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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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52
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345507
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6/23/2012
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Recommended By
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Average Purchase
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94% of reviewers
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$709.29
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| Reader Review Rating Averages |
Readers' rating for
Construction Quality
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Readers' rating for
Image Quality
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Readers'
Overall Rating
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9.39
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8.80
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8.80
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thubleau
Registered: June 2012
Posts: 2
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by thubleau
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Review Date: 6/23/2012
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Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: $800.00| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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non beware review strapped to an apc sensor
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Cons:
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very high distortion at 17mm end overpriced and heavy
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I query some of these reviews because they are not accurate.
Lets look at the 17-40 l.
I shot a wedding using this lens ona full frame 5D MK2.
when i viewed the results on my computer all the group shots were so bad at The 17mm they were unuseable distortion was horrific.
OK so I know someone is going to say you shouldn't use a lens like this for group shots but my point is using this onan apc sensor is not going to give users an accurate assesment of this lens and the quality of the glass is also wasted on small apc size sensor cameras as I have compared L lens results versus normal glass on an apc size sensor and quite honestly you are wasting your money as there is no visible difference.
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30/90
Registered: January 2012
Posts: 3
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by 30/90
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Review Date: 3/10/2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $750.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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L Series Image and build quality
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Cons:
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Low light limitations of f4 lens.
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I use this lens primarily for landscape and architectural photography. It is light weight compared to most other L Series lens, but the image quality is heavy duty. Low light shooting may be limited because it's an f4 lens, but it is sharp and capable of great color capture and contrast. It is very much an L Series lens.
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Rotremjr
Registered: January 2012
Posts: 4
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by Rotremjr
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Review Date: 1/18/2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent image quality overall
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Cons:
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Lens hood provide adapted for full frame camera only
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Buyed in 2007 to get something near equivalent focal length of my EF 28-70mm f/2.8L to use on my APS-C camera.
I use the EW-83DII lens hood who is more adapted for APS-C camera (Original Lens Hood for EF 24mm f/1.4L USM Lens). Perfect fit.
Lens not too heavy nor too short, just perfect in the hand, in perfect balance with the camera.
The picture quality is there. The sharp edge / center is excellent. Perfect color rendering with multi-layer treatment of the L series Canon (8 layers on both sides).
The quality of construction (sealed lens, seal-rings on mount).
Only downside: performance significantly worse on a full frame camera.
Although this is an EF lens that can be mounted on both APS-C cameras and full frame camera. The optical design is optimized for APS-C cameras.
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killersnowman
Registered: October 2005
Posts: 10
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by killersnowman
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Review Date: 12/18/2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $700.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Light weight (for an L), inexpensive (for an L), Great image Quality
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Cons:
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Hood Design makes using polarizers very difficult
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I purchased this lens to replace my Tokina 12-24 f/4 when i moved from the 20D to a 5D2. it provides a slightly longer and wider fov than the tokina on the 20D. the build quility is amazing. no creeks no jiggles, just a solid lens.
both the focus ring and the zoom ring are very smooth. ive had no issues with them and are much nicer than the tokina 12-24 than it is replacing.
now to the image quality. to be upfront, the image quality is really good. combined with the 5D2 ive gotten some amazing images. the flare you get on this lens is actually quite nice. long star shaped lines coming from the light source. it has mostly been used at 17mm and i have yet to see anything that makes me regret the purchase. yes, there is distortion... its a wide angle zoom.... but if you are shooting RAW (which you should be) then a quick check of the Lens Profile Correction box in Camera RAW will take care of that.
Great lens.
the only issues that ive had are with usability related to the lens hood and circular polarizers. the lens hood is very big and it is difficult to operate a polarizer with it on. there are ways around this. pentax came up with a great solution for some of its lenses.
see this image. (they add a cut out to the lens hood) http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/776/581/285/285581776_785.jpg
samples (all at 17mm)
http://www.fistfulofneurons.com/photos/e3fb06c59
http://www.fistfulofneurons.com/photos/e176d6cc1
http://www.fistfulofneurons.com/photos/e3e34fc2
http://www.fistfulofneurons.com/photos/e27492640
great lens! buy it!
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Nikoboyd
Registered: March 2009
Posts: 12
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by Nikoboyd
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Review Date: 5/25/2011
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Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: $800.00| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Very good built quality, lightweight,weather sealed
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Cons:
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Back focus randomly, barrel distorsion, no IS
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I use this lens with my 500D as a normol zoom. Replacing my old broken ef-s 17-55 2.8 IS with this lens.
Compare the 17-40 L with 17-55
Optically,
17-55 win ; sharper, less distorsion, less CA
Built,
17-40 win ; weather sealed, internal zoom and focus
IS,
17-55 win ; the 17-40 doesn't have IS. IS is not necessary if you use this lens as a wide angle lens on FF body. But if you use as a normal zoom on APS-C body, IS may necessary in low light condition.
I'm not a pixel-peeper. I use this lens in real life. I can say this lens has a very good built and that's it.
