The EF17-40mm f/4L USM was developed as high-end version of the highly acclaimed EF20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM lens released in March 1993. Designed for use by professional and amateur users alike, this lens realizes the outstanding image Resolution that distinguishes an L-series lens while retaining high cost performance. Featuring a new optical system design, the new lens delivers an expanded zoom range of 17-40mm, with the wide-angle-end 17mm Focal length making it ideally suited to digital photography.
The EF17-40mm f/4L USM utilizes a combination of one high-precision molded glass Aspherical lens and two replica aspherical lenses to achieve the extended zoom range, while also correcting for a variety of aberrations that arise during zooming. Moreover, a Super UD (ultra-low Dispersion) glass element minimizes the Chromatic aberration of magnification that tends to occur with wide-angle lenses, eliminating color bleed along the edges of the subject and realizing high image Contrast and resolution.
The 17 mm focal length achieved by the EF17-40mm f/4L USM lens also extends wide-angle shooting potential when paired with digital AF SLR cameras, such as the high-end amateur-model EOS 10D , which have smaller imaging areas than 35 mm film. Taking into account the smaller angles of view that result, the new lens realizes a focal range equivalent to 27-64mm in the 35mm format (or 1.6 times) when paired with EOS 10D.
Moreover, the power of the focusing lens group has been increased to allow a minimum focusing distance of just 0.28 meters throughout the entire zoom range. The EF17-40mm f/4L USM also features a circular diaphragm for improved background Blur, and utilizes only lead-free glass optics in consideration of the environment.The new lens features a hardy water- and dust-resistant construction,ensuring professional users unfailing performance under even the most grueling of conditions.
I purchased this lens as my primary landscape lens on a 1.3 crop body, but since I've owned it, I've found tons of great uses for it. I use it often as a great upper body and fully body portrait lens. I have recently used this lens as a travel lens while traveling through Spain, and on a 1.6 crop body, this makes a perfect traveling lens. It's lightweight. The front element doesn't extend during zooming or focusing. It's wide enough to capture whole street scenes or buildings. The color saturation is just wonderful. It's sharp as a tack especially stopped down to f/8 or so. Even wide open, the lens is decently sharp and crisp. I have been incredibly impressed with the quality of this lens since day one. I love that it's so light and easy to pack up and carry with me all day long. The lens hood fits nicely and is easy to store and remove. Barrel distorion is minimal even at 17mm on a 1.6 crop body. On larger sensor cameras, however, barrel distorion is much more noticeable but this can be corrected for in post processing fairly easily.
I debated between this lens and the 16-35mm f/2.8 II for quite some time, but decided for budgetary reasons to go with the 17-40, and I have not been at all disappointed with my decision. I've yet to be in a situation where I needed f/2.8 on this lens, although for some, this would be more important.
I highly recommend this lens to anyone needing a good wide angle.
What an amazing lens, this works perfectly as my walk around lens. I know it is not the most versatile zoom lens but it does everything i need it too do, and it does it well. If i need a longer range then i will pop on a 70-200 or if i need something to handle low light i will switch over to a Prime lens, that way i do not sacrifice quality.
A zoom is a zoom and they are built to be handy they are built to be easy, they are not built to be the sharpest lens ever or to handle low light situations. If you need a lens like that then buy one that is built for that purpose like a Prime lens. If you want a lens that can handle multiple focal lengths, if you want a lens that wont break the bank and you don't need that extra stop for something specific then you want this lens because its everything you need to have fun.
Not to mention it looks awesome on the front of my 40D.
Positives: *Great quality *Versatile *Solid *I do not need a lens that handles every focal length like a 12-500mm super duper whatever, i need a lens that handles wide to medium and this is the one.
Negative: *Only thing i can really think of is that the lens hood is a little too bulky, i like the hood and i use it all the time. The new Coating on the inside to reduce glare is great, but it just takes up to much room so i need to pack it separately.
I bought this lens as a replacement for my EFS 18-50 kit lens.
For APS-C SLRs there are plenty of options in this focal range (EFS 18-50, EFS 18-50IS, EFS 17-85IS, EFS 17-55IS, EFS 15-85IS, Tamron 17-50, Tamron 17-50 VC, Tokina 16-50, Sigma 18-50 ....... ). I was not originally considering this lens and was leaning towards the EFS 17-85IS or Tamron 17-50 (the EFS 15-85IS and Tamron 17-50 VC did not exist at the time). However after trying it at a store, I just had to have one!
