Missing Something

i bought this lens a month ago because it was in the right price range,
but I got what I paid for. I expected that with a fixed length wide angle, I would get some real clarity, maybe not the clarity of the 1000+ wide angle, but at least something competitive to other wides. Forget it. This lens is barely sharper than the crummy 28-90 zoom Canon shipped with its EOS SLRs. I kept a film camera on hand for colors and clarity of film, but with a lens like this, there isnt much point. Basically, this 24mm is one step above that terribly unsharp lens, which I shouldnt have paid for either, and just bought the body straight. This is just a warning to relative amateurs who dont know any better.

The AF ring is noisy, but its not a USM lens, so no surprise there. The main thing is that this lens is really not sharp, and I mean less sharp than my old Sigma 28mm on my old manual Minolta X-700. I dont understand why to get a decent Canon lens you have to spend over a grand. This has sent me on a trek to change my mind about what new system to devote my non-infinite funds to, including running back towards medium format for landscapes, the chief purpose of a wide-angle lens. I'm happy with a point and shoot digital, and maybe Canon's digital SLRs are the way to go, but if you want decent glass, Canon will make you pay for it.