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Leatherhelmets
Registered: May 2011
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by Leatherhelmets
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Review Date: 5/24/2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $839.00| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Solid Construction, Fast, Sharp and quiet
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Cons:
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None yet
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I just bought this lens last week and haven't had a chance to really take it through it's paces. The shots I've taken so far are sharp and clear. Gives me the extra width I was looking for, though I'd love to see it work on a full frame body like the 5D. This is my first L lens and so far I like what I see. If anyone has suggestions for good photography resources (Canon Experts) in the NYC area, please let me know.
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AutoMotoMedia
Registered: March 2011
Posts: 4
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by AutoMotoMedia
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Review Date: 3/13/2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great Image Quality, Light, Sharp
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Cons:
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Lens barrel is plastic
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Here's some pics I have taken with the lens.
http://automotomedia.net/showthread.php/86-Canon-17-40l-Great-lens
Well, I love this lens, although I don't use it too often any more since I have a 14mm 2.8. I have my second copy of this lens currently and both were very sharp. Only problem I have with the lens is that the barrel is plastic and as I recall there's only like 4 screws that hold it to the metal mount...You might be wondering why I know this. Well, my camera/tripod fell over on varied terrain when a gust of wind hit it. The lens broke right off leaving the mount still on the camera.
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jt354
Registered: May 2010
Posts: 9
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by jt354
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Review Date: 5/10/2010
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $700.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Build quality, color and contrast, FF compatibility, distortion performance
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Cons:
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Sharpness
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I bought this lens for use on a crop camera with the intention of upgrading to full-frame. This was a mistake, as circumstances prevented me from upgrading and the 17-40L's advantages are wasted on 1.6x sensors.
Image quality is very good. My copy was strange in that it was tack sharp at close-focus distances and merely ok at infinity. Color saturation and contrast are excellent, flare was only an issue when used with rectangular filters directly into the sun, and CA and distortion are well controlled. Close focus is great, about 4 inches from the filter ring.
The lens' build quality is outstanding. It feels very solid in hand and has excellent, smooth focus and zoom rings. Internal focus is a nice touch and adds to the dust/water resistance (when used with a filter over the front element).
All in all, a great lens on full-frame and film cameras. On crop, the 17-55 IS, 15-85mm, Tamron 17-50mm, and 18-55mm kit lenses are more appropriate.
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Creyr Glas Lightworks
Registered: July 2009
Posts: 10
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by Creyr Glas Lightworks
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Review Date: 3/11/2010
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $650.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Wow, the colors are amazing, tack sharp all over
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Cons:
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price maybe? no IS? (really searching here)
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Couldn't ask for more out of this lens. Its wide, its got great construction, and the colors and sharpness are wonders to behold. I ultimately parted ways because I needed wide and IS, so I got the 24-105L. I hope I have the funds to get this guy again so I can take a cheaper lens to locations that do not need the IS capabilities. I miss it for sure, but I guess you can't have it all sometimes.
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dseidman
Registered: February 2010
Posts: 2
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by dseidman
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Review Date: 2/22/2010
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $700.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp, lightweight, build quality, inexpensive for an L, weather sealed
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Cons:
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Corner sharpness, but it's not too bad
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When I upgraded to a full-frame camera, I had to find a replacement wide angle lens for my Tokina 12-24. After doing a little research, this lens appeared to be the best value out of all my options (which were pretty much limited to either this or the 16-35). Now that I've had more than 6 months to use it, I can say that I definitely made the right decision for the type of photography I do. I don't need to the f/2.8 of the 16-35 and I don't think the difference in sharpness justifies spending double the money. In fact, there seems be very little difference in sharpness at all judging by comparisons I've made between images produced with my 17-40 and a friend's 16-35.
Here are some samples of the work I have produced with this lens:
http://www.danseidmanphoto.com/keyword/1740
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Mikeh
Registered: February 2010
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by Mikeh
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Review Date: 2/12/2010
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $600.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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build quality, colors, contrast, weather sealing with filter, looks great
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Cons:
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lacks IS, only F4, lacks reach compared to peers, quality control
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I have owned the 17-40L for several years now and I still get goose bumps when I twist the thing onto my 50D. It still feels great and inspires a feeling of confidence. The best things about the 17-40L are the build quality, contrast and colors. There's this very, very fine contrast that meshes with a very real color reproducton that just makes landscape images look so much better. I have tried other non-L lenses and they don't have that same pop. The non-L canon primes do have the sharpness and contrast, but they are missing that special color.
I use this lens to document the national parks and it has held up in the rain, snow, dust and sleet. You can see some of the samples here:
http://www.parkcamper.com/Lolo-National-Forest/lolo-national-forest.htm
It will take anything you can throw at it. With a filter, the lens become sealed. This is nice when you have your camera protected but not your lens.
The negatives of this lens are the lack of IS, the fact it doesn't extend to 50mm and the F4. There are newer lenses out now that do offer these features for the same price of the 17-40L. However, I have found none of them offer the build quality, full frame capability, weathersealing or the outstadning color reproduction. This is why I continue to keep the 17-40L despite the competition. If I want speed I grab a 1.8 prime. If I want to shoot colorful landscapes from 17-40mm I grab the 17-40L. If I want ultrawide, I grab my Sigma 10-20.