It has a certain feel to it that is indescribable. Its a pleasure to use. Mounted on my Rebel Xti, it is well balanced. It feels substantial but not overly heavy (less than my EF 70-300IS). It balances the camera well when a flash is mounted in the hotshoe (which can be an issue with lighter lenses). Its very solid. Resting on my hand its very easy to manually focus with my thumb and forefinger; and zoom with my pinky (or thumb), without shaking the camera. Both zoom and focus rings are very smooth. Auto-focusing is so fast and silent, that I often wonder if it actually focused!
It focuses quite close. Its a good close up lens for objects that are as small as a child's hand.
Image quality seems fine to me. I can't say its any better or worse than my EF 70-300IS which I have no complaints about. I do think the colors are better on the EF 17-40 (but that could be my imagination).
I do not find the focal range limiting, but this is not an all-in one zoom! Its a wide to normal. If you need more telephoto you will need to carry another lens (like the excellent 70-300IS or 70-200 F4). If you want an all in one lens go with something else. You have lots of choices!
The constant F4 aperture is great for general purpose outdoor/daytime use. Indoors or at night you will typically need a flash, to keep the shutter speed up high enough.
For its focal range I do not find a lack of image stabilization an issue. Daytime outdoors I can hold the camera steady enough, and indoors I use a flash.
I would recommend this lens to anyone looking for a general purpose wide to normal zoom on an APS-C DSLR.
I would have bought the Canon 15-35mm f2.8 lens, but I haven't won the lottery yet. For the price and the fact that f4 is just one stop above f2.8, I'm pleased. Just a Bit of a warning for people purchasing a Canon lens, and you probably already know this, but some Canon cameras will take both the EF series lenses and the EFs series lenses. However; some Canon cameras only use the Canon EF series lenses and not the EFs series.
Not for beginners, a slow lens, Monday, 22 March 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
3.0
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
Admittedly, I'm a relative beginner to this level of equipment. I'm used to my lenses having image stabilization (IS). This lens does not. Many of my hand-held night shots were blurry due to a combination of Camera shake and slow shutter speeds (its a relatively slow f/4 lens). I ended up returning the lens for the 24-105 f/4 USM with IS. Amazing difference in picture quality. I'm sure the pros can get outstanding image quality from either lens, especially with a tripod at night. But I need IS for my typical shots, which are hand-held, in poor light. The IS gives me about 3 full stops equivalent advantage regarding hand-shake. (nothing for subjective movement of course) So, my recommendation; try this lens in your most difficult anticipated situation before you buy it. Or, buy from a place you can exchange.
I am very pleased with my recent purchase. I tried one of these a while back and was not all that impressed. Returned it. I can not justify the cost of the 16-35, so I tried again and am so glad I did. This one is super sharp. Possibly more than my 35mm f1:1.4L prime - although to be fair, I usually don't shoot at f:4.0 with that particular lens. This is prompting me to ship the prime to Canon for adjustment.
I own a 350D, 5D and a 7D and this is great on all three and performs beautifully. I'm happy!
The issue of low light shooting at f4 is less of a concern with the low iso noise performance of the 7D, and I can shoot with a slower shutter speed too since it is so wide. Group shots at f4 get most people in focus. Not always so at 2.8
Pros: Focus is instant and silent. Light weight Well Built Sharp Color/contrast Red ring - this thing is beautiful to look at. Proud to own it.
Cons: These are getting spendy Moving front element may induce dust [just put a filter on] As we know it is f/4. Not really a "con" because the product excels in what it does, but rather a limitation.
Concluding - there is always talk of good and bad copies. I got a great copy no doubt about this one.
When I bought this lens, I was looking for a lens that would deliver images superior to those from the kit lens that came with my (Original) Digital Rebel. I am completely satisfied with the purchase. I have since upgraded to a 40D, and the combination is wonderful. I was, perhaps, a little underwhelmed by this lens at first: images didn't appear that drastically different from the kit lens. But after having spent half a year with this lens, and really getting to know it, there is no way I would switch back. This lens delivers much sharper images and the colors are phenomenal.
In short, if you are looking to upgrade from that cheap kit lens and you want a taste of the L flavor, don't hesitate to pull the trigger on this one unless you have the money and can afford something better like the 16-35 f/2.8L.
