Canon EF 1740mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle

This lens really shines in full frame!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have the 5Dm2 and this is my first L-series lens (I couldn’t afford the 24-105 when I bought the body), and boy is it great!

I love the realistic skin tones, high contrast, and amazing color. The wide angle is perfect to get 3 walls in small room shots. I took some shots for a flower arrangement designer of some banquet rooms she did and they came out super sharp and got everything!

At 17mm this lens does give a bit of distortion in the corners, but it’s only noticeable if you’re close to a wall, low low ceilings, etc.

I am very impressed with this lens. Unbeatable for the price!

My Second L lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I like the fact the lens does not extend when zoomed. It is well built and not too heavy. It is typical L build quality with nice optics. Not a lot sharper than the Sigma 18-50 EX lens I bought this to replace but if sharp was all I was looking for I would have been disapointed, I like the rugged feel and the weather proofing. I also like the full time manual focus. I plan on upgrading my body with a full frame sensor and when I do that I think the lens will be even sharper.

Love it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Got this to go with my 5d. Great lens, sharp as a tack for a wide angle zoom. Very quiet motor and fast focus for a wide zoom. Love it as a beach walk around lens.

canon EF 71-40mm f/4l lense
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
THIS IS ONE GREAT LENS ,VERY SHARP WITH GOOD CONTRAST ,FUN TO USE AND GREAT RESULTS .I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT .

After my 3rd copy I’m still not happy
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I borrowed a friends 17-40 and fell in love. Great color and wonderfully sharp. So I bought one for myself. It was no where near as sharp, it went back, the second was even worse, so blurry my landscapes looked like they were taken with a P&S, even on a tripod at f/11. This third lens is about the same as the second but won’t focus right. Sadly I don’t think I’ll ever get a good copy of this lens.

overrated
Rating:2 out of 5 stars

This is my first L lens. I own a Canon 50 f1/8 and also a 100 f2, both

fixed length lenses. My rating is not so much to say that this is a bad

lens because it’s not. For 600+ dollars it is just extremely average. I

would recommend looking at aftermarket lenses before buying this one.

You could save a lot of money.

Happy that I bought it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For months I had been reading review after review and comparing this lens with other lenses in its class at the store. Had finally boiled it down to between this lens and a Tamron Lens which was about $200 less. Both lens received very good reviews. But a couple of months ago I made my choice to get this lens on what a reviewer had said about canon “L” lenses, this one in particular. (Paraphrasing)”You could get the cheaper lens and most likely be happy with it, but what if?” So not wanting to be wondering what “if”, I purchased the Canon EF 17-40 f/4L and haven’t had any regrets letting go of $600. Some reviewers had said that with the max of f4, the lens wouldn’t get good shots in low to dim light. Yet this lens had no problem focusing or getting good shots in those conditions with my 430EX flash what so ever. And not only will you get some great wide shots (even with a Rebel Xti, as I do) but you can get some good close ups of objects as well. You’ll have to be careful with close-ups of people because you can distort their facial features(nose,ears,forehead;the lens was not intended for portraits) but, it’s useful for group shots. I’ve uploaded some pictures of some trees and some geese in a pond along with a close up of a pot holder. Photos with this lens are very good concerning sharpness, color and contrast and there is a minimum of barrel distortion as well. So if you are wondering “what if?”, I would go ahead and spring the money for this lens, it would be a great addition to your collection and a very useful one at that.

Update August 8, 2008. I have used this lens a lot since I’ve gotten it and haven’t any regrets. I have been on a trip to Puerto Rico USA visiting my parents and this lens gave me the opportunity to snap some great shots. I have uploaded some shots that will show just how good this lens really is.

Really, this lens is worth what you pay for it.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is one of Canon’s best deals as far L’s go. I use this on a full frame 1Ds for wide captures and on an XTi for use as a standard zoom. The F/4 aperture is something you’ll just have to work with and the image quality is very good. The lens is incredibley tough. For a cheap price you’re getting a lens that can withstand a drop from about 5 and half feet and still be good. I droped this lens on concrete – it landed on the front lens cap corner and then landed again on the rear lens cap corner. It still performs like a charm. You see.. this lens will last you an eternity.

Great IQ, Great Value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
this was purchased as a replacement for the kit lens that came with my 30D and I could not be happier that I finally did this. With my finances I could not go full bore to the 16-35II but I am completely happy with this purchase. The image quality and colours are spectacular

Amazing wide angle and walk-around lens, even on 1.6 crop factor
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The reviews thus far are correct: if you like to zoom, this will be a tough lens to get used to. That said, this lens has forced me to re-examine perspectives and become a better street/urban/casual photographer. Although the lens would seem to be slow with a max aperture of f/4, it actually lets in enough light and gets such great clarity and sharpness, I wouldn’t be discouraged by that at all. I was pleasantly amazed at the quality of pictures I took hand-held at night (shame on me for not using a tripod, I know). This is a great walk-around lens that I used for a recent trip. I didn’t want to take it off, even though I had to for some macro shots. I was tempted a few times to attach my 28-135 IS zoom lens but kept this one on and am really happy with the results. Bottom line: this lens takes SHARP pictures every you go with it. Just get used to not being able to really zoom so much as frame a picture. I plan to use it as my walk-around lens now and when I upgrade to a not-scaled down sensor, it will be a great ultra wide angle.

Think I got the wrong lens
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Hello Amazon,

Now that I have taken some pictures and compared them to my 18-55 USM lens that came as “standard” with my Canon EOS Rebel XTI, I see NO advantage or difference. I’m comparing by taking a picture, changing lenses, taking the same picture with the new “Ultra Wide Angle” USM lens that cost almost as much as my whole camera/lens/lens package, and see NO DIFFERENCE. Is this the wrong lens? The instruction manual makes no reference to “Ultra Wide Angle” anywhere. Please advise. Thank you. William

very good but would have preffered the 24-70mm f/2.8L
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a very good zoom lens. It’s definitely a Canon “L” quality. I have a Canon 300D SLR and purchased this 17-40mm plus a 50mm f/1.4 lens to cover most of my photography needs. It is also ligheter than the 24-70mm f/2.8L. However, if I could do it again, I would have gotten a 24-70 f/2.8L which is a much clearer lens and covers the whole range that I wanted.

Amazing
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is amazingly sharp and well-built. As a wedding photographer, I would highly recommend it. It is gorgeously wide, especially on a full-frame body like the 5D. Buy this lens!

My favorite lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens to use on a Canon EOS5D, full frame 12.5 Megapixel digital camera. This is my favorite lens! The expressiveness of pictures taken with it is beyond description. It bring the viewer fully into the scene, almost as a virtual reality setup. I think the best next thing would be an IMAX type lens with the appropriate displays… but that is beyond the scope of us mere mortals.

I use the lens for aerial photography and for taking pictures of my favorite subjects: airplanes. In Airventure 2007, at Oshkosh, WI, I didn’t have this lens and I lost several very interesting pictures for the lack of it. I purchased it shortly thereafter. On a recent trip on a Cirrus SR22 with a friend, I took dramatic pictures of my pilot friend doing his preflight, and once in the cockpit, doing all his clearance and pre-flight chores. The pictures do do justice to the reality of the scene, even when you take a composition of the airplane panel with the view outside the cockpit on the same picture. Some Photoshop – Shadows and Highlights – is all that is needed to bring it all into the dynamic range of the photographic papers we use.

This is my favorite lens because of its perspective, the reality view you get at the 17mm extreme. For my girlfriend, this is her favorite lens because it’s the only L-lens I have that’s below 1 pound!

NOTE: The lens hood is almost useless. Be careful with flare of the sun hitting the lens or a filter. The circular polarizer introduces weird artifacts because of the wide angle – part of the sky will be dark, part will be bright… better not use a polarizer.

The other lens I have, all L-glass from Canon:

* 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS – for the best airshow pictures you can fathom! Extremely fast lens, it works with the Autofocus on the 5D in the sub-second range, letting you use it almost as a point and shoot. Your only concern is the framing, everything else is done by the camera + lens.

* 24-70mm f/2.8 L – extremely fast, extremely sharp. Sharp as a tack! If you take portraits of women, you will need to use the “heal brush” in Photoshop a lot, this lens doesn’t forgive any wrinkles, pimples, large pores on the skin. For night scene photography, just let the camera at ISO 800 and you can do without a flash, for indoors night photography, even in an extremely dim restaurant.

* 2x Extender – OK this is not a lens but it’s an accessory that makes my 70-200mm into a 140-400mm f/5.6. AWESOME! At Airventure it’s used to take pictures of the planes at the extreme end of the runway getting ready for take off. Or for capturing the vapor trails on the leading edge of the F22 Raptors as they defy the laws of physics. For daytime use unless you have a tripod and the scene accepts a 1sec or more exposure.

chose this lens over 17-55mm f2.8
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Here is why I`ve returned the 17-55mm f2.8 and got this lens instead. This lens is solid as rock, unlike the 17-55mm which feels like a piece of plastic. Is it sharper than the 17-55mm? No, it`s not. Actually, there is little difference between the 18-55mm kit lens and 17-40mm in terms of sharpness. At the wide end, it`s almost impossible to say which one is sharper. At the long end, it`s noticible that 17-40mm is slightly sharper than the kit lens. But when it comes to colors, 17-40mm rocks. So there are two things that I love about this lens; build quality and colors. if these are what you`re looking for, go with the 17-40mm. you`ll never be dissapointed.

Just not impressed, even after 2 different lenses
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I was very excited about purchasing my first Canon “L” series lens for my 30D. I had been using my kit 18-55mm lens for some time, and figured it was time to step up to some professional glass. Unfortunately, my experience was not good at all, and I have returned the product for a refund.

When I first received the lens, I took it out for a test run. I took about 100+ shots of the skyline of Seattle. The weather was partially sunny, so some of my shots had better light than others. I used a tripod and shutter release, and tested the lens at all apertures, because I had read that there were ‘good’ and ‘bad’ versions of Canon’s lenses, so I wanted to make sure I got a good version before my return period expired.

After reviewing the pictures once I got home, I was quite disappointed. Most the pictures were unacceptably soft, especially around the edges. The best aperture range was between f/8 and f/11. The lens took horrible pictures above f/15, and anything below f/8 was pretty poor as well. I am an amateur landscape photographer, so it is important to me to have the edges just as sharp as the center of the picture. None (and I mean NONE) of my pictures were an improvement over the 30D kit lens, and in many cases (especially at the f/6 & f/7 range) the kit camera outperformed the L lens.

I called Canon’s 1-800 number in hopes that they would consider taking the lens in for calibration (I had read on several message boards that people had gone this route and were pleased with the results). However, much to my surprise, Canon was not helpful at all. I explained that this lens was producing no better pictures (and in some cases worse pictures) than my kit lens, so I asked ‘why would I spend the money on an L lens if my pictures are not improved’. Their response was that the L lens maintains an F/4 aperture at all focal lengths, this is the advantage of an L series lens. I replied that this doesn’t mean much when the best pictures are produced at f/8-f/11, and their reply was ‘sorry to hear that you are not happy with this product’. I asked if I could have the lens calibrated, and she told me that this would be unnecessary for a new lens right out of the box.

So I then contacted the 3rd party vendor that Amazon shipped the camera from, Ace Photo and Digital. I explained my issue and they offered to replace the lens. I was happy to give this a shot in hopes that my replacement lens would produce better images. I received the new lens a few days ago, and again took it for a test run. Exact same results. So I am sadly returning the lens for a refund. I appreciate Ace Photo’s assistance and thought they were very professional.

I really wanted to be pleased with this product. There are several reviews on Amazon.com stating how sharp this lens is, but I just didn’t see it in either lens I tried. Maybe I got 2 bad copies, but what are the odds of that?

you dont really get this lens..this is only for full frame dslr
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
this lens is good

very sharp

and very good

but not enough zoom range

and it is only for full frame machines

especially for film slr s

because in a crop factor dslr it is not enough and it is not wide enough..canon 10-22 is more good than this

for a full frame there is some vignettint issues and corner softness..so this is only good for film slr

if you have rebel series or 20d 30 d go with canon 10-22

if you have film slr buy this lens

Great lens but quite hefty
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Bought this lens for a digital rebel xti and it works great. Nice pictures, great for close-ups, fast autofocus but it is a rather large lens.

buyers read this
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I am frankly quite disappointed with the overall experience… coupled with the digital rebel xt, this $650 lens wont give you any more sharpness than the 50mm f/1.8 which runs at about $70. Further, at 17mm (27.2mm equivalent on the xt) the wide angle distortion is very visible…Also between 35-40mm, the lens’ transmitted contrast degrades very fast (look at the MTF charts on canon’s website). Further, in low light conditions, the f/4 isn’t very helpful…The UV filter runs at about $40. This $700 experience isn’t very pleasing. You don’t get what you pay for at all.

Not impressed at all
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This is my least favorite lens and I would strongly suggest not purchasing it. I photograph weddings and parties, and have used this lens a LOT. It almost totally lacks color saturation, contrast and sharpness. Almost every picture that I have taken with this lens needs some serious tweaking in Photoshop. If you are looking for a wide angle lens, I would urge you to go with the primes. Every prime I have is far sharper than this lens, and EACH take much better photos in terms of color, contrast, etc. I realize that the primes lack the ease of zooming, but they take much better pictures. To me, that’s all that matters. Zoom with your feet!

