I had been thinking about getting a 24mm lens for a while, and kept wondering if the non-L lens would be adequate, or if I should get the 17-35 2.8L zoom. Eventually Canon came out with the 24/1.4L, and answered the question for me.

Canon's third version of its 24mm f/1.4 full-framer (the first was the 1979 FD), this $1,700 (street) prime remains the fastest wide-angle lens for both film and digital SLRs, scaling up to the equivalent of 38.4mm on the Canon EOS 50D.

Canon EF 14mm f/1.4L II USM was first announced at Photokina 2008 as a replacement for the namesake first generation 24mm f/1.4L prime. The lens compliments a pretty comprehensive range of Canon's ultra wide and wide angle lenses, including another 24mm prime, the ailing Canon EF 24mm f/2.8.

The Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM Lens is, without question, Canon's best-performing (optically and physically) and best-built 24mm autofocus lens. It is also Canon's widest angle lens with an aperture wider than f/2.8 - a full 2 stops wider than all wider angle Canon lenses.

The second incarnation of Canon's premium fast aperture wide angle lens costs around ￡1315 and sports a bright f/1.4 maximum aperture, fast ultrasonic focusing and professional-grade weather sealed construction.

The new Canon EF 24/1.4L USM II is expected to be available in December 2008 at a price of around $1699 Canon Press Release on the Canon EF 24/1.4L USM II The new EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens is the successor to Canon's EF 24mm f/1.4L USM professional wide-angle lens released in 1997.

Gary Wolstenholme reviews the premium fast wide-angle Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens.

Excellent optical performance; Build quality; Fast focusing; Bright maximum aperture; Resistance to flare and loss of contrast

May be a little pricey for some; Quality towards the edges at maximum aperture could be better (although this is a minor concern for a wide aperture lens like this)

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The two large-diameter, glass-moulded aspherical elements correct aberrations like curvature of field and distortion, both common in wide-angle lenses. In addition, two UD elements are used to minimise chromatic aberrations.

By any standards, this Canon EF 24mm f1.4 is a pretty specialised lens. It's a fixed focal length optic in a camera world now dominated by zooms, and compared to the average zoom it's also fantastically expensive.