Not even close to Canon 70-200mm L/4 lens, Thursday, 04 March 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
This is less a review than a comparison. Yesterday I took 40 pictures with my L 17-40mm lens and 40 with my 70-200 Canon L series lens of the same subject: a dripping icicle. None of the ones taken with this lens were really sharp but almost all with the longer L tele zoom were razor sharp. I've noticed this before. The subject was a 4' close up, and I do not detect this problem at distances past 15'. It's very frustrating as I truly expected a lens with the "L" designation to be as good as my 70-200mm Canon L zoom. At the very least, some of the pictures taken at 1/2000th of a second should have been usable. I manually focused both.
Not even close to Canon 70-200mm L/4 lens, Thursday, 04 March 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
This is less a review than a comparison. Yesterday I took 40 pictures with my L 17-40mm lens and 40 with my 70-200 Canon L series lens of the same subject: a dripping icicle. None of the ones taken with this lens were really sharp but almost all with the longer L tele zoom were razor sharp. I've noticed this before. The subject was a 4' close up, and I do not detect this problem at distances past 15'. It's very frustrating as I truly expected a lens with the "L" designation to be as good as my 70-200mm Canon L zoom. At the very least, some of the pictures taken at 1/2000th of a second should have been usable. I manually focused both. In other situations I have gotten good results. This "test" simply validated all the online reviews of the two lenses that I compared. The 70-200 is just a tremendous lens.
no IS hence this lense taught me to shoot gracefully. but other than that it's one of em few lenses most pros would keep within easy reach. colors are beautifully saturated and the depth is perfect. even dim shots glow with colors. the cost, weight, shot qualities ...perfect !
This company does good work when selling fixed lenses. I think this lens is absolutely awesome. I got this lens to use temporarily on my Rebel Xti. Next year I shall purchase the 5D markII and this lens will go right on it.
When I bought the lens, I must say that I was skeptical. I looked around and the price increased from $400 on average to $407. Then, just before I was ready to buy the lens, it jumped up to $450...imagine my shock. So I looked at a rebuilt because of the lower cost but again, the seller had an impeccable rating which you should be comfortable with. they are good. the lens isn't too heavy either and when zooming, you don't get the the typical lens extending out past the lens body as with most lenses, the lens stays the same length at all times. This is truly a lens designed just for landscape photography in mind but can be used for professional shots of people and other uses. If you move from EF-S lenses, YOU WILL NOTICE A HUGE DIFFERENCE in your picture quality.
Pro: excellent picture quality, great picture contrast, smooth focusing motors, excellent glass quality. there is an included hood with the lens, it has black velvet inside which helps greatly to absorb light in my opinion. use it to protect your lens.
Cons: on my current APS-C digital rebel Xti, in some cases I get some Vignetting which isn't soo bad. one can use the canon software included with the camera and use the Peripheral illumination feature to correct that(Not a killing problem to this product, just bcz of the image sensor).
other: not a con but, if you, like myself have used EF-S lenses before this, you'll need to get used to the zoom and focus rings being set differently on EF lenses to include this one. But I'm getting used to that over time.
My final analysis is that this company is well worth the money they ask for this lens. The delivery was fast and perfect!
I'm using the lens on a XSi. I'm still reviewing, but my initial thoughts are the focus isn't quite as sharp as it could be? Very low distortion, CA, etc. Sometimes I just can't figure out why some of my images are a tiny bit out of focus. I'm an amateur photographer, so it might be bad hand holding or some other beginner mistake. But, since I bought it, it's mostly stayed on my camera. This isn't a good indoor lens without a flash. The f4.0 is just a little too slow unless it's bright indoor light. I plan to shoot more with the tripod to push it all the way to my limits. Then I'll either come back and bump up my review, or bump it down. This is a pricey lens.
Know what you need first, but if you want it, get , Friday, 29 January 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I had been using the 28-135 IS for some time until I decided to break down and buy this lens. And being a college student, it was the obvious choice over the $1000-more-expensive 16-35 f/2.8L. But, about once a week I find myself in a situation where I think "Hmm, that extra stop would be nice about now." And I imagine that a lot of people find themselves in this pickle. So here's what you need to know and to think about:
1) Ask yourself, what do you shoot? Are you a budding photojournalist? A band photographer? A proud father? To everyone except those hoping to do photojournalism or weddings, I would say, this lens is the obvious choice. It is light, but the build quality is very solid. The focus and zoom are so well-damped, it just feels like you are holding a quality lens. And you are. It is sharp (for a wide zoom, anyway) and solid. To those doing weddings or PhoJo: Wait the extra 2 months, save more, and buy the 16-35 f/2.8L II. I shot for a newspaper for the last year, and while I was always able to make this lens work, it put me in the situation where I "had to make it work," and that is not something you want to do to yourself. You want to not have to worry about your gear, and I frequently needed to, as I, oddly, would find myself in that situation where I needed that extra stop quite frequently. When I bought it, I thought "How often will I need that extra stop?" Now I wish I had saved up for the extra stop of light. When you are doing weddings or phojo, the only thing that matters is your photos. Don't put them at risk by having to shoot at 1/30 when you could be shooting at 1/60. Nothing in photoshop cures motion blur.
