wide zoom lens - but which?

[Jonsv8]

I've been looking at getting a new wider lens for my d7000 so dx format but the reviews I've read all seem to end up with issues in the corners, low contrast, softness, vignetting etc which isn't filling me with confidence.

I've looked at the tokina 10-24 and neatly bought as £250 or so can get you one, and the seemingly better Nikon 10-24 but that comes at a price. There's a tokina where the older version with variable aperture seems better the newer version and then a sigma... Lots of choice but I can point to a negative review on all including the Nikon. Maybe its just the nature of these lens and they will all have these issues

So I started looking at fixed focal but haven't really landed on a purely positive review either (possible because I looked at an ultra side Nikon lens which was getting on to be a fisheye).

Any thoughts on a go to lens that's pretty wide. I'd prefer to stay below 350 but I'd prefer more to buy glass that's worth buying. I'll be taking landscape shots with things in the foreground rather than looking for heavily distorted pictures that the fisheye stemmed to give?

Ps I saw the post about the wide macro lens and was almost tempted but feels a bit expensive for an unknown brand to me and for features I might not use
TIA

[Jonsv8]

RobDickinson said:

Honestly you will have to compromise esp for the budget.

UWA lenses are notoriously tricky to get sharp corners with. Its one reason I moved to FF , better choice of wide primes (and zooms).

By fixed focus you mean manual focus? or primes? Samyang do some nice wide primes, a 12/2.0 etc The 14mm is ok but has distortion that is worse on crop than ff.

What did you want to shoot wide? often shooting a pano with a longer lens and stitching gives much better results but does require more time.

Thanks - I meant fixed focal/prime. But you've confirmed what I've been reading.

I like shots with massive depth of field like a couple of rocks close up (maybe a couple of meters away at most) with a view across a lake to mountains in the distance. I don't think I'll get the depth of field easily stitching pictures taken with a longer lens together. I'll look at the samyang as they were a brand I've skipped over as I'd not heard of them

[Jonsv8]

I get that logic but then you get a review like this...

http://improvephotography.com/1140/nikon-10-24mm-l...

Never seen the site before or know if they're respected but it makes me think buy the tamron 10-24 or sigma or a tokina in that bracket used off eBay for a lot less and flog that on.

[Jonsv8]

Simpo Two said:

Sir simply needs to transfer a little more...

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-nikon-12-24mm-f...

Looking more like it! And circa £400 on ebay
Thx

[JonV8V]

Picked up a 12-24 f4 nikon for £350. Just about half price and its less than a year old. Haven't go my hands on it physically but lots of email with the guy selling it.