Wide angle lens for Canon Eos 40D

[photographyfanatic]

Hey all I am looking for a nice wide andge lens that will let me shoot large groups of people, get a large part of a stage in when shooting bands, and can also be used for landscapes. Any suggestions. I prefer to buy Canon, but if you have an off brand that you just love , please include it. Thanks.

 

[bigtwinky]

The 40D being a crop sensor camera, my suggestion would be the Canon 10-22mm. I have this lens and love it. For the bugdet watchers, there is an awesome Sigma 10-22mm.

 

[Big Mike]

What lens do you have now? What's your budget?

If you have something like the 28-135mm lens, then I'd suggest something that starts in the 17/18mm range. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS, is a great lens but fairly expensive. The 17-85mm IS, is a decent lens but a little slow.
There is the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 and the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8, both of which are great lenses for the price.

If that isn't going to be wide enough for you, then I'll also recommend the 10-22mm. Maybe not the best lens for taking group portraits, because it's so wide that there will be distortion but it's a really fun lens to use.

 

[CxThree]

+1 on the 17-55 IS. I used it for a wedding shoot this weekend when doing all the group shots. Great lens.

 

[photographyfanatic]

What lens do you have now? What's your budget?

If you have something like the 28-135mm lens, then I'd suggest something that starts in the 17/18mm range. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS, is a great lens but fairly expensive. The 17-85mm IS, is a decent lens but a little slow.
There is the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 and the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8, both of which are great lenses for the price.

If that isn't going to be wide enough for you, then I'll also recommend the 10-22mm. Maybe not the best lens for taking group portraits, because it's so wide that there will be distortion but it's a really fun lens to use.

I have : Canaon 135mm f3.5-5.6, Canon 50mm f1.4, and Canon 70-200mm f2.8. The budget, hmmmmmmm well I am looking to spend well under $1000 for right now. The purpose for my needs as mentioned in the original post, I don't think I would want distortion.

 

[johnbergsing]

Like the others have stated, it depends on your budget. But I had the chance to try out the 16-24mm f/2.8L and it is SWEET!!! It's the next lens I'm buying for sure!

 

[bigtwinky]

If you want no distortion, then the 17-55 lens should be what you are looking for, or an equivalent Sigma/Tamron if the Canon is over your budget.

I've shot in the 17mm area with my 10-22mm and it was ok for group pictures, but not sure you are getting the whole stage in there.

 

[JustAnEngineer]

Among the wide-standard zoom lenses, the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a great lens. The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 Di-II is quite good for about half the price.

If you want an ultra-wide angle, you might consider the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 DX.

Here are some reviews:
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens Review
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2,8 USM IS - Retest @ 15mp / Review

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II Lens Review
Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 SP XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] (Canon) - Test Report / Review

Tokina AF 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX (Canon) - Review / Lens Test Report