Any recommendations for wide angle lenses

[rod]

I've just bought my first digital SLR - a Canon 400D - and need to buy a wide angle lens. But given the cost of lenses I couldn't afford to buy more than one type of wide-angle lens for the foreseeable - for example, I couldn't yet afford as well the type of specialist lens that Ben's just started using.

So do any foreros have any recommendations for specific models of wide angle lenses that have served them well for most purposes.

The main use I would have for it is photographing interiors - which the standard lens that came with the camera is completely inadequate for.

[saiguanas]

I'll tell you what I did when I couldn't find affordable lenses for my digital Rebel XT. I went on ebay and found people selling their whole bags of 35mm film SLRs with lenses and all. They list them under the 35mm SLR category so most people that have digital SLRs don't look there.

I ended up getting my zoom lens less than half price of a used one listed under digital SLRs and basically getting a free 35mm Rebel with it. It worked best for me to arrange the listings by most recently posted and looking for a really cheap buy it now price.

[Ben]

Hi Rod,
I imagine that the widest angle on the kit lens you got is 18mm, which is equivalent to about 28mm on an old film camera. So, to go wider than that you'd be looking at a 16mm or less lens.

The zoom I got (10-22) is pretty pricey, but a fixed focal length lens should cost much less. I would check out lenses by other brands such as Tamron, Tokina or Sigma, and also see if you can get them shipped from the states. I think B and H photo might ship to Europe. The prices are way cheaper than here.

For reviews of lenses that might interest you, check out this site:

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showcat.php/cat/2

Just remember that if you get a Nikon, Tokina etc, that you have to order it with the Canon mount. Finally, I really recommend you post or search for the same question here in dpreview.com's Canon Lens Talk forum (http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1029) - a very useful place!