel so out of my depth here. I recently bought a used Nikon D750 from a buddy and honestly I have no idea what I am doing. I wanted to start taking cool landscape shots for my trip to Iceland in three months but the lens that came with the camera just doesnt fit enough in the frame. I tried looking up wide-angle lenses but the numbers like mm and f-stops are making my head spin. I dont even know what mount I need or if some lenses just wont work at all. My budget is around 500 bucks max since I already blew a ton of cash on the camera body. Is there something decent I can pick up that wont break the bank? Everything I see online is like two thousand dollars which is insane. Just need something that makes stuff look big and wide without turning into a total blurry mess. Does anyone have a specific lens they actually use for this kind of thing because reading these tech reviews is just making me feel stupid...
Had a moment to think about this, and honestly, don't stress the numbers too much. I started out with the Tokina AT-X 17-35mm f/4 PRO FX and it was a total workhorse for me over the years. You can often find them used for a steal. It's built like a tank and captures those wide Icelandic vistas perfectly without costing two grand. Just stick to the Nikon F-mount stuff and you'll be golden.
Regarding what #2 said about that Tokina, I had a buddy who tried one and it honestly had some weird edge softness that just ruined his shots in the mountains. I've been doing this for a while and honestly, the budget stuff is usually a gamble. Before you drop your cash, are you planning on using filters for those Iceland waterfalls? That might change what you need to look for. Personally, I'd look at these two instead:
- Tamron SP 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD
- It is pretty sharp for the price, though the plastic build feels a bit cheap.
- Nikon AF-D Nikkor 20mm f/2.8
- A solid prime lens, super compact, but you lose the zoom which might be tough if you cant move around much. Both are much better than those super cheap third-party options that always seem to disappoint me after a few months. Just make sure you get the F-mount version for that D750!
TL;DR: Grab a used Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED and thank me later. Iceland is incredible but yeah, super frustrating when your lens just isnt wide enough. I made the mistake of buying a cheap third-party lens for my own trip and it was honestly such a headache, soft corners everywhere and the focus ring felt like grinding sand. Unfortunately, it ruined a few shots I cant retake. Since you have a D750, you need an F-mount lens. That Nikon 18-35mm is a total workhorse, way sharper than those super cheap knockoffs, and you can usually find it used for right around 450 bucks. It stays nice and crisp without feeling like you took out a mortgage. Dont stress the tech talk, just get this and have a blast.