Two Nations Tour
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
“Great lense and very sturdy. I bought it for our to trip to Seattle, Victoria, and Vancuvar. It took great pictures. A bit pricy, but no regrets. Now I want to buy the telephoto lense.”

Great piece of equipment
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I can’t tell you how glad I am to have finally purchased an “L” series lens. If you are considering upgrading from a Digital Rebel to a 20D or 30D you should definitely try the 17 – 40 L to be sure the quality you have been looking for is not a shortcoming in your current lenses versus you needing a new camera. I did buy a 30D at the same time, and it’s a fantastic purchase, also, but my old 300D takes great shots with the “L” lens. I take the 300D with me instead of the 30D to anywhere remotely dangerous and am always happy with the results.

This is my favorite Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I like landscape and interior photography and this is definitely my favorite lens of those I own; with the 10D’s 1.6 crop factor this lens has a nice equivalent range of 27.2mm – 64mm.

I use it all the time and the images are nice and sharp–considerably better than the images I got from the Sigma 14mm.

If you’re into portraits 64mm (with a 1.6 crop factor) is maybe a bit too short but for landscapes and interiors I would highly recommend this lens. I love it.

Worth every penny!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great lens for the beginner as well as for the seasoned pro. Razor sharp images.

GREAT COLOURS GREAT LENS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I TRIED THEM ALL FOR MY 350 XT REBEL,THE TAMRON 18-200 AND THE TAMRON 28- 75, THE CANON EF-S 17-85, THIS LENS 17-40mm f/4L IS EASILY THE BEST IN QUALITY OF PICTURES AND EVERYTHING ELSE

TOOK ME 3 MONTHS OF TRYING DIFFERENT LENS THIS IS MY FIRST L LENS AND I’M SOLD. PROBABLY WILL GET THE EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L

THIS LENS IS LIGHTER THAN THE OTHERS TOO ALSO IF YOU HAVE A FILM CAMERA YOU HAVE ONE OF THE BEST WIDE ANGLES OUT THERE! CANT DO THAT WITH YOUR EFS LENS & TAMRON 18-200 AS THEY ARE FOR DIGITAL ONLY. COMES WITH LENS HOOD A BIT UGLY, AND NICE LENS POUCH.

Simply worth it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens to replace the kit lens I got with my RebelXT, all I can say is that it’s worth every dollar i paid.

Sharp, fast Auto Focus, great build, looks good, feels good and delivers the quality image I expect from an “L” series lens. This is my second “L” lens and both have delivered handsomely.

Great Lens and very sharp
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had this fabulous lens for 2 months now. This is my second lens in Canon’s line up of L lenses. I have a 70-200 f4 non-IS also. This is my first wide angle zoom L lens and i have come to know what i have been missing. Till now the widest lens i had was a 50mm f2.5 macro and 50 f1.8. Although on a 1.6x sensor like 20D which i own, this lens is not so wide it performs excellently. The focusing is very fast, sharp crisp images and consistent quality as the aperture range remains the same throughout the entire zoom. This may not be suitable for some the semi-pros or pros since its a little slow being f4, i would recommend this to anyone who does serious photography as a hobby. In indoors too it performs flawlessly. Most of the time i dont use a tripod and its difficult to maintain a fast enough shutter speed especially with aperture more than 8. so if you are like me, then you may want to take a look at the 17-85 IS or the 17-55 IS since the IS compensates atleast 2 stops in low light for hand holding. But if its outdoor then u can easily handhold this and shoot some great photos in good lighting conditions. Also i would like to mention that being a L lens this is a little heavy because of its solid construction. Its also big compared to the other startup lenses. It takes 77mm filters and it can be used even on full frame cameras like 5D. hope you enjoy this lens as much as i am doing.

Great lens for many different types of shots
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens offers a fast lens with just the right amount of wide-angle. I’ve been using it for landscaping shots, up close, action, low light and its really impressed me. I would recommend this lens to anyone who wants to take their photography to the next level.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an ultra crisp lens. I have been using it for almost all shots now, with the exception of macros.

Wonderful step into the L world!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens to accompany my new 50D. The first thing I will note is the amazing improvement upon image quality when moving from the 18-55mm IS kit lens to this one. As there is quite a bit of difference in build quality as well as price range, that should come as no surprise.

If you are shooting with a crop body camera, Rebel/XXXD or xxD body. The extra range on the short end of this lens becomes really important when shooting group pictures, landscapes, or your shooting space is really tight. The difference seen between having 17mm at the short end and 24/28mm is really REALLY noticable and allows you to get some landscape and close quarter pictures, you might not have been able to take.

As far as build quality goes, the lens is VERY solid. Metal construction with LD glass elements and very smooth focus USM motor and like butter zoom ring, it all just feels wonderful to use. You will definitely notice a difference if you try to use a lower quality lens.

Optical quality is amazing. As the sensor on the 50D is very dense, it becomes easy to see the flaws in lower quality glass. This is not the case with the 17-40L. Though I would have like to be able to get the extra f stop that comes with the 16-35mm 2.8L , the decrease in weight and the HUGE decrease in price makes the 17-40L a better deal for me. After all, the bokeh becomes the only reason that the fstop is so important(i wouldn’t discredit this because smooth bokeh makes portaits great) , as the difference between f4 and f2.8 is going from about ISO 200 to ISO 400, and with the dramatic increases in high ISO perfomance, it is likely you will not greatly notice the difference. If lighting is THAT bad, you should really be using a fast prime, such as the 50mm 1.4 or an external flash.

The EF mount makes it easy for one to make a switch to full frame camera in the future and will leave you with a very useful ULTRA-WIDE lens on FF cameras.

Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase, and if given the opportunity to purchase again, I would happily do so. In the future I plan on paring this lens with a 70-200 f4 L which I understand is one of the best priced and best value canon lenses made.

Must-Have for APS-C Cameras
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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.

Strong lens for the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For the money I don’t think there is a better lens. It is very sharp and focuses very fast. It is weather sealed and has a rubber gasket that seals the lens mount on the camera. It is a bit slow at f/4, but given the cost of the 16-35 f/2.8 lens I can deal with it.

Great start to the L series addiction!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first L lens, and as others have said in these reviews, it certainly causes an addiction to the highest quality glass Canon has to deliver. Everything said about quality in the image and focus speeds is correct, as this lens in amazing!

My only fault with this lens is that a 17-40mm range is just not good enough to be a full-time walkabout lens, but I knew this before getting it. My current use for it is as a lens on my second camera that hangs from my shoulder as I shoot events, and an excellent lens it is for that purpose! I suppose, paired with the 70-200/f4L it would work great, but you see there this is more of a combo lens than a solo workhorse, at least in my opinion. Fortunately, carrying two cameras is something a lot of photographers already do, and using this lens as part of a combo team just makes you even stronger with your capabilities as a photographer.

Know what you need first, but if you want it, get it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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.

Great value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is really sharp and feels really solid. Weather sealing is a nice touch too. I would have gotten the 16-35 f2.8 if i could afford it, but i don’t regret getting this one a bit. Besides, if you want a lens for landscapes, you won’t need something at f2.8 anyway. Save the money and get a fast prime for low light stuff.

Not for use with Built in Flash
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is a great lens if you do not plan to use it with a built-in flash. I actually returned this lens because it casts a large shadow when used with the built in flash. If you don’t use flash or have an external flash you will love this lens – especially if you miss the full-frame in your canon digital…

Light and a pleasure to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
01-03-2009 Canon 5D Mark II use update”

A so so walk around lens on my 40D becomes a wide angle monster on my Canon 5D Mark II. This lens is soft wide open at F/4 but sharpens up noticeably at F/4.5 and becomes a super wide angle take it all in landscape and interior monster when stopped down to F/9 on a Canon 5D Mark II. This is a lens I always carry with me now since I never know when I might see a wide angle opportunity. Doesn’t have the you are there feeling when viewing the photos on my iMac as much as the Canon 85mm F/1.2 II L or Canon 100-400 IS L lenses but it’s closer to perfection then you will ever see on a cropped sensor camera. I keep hoping that Canon will make a wide angle zoom that matches the performance of my Canon 100-400 IS L zoom lens. The 24-70 F/2.8 seems pretty similar in performance as the 17-40 it’s just faster and has more reach. I normally prefer the 17-40 F/4 L over the 24-70 on the 5D Mark II unless I am shooting weddings and then I carry both with me.

Pros:

Very nice lens bag included

Center is sharp even at F/4

Love that high quality L Lens build

Lens hood included and easy to install

Great contrast, beautiful rich color images

Super quiet and super fast USM auto focus

Great landscape lens super sharp at F/8 and 17mm

Good walk around lens for cropped sensor camera, ultra wide lens when used on a full frame sensor camera.

This lens has Auto Lens Vignetting correction using peripheral Illumination control see Auto Vignetting comments below

Buttery smooth zoom and manual focus rings

Fits all Canon EOS cameras including full frame film and 5D

First copy I got was good to go with no quality control issues

Sharper on the wide end 17 to 24mm then Canon EF-S 17-55 F/2.8 IS and Canon 24-70 F/2.8 L but much softer then them on the narrow end 40mm.

Cons:

Only F4, wish it was F2.8 or even F3.5

Lens Hood is very bulky and hard to store

Rather narrow 17-40 zoom range: 17-55 would have been nicer

Very soft wide open in the corners, sharpens a lot at F/4.5

Could be sharper on the corners on the narrow end 24mm to 40mm and wide open

First impressions:

If you are an older photographer like me you remember the good ole days when all SLR 35mm style lens had a quality feel to them. Built to last forever with smooth zoom and focusing and they came with a lens hood and carrying bag. Details included a built in lens focusing scale in both feet (green lettering) and meters (white lettering) and an infrared scale adjustment in red lettering. The lens mounted to the camera body with a precision feel like the two were actually made by experienced craftsman who actually cared about the product they were creating. It’s a great quality feel that you can get used to. With this Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens that’s exactly what you are getting, a finally crafted functional work of art.

I never cease to be amazed at USM auto focus, so quiet, so fast, so accurate, so useful with the auto-focus manual focus override without turning off the auto focus. I shoot both wild life and weddings both of which require at times the camera be as quiet as possible up to the moment you shoot. This lens delivers; I can barely hear it focus even with my ear against the lens and can not hear it focus at all only a couple of feet from the lens.

Decisions Decisions:

Like a lot of other people I was looking to upgrade my basic Kit 18-55 lens (very soft muddy lens) I got with my Canon Rebel XTi camera. And like a lot of people I wanted a lens that I would never outgrow or tire of or wear out. I take a lot of photos and frequently upgrade camera bodies and wanted a lens that will also work on a full frame camera like the 5D.

I had borrowed a friends 17-70 Sigma and it was really sharp and for the money (less then half the price of the Canon 17-40) I thought I would try one even though it wouldn’t work on a full frame camera. I went through three copies and all were bad before deciding to go back to the 17-40. Man what a great decision going with the Canon 17-40. Thanks to 47th Street photo for being so nice about the whole return twice then later upgrade from Sigma to Canon situation. I only had to pay return shipping.

Testing:

When I received my new Canon 17-40 I took it out, mounted it on my Canon Rebel XTi and mounted the camera on a tripod, put on a remote release, set the camera to mirror lockup mode, Aperture Propriety at F8, 28mm zoom and tested it both against my friends Sigma 17-70 and my own basic Canon 18-55 kit lens. The 17-40 absolutely blew the kit lens out of the water: in sharpness, contrast and richness of color. Then I tried it against the Sigma which I thought was a sharp lens and the Canon 17-40 was sharper and had more contrast then the Sigma. Then I set it to 40mm and shot against my Canon 50mm F1.8 II lens which I thought was pretty sharp and it was better then it as well. I then tried the lens in various conditions and settings and all extremes both indoors and out with and without flash. I also own a Canon 70-200 F2.8 L and it’s sharper then it as well at some settings.

I was very pleased to find out that the very first copy of this lens right out of the box was sharp enough and auto focus was right on the money!

Auto Vignetting peripheral illumination control:

Canon has this super sweet Auto Lens Vignetting correction that works with this lens both in camera with JPEG’s and in RAW using peripheral Illumination control in Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) when using newer Canon digital EOS cameras (Canon Rebel XSi, 40D, 5D Mark II etc.) . No more vignetting when shooting wide open!!! When shooting Raw open the file(s) in DPP and click on NR/Lens Lens Aberration Correction / Tune and click on Peripheral illumination. The cameras listed above have already picked up the amount of vignetting based on focusing distance, zoom setting and F stop from the lens and the camera has saved the information with the Raw file. You can then adjust the amount under Peripheral Illumination if you don’t like the amount automatically suggested. If you shot JPEG then you get the auto amount. SWEET!!!

Conclusion:

If you want THE best wide angle L lens to use on both cropped and ultra wide for full sized sensor Canon EOS camera bodies this is it. It’s dual purpose capabilities both as a normal walk around zoom (27mm to 64mm) on cropped sensor cameras and ultra wide zoom (17mm to 40mm) on full sized sensors make it a very versatile lens you won’t out grow.

I am very pleased and heartily recommend the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens.

12-4-2007 Update

I love this lens more then ever and I use it here at work a lot. Since I take photos usually tripod mounted with a small depth of field F-8 to F-11 and shoot a lot in the 17 – 28mm zoom range this lens really fits the bill when mounted on my Canon Rebel XTi. I continue to be impressed with the sharp high contrast photos and the super fast auto focus.

