Canon 17-40 l lens

I am looking at buying a used Canon 17-40 l lens today the date code uv0312. Is there any know problems with this lens. if so what do I need to look for.


Thanks any and all info.

I'm not aware of any problems with the 17-40mm. I had one for many years, in fact it was my first L lens. I loved that lens. The only reason I don;t have it now is a sprang for the upgrade (16-35mm with IS)
I miss the long end at 40mm though

No generic issues that I am aware of. The lens does have design problems though, it's not perfect and there are better lenses out there. It vignettes a bit more than other lenses wide open, the focus is not lightning fast as some of the newer lenses, and it sucks at f/2.8 But that's the nature of the lens.

if you can get access before buying just give it a good look, chipped/scratched lens elements, mount damage, focus ring rough spots. Make sure aperture can open to f/4 and close all the way and make sure focus is working. Otherwise, it's a very decent lens for the price. I still have mine and use it often.

I'm not aware of any known issues, either. Great lens:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hDj​ghz

From my user experience, it is a very good lens.
My go-to landscape lens for both crop and full frame.
Only f/4 and no iS, but my stuff is almost always on tripod.
Here are a recent shot and a link to some shots to see what it can do...

https://www.flickr.com​/photos/jimmy_racoon/a​lbums/7215762981534513​0

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hoe​oft

SHould have asked if this is for a crop or FF camera. I guess I made the assumption that it's for a FF camera. If I were looking for a wide for a crop, the 10-22 EF-S lens is better optically than the 17-40.

It is definitely designed for full frame, but works great on a cropper as well. Just not very wide on APS-C, about 24mm.

Again, from about 2003 until 2016 this was my go to wide angle.

And most of that time (10 years, 2003 - 2013) I had no full frame bodies. The widest I was getting was on the 1D APS-H 1.3x crop factor.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18962737
It is definitely designed for full frame, but works great on a cropper as well. Just not very wide on APS-C, about 24mm.

Again, from about 2003 until 2016 this was my go to wide angle.

And most of that time (10 years, 2003 - 2013) I had no full frame bodies. The widest I was getting was on the 1D APS-H 1.3x crop factor.

as I recall the 17-40L was designed in part as a normal zoom for the 1.6 crop sensor prior to ef-s lenses, and was in fact considered to be the best for that task for awhile.

but that said it's a lens that I can no longer recommend for modern FF sensors

The 17-40 is a good lens. I had one for years before trading for the 16-35. It came out about 17 years ago and now new and improved lenses are available but for the price its still a great deal.

it is a must-try lens for canon users.

I was looking for a nice wide angle zoom to take to Arizona last year, but was on a fairly limited budget. I considered the 16-35, but it was much more expensive than the 17-40. The main use was for landscape and tripod work, so f/4 was fine on the open end. I found a nice, used copy and it did not let me down in the least. It stayed on the 6D for just about the whole trip. IMHO, it's a fantastic performer for the price they go for now.
Some examples:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/26Kq​7CK

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/26Kp​PK6

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Lpvm​dz

Even though I upgraded to the wonderful 16-35 f/4 L IS, I still have my 17-40 f/4 L. It’s a good lens plain and simple. Go for it

MIKEYHEA28 wrote in post #18962153
I am looking at buying a used Canon 17-40 l lens today the date code uv0312. Is there any know problems with this lens. if so what do I need to look for.


Thanks any and all info.

In terms of build quality, it is as good as any wide angle lens can be. It has internal zoom and focus. So no zoom creep to worry about. AF should not be an issue with USM focus motor and being wide angle lens. One of the lens not to worry about build issues while buying used. I think, it's only issue is corners wide open at 17mm for non demanding users.

I had one for a short time on a crop sensor but the focal range felt awkward. Definitely better suited for the full frame in my opinion.

I owned this lens for a few years before upgrading to the EF 16-35 f/4 IS. For the money, it's a very good wide angle lens for full frame. I never tried it on any of my crop sensor bodies.