I also experienced some bad focusing issues with my 17-40L when I first received it(new). It went into Canon service once but came back the same. This was when I decided to buy a body with micro AF adjust. I did some tests and found out my 17-40L had poor focus past 30mm, and prime like sharpness at 17mm. With an adjustment of +5, I have found that the lens focuses perfectly now, a compromise between 17 and 40 in IQ.
If you are looking for a high quality lens that feels right in your hands while producing very rich looking landscape shots, the 17-40L is for you. This lens just oozes quality. It may not have all the features of recent lens releases, but it's still the superior lens. The 17-40L and the new Sigma 50 1.4 would make an amazing high quality combo.
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uamsstudent
Registered: January 2008
Posts: 3
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by uamsstudent
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Review Date: 12/4/2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $750.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Fast & quiet autofocus
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Cons:
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Ordinary image quality
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I just finished a comparison of this lens and the Canon 17-85 IS and the Canon 10-22. Using a focal length of 17 mm and f5.6, this lens is a little better than the 17-85 IS but not by much. When compared to the 10-22, the 17-40 is definitely better. All in all, the Canon 17-40 is a good lens (at least when mounted on a tripod and using mirror lockup). I'm not sure that its worth $750.00 though. For those of you who don't yet own the Canon 100mm f2.8 macro, it is unbelievably sharp !!! Try it....you'll like it.
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toniwahid
Registered: August 2008
Posts: 3
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mrd
Registered: November 2008
Posts: 2
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by mrd
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Review Date: 12/7/2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $603.00| Rating: 10
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It has Very Good construction quality and good image quality.Maybe It has the same image quality to 16-35 F2.8 II.Maybe the only different between this two lens is diaphragm.But I didn't give the image quality 10 points.Because I thing Canon need to do more work in UW lens.Any way, this is a excellent len.And It is also the cheapest L len.
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sivrajbm
Registered: October 2005
Posts: 12
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by sivrajbm
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Review Date: 3/24/2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $470.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, Fast focusing, great IQ, quiet, FTMF, great color, great build.
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Cons:
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Not 2.8 but neither is the price
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Ok, I tried not to like this lens. I wanted the 16-35L II, I got this one for a great price, just couldn't pass it up. I may still get the 16-35L II but later, this lens does everything but shoot @ 2.8. It is fast and sharp, my two favorite things in a lens. I've continued to be free of my Canon curse. My last three "L's" have all been SOTB (sharp out the box). Don't ask how many were not, it offends some people. Anyway try it you might like it. Now I can go for the 135L next.
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that_fox
Registered: February 2008
Posts: 3
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by that_fox
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Review Date: 2/16/2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $650.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fantastic IQ, build quality, good standard zoom, weather sealed, cheap
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Cons:
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Makes the XTi/400D a bit unbalanced, none other than that
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I got this lens a couple weeks back and since then it has been an absolute joy to use. The IQ is great, landscape shots with this lens have good colour and sharpness. I really like how wide this lens is, even on my crop camera, plus it makes a great walk-around lens. I find the reach for a standard zoom to be quite adequate and for the price fantastic.
The only problem I've run into is that when this lens is used on my XTi/400D it makes it unbalanced. While this may not sound too bad, when using this lens for a couple hours it makes my right hand hurt. This is wholly attributed to the camera's grip however, I just wanted it to be known. Despite this I would absolutely recommend this to an XTi/400D owner just for it's image quality alone. This is not my first L lens and it most certainly won't be my last!
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f43tgv
Registered: September 2007
Posts: 16
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by f43tgv
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Review Date: 2/15/2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp, wll built, great price
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Cons:
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Ugly hood
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I am now on my second copy of this great lens. I have to say I am not a fan of Canons consumer lenses. Having used both Canon and Nikon extensively, I am of the opinion that Nikons consumer lenses are both better built and superior optically.
Somehow the trade off seems to be if you want a pro-spec Nikon lens you will pay for it big time. The Canon 17-40L is half the price of the Nikon 17-55 lens, just as good if not a touch sharper. One of lifes few geniuine bargains along with the remarkably priced 70-200 F4 L lens.
There are no faults with the 17-40l, Canon got this lens just right. Buy this one with confidence and you will lift your Canon into a whole new league as far as colour contrast and sharpness are concerned.
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lextalionis
Registered: October 2007
Posts: 82
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by lextalionis
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Review Date: 1/24/2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $650.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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The the money this is one of the best L series lenses for wide-angle IMHO
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Cons:
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Oh...not a thing except if you try using this lens indoors in low light...but why?
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Great wide angle lens...fast, sharp, great build quality! Here are some sample photos:
Sample Photos
-Lex
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Sea Dragon Rex
Registered: January 2008
Posts: 5
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by Sea Dragon Rex
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Review Date: 1/8/2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $535.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Superb IQ, fast-silent focus, excellent build quality
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Cons:
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I've used this lens on my XT and 40D and have had many exceptional captures with the lens. The construction is very nice with weather seals.