One note of warning, this lens sticks out especially without the lens hood on. I have since taken to having a lens filter mounted on it (B & W 77mm UV (Ultra Violet) Haze Multi Coated (2C) Glass Filter #010) to protect it although it seems to really degrade the sharpness and to some extent the contrast colors of the image. I’m hoping to find a filter that does not degrade the image at all and am doing tests at all the local camera stores to try and find one. Will post here when I find a great filter as I would like to buy one for my Canon 70- 200 to protect it as well and since it’s the same filter size I could even switch back and forth. For now when I have the lens tripod mounted and want the best image quality I remove the filter and when I am just walking around I leave the filter in place.

Filter Update 1-3-2008

After much searching I found the perfect filter. The Hoya Multi Coat HMC Pro1 Protection filter is not supposed to filter the shot just protect the front lens element. I was very worried that it would affect the shot after having tried some other premium filters like the B+W UV which caused the photos to be softer and duller. However, after some tests I found that in some weird way the Hoya Multi Coat HMC Pro1 actually makes the photos seem to have just a little more contrast and be a little sharper then without. I thought I had gotten the test shots backwards and had to retest with a little sign in the photo saying with and without filter in place just to make sure. Really amazing!!! I’m sold!

3-28-2008

Well, it was one of the sharpest lens I own. Now I have a different standard as it’s been surpassed by the Canon EF-S 17-55 F/2.8 IS lens which is sharper at the narrow end 24-40mm at every equal setting and by my Canon 135mm F/2 L and Canon 85mm F/1.2 L II. But I still love this lens and I am going to keep it and it is very sharp on the wide end 17mm even at F4.5. I plan to use it for ultra wide angle when Canon finally releases their Canon 5D replacement whenever that is. I also still use it on my Canon 40D and Rebel XTi when I am in dusty areas because of the weather sealing. And the zoom action is so smooth I wish the 17-55 F/2.8 had this zoom action. Still the colors are bright and it’s pretty sharp and its small and light!

4-17-2008 Update

I still love this lens and use it for motorcycle rides and hiking where it’s light weight and weather tight seal come in handy. Plus I found that you can get an image very sharp if you process it using the Canon Digital Photo Professional that came with you camera. I also use as a backup at weddings and for out door wide angle wedding shots and landscapes.

9-22-2008 Update:

I’m getting ready to purchase or lease the new Canon 5D Mark II and boy oh boy is this 17-40 L lens going to come in handy. One of the first places I want to take the happy couple is to the Grand Canyon. 17mm at F/10 tripod mounted oh YEAH!!! True wide angle bliss!!!

10-07-2008 Update:

I recently had a question as to why I bought the Canon 17-40 F/4 L lens instead of the Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens. All EF-S lenses only work on cropped sensor cameras (Rebels, 40D, 50D etc). I have ordered a new 5D Mark II full frame sensor which can not use the EF-S 10-22mm lens. A full frame sensor camera makes the 17-40 lens at 17mm as wide as the 10-22 zoom is when the 10-22 is set at 11mm. So there is only a 1 mm advantage with the EF-S 10-22 on a cropped sensor camera vs the 17-40 on a full frame sensor camera. And the 17-40 has a much wider zoom range about double in fact.

So bottom line on the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 vs the EF 17-40mm F/4 L if you only plan on using a cropped sensor camera then the EF-S 10-22mm lens could be the right lens for you. However, if you are planning on moving up to a full frame sensor camera like the 5D or 5D Mark II then you can use the 17-40 L lens now with your cropped sensor camera as a walk around lens (it just won’t be as wide) and then when you get a full frame sensor camera you will have all the wide angle glory and still be able to use the lens on both cameras. If you never plan on buying full frame and want super wide angle you should go with the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5.

10-17-2008 Update:

I’ve noticed this lens is very SOFT in the corners wide open at F/4.0. Which is OK if you are looking for that say when shooting a wedding but not good when shooting landscapes. But sharpens up a lot in the corners by going to F/4.5 and is as sharp as it’s going to get by around F/8 where it seems about as sharp as any zoom I have and is approaching the sharpness of a prime lens at 17mm.

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my best lens so far
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have these lens for less than a month now and whenever I go out I want to take great pictures, I make sure I have this lens on my camera I wont even think of using other lens like the other day I was completely disappointed with the pictures, now I have to redo the shot again, you can check the pictures I upload and rate it the best you can. This L lens made me look good and professional try to have it if you can afford it its worth the time your out there shooting when you upload and check your picture you wont be dissapointed

Versatility on the Cheap
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
No one lens accomplishes every photographic objective. Canon makes each lens at every price point well-suited to various tasks, but with limitations that can only be overcome by graduating to the next higher priced but similar item. A case in point: the wide-angle zooms.

The 17-40mm f/4 is one of Canon’s best deals in L-series glass. You have to spend twice as much to get a lens of similar quality, but just one stop faster. Does this make the more-expensive EF 16-35 f/2.8L a ripoff? Not for its own specific use: the extra stop gives you the speed to shoot in more indoor situations. Not all photographers need this. When indoors, we’re often taking pictures of people, which are better suited to lengths around 50-100mm. To capture sweeping panoramas of parlors for Architectural Digest (or Coldwell Banker) the f/2.8 is the better lens and worth the step up in price, though in many cases you could use the f/4 lens with a tripod. All this means is that the f/2.8 is priced for professional specialists whereas the f/4 is for more general use. My bigger point is that Canon has its whole lineup positioned: the differences across lenses are specific and appropriately priced, which is good news for the consumer. It’s hard to make a mistake buying homegrown Canon lenses, especially L-series lenses. You just have to figure out which set of two or three suits your range of uses.

The 17-40mm is a steal for people who need a walkaround lens for travel and outdoor photography. The shorter focal lengths of the zoom are great on a digital body, with nice reach and minimal distortion; just an ability to grab up landscape and wide situations end-to-end, even when standing close. The focal lengths around 40mm are tight enough for portraits and other local detail. Colors are strong and convincing; contrast deep and impactful. The lens itself is small enough and light enough to grab-and-go, but nicely machined, with solid fit and finish. It has an instantly recognizable profile, with the added bonus of the red ring.

This lens, plus a 70-200mm f/2.8 telescope and a nice fast fixed lens in the range betwixt are all you need. On vacation, and in most outdoor situations, the 17-40mm alone suffices. It makes a good first L-lens, and a staple in the arsenal.

Perfect Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Unfortunately Canon does not have perfect QA, and some of us getting bad copies… or maybe body+lens do not much by some reason. I recommend sending body and lens for calibration if you get sharpness less than perfect. It is simply as sharp as 35mm f/1.4L at f5.6-f11.

I`ve used it on 5D for over 6 months. For the price it is an exceptional performer, some corner softness and distortion at 17-24mm, some vignetting and CA wide open :: nothing to worry about, especially at half price of 16-35mm.

great canon lense
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
great lense for any photographer shooting canon slr’s.This high quality L-series lense will give you that crispness that makes a great picture. Would recomend to anyone looking to upgrade from tamron, sigma or canon kit lenses. Great results.

Walkaround for 40D
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I like many others who got their hands on a 40D considered the 28-135 for a walkaround lens. As good a lens as that is, I decided instead to opt for my first L lens – the 17-40. As soon as I had a chance to review my first photos I knew I had made the right decision. My 17-40 is incredibly sharp, the bokeh at f4 is excellent, and the colors are perfect. Obviously I lose a lot of range on the long end but gain quite a bit on the wide end. I have found it to be a good combination with the 430EX flash for inside photos (watch the white balance). Outside, it is my everyday choice for walking around, sometimes requiring me to move physically closer to subjects (that is a good thing). The 17-40 also means that my next “L” purchase will be the 70-200 f4, 70-200 f4 IS, or the near perfect 135. One of those, combined with the 17-40 and 50 1.4 will meet almost all of my needs. The 17-40 is a wonderful lens and well worth the investment, especially if you are an amateur lucky enough to have a 40D.

Not too impressed…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This lens takes pictures as though the lens has a cataract. I know it’s not a prime, but I would think for an L series, it would take better pictures. I have a prime 20mm & 50mm F/1.4 which takes razor sharp pics in comparison.

I just read another review which states Canon sometimes ships lemons which need adjustments. I will be contacting Canon and give an update on the outcome.

On a side note… This lens feels very well made, is light, short, and ultra fast. I just wish is was sharp.

Value, quality and lightweight
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Having owned the distortion-prone Nikkor AFS 17-35 f2.8D for six years, it was time to switch over to Canon’s EF 17-40 mm f4L USM. Canon’s version was over a $1000 cheaper, optically superior and lighter in weight. For me, an outstanding standard lens when coupled with the Canon 5D.

Vignetting at f4 is minimal. Adobe Photoshop CS2′s vignetting tool can correct the vignetting.

Distortion at 17mm is minimal. Less than Canon’s EF 16-35 mm f2.8L USM set at 16 mm.

With the 5D pointed at a blue sky, the EF 17-40 hunted for a focus point while the EF 16-35 didn’t.

Flaring is minimal when compared to the EF 16-35.

Portraits taken at 40 mm produced better results than the EF 16-35 and AFS 17-35 at 35 mm.

Images produced at f4 are sharp. At f8, the images are very sharp.

This lens is a definite keeper.

UPDATE (13-July-2007): Please see some of the images taken with this lens.

Couldn’t Be More Pleased
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Just about every thing that can be said about this lens already has been said, and yes it is as good as it sounds.I just received this lens yesterday, Christmas present to myself. I have drooled over this lens for six months and finally couldn’t stand it any longer. Went out early this morning and took about 100 shots. It was worth the wait and the bucks. I plan to move up to a Canon 5D within the next six months or so and this will be a great lens for the full frame camera, I currently have a Canon 350D which is a good camera for the money, but I miss the full frame of 35mm film cameras.

All I can say is,if you want it, get it, you won’t be sorry. This is my second L glass lens, the other is a 70-200mm f/4L USM. It looks like there will be more L glass in the future, as soon as I can scrape up the extra bucks.

Thanks Amazon for the reliable next day shipping. I have ordered a lot of camera eqipment from Amazon and they have never let me down yet.

Great Lens, but not sure if Gray market version
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Hi,

The Lens itself is really excellent. When I received it, I wasnt sure if it was a gray market or US made. I only wanted a US made lens, to avoid all the warrantly issues with the gray market. I returned the lens back to amazon, and got the exact same copy from BH.

As termns of quality, its overall excellent. The built is perfect, size not too large, and picture quality is sharp. When photographing people, I wouldnt recommend shooting at 17mm, since it distorts quiet a lot I thought. Once you get around 24mm, its excellent. For outdoors, the lens is amazing. I use it on canon 30D, and the wide angle is perfect. Obviously, if shooting with a tripod, a lower F stop will give sharper results. F11 is awesome.

I’m not really sure if amazon sells US or gray market versions, but since I couldnt find any info on the site, I decided to play it safe. I also got 70-200 F/4 and its definitely US version. The guy at BH told me, that US models have 3 serial Numbers listed in a row on the box, and Gray market versions only have two.

Canon doesn’t warranty Gray market lenses, but you’ll just have to pay for it.

Legendary Canon lens lives up to its name
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been an amateur/professional photographer for years and have used dozens of lenses. The 17-40 f/4L is amazing. Extremely sharp and a great range of zoom no matter if you’re on a 1.6 crop factor or full frame. I have had absolutely no complaints about this lens and I have found no fault. My only words of advice are to slap a high-quality (B+W or heliopan or top of the line hoyas) UV filter on the front to protect the front element, that’s about it.

Enjoy this lens guys, can’t go wrong with it.

well worth the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this as a wideangle lense for my Canon 20D and its just as great as everyone told me it would be.

this was well worth the money.

Cheated by Amazon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Order place on Amazon was canceled by merchant – “Photoworld” without any valid reason. Called Amazon but was given the standard answer that they are not able do anything. Essentially, Amazon is allowing untrustworthy vendor to sell item on its website and will not take any responsibility to protect its customers.

My walkaround lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The walkaround lens. This very topic leads to a heated discussion among DSLR photographers.

First, determine your budget, focal length, and aperture needs.

If you frequently find yourself zooming out to get everything in a frame, you will want a wide angle lens such as this. If you frequently find yourself zooming in, this is not the lens for you. On a full frame body such as Canon EOS 5D, this lens becomes ULTRA wide angle. On an APS-C crop body such as Digital Rebel XTi (which I used for this review), it becomes MEDIUM wide angle. But thanks to 1.6x crop factor, this lens expands to more usable 35mm equivalent focal length of 27 to 64mm.

Second, audition the lens if you can.

By definition, a walkaround lens should be relatively portable. At 1.1 lbs., Canon’s EF 17-40mm f/4L USM is neither super light nor neck breakingly heavy. In fact, it weighs almost the same as Digital Rebel XTi — really nice balance. The lens feels very solid with supreme build quality that only L-series lenses offer. Although this lens is weather proof and therefore sealed against liquid and dust, I strongly recommend getting a 77mm filter to protect the front lens element. With it, this lens is made to last.

In terms of looks and feel, it doesn’t get much better. Its rubberized full-time inner focus manual ring USM focuses smoothly, quietly, and quickly. Since it’s inner focus, the lens will not extend beyond its metal casing whether you zoom in or out. The focus window shows focusing distance from 0.28 meter (0.92 feet) to infinity. The focal length marker indicates 17, 20, 24, 28, 35, and 40mm. The lens exudes quality from tip to tip.

