Ultra-Wide Swap?

Hello all,

I currently own a Tokina 11-16. I love it on my crop sensor, and would never give up the FOV it provides. However, I recently acquired a 5Dc, and would like to use it more for ultra-wide angle shots.

It seems that the Canon 17-40L is going for about the same price as the Tokina. I've been thinking and wondering if it would be worthwhile to trade the Tokina for the 17-40? It would give the same wide-end FOV on the full-frame, but it goes narrower and could also be used on the crop. Downside is the 17-40 is F4, while the 11-16 is F2.8.

Are the Canon optics as good as the Tokina? Is this madness? What would you do?

Heya,

The Tokina is sharper than the 17-40. The F2.8 is not something I would worry about at all, unless you are specifically doing night captures of the sky. Otherwise, you're stopping down for depth of field and improved sharpness anyways on both lenses. The Tokina flares like crazy in direct intense light sources. The 17-40 handles flare much, much better.

If you don't need F2.8, and you want to shoot more in the day, then it's a good swap.

By the way, the Tokina is EF mount. You can use it on your 5D. It will vignette from 11~14mm heavily. At 15~16mm, it's only minor vignetting, to near no vingetting. You can use it as a 16mm F2.8 that is tack sharp wide open on full frame.

Very best,

I would keep the Tokina 11-16mm and use it on the 5D at 16mm. If you plan to keep using your 40D, it is a "no-brainer" because you would have one lens usable on both formats.

I went from 10-22 on a 60D to 17-40 on a 6D. I am happy with that. For really wide stuff I use the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8. I don't think I've ever used any of them wide open; f/8-16 for me, on these lenses anyway. I'm still hunting for a 15mm FE. I think I may be a wide-a-holic.

Thanks for the input everybody. Mal, you say the 17-40 isn't as sharp as the Tokina. That's pretty much all I need to know, it would be a shame to give up the Tokina IQ. To be honest, I like the flares that the Tokina gives. Maybe I will get over that in a few years

Tyguy wrote in post #17328154
Thanks for the input everybody. Mal, you say the 17-40 isn't as sharp as the Tokina. That's pretty much all I need to know, it would be a shame to give up the Tokina IQ. To be honest, I like the flares that the Tokina gives. Maybe I will get over that in a few years

40D + 11-16 tokina compared to 5Dc + 17-40? I'de put my money on the 5Dc + 17-40 being SIGNIFICANTLY better in every way.

true. once I got my first FF camera, the original 5d, croppers collected dust. I'd get the 16-35L f4 IS which is the best ultra wide made by anyone. it works well on my SL1 too.

ed rader wrote in post #17328852
true. once I got my first FF camera, the original 5d, croppers collected dust. I'd get the 16-35L f4 IS which is the best ultra wide made by anyone. it works well on my SL1 too.

Indeed, the new 16-35L IS is a nice lens on a FF. If OP decides to only use his 5D and sell off his crop body, then its certainly a wise choice especially in the IQ department. However if he intends to use the lens on both crop and FF, its not necessarily the best choice of the lot, and much depends upon the shooting style. Afterall 16mm @f/2.8 with the Tokina on FF is still a little faster than 16 @f/4 if we want to get really picky.

the only ef-s lens I own is the 24mm f2.8 which I just got yesterday. my point was after getting a FF camera why would I elect to shoot with an inferior camera? I generally buy only ef lenses and my cropper is a back-up so why own a lens that won't work correctly on my main camera? of course that's the OP's decision to make.

also I would not say f2.8 on a cropper is faster than f4 on FF.

Seems to me that 16mm f/2.8 from a sharper lens on the 5D is the way to go.
Keep your Tokina!

Maybe add the 17-40mm if the tokina tends to be too wide (ie, you'll have no option to zoom in past 16mm)

I would love the 16-35! Unfortunately it's not an option at this point. I am definitely keeping the crop body, it adds options (and is only worth ~$250).

The Tokina has only been on the 5D once, and I found it vignetted even at 16mm. But with you guys talking about how great that combo can be, I just realized that the UV filter was still on it at the time. That probably makes a significant difference... Will have to try it again sans-filter!

The sharper lens is the winner. I'm convinced to stay with the Tokina. Besides, it rates slightly higher in Pekka's new gear browser utility

ed rader wrote in post #17328922
the only ef-s lens I own is the 24mm f2.8 which I just got yesterday. my point was after getting a FF camera why would I elect to shoot with an inferior camera? I generally buy only ef lenses and my cropper is a back-up so why own a lens that won't work correctly on my main camera? of course that's the OP's decision to make.

also I would not say f2.8 on a cropper is faster than f4 on FF.

Not sure if I was unclear, but I meant to say that the Tokina on a FF at f/2.8 and 16mm is still a fast lens. Also why is this alleged 'inferiority' of croppers even mentioned?

Tyler, you should take a look at some of ride5000's posts in the Tokina 11-16 Lens Sample Photos thread. A lot of them are shot with his 5Dc and Tokina

outmywindow wrote in post #17329287
Not sure if I was unclear, but I meant to say that the Tokina on a FF at f/2.8 and 16mm is still a fast lens. Also why is this alleged 'inferiority' of croppers even mentioned?

Tyler, you should take a look at some of ride5000's posts in the Tokina 11-16 thread Lens Sample Photos thread. A lot of them are shot with his 5Dc and Tokina

Wowzers, ride5000 has some creative shots with that combo! Thanks for the tip