The focus is fast and silent and the IQ is superb. It would be nice if the lens had more range like the EF-s 17-85 but the EF-s lens just can't match the IQ.
I just ordered the 16-35L II and hope that it's IQ can match the 17-40L (I need the extra stop). This lens is a bargain for the price.
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EF-S10-22
Registered: July 2007
Posts: 20
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by EF-S10-22
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Review Date: 8/12/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $720.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Much better build than that of the EF-S17-55IS, Super fast AF , color and contrast
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Cons:
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None.
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I ditched the highly over rated EF-S , and got this lens, I could be happier.
The 17-40L has much better build , much better focus accuracy than the EF-S.
Some times, F4 is not fast enough but I have many primes to cover that, also if the f4 is not fast enough, the f2.8 of the EF-S is not much better either.
I believe this lens is optically much better than the EF-S17-55IS , which has produced a lot of dull pictures with less contrast .
Also , it is built to last , less vignetting , less ghosting than the EF-S ,dust-collector.
I highly recommend it , this has 1 super UD and 3 aspherical elements , while the EF-S got 2 UD and 3 aspherical elements , these 2 UD are inferior to the Super UD in this one.
So many claim that the EF-S is optically an L is wrong, all Canon's true L has the super UD not UDs.
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I-R-Lab
Registered: July 2007
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by I-R-Lab
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Review Date: 7/30/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $680.00| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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small, light, sharp (on 1.6x body)
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Cons:
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goofy hood
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Some notes on alternate hoods for crop format DSLRs:
The EW-83J (for the 17-55 f2.8) and the EW-83H (for the 24-105L) both work nicely on this lens when used on a 1.6x crop body. The J hood is about 60mm deep. The H hood is a little shorter, and provides a little less coverage.
I have tested the EW-83J on my 20D and the 1Dmk3 we have here in the I-R lab. On the 1Dmk3 (a 1.3x crop body) there seems to be a hint of vignetting. The H hood might be a better choice on the 1Dmk3.
The J hood vignettes badly on a 5D (full-frame body), as one would expect.
The J hood is now permanently on my 17-40L / 20D. And, for the record, the J hood is also an improvement over the H hood on my 24-105L (with a 1.6x body).
As always, your mileage may vary.
-Luke
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witan
Registered: June 2007
Posts: 2
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by witan
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Review Date: 6/17/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Very good construction
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Cons:
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A little too big. Picture quality not fantastic.
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I also own the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 DI XR (Japan version) and find the Tamron produces better pictures than the Canon 17-40mL. Other reviewers at this site seem to concur.
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anrieff
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 5
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by anrieff
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Review Date: 5/26/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $969.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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good range, excellent IQ
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Cons:
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a bit heavy & bulky, "only" f/4.0
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This lens is as good as it gets. Bought it four months ago just before a trip to Malta - it turned out to be the perfect decision (I came from there with 900+ photos - most of which simply rock).
This is not the perfect walkaround lens, but hey - it is not designed to be. It is a pro-ish and its IQ is the best you can afford for the bucks. I actually compared this one to a prime - the EF 35mm f/2. It turns out, this one has better CA across the frame, better corners, and comparable center sharpness. The prime beats it up at f/4 (only). It may sound ridiculous how can a zoom be a better than a prime... well, here you have it.
I've noticed that my copy of this lens has some tendency to overexpose - about 1/3 step... nothing much, you just have to compensate it by dialing -1/3 exposure...
Anyways, this is a nice addition to the bag of any serious shooter. You simply won't regret it, the quality of this lens kicks ass (not to mention you also got a hood and a pouch.. handy).
Some photos: http://debian.fmi.uni-sofia.bg/~group6_2008/lens/canon17-40/
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mbee
Registered: April 2007
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by mbee
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Review Date: 4/17/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $750.00| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Build Quality, Weather Proofing, Corner Sharpness, Better Colour Rendition, Full Frame
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Cons:
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Price, Weight, IQ not as outstanding as I had thought
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Not too happy with the kit-lens of my EOS 350D, I recently upgraded to the 17-40L. The first thing I did was compare this lens to the 18-55 II kit lens and to my astonishment, the difference in IQ between the two lenses was not as much as I had imagined and it was only after the comparison that I developed some respect for the kit lens! I realised that in some of my shots the kit lens (at f8) gave better center sharpness. Upon close inspection of several similar (outdoor) shots, I realised that the 17-40L gave overall better IQ, it has better corner sharpness and much, much better depth of field than the kit lens. Another strange thing that happened was that I used to almost always dial -0.3 exposure compensation with the kit lens, with the 17-40, exposure became more accurate and at times I had to overexpose! Between the two lenes, the 17-40 gave slightly warmer colours and slightly better dynamic range.
