Nikon 14-24 and D7000

[Sdison]

Hi all,

I'm off to Noo Zillund for the second time in a couple of years in February. After what I saw last time, I'm incredibly excited to spend a good chunk of the time shooting. Last time I went I only had an iPhone (I wasn't into DSLR photography at that stage) and even with that I came back with the best photos I've ever taken. I'm positively giddy at the prospect of taking my D7000 over.

I've done some number-crunching and I've realised that I won't be able to buy a wide-angle lens before then, barring some sort of miracle. An UWA is a non-negotiable for this trip for me, so I started to look at hiring a lens for that period.

Now, I've been set on the Tokina 11-16 f2.8 as a permanent lens to buy in the near future for quite a while, although researching hiring costs sees the Tokina at $100 for a week, and the Nikon 14-24 f2.8 (drool) at $180 for the week.

To me, this seems to be a no-brainer, except for a couple of things I'd humbly like to seek your advice on:

1. Is it worth the extra $80 for a week's shooting? (I've already assumed the answer to this is a yes but I'm interested in another opinion)
2. Will I gain any benefit out of having an extra 3mm focal length on the D7000 with the Tokina? If so, will the improved IQ from the 14-24 outweigh the extra focal length?
3. Is the 14-24 'wasted' on the D7000?

The other consideration I've had is the Nikon 10-24 DX zoom, which I can also rent for $100 for the week.

Also, it's nice to be able to get back onto this forum and post - I've had a work-induced layoff from this forum and photography for 7 or 8 months.

Cheers,

Sam