You may tolerate heavier lens or may not mind lesser build quality of cheaper lenses. A walkaround lens will be used very often, so make sure you will be comfortable with it.

This lens is famous for saturated color and deep contrast. Its images are simply stunning. At 17mm wide angle, barrel distortion is noticeable but relatively mild. From 24mm to 40mm, its images are distortion free and perfectly suited at capturing people.

Vignetting (corner darkness) is minimal with mild chroma abberrations (color shadows). At f/4 aperture, details become noticeably softer toward the edges. The center region is very sharp and at f/5.6, edges remain fairy sharp. Thanks to 7 diaphragm blades, this lens can produce very nice bokeh at 40mm (blur effects).

One of the most cited weaknesses is the f/4 aperture. In my experience, a bump in the ISO speed and steady hands are all you need to take well focused images indoor. On the other hand, if you are shooting with very little amount of light, you might wish for f/2.8 or image stabilizer. Although the difference between f/4 and f/2.8 is just 1 stop, my other lens, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM (too heavy to be my walkaround lens) easily outperforms in such challenging situations. But by and large, I was not handicapped by the f/4 aperture.

Some of the main competitions (sorted by price):

- Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC macro: Good zoom range with macro, and generally solid performance if you can get a good sample. It does suffer from a bit slow focus mechanism, soft corner, and chroma aberrations. Works only with EF-S mount.

- Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC: Very good value for f/2.8 aperture, but Tamron’s 17-50mm is a bit better lens overall. Works only with EF-S mount.

- Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM: This “traveler’s lens” has a wider focal range than most wide angle lenses (widest among Canon) and is equipped with an image stabilizer. While it is a Jack of many trades, it is the master of none. Every lenses on this list will perform better at particular focal length. Then again, none of the lenses on this list has as wide focal range. It is famous for extreme barrel distortion at 17mm and chroma aberrations. Works only with EF-S mount.

- Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF): This is the most direct competitor. It takes sharper images with faster aperture while costing less. Both the build and focus mechanism are significantly worse, but should be good enough for many. Works only with EF-S mount.

- Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM: This is THE reference, if you can afford it. Its images have razor sharp details and great performance all around (minus vignetting, which is typical of EF-S lenses). The build quality is worse than L-series but still pretty good. Works only with EF-S mount. This is the best EF-S lens hands down.

- Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM: One of the most expensive wide angle zoom lenses. It’s larger and heavier, but has f/2.8 aperture.

This is how Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 USM stacks up.

Pros:

- Among the very best build quality.

- Excellent, buttery smooth, super fast front-focus system.

- Top notch color and contrast. Very sharp center resolution.

- Almost non-existent vignetting, generally low distortion, and well controlled chroma abberrations.

- Ideal weight and size for walkaround purpose

Cons:

- Edge softness at f/4 aperture.

- Narrower focal length than most competing lenses.

- Slower than some third party lenses.

All in all, this is an excellent wide angle walkaround lens. It may not offer the most bang for the buck, but if you value full frame compatibility (EF lens mount) and excellent build quality, this is the default choice. This lens comes with a nice pouch and a lens hood. I find the hood to be somewhat ridiculously shaped and because the lens is resistant to flare, I do not use it often when shooting outdoor.

I’m happy.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I debated for quite a while between this lens and the 17-55 f/2.8 EF-S IS. I’m still drooling over that lens, but what it came down to in the end was my plan to upgrade to the 5D when, and if the Mark II is released. Of course, the other lens that could have made the decision even more difficult is the 16-35 f/2.8L, but it was way out of my price range.

I’m happy with my choice. The lens is well built and sharp. If I have any complaints it would be CA. This lens does tend to show a bit of color fringing, but nothing and extra five seconds in raw processing can’t fix. So I guess that point is moot.

Overall, this is a good lens. Well worth the money. Especially at this price.

Only decent in comparison to other L’s
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
(I really want to give this lens 3.5 stars)

This review is written from the viewpoint of someone whom has used many L-class lenses, and as such will be a little harder on this piece of glass. If you’ve never used a Canon L lens and you purchase this one, I guarantee you’ll be quite pleased with your purchase. But this review is really meant for those who own other L glass pieces and are looking into adding this one to their collection.

The good:

L glass tends to mean some heavy-weight glass, however this lens is surprisingly light and small. In fact, it is the smallest/lightest L zoom Canon makes. You find yourself more likely to take it to places where there may not be much of a projected photo opportunity or where there is a higher risk in damaged gear due to its unobtrusive size. It really is one of those few L lenses that you can casually walk around with and not garner much for attention.

As with all L-glass, this ones very solidly constructed. It has a simplicity of design that minimizes risk to moving parts from shock. It is well-balanced and just feels like a tight glass package.

The lens performs very well in color and contrast. Natural saturation is excellent, easily on par with the L expectation. The color and saturation of this lens sits somewhere between the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS and the 24-70mm f/2.8.

I initially thought that the zoom range would be constraining (a mere 23mm of range?), but in reality the lens is fairly versatile. This especially true on a 1.6 FOVCF body (20D, 30D, 350D, 400D, etc), where the range is more like that of a normal zoom, at the cost of the super-wide advantage. The lens handles pretty much all composition tasks except those of a telephoto or 1.0x macro. You won’t be disappointed in the zoom versatility.

Price. This like, what, the second cheapest L lens available. For those whom are very accustomed to purchasing/collecting L lenses, anything under a thousand dollars really is considered on the cheap side. If this is your first L purchase, this lens or the 70-200mm F/4L are your places to start.

Flare. There’s practically none.

Cons: (there’s only one, but its a biggie)

Sharpness. This is by far my biggest qualm, and what makes me frown a little at this lens for its L designation. It’s nowhere near that of other lenses. One of the biggest uses for this lens is landscape photography, where objects appear very distant and sharpness becomes crucial. 24mm at f/4 on this lens is easily less sharp than 24mm at f/2.8 (!) on the 24-70 f/2.8L. And as a little investigation will reveal, this probelm is also somewhat appearant on the 16-35mm f/2.8L (although it seems less pronounced). 100% crop comparisons of this lens to other lenses such as the 180mm f/3.5L is simply a joke.

Other:

This lens utilizes slight movement of the front element, so it is advised by pretty much everyone that a UV filter be purchased (77mm filter size). I add to that by saying: buy only the Multi-coated from B+W or Hoya if you’re shooting digital. Yes, they’re usually somewhere around eighty bucks, but spending forty on something that will bring you ghosting/contrast woes is not worth it.

The hood of this lens is hilarious. It’s almost five inches wide and maybe an inch and a half tall. I simply don’t use it (I can’t geometrically see how it helps. I think it may be something of a feel-good-hood if you’re not consiencious about flare.) The lens is less conspicuous without it and I really don’t have a flare problem.

Conclusion

I’m really not satisfied with the sharpness issue. It seems at least somewhat appearant on almost all Canon’s lenses below 35mm. (Except for the 24-70 and 24-105, which is odd). I think they’re still working out their wide-angle formula. Appearantly, the new 17-55mm f/2.8 is supposed to be sharper than both the 17-40 and 16-35, so they are probably on the right track of improving the issue.

In the end, if you’ve never used L glass and are considering this one, buy it. You will be very pleased, I assure you. But if you own a good deal of L glass, you may want to hold off from this one and wait for Canon to improve their optics. You may find yourself like me, using other L pieces and only using this one when I absolutely have to.

fantastic lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Even 2 years ago the 17-40 L Canon lens was reserved for professional photographers because of its high price. Now it became available also for amatours. It’s an amazing lens. Any picture taken with it its just fantastic. The colors, the sharpness, the quality its just beyond other lenses. “L” form canon holds its quality. I highly reccomend this lens for all photographers for whom taking pictures is more than just a hobby. IT’S DEFINITELY WORTH ITS PRICE!!!

Top quality lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
An earlier reviewer gave this lens only one star. He may have been incredibly unlucky to get two bad samples, or perhaps his AF was failing to find precise focus.

I do not own this lens, but had the pleasure of using it for a week with a borrowed EOS 1D Mark II when that camera first came on the market. I found that it gave extraordinarily sharp results, with little light fall off in the corners, hardly any propensity to flare, and virtually undetectable chromatic abberation. The only duff results were entirely attributable to my poor technique. Considering the quality of construction and focal length range it is lighter than you might expect. On top of all that it is sealed against water and dust.

It will be the SECOND lens I buy when I eventually decide on which of the EOS bodies is best suited to my type of photography (the first being the new 70-200 f/4L IS USM)

Favorite of my “Ls”
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I own a few L’s now: the 17-40, a 24-105 and the new 70-200/4IS. This is on a par or better than all the others. Yeah, the 70-200 is really, really hard to beat, but my goodness. The sharpness, color and contrast of this lens has to be seen to be believed. Really.

I bought mine secondhand and it was a refurb. (Personally, I love refurb items of all kinds – I know the kinks are worked out!) This is just an incredible lens! Some may poo-poo the max f4, but I’ve used it indoors with no flash at iso800 and been handsomely rewarded for my efforts.

Absolutely a superb lens.

Nice glass, well made.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you are going to purchase this lens then you have read the reviews. It is all that people say. F/4 is a little slow but it is a short lens so low light shots hand held are possible with a steady hand. Great build, nice weight, great lens.

Back from a week at Disney: I love this lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just got back from a week in Florida – the reason I bought this lens. I wanted a light wide angle that also had some zoom. This was the only lens I put in my small camera bag each morning because it took the best pictures. The weight was perfect for walking around with it 12 hours a day – I did not experience neck or shoulder problems once (a problem I have). The pictures were fantastic even though the weather was rainy and dreary the entire time we were there (another plus – I felt confident that the lens would keep the damp out). I am still processing the 900+ photos I shot with this lens over the week. If I had to pick one thing to praise it would be the richness of the colors. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a longer zoom. On the other hand, the wideness made up for it. I took photos of a parade at night, and could get entire floats in the shot. *That* is what I was looking for. It hasn’t been off my XTi since.

====my original review====

I struggled for weeks, maybe months, on the lens to buy to replace my kit lens, something light enough that I won’t want to leave it at home when I’m going out for the day. I rented a lens that ended up feeling like it was 100 pounds, and I just didn’t think the photos were impressive enough to pay upwards of a thousand dollars.

I visited lens-specific flickr groups to look for the photos that jumped out at me the most. Everything I saw on a 17-40mm group jumped out at me, and I took a chance on this lens, even though 40mm seemed a little short and it didn’t have IS. But I am SO thrilled with this lens, that I have forgiven it for not having IS, and if I need to take photos inside, I’ll use my 50mm f/1.4. I have realized that you just can’t find one lens that will meet the need of every shooting situation. I’m extremely happy with my purchase.

10-22 vs 17-40
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I traded in my EF-S 10-22 for this one, realizing how often I switched back and forth between 10-22 and 24-70. I took some stats in fact, and it turns out I stay mostly between 17-35 range, and never really go any wider than 15-16 even with the 10-22. The wider range of 10-22 certainly gives you a lot of freedom, but I found it to be a bit too artificial due to the unavoidable barrel distortion.

Now, 10-22 is certainly a solidly built piece of glass, but 17-40 does deserve its L label and the red ring. It feels a little heavier than the 10-22, and the focus ring turns with sufficient weight (10-22 feels a little on the lighter side) you can actually fine-tune the focus with greater accuracy. Being an L-series lens, it comes conveniently with a lens pouch and hood.

Under darker conditions, the focus seems a little slower than my other faster lens, but even at f4, it takes crisp shots. I highly recommend this for anyone with a Canon dSLR. If you’re planning on moving on to the 1:1 crop bodies (1d or 5d, a less expensive sibling coming out in October) 17-40 can be a good piece of glass to have, as you’re going to have to let to of the 10-22 anyways.

I did have a chance to try the 16-35L, but at the smaller aperture range, the difference seems nominal, especially considering the price difference.

I use Canon EOS 20d and Elan 7, and they both pair up nicely with 17-40 4L.

Killer lens – Great performance
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted a better lens for Wide to Standard than the EF-S one that came with my EOS 20D when I bought it. I have some other L-Series Canon zooms so I figured I would go with this one. I love it. I took it to a recent trip to Kauai with me and used it everyehere. Great pics! I took some sunset pics with this lens and it performed beautifully. No glare,great quality – recommend this lens wholeheartedly.

Only drawback is when using this lens at night with the built in flash, you need to remove the lens hood otherwise you get a dark shadow on the bottom of the pic. Have not tried using it with my hot shoe flash yet though.

Good lens, typical L quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It’s a great lens and a good value in the L lens category. Once you have an L lens it’s hard to settle for less and this is no exception.

Overall good lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We travel a lot for our wedding and travel photography and we utilize this lens quite extensively.

Canon’s 17-40mm f/4L lens is one of the most affordable and lightest L class lenses out there. We also utilize the more expensive Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras; however, this particular lens is a favorite among female photographers who have smaller grips.

PROS

—-

1. The lightweight design allows you to take photographs without getting any aches and pains on your wrist.

2. Maintains f/4 and consistently sharp picture across the 17-40mm range.

3. Relatively low cost.

CONS

—-

1. You will need to adjust to a high ISO or have good flash in order to take good shots in low light. This isn’t a problem for 20D, 30D, 40D, 5D, and up. Rebel XT / XTi users will need to utilize a noise reduction program.