Having used the two lenses, I know know that the kit lens is capable of producing great results and in image quality, the two lenses are not poles apart. In several subtle ways, the 17-40 is much better and beats the 18-55 hollow in terms of build quality, weather sealing, FTM focus and capability of being used on a full frame body. People living in fungus-prone, humid conditions might feel at ease with the weather sealing of this lens. Overall, the lens justifies its price and its place in any serious shooter's kit. Remember that with a build quality like this, it might serve you well for decades and so it is probably worth the extra $$ :-)
Lastly, I bought this lens after reading several reviews on this website. Thank you, everyone!
Mayank Bhatnagar
Jaipur (Rajasthan) India
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JGLarson
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 6
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by JGLarson
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Review Date: 1/13/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $740.00| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Great IQ in compact, light package
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Cons:
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None on Full Frame camera, limited zoom range on a 1.6x format camera
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Great IQ stopped down, and very good even wide open. Flair control much beter than the 16-35L. Distortion minor at 17mm and easily fixed in Photoshop.
This lens is in my main core lens group of 3 lenses that is ALWAYS with me. I got this lens to be my ultra wide lens on my 5D. I already owned a 30D (originally a 20D), and with the 30D camera I use a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC zoom as my general purpose walk around lens.
While the Canon 17-40L is a great lens and could function as a general purpose lens on a 1.6x camera body, it don't think it would be my best choice if I only owned a 1.6x camera. On a APS-c camera the 17-40 doesn't offer as much zoom range as I would prefer, and I would be mildly frustrated with the f/4 maximum aperture. (I don't have those concerns with my 24-105mm IS Canon on a 5D, because of the Image Stabilization). If you know you will eventually own both FF and APS-c cameras, then the 17-40 can work reasonably well on both.
I originally considered the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8, but upon testing it I was very disapointed with the resolution, and poor flair control (especially for a $1400 lens). Distortion was greater on the 16-35 also, but I normally fix that stuff in PS. Bottom line is that the 17-40 is just a better optic. If you can live with f/4, and don't mind NOT spending twice as much for the 16-35L, you will be very happy the 17-40. Since the 17-40 is intended to be a wide angle for my 5D, not a walk around lens for my APS-c camera, the f/4 issue is no problem at all.
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michelen
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by michelen
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Review Date: 1/9/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $678.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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IQ, versatility, useful focal length, construction
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Cons:
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soft wide open, CA
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This is a good focal length for landscapes, scenery, and architecture. In fact, I use this lens more than any other. The image quality and contrast is good. It can be a little soft near the edges wide open and I have experienced on occasion chromatic aberration, green to blue shift, in areas of high contrast.
The lens is well constructed and the AF is generally fast and accurate. Given the cost of other comparable L lens, this lens is a good value.
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thomiz
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 16
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by thomiz
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Review Date: 1/8/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Nice on cropped sensor, built like a tank, inexpensive, sharp, fast AF
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Cons:
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Slow, a little short?
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This is my most used lense. It can take anything, sharp wide open, but then again I do miss an extra stop of light.
The lense is really well built, it is wide enough for most of my work, focuses fast, and everything is smooth. I sometimes miss an extra 10-15 mm on the long end of this lense if I bought today I would probably go with the 17-55 IS for the extra speed and IS. However a great lense at this price, and if you are not bothered with the f/4, just get it.
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Lee Jay
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 16
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by Lee Jay
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Review Date: 1/7/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $700.00| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Great price, great optics, well built
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Cons:
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Soft corners on full-frame, too short to be a walkaround on 1.6 crop
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This lens is really better for what it was designed for - an ultrawide on full frame - than it is as a standard zoom on 1.6 crop. Stopping it down on full frame is usually no problem and it is outstanding in that regard. Very low price given the performance.
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ne1rom
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 6
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by ne1rom
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Review Date: 1/7/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $700.00| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Sharp, light, compact, IF, colour
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Cons:
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soft corners wide open (on FF)
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On APS-C it's very useful range 17-40 (27-60 eqv.), image quality excellent. Build quality up to the top!
On FF image quality remains on high level, still extreme corners shows some softness - stoping down a few stops helps a lot. I'll suggest to use 17mm from F5.6+.
Highly recomended for nature photography!
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amolas
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 6
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by amolas
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Review Date: 1/6/2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $780.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Price, Build, constant aperture, internal moving
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Cons:
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autofocus problems on some, only f4
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Very sharp when focus is well done. Not so expensive for such a good built quality and tropicalisation.
I will recomand it as a very wide angle on a 5D, or as a trans-standart zoom on a cropped sensor.
