Review: Canon 17-40mm f/4 L

It’s been a few weeks since I acquired the Canon 17-40mm f/4, so I’ve had a few opportunities to head out and try the lens. As I had previously mentioned, investing in high quality glass is a must in order to maximize the performance of any DSLR camera. With that being said, I have nothing but positive things to say about the 17-40. While for some it may be a hefty price to pay for a lens, it definitely has a lot of bang for your buck. For being one of the most inexpensive Canon “L” lenses it has a lot to offer: superb optical performance, durability (it’s weather sealed, making it a great lens for outdoor use), and costs and weighs about half as much compared to the 16-35mm. Compare this lens to any kit lens and you’ll be instantly convinced to invest in high quality lenses.

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One of my first opportunities to flex the 17-40 was at DODOlogic’s Fallout car show. Having a wide angle lens at car shows is a must as you often don’t have the room to shoot without having people walk into the frame of your picture. Here are just a few images I took while I was checking out all of the cars. I’m definitely impressed with the car scene here in Regina.

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Additionally, having a wide angle lens allows you to capture the entire scene or frame in rooms or buildings where you’re limited by the physical space and can’t just take a few steps backs and snap the picture. In the image below, I was able to shoot the entire half of the garage while being only about 7 feet away from my car. The only disadvantage being the resulting distortion which is typical of ultra wide angle lenses.
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Lastly, wide angle lenses can add another dimension to your photography by enabling you to capture the entire environment of events and locations. Below are a couple shots I took from the stands at the Huskies vs Bisons football game. IMG_1998IMG_2004