Don

Refined Touch Photography

a workhorse lense
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
with the 1.6X zoom on my rebel xt, this lense is still wide. the pictures are razor sharp, saturation is perfect, nice and compact, canon “L” quality definitely shines here. if you want one of the best lenses for your canon, look no further. the only downside to this lense is that once you go “L” – there is no turning back.

Versatile lens…a workhorse!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I do a lot of night long-exposure photography and this is my lens of choice. For long exposure photography, you don’t necessarily need a “fast” lens so this f/4 L glass works great. Perfectly priced!

PROS:

- Tack sharp! (especially between f/5.6 and f/11 at night!)

- lightweight for L glass

- non-extended zoom

- good zoom range…makes it a versatile walk-around lens during the day

- excellent performer on a 1.6x FOVCF body (I used it on the XTi, 10D, 30D, and 40D). On a full-frame body, I have heard of some vignetting and soft corners when wide open or even close to it.

- comes with the hood and bag (although the hood is quite useless on a non-full-frame body)

- fast focusing

CONS:

- hood is useless on a crop sensor…still get some flare

Film Users Alert – It’s Not Just For Digital SLRs
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For years, I have been using my 28-70 f:2.8 Canon zoom as my “normal” lens. It is sharp (Oh baby is it!) and at 2.8,fast enough for just about any pro or serious amateur. But there were plenty of times I needed a little more coverage than the 28MM focal length provided. Since most of my work is with long-lens and fast (and expensive) zooms, I couldn’t pony up the bucks for Canon’s superwide f2.8 zoom. When I saw the price on the 17-40MM lens and the fact that it was the “L” flavor with pro glass, I bought it immediately. I’ve had it for about a year and I have already sold several pictures – published in glossy magazines with picky photo editors. And I trust it to give me sharp pictures, even at the extreme settings – wide open and at the 17MM end. You have to remember to always use the weird looking but effective lens hood to control flare and as with any very wide lens, look at the edges of the frame (your feet could be in every picture!) It’s light, good enough to use as your normal lens and with their new 70-300 IS DO lens could make for an amazing and compact travel kit. So while Canon’s lens experts probably built this one for the growing digital crowd, as a film user I think it’s the bargain of the year and is in my camera bag every time I go on assignment. I suggest that you get a good quality “thin” UV filter and polarizer and you will be set to explore the exciting world of ultra-wide photography.

Important update: I recently returned from an assignment to Monte Carlo to test drive sports cars. Part of the deal was to get thrill rides from a pro driver up and down the French mountains above Monaco. Armed with my 17-40MM an EOS 1V, 540 flash, and Velvia 50, I clicked off a whole roll of film during my turn in the passenger’s seat. The magazine editor called me when he saw the slides and said that the shots in the car were the “strongest images” in the shoot. Yup, the lens is that good.

Not good for Canon Digital SLRs
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This lens is really not meant for Canon Digital SLRs. The multiplying factor negates its wide angle capabilities.

Wide Angle Canon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent piece of equipment. It performs as described in its specification sheet. Expensive but the quality warrants the high cost.

After a 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS, a great upgrade.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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.

Best standad zoom lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very nice,very good quality.

Buy it from amazon and save your money.Showed a very good to excellent performans.12 elements in 9 groups.77 mm filter size.27-64 mm standard zoom on full frame cameras.

Worth the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first L lens. I like the quality and durability, this is not a cheaply made lens. At f/4 I have no problem under general lighting conditions, although I do shoot wide exclusively outdoors. I’ve used it for long exposure, tripod night shots for which it worked beautifully.

One thing to note, this is a big, round lens. When I put it on, my camera is no longer the least bit inconspicous. It turned my Rebel into a canon. Despite the size, it does not seem heavy at all to me as a smallish female.

I admit I had a hard time justifying the price but my husband made a good point when he said the zoom range would be an equivalent of two fixed, wide angles for which I was pondering. Consider that plus the thought that this is a lens that is going to last for years. I’m expecting to pass it on to one of my children when the grow up!

It comes with a lens hood, pouch (which is not padded), and end cap. I’m just glad Canon made a somewhat affordable L lens for us amateurs who want to save up for a nice piece of equipment.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens after contemplating buying the new 16-35 2.8. I had the money to buy the more expensive lens but I didn’t and here is why. I was told by an aquaintance who test for Canon that the 17-40 f 4.0 is over all sharper and has less distortion than the new 16-35 f 2.8 (as of Aug 15 2007). I have heard this from other photographers as well. Also although it isn’t an f 2.8 as like the 16-35 it does have a bit more range and I have found the focusing is pretty fast regardless. I think it is the best $700 I ever spent on a piece of camera equipment.

Great Lens!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had many cameras and lenses, and as a professional photographer I highly recommend this lens. It is very sturdy and well made. Great for night or day. Great colors.

Great wide angle range.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this lens for my full-frame camera (5D), and it’s a great lens to get into wide angle photography – sharp and versatile, plus it’s very nicely priced for an L lens. Be aware that the crop factor of APS sensor cameras makes this lens more of a 27-64mm. If you have one of these cameras and you really want to have ultra wide-angle capability, you might be better off with something like Canon’s EF-S 10-22mm.

so disappointing….
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
It is very unfortunate the one I bought from Adorama renders fuzzy images. Shooting the same scenes, my Nikon D70 kit kens 18-70mm always beat this one. Even worse, Adorama is not willing to replace or return the lens after 14 days, which is very very short.

Definitely worth it.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I own a lot of L series lenses from Canon and love this lens. I used it for a year on my 40D and was pleased, not extatic. Upon upgrading to the 5Dm2 I became extatic. The quality is great on a crop factor but when you compare it to the full frame, you will notice the difference.

I also own the 16-35 f/2.8 and if you can afford it, that is the better lens to go with it. The price does correspond to the quality (in my opinion).

Overall, I think that anyone buying this lens will be very happy, full framers more so than crop factor types.

Awesome !
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great lens, and a must buy for those needing a wide angle lens. I own a 50D, & it works great with this lens. I’m able to finally get shots indoors(in my home in places where I can’t back up any further because of walls.) that I wasn’t able to before . I don’t have any issues with weight or any other.Focuses fast & quietly. It comes with a lens pouch & hood. Plus it’s an “L’ lens, so you get quality build & optics. I’m glad I bought this lens.

mediocre lens for L-glass
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Perhaps it’s always true of wide angle lenses (i’m still new to this arena), but this lens seems a little dark, a little sloppy, just not quite good enough. With the exception of a few panoramic lake-front or ocean beach shots, i’ve seldom been pleased with the results, despite pairing it with my full-frame Canon EOS 5D. In contrast, i love the photos from my not-L-glass Canon 100m macro or my similarly “inexpensive” Canon 70-200L f/4.0 (which has amazing color rendition and excellent bokeh). It could all be my fault, but i think this lens just isn’t sharp enough (despite its L-glass designation), and the color isn’t rich enough. Sure, there’s always post-production, but i hope Canon comes out with a better wide angle lens in this price range.

Excellent quality and amazing pictures
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had this lens for almost a year now. I bought this with a 350 XT body only. For a long time this was my only lens and pretty much this is all I needed.

I have used it extensively, the contrast and sharpness are great, it is relatively fast and extremely reliable, the success rate with this lens is excellent. The outdoor scenic shots are breathtaking. For the money this is the best wide angle lens you can buy.

Compared to the 2.8 ‘s it is way less expensive and easy to carry. The 2.8 to 4.0 gap can easily be covered by changing settings on the XT in most cases.

Also it gives a nice grip when held from the lens and this results in steady shots at high ISO settings. I have used it for nightshots, the shutter speed has to be slow to get the shot, got good and sharp results with the lens.

I have added a 50mm 1.4 prime lens to my collection but the 17-40mm is the one I have on most of the time when going out.

My best lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
These are the best lens I have, if it works this way I can’t imagine the outcome of the 16-35. The 17-40 lens takes a lot of detail and for what it does is not that expensive. I recommend this item for anyone interested in not betting that much (16-35) at the moment.

Great Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this with my Canon 30D. This is a great lens and L series is the best. I have mostly L lens because the quality is worth the money.

One of the cheapest of Canon’s Ls, but with all the quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you’re using a DSLR compatible with EF-S lenses, Canon already has the 17-55 and 17-85/IS, but there’s still plenty of reason to go for this L lens. It’s an investment in the future (assuming 1.3x or full-frame crop cameras get cheaper sometime soon), and Canon’s top-line lenses hold their resale value extremely well. But the biggest reason is simply quality.

Those other lenses are pretty good, but just can’t quite match the wonderful color, contrast and sharpness of the 17-40 across its range. There’s a touch of barrel / pincushion distortion at the ends, but barely noticeable and easily remedied.

The range is incredibly useful, whether as a 17-40 on a full-frame, 22-52 on a 1.3x, or 27-64 on a 1.6x crop camera like the Digital Rebel or 20D. On the latter, it’s merely wide rather than ultrawide, but if you’ve been walking around with something that bottoms out at 24 or 28mm, you’ll probably be surprised at how much you missed that wide angle. Yes, the long end doesn’t go very long, but in my opinion the range you gain at the wide end is more valuable.

Focusing is fast and quiet, with full-time manual focusing ability (even in autofocus mode), and build quality is excellent. It feels very solid and weighty, but not at all heavy. It includes a gel holder in the rear, but can take 77mm front filters as well (and the manual recommends one in order to complete weather-sealing in the front).

I’m not really a fan of Canon’s finish for black L lenses, but it looks quite impressive, and has the famous red ring of an L at the end. The big, oddly-shaped petal hood is a bit unwieldy, and has to be stored separately from the lens if you want to fit it easily into most camera bags.

An alternative would be to go with primes, which can be faster, cheaper, and even sharper, but not so much at the wider end, where they tend to be weighty and involve some major tradeoff (not the least of which is that, of course, you’ll need at least a couple to cover this range). If you want a high-quality one-lens solution to walk around with, particularly for travel photography, this is it.

You get what you pay for
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been using this lens for 2 years, always attached to an EOS 10D.

Good build quality, good optical performance. It becomes somewhat short if used as a “all purpouse lens” (even with the 1.6x 10D crop factor).

Fantastic Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had received this lens as a gift and I love it! The picture quality is great, as is with all canon lenses. The angle is beautifully defined. A great all purpose wide angle. The additional items came in handy as well-lens hood and leather tote for protection! Highly recommended!!

Good for APS-C Cameras
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Despite this lens is not good for full frame cameras, it is an excellent option for a APS-C size sensor such as Canon 50D and Rebel T1i. On a full frame camera, this lens produce soft corners however, because of the crop effect of APS-C sensor this problem does not show up in the pictures and the lens deliver Pin Sharp pictures from the center to the corner always. As any Canon L series lens, the image is superb with high resolution and wonderful color saturation. The construction is also superb and comes with lens hood as well which is a plus. One also have to consider the prices which is very low for a Canon L lens. I certainly recommend this lens for any APS-C sensor cameras. It is a must have… A keeper… A winner…

My main lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There are a lot of differing opinions on this lens. Some people say that it’s not a good standard lens for 1.6 crop bodies like the Digital Rebel family or 30d/40d family because it’s not wide enough and not long enough. I tend to disagree because I find that more often than not I find myself using the 17-40 on my Rebel XT; it’s equivalent to 27mm to 64mm on a 35mm camera. Build quality is excellent and I find it to function quickly and quietly. I find image quality to be nothing short of fantastic with this lens. Couple this lens with the 70-200 f/4L and you have a high quality 2 lens set up that covers most situations. Highly recommended.

Great Wide-angle lens for DSLR’s
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
On a DSLR with 1.3x or 1.6x cropping, such as the 10D or 1D, you will see no difference in the images produced by this lens and the twice-as-expensive EF 16-35 f/2.8L. So if you don’t need the extra f-stop, go with this one and save yourself $700.

On 35mm film or the 1Ds, you’ll see more vignetting with this lens, but the images are still excellent, and this lens has less flare than the 16-35.

The 16-35 is marginally sharper near the 35mm focal length, and does have much better bokeh, if that’s important to you.

If you take lots of wide-angle shots, this lens is a must-have. It’s one of the less expensive “L” lenses, making it a relative bargain.

Excellent Performance
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens performs very well. It is sharp, has limited distortion, and controls chromatic aberrations well. Color reproduction is also very accurate. The more I use this lens the more I like it. The only slightly negative thing I can say about this lens is the dust sealing could be a little bit better.

Wide and reasonably Fast Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Reasonably quick lens and focus, with a nice wide angle to it. This lens spent a lot of time on my camera for many events and weddings, but unfortunately I’ve found the lens to be a little soft, and it doesn’t perform the best in low light situations. Now that I have the 24-70 lens (Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras) and the 50 prime (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens) I’m using this lens less and less, to the point that I’m considering selling the lens off.

Pros:

Nice wide angle

Fast Focus

Cons:

A little soft

Not the best low light performance

Great lense
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you want a good all around lense and can’t afford the canon 16 – 35 mm lense this is the one for you. I have taken it out for a test run and shot about 40 pictures and all came out great. I use a canon digital rebel camera.

Pleased but not amazed
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m sure this would give you a lot more performance on a better body (I have a XSi). It provides wide-angle- you can go into a room and capture wall to wall with not too big of a problem. 17-40mm is a good range to get landscapes and then the occasional portrait. Night shots are amazing with a tripod, I was stunned.

