Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM or ?????

[dustinpedley]

I am starting to get more and more into landscape photography and I am looking for a good wide angle lens and I don't need one that's all that fast.

I have been looking at this lens for some time, I have also looked at the Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM are there any others I should be looking at

I like the range of the cannon but is it good threw the entire range?

 

[rufus5150]

The sigma 10-20mm on a crop sensor body is simply amazing for landscape shots. The 17-40 is more of a walk-around lens on a crop sensor, but it will suffice (I shot most of my landscapes with an 18 mm on the wide-end zoom before I got the sigma). The 17-40L is a solid performer with extremely manageable distortion at the wide and as well as fully racked out.

 

[dustinpedley]

I probably should say that I plan on upgrading to a full frame some time within the next year

 

[rufus5150]

The 10-20mm will vignette heavily on a full frame body.

 

[table1349]

The 17-40 is a good Canon L lens but for my money I chose the 16-35 f2.8L MkII. EF lens, faster when needed and paired with my 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 they make an outstanding combo.

Down side to the 16-35..... $$$$.

 

[Big Mike]

For landscape photography, on a full frame camera, the 17-40mm F4 L is one of the best. Great price and great performance.

The 16-35mm F2.8 L, is also nice, but much more expensive and I don't know if one stop is all that important on such a wide lens. Besides, most people shoot landscapes at smaller apertures, not larger ones, so F2.8 wouldn't get as much use.

Keep in mind, that 17mm isn't all that wide on your current camera. Not really any wider than your 18-55mm lens. So if you want a wide lens for right now, then I'd suggest the Sigma or the Canon EF-S 10-22mm (I have the Canon). But of course, neither of those two lenses is meant to be used on a full frame body, so wouldn't be of much use when you do upgrade.

My advice, if you are planning on upgrading to full frame, is to just go ahead and buy the wide (10mm) lens...maybe a used one. Then when you upgrade, you can sell it....maybe for near as much as you bought it for.

 

[table1349]

For landscape photography, on a full frame camera, the 17-40mm F4 L is one of the best. Great price and great performance.

The 16-35mm F2.8 L, is also nice, but much more expensive and I don't know if one stop is all that important on such a wide lens. Besides, most people shoot landscapes at smaller apertures, not larger ones, so F2.8 wouldn't get as much use.

Keep in mind, that 17mm isn't all that wide on your current camera. Not really any wider than your 18-55mm lens. So if you want a wide lens for right now, then I'd suggest the Sigma or the Canon EF-S 10-22mm (I have the Canon). But of course, neither of those two lenses is meant to be used on a full frame body, so wouldn't be of much use when you do upgrade.

My advice, if you are planning on upgrading to full frame, is to just go ahead and buy the wide (10mm) lens...maybe a used one. Then when you upgrade, you can sell it....maybe for near as much as you bought it for.

Big Mike is correct about the 16-35. I use it for a lot of different purposes where f2.8 is needed. I hate to buy anything as a single task item, thus my choice of the 16-35. It was expensive and not for everybody. But since you were looking for ideas, I thought I would toss it into the mix.

 

[mariusz]

I used the 17-40 for couple years and than upgraded to 16-35 2.8. I find them both great although 17-40 is half the price - I would recommend it.

 

[Big Mike]

Another note about the 16-35mm...
A wedding photographer friend of mine likes to shoot wide and into the sun. He really doesn't like the flare characteristics of this lens. He said the 17-40mm is a little better but his favorite is actually the EF-S 10-22mm. He's gone so far as to hack his 10-22mm so that he can use it on his 1 series bodies (even though it vignettes at the wide end).

 

[usayit]

He's gone so far as to hack his 10-22mm so that he can use it on his 1 series bodies (even though it vignettes at the wide end).

Is there any additional information regarding this... Samples? description of the "hack"? I would consider this for a 1D MII