So, if you don't shoot lowlight, or don't care about a little less bokeh, there is no reason to buy the 16-35. This lens is lighter and just as sharp. THE ONLY THING that you get out of the 16-35 is the extra millimeter and the extra stop. But, if you are someone who might need that extra stop once a week, don't buy the 17-40 just to have to buy the 16-35 later.
After a 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS, a great upgrade., Thursday, 14 January 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I picked this over the 17-55 f/2.8 IS because of its lower price and L-series construction. Theses lenses are intended for different uses, though. I don't need a lens that fast.
Never used the 17-55 f/2.8 IS, but both versions of the 18-55 (II, the XT & XTi kit lens; and IS, the XS, XSi, etc kit lens) and this lens is a beast in comparison to those. Amazingly solid construction, fixed-aperture, sealing, fast USM (which makes no big differences on Wide Angle lenses, but in noise does) and FTM are pros on this lens. I will not review optics, you can find websites on that much more detailed than here.
On the other side I must say the hood included doesn't seem to be very effective, because it's so shallow. It makes polarizing easier - eyes on the viewfinder, one hand on the grip/shutter button and the other rotating the polarizer. No tripods or snapping hoods on and off.
I love this lens and would defintely buy this again.
Must-Have for APS-C Cameras, Monday, 28 December 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
If you're shooting an APS-C Canon and you've decided that you only want EF full-frame lenses for future use on a full frame camera, the 17-40 is a must-have. The focal range on the cropped sensor is 27 to 64mm which covers a large range for the majority of shots most people are likely to take. I've found this lens is perfect for social gatherings and essential for group shots. The size and weight is perfect on the 7D, making this my favorite lens for handling (compared to the 24-70 f2.8L and the 70-200 f4L). The build quality is superb. The focus and zoom rings couldn't be smoother and AF is fast. While this is a sealed lens, I hear that it's not fully sealed until a filter is fitted. With one in place, the zoom extension is completely internal, so there's no change in length when zooming from wide to the long end.
This lens is a fixed f4. If you buy the lens with the understanding it is not an f2.8 and will not get you the lower ISO and/or faster shutter speed of an f2.8, the lens does very well in most shooting situations. On the 7D it's even better with the excellent high-ISO performance of that camera (I can shoot at ISO 3200 to 5000 without much concern). While it is reasonably sharp at f4 across the focal range, it is not as sharp as when stopped down to f5.6. Also, boarder sharpness falls-off a bit wide open and close to 40mm. However, these are not big issues. Contrast and color with this lens is excellent. My only caution from experience is to be careful when adjusting the point-of-focus to depth-of-field balance with the micro AF adjust on the camera (if you have that feature). What may appear to be a correct adjustment with a focus scale sheet that uses the center of the field, may end up causing excessive edge softness of your images due to the edge of the frame starting to fall out of the Depth of field. I believe this may be due to the field curvature characteristic of a wide angle lens where the focal plane is not equidistant from the camera lens but slightly curved. I spent some time setting the correct AF micro adjustment by photographing a large bulletin board with very small lettering and symbols across both dimensions while making sure the camera was pointed square to the center so that all corners were equal distance from the camera. Once you have this dialed-in, you can test the center-to-corner sharpness of your lens at different focal lengths and apertures and determine whether you may have any sharpness issues with your copy. Initially I thought I had a bad lens copy that was soft and de-centered, but after getting this procedure right, the lens proved to be sharp.
While there are other excellent options such as the Canon 17-55 EF-S f2.8 lens, this one is full-frame compatible, it's weather sealed, it has superior build quality, it's an L lens with that unmistakable red ring at the end, and it's the next greatest lens bargain second to the 70-200 f4L. While the hood may look odd, remember that it was intended for a full-frame camera where this lens would be a true 17-40mm - making a shallow hood necessary.