The bad:

Not great with portraits if you want a lot of bokeh. I had fun zooming out and taking self portraits with friends or objects in the background but when you want to really focus on the subject, you won’t get extreme bokeh.

Overall, you are paying ~40% less than any other L lense and let’s face it, that L is worth a lot. I use this mainly but I am upgrading to the 24-135mm 3.5-5.6, I miss the upper range (used to have a 70-300). I would say this lense would rock for HDR- something geared toward landscape shots, but portraits, macro, not that useful.

Sweet spot- quality, focal length & value
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Canon’s L lenses are generally expensive, for good reason. Along with the 70-200 F/4 L, this lens is probably the best overall value in L glass.

Build quality leaps out even when you hold the lens in your hand, size /weight/ balance is perfect (for me), optics are excellent, focal length (17-40mm) is extremely useful for digital shooters (with a 1.6 crop factor SLR such as the Canon 20D).

My only complaint is that it is often not fast enough for indoor/available light shooting (without a flash, which I do not like to use if at all possible). On the other hand, the 16-35mm F/2.8 is twice the price and not noticeably better (at F4 and over)

I have compared it to Canon’s non-L primes such as the – 20mm, 28m etc. It compares well in terms of clarity, sharpness, color

rendition…. and it is cheaper than buying all these primes and a lot easier to carry, besides being much more versatile in a real life shooting situation.

For this range of focal length, it is a GREAT CHOICE!

Such A Solid Little Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My school owns this lens, and after using it, I realized that I had to have a copy of my own.

I recently purchased a 1d Mark II N and I also got the 17-40 L to go along with it. (Take Into Account The 1d2n has a 1.3x Crop factor, not 1.6x like the 10d, 20d, 300d, etc)

To start off, I’ve had my share of lenses and this lens stands up among the rest as being one the best. Solid, fluid USM with the ability to manual focus while in autofocus. (full time manual focusing)

(…)

Pros: Size (it’s solid, but light compared to the sigma 24-70 2.8), USM, comes w/ lens hood and lens pouch, sharpness, color, contrast, sharp even wide open at f/4, very wide on the 1.3 crop body (as wide as my old 15mm fisheye on my old 1.6 crop body)

Cons: Little pricey, f/4 can be a little tedious in low light

Overall: This is an excellent lens. I love its size and I can feel confident shooting with it wide open.

(…)

Great “L” lens for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first L lens. As an amateur, this really makes you see the difference in lenses. I use this as a general lens and have basically put away the lens that came in the kit. I am also planning to purchase the 100-400mm IS for better wildlife and family sports photography. Wish it came with a better lens hood.

great lens, though slow
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great lens. I use it on full-frame film and digital SLRs, and love getting ultrawide shots. However, if you have the cash, you’ll probably be happier with the 16-35/2.8 lens, as f4 can be pretty slow indoors.

Now, THIS is a lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
No plastic grinding against plastic when you focus this thing. Feels just like my Fujinon lens I use on my TV news camera. Pro gear. Want some? Pay up.

nice lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a nice lens. It should be for it’s cost but it’s an “L” so that is expected. I almost only buy “L” lens anymore because they are so good. I don’t get as many as I used to but quality has it’s price. I have been a Canon user for 35+ years and they are better than ever.

Buy this lens today. You’ll thank yourself.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First off, if you’re a pro with a bag full of $2000 lenses, you’re probably not interested in this, the 2nd least expensive “L” lens.

Secondly, if you’re going to compare this to a bunch of $2000 lenses, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

My guess is the typical buyer of this lens is someone who is taking their first tentative step into the world of “expensive” glass. This lens is made to order for you. It simply blows “ordinary” lenses out of the water. If you’re used to the kit lens that came with your camera, or a 3rd party lens you got for $150, you are going to love this lens. You’ll find yourself taking more pictures, taking time to frame your shots and basically caring about what you shoot. This is a lens that is far more talented than you are, and you’ll strive to rise to its level.

I cannot say enough good things. The sharpness ROCKS. The saturation and contrast are absolutely fantastic. The focus is instantaneous and silent, and usually dead on. And the red stripe looks really cool!

Its heavy, and built like a tank. If you’re looking for a lightweight, this ain’t it. It is lighter than most other “L” lenses, however, and not too bad to carry.

Drop the 700 bucks, and go out and take some serious photographs.

Canon EF 17-40 L-series lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
An incredibly sharp lens. I have used Canon lenses for years, but this is the first time I,ve ever used one of the L-series lenses. I am completely sold on these lenses, and will never buy anything but the L-series from now on.

newest most used glass!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
this lightweight little wonder is always on my camera, i really hardly ever take it off…i do however, find the hood a bit…much, that being said the feel and operation is obviously that of an ‘L’ lense

The Workhorse Of My Bag
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is truly the workhorse of my camera bag. When I am out doing any kind of landscape or nature photography this lens is most of the time the lens on my camera. I have to say I have made my best photographs with this lens. I guess the 16-35 is a good lens it is a faster lens thats for sure but I rarely if ever shoot wide open when I am using wide angle lens and have never felt the need for a 2.8 apeture. For the difference in price unless there is some very specific reason I don’t see why anyone would spend twice the money on a 16-35mm lens when for the half the price you can get a lens of very close or equal quality. I highly recomend this lens.

The Canon 10-22mm EF-S wide angle zoom or the 17-40mm EF “L” zoom?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Canon 10-22mm EF-S wide angle zoom or the 17-40mm EF “L” zoom? I deliberated this decision for over a month, having physically tested both lenses on my 350D crop frame DSLR at local camera shops and spending a near ridiculous amount of time reading through indispensable online reviews such as this one. With the price for each being roughly the same, the decision came down to the 10-22′s ultra-wide capability vs. the 17-40′s build quality.

I ended up choosing the 17-40 and here’s why:

-Incredible optics and sharpness. If you’re like me and have never owned an “L” series lens before, you’ll be able to see the difference in optical construction quality before you ever snap a digital shot. It’s evident in the viewfinder just how precise this lens is.

-Longevity: I’m the kind of guy who likes high quality equipment and can see myself upgrading to a full-frame sensor camera body sooner rather than later.

-Wide vs. Ultra-wide: You’ll often read warnings of the difficulty in framing sub-20mm ultra-wide compositions. It’s a valid point. Only certain scenarios lend themselves to 180 degree framing but most of the time you’ll be challenged to keep all of the uninteresting junk out of the frame. I was a little worried about 17-40mm’s 27-54mm conversion when used on a crop frame. Would it be wide enough? Answer, yes. 27mm is plenty wide for most applications and with the crop factor, I get almost zero barrel distortion at the widest edges. In my estimation, the 10-22 is more of an effect lens whereas the 17-40 is much more of an everyday multi-purpose working lens.

In summary, if the focal length range of the 17-40 doesn’t overlap too much over your current lens kit and you favor high-quality wide over good quality ultra-wide, then this lens is right for you.

*NOTE: If the 17-40′s inclusion of a lens hood is influencing your decision in anyway over the 10-22, don’t let it be. The hood is basically a pain in the rear due to it’s ridiculous size and shape. Difficult to pack and you’d probably be better served just picking up a 77mm protection filter.

Sharp and light, beautiful on a Canon 5D
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My wife uses this lens and I take it when I’m traveling on my 5D. It is a fast and sharp lens that I love to use for landscapes, group pictures, and travel photography.

Here’s the basics:

1. The price is unbeatable for an L-class lens.

2. Reliable — it’s been rained on and traveled 100,000 miles. No issues.

3. Its sharp and even sharper on a Canon 5D with no crop ratios.

Please understand this is not for low light (unless you spike your ISO up).

Worth Every Penny. (like no joke, every single one.)
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am in love with this lens. There isn’t a single thing I would change about it. It’s really light but it’s built like a small tank. Images sharp at f/4, and ridiculously sharp at anything from f/5.6-13. If you’re looking into buying this lens, just do it. You wont be disappointed for any reasons at all whatsoever. And since its Canon’s cheapest “L” lens, you really can’t go wrong on the price either. Im a teenager and I saved up for more than a year for this and an accompanying full frame 5D, and the combo is more than I could have imagined. Really satisfied with my purchase, and as always, amazon shipped it FAST and pain free.

Great walk-around lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Figuring out which lens to buy turned out to be more difficult than which camera to purchase! At least for me. I want my lenses to be a reasonable size (rules out the superb 70-200 f2.8 IS L), acceptably fast (at least f 4.0), preferably black (so that they are inconspicuous), not outrageously priced (admittedly this last factor being entirely subjective), and preferably a zoom for the additional flexibility.

Primes are absolutely fantastic values, reasonably priced, fast, and inconspicuous, BUT offer limited flexibility which, in my mind overrides the other factors.

I purchased this lens for the wider end of my shooting needs and I couldn’t be more pleased. It takes beautiful pictures, sharp, beautifully saturated, with no discernable vignetting and little flare under normal circumstances.

This lens has beautiful bokeh IMO and is every bit the equal, again IMO, of the 16-35 f2.8 L in every respect other than speed (f 2.8 vs f 4.0). With the new digital SLR cameras you can easily make up for the loss of speed by cranking up the ISO.

The construction quality is fantastic and it is a lens that you will be able to use forever. It is an ideal lens for the current crop of 1.6 size sensors, but will also serve you well into the future whether you stick with the current size sensor or move up to larger sensors as they become more afordable.

I heartily recommend this lens.

Wow
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Okay, nobody is going to rate this as a good review, because I am not going to elaborate.

Basically, I love this lens. Love, love love love love. I am a fan of having a zillion lenses, and if you are too, you should probably have this to add to your collection. I have 7 lenses for my old 35mm Olympus, and wanted to outfit my 30D with all those fun things. So, I did. This is my favorite of all my lenses I own. I haven’t found a single problem with it yet.

The only hassle is finding 77mm filters. A lot of places don’t go that big.

AMAZING
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this product for my sons graduation. He absolutely loves it!! He had wanted it for a long time and he said it was worth waiting for. Thanks for the great service also.

Great Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens last year when I switched to Canon after over a decade of using Nikon SLRs exclusively. I use my digital SLR primarly for travel photography, keeping a point and shot in my computer case for day to day photos. I have used this lens for 90% of the pictures I have exposed with my digital SLR. Extremely sharp and of high quality construction. Feels like a heavy glass brick. Makes the allegedly high quality Nikon lenses I sold seem like junk. The lens feel heavy and large on the camera especially with the not-included lens hood. This lens hood is a must because that large 77mm front element seem to attract stray fingers and hard objects. After buying the lens hood separately, I found it too large to conveniently carry. I bought a non-Canon collapsible rubber hood which offer less protection but is always on the lens. While not cheap it a bargain for Canon’s top-of-the-line “L” series lenses. This lens is a must-have if you’re serious about taking good pictures. Throw the kits lens that comes with most digital SLRs away or just don’t buy it in the first place as I did.

So much fun in the studio
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens with a specific usage in mind: I wanted a lens which would allow me flexibility in my small studio to take wide shots without my back pinned to the wall to get the whole subject in the picture. This lens accomplishes that task with ease. The close focus distance is very useful as well and it allows me to walk around the room, stick my camera up close for great, tight portraits, or back away and get the model’s whole body in focus with a pleasant cropping area left.

PROS

Wide-angle with pleasant perspective distortion at 17mm.

Rapid focusing (with sufficient light)

L-quality build

Reasonable weight and size (solid but not unwieldy)

Sharp!

Tight focal range – can get within 6-9″ of a subject with the right light! makes for great perspective shots and closeups.

CONS

f/4 requires a fair amount of light. I’ve already struggled with this a bit.

For some reason, I keep going to the focus ring for zooming instead of the zoom ring. Something about the placement…this is pretty minor.

Hood included
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great lens. I’m writing this review to let others know that a lens hood was included with the one I purchased; something I haven’t seen in the product description.

Sharp lense, great service
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent wide angle walkaround lens. It is very sharp, with excellent build quality. The lens comes with a pouch and a lens hood. It has been great so far for my shooting needs, groups of friends and travel-landscape. It is used on a Canon 30D. Service from Amazon was great.

17-40mm vs. 16-35mm, both Super, but what’s the difference?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Well, besides a whole bucket full of money, one of them lets you take photos in lower light, okay, that’s obvious. The 16-35mm is a bit heavier, but not so you’d notice, unless maybe you were carrying it around all day, without eating and you’re a bit over the hill. So why pay the extra money, unless, of course, you do a lot of shooting in the early morning and late evening?

Maybe you shouldn’t, because I’ve been doing a lot of photo taking with both, film and digital, and as one would expect from the “L” lenses, the photos are crisp and sharp. In fact I keep I the 17-40 on the camera I carry around all day, you know, the one I might leave on the table in a restaurant when I got to the restroom. It’s a lot less money to lose to someone looking for a five finger discount. However, my gal pal Sara and I take a lot of early morning photos. She shoots old houses, and she never, ever goes out without the 16-35mm. She swears by it, loves it, sometimes I think better than me.

So there is a difference, I’m the kind of person that could happily live with less expensive lense, Sara is not. However they both deliver gorgeous photos. You can’t go wrong if the lense has that red circle around it.

Same image quality as kit lens!!!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Reading the reviews, why do you all sound like sales people? What is in it for you if I buy or not??

I have been using my kit lens EF-S 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 IS on my Rebel Xsi. I was looking for a lens that would give my pictures that punch/pop sharpness even when viewed in my LCD.