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philhirn
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 5
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by philhirn
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Review Date: 12/28/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $600.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Allround Quality
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Cons:
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Actually not as sharp as a 50mm prime, but prime is prime. Excellent contrast and good iq, a joy to use. I recommend the EW83DII lens hood. For an allround 1.6 crop, the far end may not be enough for your needs. Thats where the 50mm prime comes into play 
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jraNL2
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 6
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by jraNL2
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Review Date: 12/25/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $774.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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L build and image quality, relatively light, price
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Cons:
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ugly lenshood, for some focal length might be a bit too short at 40mm
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Well, what can I add after so many loud applause of the crowd getting excited by the build as well as image quality in relation to the price of this L designation? In one word: an excellent lens. If you're not convinced yet (I doubt it, though), let's see some samples I put here:
http://www.photo.net/photos/jim_rais
The lens is easy to work with, I'd say it's almost compulsory for anyone using 1.6 crop EOS DSLR as a standard zoom lens. The AF is also fast without hesitation, even under dim light condition and the image quality is on par with its other L brothers and sisters. Furthermore the reason to get excited is the price which is reasonably on the cheap side, taking L quality into account. The provided lens hood (EW-83E) is ugly, but I have already given it a kick in the ass on my review of the EF-S 10-22mm so I will not repeat it again this time. But it's butt ugly, believe me, so I decided to mount a cool Contax metal hood #3 I happened to own with a help of a step-up ring 77-86mm in front of the lens, then checked it at every lens opening ... and voila, no vignetting or whatsoever in the corners of my 1.6 crop DSLR images. The 17-40L doesn't produce only best images but it's now elegant, too, thanks to the round metal hood.
Since I have a habit to pair lenses, this 17-40L does pair best with 70-300 DO. A gap between 40mm and 70mm is not much of a problem for me, but the same layout of these lenses is much more of an importance. In the "heat" of shooting session I must instinctively know that both lenses have a zoom ring which lies behind the focusing ring. The other pair, the EF-S 10-22mm and the EF 28-135mm IS, has exactly the other way round layout, the zoom ring lies in front of the focusing ring.
So, recommended? Are you kidding? For its relation of price and (image) quality only it's already compulsory for owners of 1.6 crop DSLR to have it in their photo bags !
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nikoskard
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 17
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by nikoskard
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Review Date: 12/23/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $750.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Nice build Q, Weather Sealed, Internal Focus, Light Weight, extremely fast focus.
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Cons:
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None so Far.
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Well pair for F/4 series. I also use 24-105, 70-200 (non is) and now this one for comlete L f/4 series Glass.
Why Canon don't make an IS version of this lens?
Contrast, Color, Sharpness is on L side.
Highly Recomended, if you can't afford 16-35L f/2.8.
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photo Art
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 3
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by photo Art
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Review Date: 12/18/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $775.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Size, Internal Focus, build, colour, contrast and sharpness, FF capability,weather sealed.
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Cons:
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probably not as sharp as the 17-55 IS, and has no IS, short zoom range,hood is large
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This is an excellent lens in it's own right. From the second you hold it, you find the build quality is typical L for luxury. The zoom and manual focus rings are very smooth, well dampned and the lens does not extend or rotate during zooming or focusing. The colour, and contrast are very, very good for an UWA lens (onFF). While it is not Ultra Wide on a cropped sensor, it still is just as good. The corners are very good at all apertures and flare and CA are virtually non-existent. There is slight barrel distortion at the wide end, but this has to be expected for an UWA lens. At F4 the lens like any, is a tad soft, but very usable. Stopped down to F11 and beyond, the lens really shines, it is excellent for landscapes or other applications. The colour rendition is outstanding, slightly on the warm side. The lens is as sharp as some primes in this range as indicated in some reviews. The size and weight are very manageable. It is probably not as sharp at the 17-55 IS, but that lens does not have FF capability and there have been quite a few reports of it sucking in dust. The 17-40 L is weather sealed which may be a bonus to some. Some have wished the zoom range could have been greater, but then as always, something would have to given up in return. The lens hood is somewhat of an odd shape, it seems quite wide, and if this could be improved upon, it would benefit the appearance of the lens when using the hood. All in all, a very nice lens to own.
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photofanatic
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 9
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by photofanatic
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Review Date: 12/16/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $950.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp, good focusing, light.
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Cons:
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Colours seem slightly muted
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This is a good lens, sharp, light and nice colour. I do not find the colours as bright as with the 70-200 L, however they are still good. Very nice for landscape and architecture. Even on a20D, I do not use this as a walk around lens... too wide to give pleasing photos of people etc. Well built, feels solid in the hand.
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viatorum777
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 3
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by viatorum777
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Review Date: 12/12/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $650.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Excellent Build Quality, Sharp Pictures
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Cons:
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F/4 Aperture, limited focal range
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This is currently my walk around lens. On my 1.6x crop 30D the focal range works out to about 28-64 mm which is a decent walk around wide angle range. There are times I find myself wishing for more reach, but the 70-200 will have to wait for a bit until my bank account is replenished.
I have used this lens for some portrait shots and have generally been happy although my 50 1.8 provides much better Bokeh. However, I am often pulling this lens out when the area is too tight to get a good shot of my children.
I am thinking now that I have this lens that at times (architectural photography) I would prefer to have a wider angle which is taken away with the 1.6 crop factor. This lens is probably a beauty on a full frame SLR. However, it still provides an excellent range to cover a wide array of subjects.
The build and image quality are excellent and I am very happy I went with an L on my first lens purchase.
