Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM Zoom Lens Review

Canon’s description for the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM lens:

A new and affordable L-series ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that’s ideal for both film and digital SLRs. Superior optics are assured by the use of three Aspherical lens elements, in addition to a Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass element. Optical coatings are optimized for use with digital cameras. This lens focuses as close as 11 inches (0.28m), and offers both Canon’s full-time manual focus and a powerful ring-type USM for fast and silent AF. It has a constant f/4 maximum aperture, and offers the choice of screw-in 77mm filters or a holder in the rear of the lens for up to three gel filters. Finally, it offers weather-resistant construction similar to other high-end L-series lenses.

Now let’s continue with the review.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM Lens Review

The EF 17-40mm f/4L lens were one of the first lens I bought for my EOS 40D when I was starting to get excited about photography. I had a few other wide angle zoom lens from Canon and Sigma but the difference between the old and this piece of glass was clear after only 5 minutes and a few shots. So first thing you notice is the quiet operation or the lens, the fast autofocus and the colors. The focus is always accurate and where you want it to be. Also the focus and zoom ring rotate very smoothly and one other thing about this lens is when zooming/focusing the lens does not extend, instead the lens move inside the barrel, so if you have a filter on the lens there will be no movement. Also the Canon EW-83E lens hood is a bit unusual at first but it looks very cool on the lens. This lens like the other L-Series lenses are weather sealed but need a UV filter to be really weather sealed.

Apart from the physical appearance of the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM zoom lens, I think that the optical quality is more important for all of you considering to buy this lens. Used with a 1.6x FOVCF dSLR camera like the Canon 1000D, 40D or 7D equals to 27-64mm which is not as wide as you might like, but it sure gives you a wider angle that does the job for landscape photography. On a full frame camera like the 5D or 1D Mark IV the 17mm are ultra wide and give extra wide angle of view for you to use.

Sharpness: Wide open, the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L lens are sharp in the center but sharpness reduces as we go toward the corners of the frame when lens are set to 17mm. On 40mm the sharpness in the center is good but it is less then the lens zoomed on 17mm. If you stop the lens at f/5.6 and above you will notice significant improvement in sharpness over the entire frame. Stopping it on f/8 or f/10 will give you sharper image but the sharpness falls after f/13.

Colors, contrast, flare, chromatic aberration and vignetting: The color and contrast of the images shot with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L are almost excellent. The chromatic aberration is well controlled but present in corners below 24mm, also lens flare is managed well. Mounted on a crop sensor body the 17-40mm f/4.0 L vignetting is not present enough to be a problem but when used with a full frame dSLR camera you will notice strong vignetting at 17mm f/4 up to moderate at 40mm f/4.

Distortion: Zoomed at 17mm there is a strong barrel distortion which gives a very nice dramatic look on clouds, an effect I personally like very much. Zooming the lens from 17 to 40mm you will notice a mild pincushion distortion forming, mostly expressed at 40mm.

Overall image quality: The EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM lens deliver a comparative image quality that can be rivaled with the one from the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 lens, although not as good as the 16-35mm which are faster and in that matter more expensive, the 17-40mm is quite good alternative or even the better choice regarding the price.

Usage: The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM are best used in landscape photography, the wide angle is great for shooting landscapes and also architecture. Also this lens is great for tight spaces. When it comes to shooting people with the 17-40mm this lens is not good at all for close up portraits due to the distortions present at the wide angle (for this kind of closeups please consider focal lengths in the 85-135mm range). When used for full body portraits some very interesting effects are achieved with the 17mm focal length because if shot from the right angle some body parts like the legs can be extended to look longer and I personally have seen a lot of fashion photographers using this effect on many of their photos.

Pros:

• Superior built quality as all L-Series lens
• Great for landscape photography
• Amazing colors compared to other wide angle lens
• Affordable

Cons:

• Not as sharp as the rest of the L-Series lens but sharp enough
• 77mm filters are a bit pricey

Great for:

• Landscape photography
• Architecture photography
• Shooting in tight space

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM MTF Charts

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM Specifications:

Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 17 – 40mm; 1:4
Lens Construction: 12 elements in 9 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 104° – 57° 30′
Focus Adjustment: Inner focusing system with USM
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.28m
Zoom System: Rotating type
Filter Size: 77mm
Max. Diameter x Length: 83.5mm x 96.8mm
Weight: 500g

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