I decided to try an L series lens…took a bunch of tests various conditions…anylized in PS…NO DIFFERENCE IN SHARPNESS/IMAGE QUALITY! Went back to store and salesman couldn’t explain.

The IS in kit lens actually made it sharper when shooting handheld indoors!The L was blurry.

The construction of L is certainly better, but image quality wise…the same.

Is there a lens that will produce a better quality image than the kit lens?

Prove it. The sample pics posted with each lens do not convince me.

Is there some one else in the same situation who has found the solution?

overall good wide lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I use it to shoot from an elevated angle as well as for interior photos. The result were good so far. You can see the samples on my site: [...] Look for the interior pictures. Affordable good quality glass, solid built.

Another dissapointment from an “L” lens
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I have purchased several Canon lenses off Amazon, and this is by far the worst yet. I own an Olympus C-7070 and it takes sharper pictures at f2.8 than this lens takes at f12. Canon has some major quality control issues that they need to resolve, because this is not the first time I have had issues with soft lenses from them. The first lens I bought for my Canon 5D was the 24-105mm. When I received it, I had the similar issues with shapness (or lack thereof), so I returned it to Amazon and got another copy. Again, same problem. It took me sending the lens directly to Canon for calibration to get the problem solved, but who wants that kind of hassle?? Come on Canon, get it together, and improve your quality control. I love my 5D, but it should not be this hard to find good lenses from your “L” lineup…

Best lens in my line-up
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was hesitant to spend $650+ on any lens, L-glass or not. I’d already purchased a 50mm/1.4, a 75-300mm USM IS, and the Rebel came with an 18-55mm. But I was missing a good, wide lens. After much hand-wringing and research, I settled on the 17-40mm piece of L-glass. I haven’t regretted it.

The 18-55mm EFS lens that comes with the Rebel is…ok. It falls out of focus easily and feels cheaply constructed. On the other hand, the 17-40mm lens is as solid as you can hope for – metal mounts, feels extremely well put together. Its not especially fast, but its quick enough. I’ve not missed a shot yet.

I mostly use the 17-40mm for outdoor photowork and some indoor portrait work provided the lighting conditions are favorable, otherwise I use my 50mm/1.4. The 17-40mm is good walk-around lens. The addition of a lens-hood and a case is a nice bonus.

Yes, the 10-22mm EF-S will get you an extra 7mm, something us digital SLR users would kill for given the 1.6x conversion. But again, the build quality difference between the 10-22 and the 17-40 is glaring. Not to mention that should you need to resell the 10-22 later, only 20D and Digital Rebel customers would apply, unless Canon expands the line-up of EFS-compatible cameras.

And…this is L-glass. The pictures are impressive. The bokeh is pleasing. Given favorable lighting conditions, this lens pretty much dominates my Digital Rebel 80% of the time.

Incredible Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My boyfriend recently purchased the Canon 17-40mm as an awesome gift to me. It is my first “L” lens. I have a Canon Digital Rebel XTi (a 1.6x crop body) so this lens is pretty wide, but not ultra wide. It is a great walk-around lens, and it nicely compliments a crop camera body, though you won’t get the effect of an actual ultra wide. If you want the linear distortion or super panoramas that UWA lenses can deliver, you may want to consider Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM or perhaps the Tokina AT-X116PRDXC AT-X PRO DX 11-16mm. The build quality is incredible, much more durable than my Canon 85mm 1.8 and 28-135mm. I love this lens!

A good wide angle
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is about 10-25mm for 40D and others. It’s well build, very light, definitely L quality in color, contrast, and consistency.Corner to corner sharpness is not great. But Canon isn’t known for wide angle lenses anyway. This is quite decent comparing to the rest of what’s available for Canon mount. My Sigma 20/1.8 is fantastic. The next up is the Canon 14mmL which cost an arm and a leg. But this 17-40 is better made and has a little zoom hence more flexibility. In both ends of shooting (ultra wide and extreme long), you don’t always get room to make up for the lack of zoom.

I immediately bought the 70-200 after using the 17-40!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
“Wow!” is all I can say to express my reaction after getting prints taken with my 17-40. I’ve been using Nikon manual-focus Nikkors since 1988 and was always satisfied with the color and sharpness. However, after using the Canon “L” series, I’ve sold a lot of my Nikkors. The color, clarity, sharpness, and detail of the “L” lenses are amazing. The prints have this 3-D effect (without having to use those silly red/blue glasses!) Within 3 weeks of receiving my 17-40, I ordered the 70-200. Those two lenses will replace my whole Nikkor collection. Build is really good. The “L” zooms are a little bulkier, but very managable. The Nikkors are smaller, but very heavy. But lense technology and coatings have improved so much in 20 years, I can see the difference. I tested the lens by pointing it toward the sun. The 17-40 surprising handles flare very well. With the sun just outside the field of view, there was very little flare and loss of contrast. I also make 12×18 prints, and this lens handles them easily. The body is going to be the limiting factor (refering to digital bodies).

Warning: once you use “L” glass, you are going to be spoiled. You may not settle for consumer lenses anymore, although some non-L lenses are quick good from what I read.

It’s going back!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I orderd this lens a few days ago and I am not keeping it. Here is my review

Pros:

* Solid build quality

* Fast and quiet autofocus

* Well controlled Barrel Distortion even at 17mm.

Cons:

* After testing this lens for 2 hours. 95% of the pictures were comming out dark with some indoor pictures having dark corners even with my flash on. Picture taken at 2pm on a bright sunny day were dark and colors were dull!!!

*My other L lens EF 70-200 f 4 (from 4 years ago) takes amazing picture compared to this one.

Conclusion

I think this is quality assurance issue. We are in bad economical times and Canon is getting cheap.

Now I have to spend $20 to send it back…I am thinking that I am much better off walking into a store and paying the extra bucks and test the lens before buying it…or get a used one from 4 to 5 years ago. In otherwords treat any lens produced in the last 2 years like a Sigma lens test it before you buy it

Best lens I have ever had
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first L lens, and I like it very much. This is an ultra wide angle zoom lens which give you a much broader angle of view. I wasn’t happy with the kit lens and the 28-135mm IS I had before in the term of wide angle. I later bought 70-200mm f/4 L lens which is on of the great lens that Canon offers for the price.

makes you better
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
photography is my hobby. i do enjoy it and wanted to improve. i bought this lens to give more range to my lens. i have, the kit lens for my 30D and a 70-200 f2.8L. the telephoto was just too heavy for everyday/walk around use. the 17-40 fits the bill. i have shot about 2000 pictures. i would say about 20% are keepers (because i am learning). focusing at such a wide perspective (i got the hang of it about 250-500 shots) does take some getting used to. the lens does teach you a lot about f stops, lighting, and composition when in full manual. overall, the quality of the lens is outstanding. sunsets and “vista in the southwest” are when i appreciate this lens. i was most surprised at how good it works in close quarters. for example, my kids walking around the mall. it is expensive, but the EF 16-35 f2.8L, was simply out of my range. it is better than the kit lens for sure. i would agree with the majority of the positive reviews. the only drawback is the price, but i feel it is well worth it. AMAZON did not get the product to me as quickly as promised, but they did wave the shipping when i pointed it out.

in summary, if you are wanting to improve your skills in photography, then this lens is a great addition. it will not take better pictures, it will make you a more refined photographer/artist. as with all things worthwhile, it will cost you something.

Good lens but not best for baby
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the first L lens I have. Solid build. Excellent performance on my 30D system. Wide angle is perfect for indoor shooting except for my baby son. He moves so fast and F/4 is not sufficient to capture his cute emotion sometimes. I believe my next target would be 50mm F/1.4.

VERY VERY pleased… WOW
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ll just let the photo’s I took do the talking, I took some of my Fender Stratocaster (see most recent photo’s)… The lense is amazing, my company is doing product shots now and I bought this lens so conquer the troubles that it might bring… With very little setup I got some tremendous shots… Amazing and the price it fantastic… If you are thinking about it, it’s a no brainer… My shots were shot with a Rebel XTI.. and these people sent this item fast… You will be very happy with this lens PERIOD!!! Have no fear, click the buy button…

Vermeer wuld have used it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a magnificent lens deserving of high praise. In general, I tend to shoot “available light” and towards wide angle, and EF 17-40 F4L is one perfect lens for someone like me. On an APS size sensor camera (mine is Rebel XT), it works approximately like a 28-70 mm zoom–a perfect walk-around lens, giving you decent wide angle and at the tele end, a pleasing perspective on faces you expect from a moderate telephoto. I spent two weeks with EF 17-40 on the coast shooting nature and street stuff in small towns. It performed perfectly. But I only realized what a real treasure I have when I began having second thoughts about it on the eve of a long overseas journey. I asked myself whether I would not have done better buying EF-S 17-85 F4-5.6 IS. After all, it gives you better reach – an equivalent of 28-135 mm zoom on a 35 mm camera. Would it not be a perfect lens on an overseas trip? A dilemma worhty of Hamlet. So I decided to order it from Amazon while I still had time to return EF 17-40. As soon as EF-S 17-85 came, I did some tests taking pictures of still life, flowers and a portrait at similar focal lengths and at full zoom. The results put 17-85 to shame. Color and light were flat and paled next to 17-40. But there was still the problem of reach. I took a portrait at full zoom of the same person (40 mm or 65 mm equivalent and 85 mm or 135 equivalent), cut out the critical focus area from both pix and equalized the two crops in terms of pixel numbers. Unprocessed, 17-85 produced a perfectly focused picture, the 17-40 crop was visibly softer, but in terms of tonality and richness of gradations, it was way ahead of its rival. Photoshop to the rescue! After I fiddled with sharpening and contrast in CS2, the focus softness in 17-40 was gone, and the result was a better all-around picture of the same portrait detail. In other words, if you wish to take a picture, say, of a building’s detail or a monkey mug shot in a zoo–a situation calling for a telephoto of 135 mm that 17-85 is capable of–EF 17-40 F4 can do the job, in fact a better job in terms of textures and tonality–and focus, too, if you do a little post-processing in SC2. I am returning EF-S 17-85 and will stick with EF 17-40, taking it on my overseas trip. Unlike EF-S 17-85 F4-5.6, which is a feels like a decent consumer zoom, EF 17-40 F4L is built like a tank and has weather sealing. It should also come in handy if and when I decide to switch to a full-frame camera (EF-S lenses work only with the APS-size sensors).

Quite possibly Canon’s best Wide Angle zoom lens in this range
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As a photographer, I have not yet succumbed to the pleasures of having one all-around lens for landscape, people and street photography (I personally prefer single focal length prime lenses since these tend to be sharper, contrastier, and relatively more free from distortion, than zoom lenses, though zoom lens quality is now quite close to those from primes.). However, if I was interested in acquiring one lens which would allow me to photograph easily landscape, people and street scences with the flexibility of focal lengths from an ultrawide angle to nearly normal perspective, then this lens would be a superb candidate. The test reports I have read in several photography magazines, most notably in Shutterbug, and I believe, Popular Photography, too, have been absolutely enthusiatic in their praise for this lens. Not only is it among the cheaper lenses in Canon’s superb L Series line, but it is apparently among the best. I have also met photographers who are truly quite enthusiastic about this lens’s capabilities. So if you are a Canon owner seeking a superb-quality wide angle zoom lens of this range, then you shouldn’t hesitate buying it soon.

It’s really nice, but…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
this lens is my first L, and i was hoping to be blown away. perhaps that was my own mistake for setting my expectations too high. don’t get me wrong, it’s a great lens, and it does everything i need it to do very well, but i could have gotten a lens for $300 cheaper that would do the same at about the same quality. one thing i do really like is the ultra fast, ultra quiet auto focus. the design is very sturdy, and it does take some great shots. honestly, though, i keep returning to my <$100 50mm to do the serious shooting.

Good Lens however…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I got myself a 30D and after hearing all reviews about the kit lens decided I should upgrade to an “L” series lens. I did a side by side comparison on a tripod of the 17-40mm L vs. the 18-55mm kit lens. I used different apertures and focal lengths. Overall, my opinion is that the 17-40 is better. However, it was not, in my opinion, a huge difference. At some settings, I really had to look hard to find some differences. Don’t forget this is just a subjective test. Perhaps I was expecting more from a lens that cost me almost $900 CDN. For me, the jury is still out on whether it was worth the amount I paid. Ok, some say I got a “bad” lens but I’ve heard others that have had similar results with the lens. I shouldn’t have to and I don’t have the money to shop around for a “good lens”.

What a great lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Prior to this lens I consistently found myself struggling to fit everything into the picture and found myself stepping further and further back just to fit it all in.. Sound familiar? I was also looking for a “walk about” lens to take with me on an upcoming trip to Europe that would enable me to easily capture large landscapes while also having the ability to take great portrait shots. After reading many of the helpful reviews on Amazon I decided to go with the 17-40mm f/4L and I can now say that all the accolades are warranted. This lens is sturdy, yet light, and when combined with the 5D produces some spectacular photos. Image quality is great and I love the perspective at 17mm. I know this is a wide angle lens but I can’t believe how much this lens pulls in.. My stepping back days are over! And a previous reviewer is right, even in very low light situations I can bump up the ISO on the 5D and still take great photos at f/4. This lens will stay mounted to my 5D for along time. I can’t wait to take it traveling.

Great general lens for a digital SLR
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If, like me, you are a fan of wide angle shots with their greater sense of depth, and encompassing vision, then you will love this lens.