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mxwphoto
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 12
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by mxwphoto
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Review Date: 12/11/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $600.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Best wide L zoom within limitations
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Cons:
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Would like lower distortion on wide end
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By saying "within limitations", I mean as far as what this lens can offer. If you absolutely need a f/2.8, wider views for crop cameras, or the extra steadiness of IS, then this is not the lens for you. However, if a f/4 and 17mm is good enough, this lens will deliver with grand results. The first thing I noticed was the color reproduction - it is many times better than my old kit and 28-135! Nothing to complain about on the sharpness either. Weather sealing and solid construction along with buttery smooth focus ring makes holding the lens a joy. To complete the weather sealing though, you will need to buy a clear protector or uv filter (preferably high quality). On the bright side, the lens is IF (internal focus), so you will never have to worry about dust etc once it is sealed. I often shoot by the sea and the weather sealing is very helpful in keeping my gear clean. Distortion on the wide end means buildings will look bulgy and will need some software touch-up, but it's not big problem. IS would always be a plus, but if it means adding an extra $4-500 (see 70-200 IS f/4), I'd much rather have the current configuration. A great lens that has become my favorite walk-around!
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gadgetguy
Registered: May 2006
Posts: 62
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by gadgetguy
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Review Date: 12/3/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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"L" image quality and construction, lightweight for an "L"; full-frame
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Cons:
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"only" f/4
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This is one of the best value L lenses out there, with the 70-200/f4 being the other. Both are "only" f4, but are good enough when yo have moderate to bright light. Image quality is excellent in color and contrast, which is to be expected.
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drewmk2
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by drewmk2
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Review Date: 11/26/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $630.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Build, Contrast, Focusing
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Cons:
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A bit short on the 30D
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This color rendition and contrast of this lens is fantastic, as is the autofocusing. I bought this lens as a walkaround for my 30d, and i surely blows the kit lens out of the water.
When using this lens on full frame cameras, I have noticed the the corners are quite soft and vignetting is somewhat substantial. I can't really complain about this though, because it's inherent with most wide angle zooms.
That said, it's a fantastic alternative to the 16-35L if you don't need the extra stop.
Oh yeah... the hood is useless on a 30D or crop camera.
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redgetanj
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 5
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by redgetanj
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Review Date: 11/25/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $650.00| Rating: 0
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Pros:
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build quality, IF
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Cons:
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Slow max apperture
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Bought this lens for my EOS 3 film camera. Perfect ultra wide-angle zoom for film cameras, approaches the normal range for dslrs. Very fast when fitted to the EOS 3. Color and image quality is excellent. Perfect outdoor lens, not so much indoors without flash. Because of the L designation, build quality is second to none. One of the cheapest L serises lens available.
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awalker
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 6
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by awalker
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Review Date: 11/25/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,062.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp, great colors, fast AF, lightweight, great build
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Cons:
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f4 a bit slow indoors with no flash
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Bought this for my 20D and 30 (film) - needed full frame for the latter and am pleased to have done so rather than the EF-S 17-55 which was my second choice. Lack of IS is no problem in this focal length range, build quality is so much better with the L.
Image quality is excellent - sharper than other lenses in this range that I had tried. Sharpness and colors both superb.
This lens stays on camera for 75% of the time, a real keeper.
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dccps
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 13
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by dccps
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Review Date: 11/25/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $675.00| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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excellent sharpness and color, constant aperture
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Cons:
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field of view for reduced sensor size (all but EOS 1Ds)
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I used this lens for a few years with an EOS-3 with excellent results. Switching to an EOS-20D, I was less enamored with the field of view. The 1.6 multiplier really takes the wide angle away from typical full frame glas like this one. This issue aside, images with this optic were reliably well exposed, with good resolution and true color. If you can live with the equivalent of a 28-70mm optic (I round off), then this could be a very good choice. Otherwise, consider a wider lens.
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photosynth
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 3
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by photosynth
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Review Date: 11/20/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $680.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Image quality.
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Cons:
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Heavy. 40mm too short to use as walkaround lens for 1.6x sensor camera.
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Lens with excellent contrast and sharpness, especially at the wide end.
I use it on a digital with 1.6x crop sensor and sharpness remains excellent despite the smaller sensor.
Minor point, but the lens hood provided with this lens is ineffective for the 1.6x sensor (at the wide end, it's a '27mm equivalent') and gets in the way when using the camera's built-in flash.
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freetoken
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 9
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by freetoken
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Review Date: 11/19/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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color, build, AF speed
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Cons:
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on a FF camera - the corners
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Bought this lens initially when purchasing the 300D as the crop factor made my previous Canon lenses not wide enough. Currently using this lens on a 5D, but it sees less use than it did on the APS-C camera due to not needing an ultra-wide very often.
The color and contrast of the images are very good, up with the EF135/2 as a comparison. However the resolution is no where near that L prime, or even several of the good but affordable non-L Canon primes. The tradeoffs of making a very wide zoom lens shows when using a FF camera. Resolution drops off away from the center, and vignetting (correctable with software of course) is very strong in the corners.
