Rating 4.5 69 reviews
Manufacturer: Canon
price $595.00 - $599.00
PC Magazine
12 years ago

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM ($839.99 direct) is an ultra-wide to normal zoom lens that is compatible with Canon EOS SLR cameras . When used on a full-frame body, the lens provides an extremely wide 17mm field of view on the wide end with a 2.4x zoom factor that takes it to a normal 40mm field of...
Pros:
  • Ultra-wide field of view
  • Reasonable price tag
  • Good center sharpness
Cons:
  • Muddy edges and corners at 17mm
  • Some distortion
  • Noticeable color fringing
Read more on PC Magazine
PC Magazine
12 years ago

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Review

The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens is an inexpensive alternative to the 16-35mm f/2.8, but its edges are muddy at its widest angle. The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM ($839.99 direct) is an ultra-wide to normal zoom lens that is compatible with Canon EOS SLR cameras. When used on a full-frame body, the lens provides an extremely wide 17mm field of view on the wide end with a 2.4x zoom factor that takes it to a normal 40mm field of view at the long end. It features a constant f/4 aperture and a silent focusing motor. The lens is a part of Canon's top-end L series of lenses—which are easily identified by the red band around the front element. It isn't as sharp as the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM($1,745.00 at Amazon), and is prone to showing color fringing around highlight edges. But if you're looking for an ultra-wide zoom and you're on a budget, some work in Lightroom can make up for its shortcomings. The lens is short and squat at 3.8 by 3.3 inches (HD). It weighs about 1.1 pounds, and uses rather large 77mm filters. The lens can focus as close as 10.8 inches, regardless of the focal length. There's a large man...
Pros:
  • Ultra-wide field of view
  • Reasonable price tag
  • Good center sharpness
Cons:
  • Muddy edges and corners at 17mm
  • Some distortion
  • Noticeable color fringing
Read more on PC Magazine
imaging-resource.com
7 years ago

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

I have recently used this lens for landscape and seascape images in mostly good outdoor light on two full-frame cameras, namely the EOS 5D and EOS 5D Mark III respectively. Although it covers a range of focal lengths I already had mostly covered by three prime lenses, I did not previously possess...
Pros:
  • Robust and impressive build quality with smooth handling
  • relatively lightweight
  • reliable autofocus
  • familiar vibrant Canon colours
  • Well priced (at least by 'L' standards)
Cons:
  • Very weak corner resolution at 17mm below f/11 on full-frame
  • The bulbous and ugly lens hood is large, obtrusive and awkward to pack unattached
Read more on imaging-resource.com
wexphotographic.com
12 years ago

A Great lens for the money

A lovely lens for the price, very fast to focus and very quiet. I use it on a 600D body so only use the centre area of the lens. I suffer no curving on the edges as full frame sensors are reputed to suffer. As you would expect for a "L" series lens, it's built like a tank with weather sealing.
Pros:
  • Consistent Output
  • Easily Interchangeable
  • Quick Focus
  • Rugged
  • Sharp Focus
  • Strong Construction
Read more on wexphotographic.com
eCoustics
12 years ago

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Review

The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens is an inexpensive alternative to the 16-35mm f/2.8, but its edges are muddy at its widest angle. (3 out of 5) Pros Ultra-wide field of view Reasonable price tag Good center sharpness Cons Muddy edges and corners at 17mm Some distortion Noticeable color fringing The...
Pros:
  • Ultra-wide field of view
  • Reasonable price tag
  • Good center sharpness
Cons:
  • Muddy edges and corners at 17mm
  • Some distortion
  • Noticeable color fringing
Read more on eCoustics
itreviews.com
12 years ago

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM ($839.99 direct) is an ultra-wide to normal zoom lens that is compatible with Canon EOS SLR cameras. When used on a full-frame body, the lens provides an extremely wide 17mm field of view on the wide end with a 2.4x zoom factor that takes it to a normal 40mm field of...
Read more on itreviews.com
photozone.de
17 years ago

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 USM L (full format) - Review / Test Report

It's not exactly easy to design a flawless full format lens and the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 USM L shows its part of the struggles here. The lens is not overly fast but it has a comparatively broad range for a lens in this class and it seems as if Canon has overstretched things a little with respect to...
Read more on photozone.de
ePHOTOzine
15 years ago

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM review

Gary Wolstenholme takes a look at this popular lightweight ultra-wide angle zoom lens.
Pros:
  • Superb performance in the centre throughout the range
  • Well built
  • Lightweight
Cons:
  • Sudden softness in the corners may disturb full-frame SLR users
  • Distortion difficult to correct entirely at 17mm
  • Falloff at 17mm
Read more on ePHOTOzine
Camera Labs
18 years ago

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens, (tested with cropped-frame APS-C body)

The Canon EF 17-40mm may deliver spectacular ultra-wide angle coverage when fitted to a full-frame body like the EOS 5D, but offers a more normal, general-purpose range when mounted on cropped bodies like the EOS 30D or 400D / XTi.
Pros:
  • Canon 'L' build and optical quality
  • Fast and quiet USM focusing motor
  • Constant f4 aperture throughout range
  • Will also work on full-frame body
Cons:
  • Shorter zoom range than kit lens
  • No IS (although not particularly necessary
  • Overkill if not considering full-frame in future
  • Canon EF-S 17-85mm more flexible for most
Read more on Camera Labs
Vistek
18 years ago

Have had lens for a few years now. At one time also had the 16-35 F/2.8, but honestly ended up using this lens more because it is so much more portable (smaller, lighter). While the new 16-35 v2 is sharper in the corners, it is double the price.
Read more on Vistek
4.5 from 69 reviews
5
57.0%
4
29.0%
3
8.0%
2
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