I've been staring at my computer screen for three hours and I'm about to lose it with these lens prices. I finally upgraded to an a6400 for my trip to the Highlands in three weeks but i realize the kit lens just isnt wide enough for the landscapes i wanna get. Im trying to find something decent but everything feels like a ripoff or its way out of my league. My budget is strictly under 400 quid, maybe 450 if i eat ramen for a month.
I keep seeing people talk about the Sigma 16mm f1.4 and yeah it looks sharp as hell but is 16mm even wide enough for tight indoor shots too? I also looked at that Samyang 12mm f2 but half the reviews say the quality control is garbage and the other half say its a steal so i dont know who to trust. I also saw the Sony 10-18mm mentioned a lot but its so expensive for how old the tech is and I dont want to buy something thats gonna be obsolete in a year. I just want something that wont make me go broke but also wont break after two uses. Is there anything out there that actually balances price and quality or am i just chasing a ghost here? Whats the absolute best wide angle i can get for a Sony APS-C without spending a grand?
I went through the same headache when I first started shooting landscapes with my a6000. I actually took a gamble on the Viltrox 13mm f1.4 AF for a trip to the coast last year and honestly I couldnt be happier with how it performed. Its wide enough to get those massive vistas but that f1.4 aperture is a lifesaver when youre shooting inside a dim pub or something later on. I was pretty skeptical of the off-brands at first but this thing is built like a tank and the sharpness is legit. If you want something even wider and tiny the Samyang AF 12mm f2.0 E is a solid bet too. I used the older manual version for years but the AF one fixed most of the old QC issues people used to complain about. Both of these should land right in your budget especially if you look at the used market which is basically how I buy all my gear now. No complaints here, they just work and wont leave you eating ramen for a month.
