My Favorite Landscape Lens

I was in need of a lens to replace the 'Kit' lens that came with my Rebel XT, and found this lens was the one that fit the bill. I used it, and compared it in the field, to other canon lenses, and decided that this particular lens was what I needed.

The Lens Itself
This is one of the less expensive offerings in canon's 'Professional' L series. As with all L series lenses, the build quality of this lens is top-notch. It 'feels' substantial. Focus and zoom are smooth, and there is no looseness or play in them. The Lens accepts a 77mm filter. It is a bit heavy, but that's the price that you pay for quality optics- They aren't light!

At f/4, this isn't a 'fast' lens by some people's standards.

Autofocus is smooth, quiet, and FAST, thanks to the USM motor.

Included in the package is a lens hood, and a protective bag.

The Competition
I like nice things. I like owning and using things that are engineered well. And I realize that they come at a price. But, at the same time, I don't want to go out there and spend more than I have to for no real reason. While this is an inexpensive lens by "L" series standards, It's still a pretty hefty investment, well over $600.00. So, I wanted to make sure that it was the way to go for me. I did so by field testing it side by side with other similar lenses in the canon lineup.

18-55 f3.5-5.6- This is the 'kit' lens that is packaged with Rebels. It is a pretty cheap lens ($100 range) and performs as such. That said, it does a fair job, and I used mine for years before upgrading. It is MUCH smaller and lighter than the 17-40, and does provide slightly more reach, but image quality just can't be compared. Autofocus is rather slow, and noisy. This lens gets you by, but I am replacing it for a REASON.

17-55 f2.8 IS- This is NOT an L series, though the build quality is similar. The optics are not quite up to the 'L' series, though I doubt that you'll notice it unless you are comparing the two side by side. This lens does have the advantage of being a little faster- at f/2.8, and also has the Image Stabilizer system. You also get a little more reach than with the 17-40, though it really isn't a significant amount. If you plan on shooting in lower light, this lens might be a better option, but keep in mind, it is about $400 or so more expensive, is not "L" series, and is also an EF-S mount, so it can only be used on the crop sensor cameras, not the full frame. If you plan to upgrade your body later, look elsewhere.

16-35 f2.8- This is the next step up in the Canon L line- and It's a BIG step up in price. It is a bit more than twice as much, right around $1400.00. Since I was already dropping a significant amount on a lens, I wanted to make SURE that I couldn't get much better performance by spending more. Really, the only advantage that I saw with this lens was that it was one stop faster- If low light is your thing, That might be worth that extra $700, but for me, knowing that 90% of my shooting would be daylight and from a tripod, I couldn't justify it. Sharpness was similar- Sometimes the less expensive 17-40 actually seemed better.

Other Brands There are a few other 'makes' out there that produce lenses in a similar range. I have used most of them, but only in store settings, not out in the field, so in fairness I won't compare, other than to say that it has been my experience that they aren't QUITE as sharp.

Who it's for
So, I determined that the 17-40 f/4L was the lens for me. But, everyone needs a lens for a different purpose- So is this the lens for you? Here's where this lens excels-

Landscapes- I wasn't much of a landscape person before, And I think that part of it was the old lens that I had! My results with this lens are 100% better than with my old one. And, Encouraged by better results, I spent more time on technique- Further improving those results. Pop this baby on your camera, mount the whole package on a tripod, and you'll be giving Ansel Adams a run for his money in no time. Ok, so that is a bit of an overstatement (more than a bit, really!)- But this IS a great lens for landscape work.

'Street' Photography- I have found that I like using this lens for street photography. It has a good range, allowing me to get nice wide shots of buildings and crowds, yet zoom in to get closer to individual people. While I DO like a bit more reach 'on the street' sometimes, so I don't have to get so close, This lens suits the job just fine, and is far less 'obtrusive' than my much larger 70-200.

Architecture- This is a good lens for buildings, too! I don't do a lot of this work myself, at least on a serious level. I did use this lens to take photos of my new house recently, inside and out. I found the wide angle to be sufficient to take good shots of interiors.

General Photography- I'll just lump all the rest of the 'stuff' here. This is a great lens to have on there at a family gathering, party, or wherever you need a nice sharp lens that takes great pictures! You can get the whole family in a wide shot, and then zoom in for a closer shot of grandma sleeping...

What it's Not for
As much as I love this lens, It is not for everyone.

Low light- Do you plan to shoot mostly indoors without flash? Or outside at night without a tripod? If so, You might find this lens a little too slow. You might be better off getting a lens with Image stabilization, like the 18-55. Or, jumping to the 16-35 f2.8. It's a BIG price jump, though, so really think hard about your low-light needs. I decided that I didn't NEED the lower light performance from this lens, I could make up for that with one of my primes when I needed to. I just crank up the ISO and deal with the noise later if I need to.

Serious Portraiture- Should be pretty obvious. While this is a great lens for snapshots, it isn't a studio portrait lens by any means! You will want something with more reach, and probably something faster for better control over Depth of Field and Bokeh.

Bottom Line

As with any piece of equipment, there are tradeoffs. You can't get it all. But, this lens is a purchase that I will never regret making. Understand it's limits, and you too will be happy with this lens. I hope to see you out there snapping great shots of those beautiful vistas soon!