canon lens

Wondering if someone could recommend what type of wide angle lens to buy for canon 7D , i am only new with photography and i am thinking of canon EF 17-40mm f/4 .USM lens.
What are peoples thoughts of this lens , i am looking for something where i can get more picture into my shots . ken

What have you currently got? If you're using a lens that already goes to 18 or 17mm at the wide end, the 17-40 isn't going to be any wider.

Look at something like the Canon 10-22mm, Sigma 10-20mm or Sigma 8-16mm.

IanE wrote in post #16637708
What have you currently got? If you're using a lens that already goes to 18 or 17mm at the wide end, the 17-40 isn't going to be any wider.

Look at something like the Canon 10-22mm, Sigma 10-20mm or Sigma 8-16mm.

Hello Ken and welcome to POTN. I would take Ian's suggestion here.

I've used the 17-40 for about seven years now but that's on a full frame camera where it does a wonderful job. It is a wonderful lens for the price but on your 7D it likely won't be wide enough for your shooting habits.

sapearl wrote in post #16637714
Hello Ken and welcome to POTN. I would take Ian's suggestion here.

I've used the 17-40 for about seven years now but that's on a full frame camera where it does a wonderful job. It is a wonderful lens for the price but on your 7D it likely won't be wide enough for your shooting habits.

I understand, thank you for your suggestions , very new to this forum and photography , at the moment i have canon lens EF 24-105 F/4 USM i find this is a very good lens.

I was looking at something that gives me more in the picture , eg if in a room with a number of people eating and is only a smallish room , want to be able to fit everyone in with out stepping to far back,if u understand what i mean. ken

ken18au wrote in post #16637747
I understand, thank you for your suggestions , very new to this forum and photography , at the moment i have canon lens EF 24-105 F/4 USM i find this is a very good lens.

I was looking at something that gives me more in the picture , eg if in a room with a number of people eating and is only a smallish room , want to be able to fit everyone in with out stepping to far back,if u understand what i mean. ken

Understand perfectly Ken ..... been there, done that for wedding situations and parties.

I also have the 24-105 which is quite versatile on my 5D3. It's very good but I can see how it would be limiting for your situations. I have no experience myself with it by many here have been pleased with the 10-22.

The Canon EF-S 10-22 may be what you are looking for. Very nice ultra wide angle zoom!

sapearl wrote in post #16637755
Understand perfectly Ken ..... been there, done that for wedding situations and parties.

I also have the 24-105 which is quite versatile on my 5D3. It's very good but I can see how it would be limiting for your situations. I have no experience myself with it by many here have been pleased with the 10-22.

Like to say thank you Sapearl, will look at the 10-22 lens .

At the time buying my camera the 7D , i love to take pictures of animals and sport why i chose this camera , i was also looking at the 6D and of course would of loved the the 5D mrk 3 but money gap between the 7D and the 5D mmmm .
may be one day i will upgrade even though i still love my 7D . ken

I am signing out now thanks again

I would also recommend the Sigma 10-20. It is plenty sharp, comes with a case and a hood (both extra with the Canon) and is a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than the Canon 10-22. I tried both before I bought the Sigma and have no regrets.

I have the 17-40 and it does work well on my 60D. It is lighter than the 24-105, and is at least as sharp, if not sharper than the longer zoom. The 17-40 has better contrast and flare resistance than the kit lens, the 18-55IS. F4 is slow indoors, and I would recommend a faster lens, like the 17-55IS. I don't own one, as I prefer fast primes for indoor shots.
I assume that you are using flash, if you are asking about a wider lens for crop. If so, then the 17-40 will be fine. If 17 isn't wide enough, then the Canon 10-32 will work, or perhaps the Tokina 12-28F4. For larger groups, you wouldn't want a large aperture, since it can be hard to keep everyone in focus.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm is likely the best choice. It's a fine lens optically and unusually resistant to flare effects. Some of the other lenses feel better built, but none will out-perform the 10-22mm. My main complaint about it is the separately sold, matched lens hood is huge, but effective... be sure to get it.

My second choice would be Tokina 12-24/4. I've used one for a number of years. It's performance in all respects is nearly as good as the Canon 10-22mm and it actually seems a lot better built.

Third, Tokina 11-16/2.8, except that pairing it up with a 24-105 you'd have a significant gap in focal lengths, from 17mm to 23mm. The Toki 11-16mm is even sharper than it's 12-24mm sibling, and just as well made. But it's much more susceptible to flare... Plus the zoom range is super narrow, a trade-off to get f2.8, which is much less likely to be needed on an ultrawide, than on a standard or tele lens.

Also, there are two versions of the Sigma 10-20mm... a less expensive one with a variable aperture and a more expensive version with a non-variable f3.5. The latter is one of the largest and heaviest in this category.... It uses an 82mm filter, while most other lenses in this category use 77mm.

The Sigma 8-16mm is the widest non-fisheye lens made for crop cameras such as 7D. Same possible issue with gap in focal lengths when paired with 24-105. Protruding front element makes it difficult to use with filters. Such a wide lens also has inherently strong wide angle distortion effects.... For example fairly obvious bending of straight lines, though no where near as much as a fisheye.

There is also a Sigma 12-24mm, but it's actually a full frame lens... the widest non-fisheye available for FF, in fact. As such, it has strong wide angle distortions and is rather large and pricey. Would work on a crop camera, too, of course... but you are paying a lot extra for a FF lens and actually getting lower IQ than is possible with some of the other lenses mentioned here that cost a lot less.

The Tamron 10-24mm offers the widest range of focal lengths in a single lens. It's one of the most affordable lenses on this list. I have only briefly tested one and it's now been some years ago. I have heard from some users it's a bit less sharp at the 24mm end of the zoom. The Canon and Sigma lenses have faster focusing too, though on an ultrawide it's really not very noticeable... they only need to move their focusing elements a short distance to achieve focus... so even less sophisticated AF systems can serve quite well.

17-40L is a fine lens, just not particularly wide on a crop camera. When I went from shooting film (full frame) to using crop sensor digital most of the time, I sold a 17-35/2.8L and replaced it with a Tokina 12-24/4 (which actually feels very similar to the L in build, size and weight). More recently I've added the Canon 10-22mm and have started using it.

I agree with artyH, if a 17-something zoom made sense, for use on a crop camera I'd definitely get the EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS instead of the 17-40L.

But I really don't think a 17-something lens makes much sense for use on a crop camera when paired up with a 24-105L.

Another vote for the Canon 10-22. Lovely little lens, and very sharp.

+1 for the Canon EF-S 10-22mm.

17-40mm f4 is a great lens... for a full frame body.

So unless you are platting to go FF, I suggest you go with 10-22mm. An other good alternative is Tokina 11-16 2.8 - which has smaller range, but much faster and constant aperture.

ken18au wrote in post #16637747
I was looking at something that gives me more in the picture , eg if in a room with a number of people eating and is only a smallish room , want to be able to fit everyone in with out stepping to far back,if u understand what i mean. ken

For pics of people, any thing less than 17mm on your crop camers is going to be a little weird due to perspective differences in the middle and edges of the frame.

There is a big difference between 24mm and even 20mm plus I think (could be wrong) the 10-22 have a variable aperture. This means you'll be shooting a stop slower at the main "portrait" focal lengths.

The 10-22s also won't work on a full frame camera like a 6D.

Of course if you want to really go wide for landscape work you gotta have a ten twenty two.