Ahhh! Need lens help.

[Pleasetakeitkind]

Ok, so basically i want to get a walk around lens that leans towards the wider end of things. Image quality is key, as i don't really care about build quality. Right now i think it's between the Canon 17-40mm f.4L and the Tamron 17-50 2.8 (IF). Price is not an issue between these two lenses, i just want to know which is going to give me better quality images.

 

[Big Mike]

I have the Tamron but not the Canon. Without doing a head to head comparison, I would suggest that the Canon probably has the better image quality. It is an 'L' lens after all.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

The canon will becuase it covers the full 35mm frame, so the cropped sensor is right in the sweet spot.

 

[Pleasetakeitkind]

awesome! thanks.

 

[table1349]

The canon will becuase it covers the full 35mm frame, so the cropped sensor is right in the sweet spot.

I would suggest that you have not shot both lenses with that reasoning. I tested both before buying the Tamron 17-50 f2.8. While the build quality of the 17-40 f4L was superior to the Tamron the optics were not. Wide open the 17-40 was as soft on the edges as the Tamron at f2.8. At f4 the Tamron optically outperformed the the Canon.

Of course neither will touch my 16-35 f2.8L or 24-70 f2.8L, but the Tamron was so good it is the only Non Canon lens that I currently own. Just couldn't let it go.

To the OP, I would suggest that you go to a good photography shop with your camera body and shoot both. Look at the photos you took and decide which one you like the best. You will be the one using it.