Need some advice on lens

[Howard Robinson]

I would like to get some advice on what type of lens I would need to be able to take some decent pictures while out on a chase. I just bought a nikon d3100 and got a 20-120mm f4 lens and was curious if that would do the job or do I need something in the 10-20mm range?

 

[Christopher E. Kincaid]

I would get the Tokina 11-16 F2.8. I have one for my T2i and I love it. It's great for structure shots up close.

 

[Jim Parsons]

Canon 10-22mm lens is awesome for those structure shots.

 

[Derek Weston]

I'd go with the tokina 11-16. f2.8 is great in low light. Also, it's as sharp and contrasty as any other wide angle in its class. (perhaps the best for a nikon crop censor) Only other lens I'd think about is the sigma 8-16mm, but that gets no faster than f4.5 . . . still great optics, though.

To answer your original question... yeah, you could make due with that. 20mm is still relatively wide and you'll rarely if ever want to go past 120mm -- the wide angled lenses really are sweet with storm chasing though... (for obvious reasons)

 

[Scott Weberpal]

If you want to save a couple hundred dollars, the Tokina 12-24 is incredible. Edge-to-edge sharpenss that rivals the Canon 10-22 - IQ is great, and a larger focal range than the 11-16.

 

[Wes Carter]

That wall cloud was shot with the Tokina 12-24 f/4, the older version. I shot that in the Dixie Alley outbreak last April near the Mississippi River. The storm motion was about 50mph, so I didn't have time to tripod the camera before shooting. The extra stop of the 11-16 f/2.8 would have been welcome, but I still had some room to bump up the ISO and didn't do it even though I should have. The 12-24 f/4 is a more than adequate lens, and a great value for under $400.

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

The sigma 10-20mm should always be in the conversation as well (especially for those looking for a slightly cheaper wide angle option). For the ~$400 (often less) it costs you get a 10mm lens with decent optics. It did however suffer from some quality control issues but it is and always will be a great lens for the money. I would grab a Tokina 11-16 if money permits however.

 

[MG Jennings]

I use a 16-28 Tokina....it's a very good lens on a full frame or 1.6x.

 

[Lane Pearman]

The Tokina 11-16 is a great, fast and sharp lens. I believe they just announced an updated version too.