The 1.6X multiplier of my Rebel XT takes away the extreme wide angle capability of this lens, but nevertheless the range is impressive at an effective 27 to 64mm. This makes the lens a very effective general purpose lens, ranging from a great wide angle to slight telephoto. I normally leave this lens on my camera, only swapping it for a telephoto zoom for outdoor/sports shots.

The quality is just great – the pictures jump out at you for their color, contrast and sharpness. Even though this lens costs almost as much as the camera body, there is no question that it is worth every penny. If you are thinking of buying the new 30D with a lesser lens, then you might want to consider saving the money on the body and splurging on this lens instead.

You won’t regret it!

GREAT GLASS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is great with an Xsi, D50, and a lot of fun with a Ds1 Mark III. For most of my pro career I shot with either Hasselblads or 8×10 view cameras and this lens will generate equal or better images. This lens, like the rest of my red stripers is worth every penny. Good lenses are usually top dollar but worth it when you deliver the images. I have used this lens a lot since getting it mostly for close in available light indoor sports and it has done just an excellent job. Its fast focusing abilities are amazing. Want some samples…use this url http://tedconnolly.smugmug.com/ or http://www.62644.com

Great on full frame, average on crop bodies
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is a good lens, but it’s certainly not great. Along with all other L-series lenses, it’s more durable, weather resistant, doesn’t rotate the front element. It has a virtually silent focusing motor which is a pleasure to use. The lens is light, feels solid.

But as far as quality is concerned, it’s average. On a full-frame camera, such as the 1Ds or the 5D, the corners are much sharper than that of a 28-135, for example. But on a cropped-sensor camera such as the 40D or the XTi, you will not see almost any difference in quality between this and the 18-55mm kit lens. I’ve tried, you just can’t. If you’re trying to stay on a budget, look into the cheaper EF-S, Sigma or Tokina alternatives.

This lens completes XTi (or 30D).
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Although this lens is considered as ultra wide lens, for XTis and 30D’s, this is really a 28-65mm lens (not “ultra” but regular wide). I purchased this for about $700 at Amazon to replace the kit lens 18-55mm the XTi came with. I am very pleased with the photos that I am taking. The focus is quick. The images are sharp, and the color is beautiful. I like the lens a lot. Because it’s a F4 lens, I do need to use the flash. With 430EX flash I am getting pleasing shots in low light situations as well. I suppose a lower F stop might be better but I don’t think Canon makes a lower F stop lens of comparable build. I did consider 28-70mm F2.8L (45-112mm on the XTi), but then it’s no longer a “wide” angle lens. Compensating for the crop factor, getting a wide angle lens meant 17mm or less. So, this was really the only choice I had for an L quality build at this price range. Over all, I am very satisfied with the build quality and the results. The 40mm (64mm on the XTi) is a bit short, and I wish it were longer. However, giiven that this lens costs only (did I say “only?” lol) about $650, I have no complaints about the lens. Something’s gotta give. It’s weight is nicely substantial (not too heavy), and since I use my XTi with a battery grip all of the time, the combined weight balances well in my hands. To me, the battery grip and this lens are perfect companions to make the XTi’s complete. I like this 17-40mm f/4L USM Wide Angle Zoom Lens for my XTi.

Superb lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is the best purchase that I’ve made yet for my Canon Rebel XT. Amazing color, contrast, and sharp. It’s my everyday lens and money will spent.

An excellent lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens seems sharp at all distances and apertures. We are very pleased with it.

Zoom – Zoom
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great lens and a super price. Really nice that the UV filter was free too.

Fantastic Lens.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first L lens, and i am very happy to own this. sharp pictures, Light weight. I have now ordered another 70-200 F4L after seeing, how good the L lenses are.

Amazing wide angle lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just bought this lens and am totally in love with it. The wide-angle is beautiful, captures great area without distortion around the edges which is exactly what I was looking for. Fast and light, the performance has been excellent. This is my first L lens and I am totally hooked, will definitely invest in L’s in the future. The only thing negative I can say at all is that when you have the hood attached, and use the built-in flash, it casts a small shadow. I usually use a mounted flash anyway so it doesn’t affect my shots, but if you only use the built-in flash, be aware of this.

Wonderful for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve gotten so many nice complements on pictures I’ve taken with the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens. The pictures are crisp and sharp. Canon does not disappoint!

Excellent sharpness, color saturation, and depth!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am really glad that I bought this lens. It comes with hood which can be reversed when not in use so it is very useful. Leather pouch, front cap, and back cap is included. Focusing is super fast with USM.

The Best value of any L lens, period!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love buying the best value lenses from Canon like the blazingly fast 50mm 1.8 or the razor sharp 85mm 1.8. The 17-40 L is no exception; in fact it’s the best value lens from Canon in my opinion, how so? Consider the following features.

RANGE: I use this lens on the Rebel XT. With a 1.6 crop factor this lens will provide an angel of view of 27-64. That’s a great range for taking pictures in the forest preserve for example. It would have been nice if the lens was a little longer (more like 80mm on 1.6 a body), but with 8MP and Photoshop crop function does it really matter? Not really, I always crop to create beautiful animal pictures in post processing and still maintain excellent picture quality for prints up to 8-10 inches.

SIZE & CONSTRUCTION: Yes I list this second because this lens blows away all other canon lenses that I own in construction quality. Its solid as a tank and it balances the XT so well that I can hand hold it with confidence and comfort. Although it weight 1.1 pounds the lens never felt too heavy, just right.

SHARPNESS: very sharp at all apertures, but best by 8.0. I am close to affirming that this lens will produce sharpness at par with many primes at that aperture. That’s very impressive if you consider that is still a zoom even if it’s an L.

CONVENIANCE: Coming from using mostly primes its so much fun to use a zoom like this one. Now I pretty much own 4 lenses in one. Yes think of it as owning the 20mm + 24mm + 28mm + 35mm none L primes for half the price combined. The only draw back is that this lens is 1-2 stops slower than those lenses. Otherwise it’s almost or as sharp and more convenient to use.

FOCUS DISTANCE: Did you ever see pictures where the foreground is dominated with a small object like a flower and then in the background there is a grand scene of open land? This lens gives you the ability to take those pictures because its closest focusing distance is under 1 foot. That means you will be able to get close to objects compared to other zooms. Don’t over estimate the convenience of ultra zooms like 28-300mm. Those lenses restrict your ability to crop and create beautiful composition, because their minimum focus distance is higher. With the 17-40 however, all what you have to do is focus correctly, compose with tight crop, and then shoot at f11-16.

DISTORION CONTROL: This lens doesn’t come free of distortions, especially so at the wide end where you can notice some barrel distortion. But overall its very capable at controlling distortion. That includes distortions like chromatic aberation, light fall off, vigetting, and flare. It doesn’t eliminate those things completely, but controls them so well that such problems will go unnoticeable. I would love to have a distortion free lens. After all, with the challenges of getting lighting and composition right who needs lens distortions to deal with on the top of those two things? But the fact to the matter is that all lenses have some level of distortion and this lens is pretty good at controlling them especially if you take its price into account and that’s what I will discuss next.

VALUE: At the $600 range this lens offers an incredible value. No other lens in that price range offers the same quality build, distortion control, and image quality. The best part however, is that this lens holds its value really well. You can sell it used if you ever have to for close to what you bought it for. Now that’s a lens I can’t refuse!

There are many great value lenses, but each comes with a weakness. For example, the 50mm is very cheap in construction and the 85mm is soft on the wide end. The 17-40 L on the other hand is just amazing! It did not disappoint me in anyway except possibly its limited reach on the upper end (40mm only). Otherwise I see no weakness in this lens. Some people may consider the 4.0 maximum aperture too low, but it served my landscape and nature needs incredibly well. If you need an extra stop for portrait or no flash concerts get the 16-35 2.8. Otherwise this is the lens!

Excellent all round lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a solid piece of equipment. Motors are ultra quiet, can’t even hear them work. Autofocus – lightning fast. Quality of pics – unbelievebale. I have this mated to a Canon 20D body. I use this everywhere now. Looks like all my lenses will be L from now on.

Far sharper than the 18-55mm IS lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens recently and have been very happy with it. People who say this lens is not any sharper the Canon 18-55mm IS lens either 1) have a bad copy of the 17-40mm or 2) they got an exceptionally sharp 18-55mm. My 18-55mm IS is sharp, but when comparing photos taken with both lenses, even at f/8, the 17-40mm clearly shows more detail and contrast. It is just MUCH, MUCH sharper. The quality of construction is also exceptional, and after this lens, I might opt for another L lens to replace my Sigma telephoto.

Having said this, however, there are two weaknesses with this lens:

1. No Image Stabilization. In this regard, the 18-55mm IS is superior since you will likely get a lot more non-blurry shots at night when you have to slow down your shutter speed. I myself have no problem with this since I don’t intend to use the 17-40mm at night but rather my Canon SD880IS for wide-angle shots and my Canon 35mm f/2 for shots of people or moving things.

2. The missing 41-55mm focal length. I rarely use this focal length, and since I have a Canon XT, the real focal length of the 17-40 is like 27 to 65, which is more than good enough for me.

So . . . overall, I highly recommend it. But this is NOT a lens that will do everything you need a lens to do. I don’t think such a lens exists, but if it did for a cropped-sensor camera, it would probably be the Canon 17-55 IS. But again, it’s heavier, more expensive, and has a crappier construction. So the 17-40 is the good compromise.

Great Wide Angle L lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have both 16-35 and this 17-40. I end up using 17-40 lot more than 16-35. No doubt, 16-35 is a better lens, faster, wider, but this only helps in one condition: indoor shots where flash and tripod is prohibited. I bump into this situation when I was in the Hearst Castle and 16-36 helped a lot. Another situation is indoor-event without flash, but not too often you’ll bump into this situation. Maybe funeral service inside the church?

Again, these situations are rare. Usually I use the wide angle lens for landscape shots or group photos. For landscape, I’m not going to use f/2.8 anyway. For group photos, it’s another no-no.

Therefore, 17-40 is a more reasonable choice. Again, it’s F/4, but you don’t have too many chances to use f/2.8 anyway. It’s half the cost and it’s lighter.

Many first-time users of DSLR face the situation of buying a wide angle lens. I highly recommend 17-40. It’s one of the cheapest L lens but you’ll end up with much better pictures. The results are instant. Of course, if you have enough cash, buy 16-35, but you’ll find yourself reducing aperture most of the time, which, isn’t that what 17-40 can do?

Canon EF 17-40mmf/4L
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This will be one on my prize Canon Lenses,it truly lives up to my expectations of an “L” lens for two reasons,build and Function.

I don’t really use the long end of this lens because for me the super wide 17mm view on a full frame camera is what this lens is all about. And boy does it deliver.

Moved me to another level….
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is a must for those looking to shoot at another level. It is FANTASTIC!!! Thank you so much for your prompt delivery of the produce. It arrived in excellent condition, just as promised!

I tested it against the 28-135 mm USM IS lens and . . . . .
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
A friend photographer for a local newspaper showed up with one of these, brand new! I tested it against the 28-40 range and the pictures were completely identical in every way, sharpness in every corner, contrast, etc.

Just thought I let you know.

Excellent wide angle lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens specifically for wide angle shots. The image quality and sharpness are what I expected from a Canon L Series lens. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced, wide angle Canon L Series lens, you should strongly consider the 17/40 L.

excellent lens, but low light needs some work
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been using this lens for a couple of months now and I must say that I’m very pleased. I use a rebel xti (1.6 crop), so this is a medium wide lens for me.

pros:

* good close up lens for indoor photos if you have good light

* enough angle to photo someone from close up

* light and feels balanced

cons:

* it’s an f/4 at best, so without a flash, it’s hard to get good shots in low light.

* the front element is convex – not a con per se, but you’ll want a uv filter to protect it

I’ve shot in a house party with medium – dim lighting, and without a flash (which is my preferred usage), it requires some work with Pshop to get the pictures to come out well. If I could get an f/2 of thi it’d be great, but heavy and expensive.

Excellent Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I initally had my doubts about this lens over the 16-35 2.8L, but decided to give this one a try since it is roughly half the price. I am shooting film, so I have the benefit of the full 17mm at the wide end, and this lens truly does not disappoint. It is crisp, colors are bright and accurate and the coverage is excellent. The focal length gives enough flexiblity to be able to compose almost any wide angle shot you could thing of.

While the 16-35 does give you the extra f-stop, really consider if it is worth twice the price for what you are shooting. If you are like me and shooting mostly still lifes and landscapes, it probably isn’t.

Competent lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens does a fine job, but I did notice that when I took picures of builings with words or other features that had good straight-lined contrast, the sharpness was exceptional. However, when I take pictures of nature scenes, it seems that trees, rock formations, etc. look a little soft. Not sure if this is the camera or the lens. I do wish I had a full sensor camera for this particular lens, maybe sometime in the far future.

Perfect Wide Angle Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just received this lens today and I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised. I took a few shots in our vineyard (being that I bought this lens for landscapes) and the contrast and sharpness are very good. I’ve worked with other “L” series lenses and the 17-40 doesn’t disappoint compared to what I am used to. Highly recommended if you are looking for a wide angle lens.

Great standard lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is the lens I use 90% of the time. Its a great investment. Pictures are sharp and the wide angle zoom suits most needs. The construction s typical L – great. I’ve used this lens on several Canons and have always had positive results. Expensive, but worth it.