I have a Nikon D5100, and I'm in the market for a wide angle or even a fisheye lens.
I need something relatively cheap. Let's say 400$ max. If I were to get a wide angle, I'd want something with a lot of distortion. It's mostly for skateboarding videos, so if you've ever seen one, that's the look I'm going for. Fisheye: must be full frame.
I'm open to off brand or used, but I know nothing about off brand lenses, so some advice on that would also be greatly appreciated. From what I've been reading, off brand or used is the only way I'm getting wide angle anything.
Most rectilinear (non-fisheye) wide-angle lenses work very hard to avoid distortion. None are entirely successful, but they all come fairly close. You could (almost) afford the excellent Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6, which is a fantastic general-purpose ultra-wide lens, but it doesn't have particularly significant distortion:
Therefore if you want significant distortion (and don't want to apply it in post-production) and an ultra-wide field of view, then you're pretty much going to have to get a fisheye lens.
I doubt $400 will get you an autofocus fisheye lens new -- the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye is quite a bit more unless you find a real bargain or pick one up second-hand:
So you're probably going to be looking at a manual-focus, manual-aperture fisheye. A fisheye lens has a very deep depth of field, but you will still need to focus manually to get sharp video output. The best bet is probably the Samyang, Rokinon or Bower 8mm f/3.5 -- all the same lens, just rebranded, so find the cheapest of the three (prices vary surprisingly). Here's the Bower version:
You can also pay a bit extra for a version with an AF confirm chip, which will let the camera tell you if you're in focus or not when you half-press the shutter, but this is probably of limited use for video work.
Finally, it's worth pointing out, in case you're not aware, that a huge number of action and skateboarding videos are recorded using GoPro cameras, which have a 170 degree field of view with a fisheye effect, and doesn't require focusing. They also support upto 120fps at 720p, allowing for slow-motion work. This would also be within your budget:
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http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/381611-REG/Sigma_201306_10_20mm_f_4_5_6D_EX_DC.html
Therefore if you want significant distortion (and don't want to apply it in post-production) and an ultra-wide field of view, then you're pretty much going to have to get a fisheye lens.
I doubt $400 will get you an autofocus fisheye lens new -- the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye is quite a bit more unless you find a real bargain or pick one up second-hand:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/300487-USA/Nikon_2148_10_5mm_f_2_8G_ED_DX.html
And the Sigma 10mm is similarly out of budget:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/535762-USA/Sigma_477_306_10mm_f_2_8_EX_DC.html
So you're probably going to be looking at a manual-focus, manual-aperture fisheye. A fisheye lens has a very deep depth of field, but you will still need to focus manually to get sharp video output. The best bet is probably the Samyang, Rokinon or Bower 8mm f/3.5 -- all the same lens, just rebranded, so find the cheapest of the three (prices vary surprisingly). Here's the Bower version:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/635177-REG/Bower_SLY358N_SLY_358N_8mm_f_3_5.html
You can also pay a bit extra for a version with an AF confirm chip, which will let the camera tell you if you're in focus or not when you half-press the shutter, but this is probably of limited use for video work.
Finally, it's worth pointing out, in case you're not aware, that a huge number of action and skateboarding videos are recorded using GoPro cameras, which have a 170 degree field of view with a fisheye effect, and doesn't require focusing. They also support upto 120fps at 720p, allowing for slow-motion work. This would also be within your budget:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1003301-REG/gopro_chdhx_302_hero3_black_edition_adventure.html