Many people complain about the corners on wide angle lenses but few of them realize that on a FF camera the corners in the image likely are not going to be in the plane of focus anyway. Thus corner issues in real life are not common, unless you happen to be photographing brick walls all day long.
Fortunately distortion is not a real problem. Bokeh is average - nothing objectionable.
Build quality is good, with the added seal in the rear a nice touch. Zoom ring is very easy to turn. Regrettably (as with most Canon lenses) the DOF and IR marks are lacking.
For use on a FF camera this is a useful, AFFORDABLE, ultra wide angle zoom. As wide angle is not my thing I do not feel motivated to search for a better replacement as the 17-40L is satisfactory.
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pz
Registered: October 2005
Posts: 8
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by pz
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Review Date: 11/17/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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picture quality, price
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Cons:
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no
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I used it on 20D, 5D. I was really satisfied with this lens.
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amckeown
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 2
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by amckeown
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Review Date: 11/15/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $575.00| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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L Glass and Price
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Cons:
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None
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I origianlly purchased this lense used when I got my first Digital SLR to make up for the 1.6x factor.
The pictures can not be surpassed in color or sharpness. The only limitaion I can think of is the Fixed 4 so indoors you will need a lightsource.
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mitch10
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by mitch10
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Review Date: 11/14/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Fast accurate focus, sharp, good contast
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Cons:
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heavy for its size, flairing
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I've had the 17-40 for a little over a year with the 20D and get excellent results nearly every time I use it. It is the sharpest lens I currently own. It is also the fastest to focus and nearly inaudible. I also like that I can use auto focus and then manually adjust to alter where the dept of filed will fall. My only real issue is the flair, which is not helped much by the hood. I often have to hold up something to shade the lens when facing toward the sun, but I expect I would have the same problem with any lens this wide. For the price, it can't be beat!
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cold_fire
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 5
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by cold_fire
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Review Date: 11/7/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $700.00| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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L build quality, sealed
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Cons:
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corners quite soft at 17/f4 on 1.3 crop, inadequate lens hood for crop factors
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my weapon of choice in the search for the Pulitzer winning picture. brilliantly sharp in the center, less so on the edges. one copy that I have used was decentered. 24/1.4 or 24-105 IS lens hood work better than the standard hood for crop factors as then lens is a little prone to flare and needs to be protected.
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robby
Registered: June 2006
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by robby
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Review Date: 6/29/2006
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Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: $815.00| Rating: 7
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Pros:
|
good build, good sharpness from 5.6 & from 24mm (APS-C), good contrast and color.
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Cons:
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VERY BAD sharpness at 17-22mm in corners and slightly on edge (APS-C), very high price, heavy.
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Before I bought this lens I got some samples from the web, great photos. After I bought it I made some myself similar to the ones from the web (eg.: leaves surrounding a window). I couldn't get the image sharpness like on the samples although I set max sharpening on camera, high speed, 200ASA and f8 or f11. But in the web samples EXIF it says that they were edited in Photoshop CS2, so I opened my 350D jpg files in CS2 and sharpened them a bit (smart sharpen) to match the sharpness of the web samples. Maybe the web samples were made as raw files, but this doesn't change the fact that probbably most of the samples from the web do not have natural lens sharpness, they are sharpened by in-camera and computer software.
My main problem with the 17-40 4L was mainly the sharpness in corners at 17-22mm. On the samples from the web it was perfect. Maybe my lens was not good, but I changed it to another one, a bit better, but still not satisfactory. I don't need an expensive Full Frame lens witch is not sharp on an APS-C camera. It must be terribble on a FF camera.
My other problem was that the lens could not set the sharpness correctly on some good contrast objects in slight dark light (eg.: 1/5s, f4).
My greatest surprise was that my KIT lens is sharper at the edges at 18mm than 17-40 4L is at 17-22mm.
I am very disgusted by Canon 17-40 4L USM, and I returned it to the shop.
Maybe I will check-out Tamron 17-50 2.8 (APS-C), maybe it is better for an APS-C camera.
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piep
Registered: June 2006
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by piep
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Review Date: 6/13/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $650.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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superior build, great image quality
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Cons:
|
F4 maximum aperture
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was deciding between this and the 16-35. For about half the price of the 2.8 this is a no brainer.
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stuart
Registered: April 2006
Posts: 1
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by stuart
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Review Date: 4/18/2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9
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Pros:
|
L glass, sharpness, contrast and color, reasonable price,
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Cons:
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none
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I have used this lens on my 10D, 20D and 5D, and think that the quality of this L glass is outstanding. I am very happy with the sharpness, contrast and color of the lens, and am extremely pleased with my purchase.
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jyli19
Registered: November 2005
Posts: 7
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Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM review by jyli19
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Review Date: 11/3/2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $640.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Excellent image quality, quality construction, light weight, affordable
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Cons:
|
Lens hood does not fit tightly
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Excellent lens of its price. A very affordale alternative to the 16-35mm when willing to sacrifice one stop. This lens can produce exceptional images with great sharpness and color contrast.
17mm very wide on film or FF, not wide enough on my 10D.
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