This is a great lens! I was surprised at how fast it will focus and how sharp the photos are. I only wish I would have purchased it years ago. I have photos that would have been great if they had been taken with this lens. This is my first L lens, but a 70-200 F4 will be on it's way next week. also, I can't say enough good things about ordering from B&H. This was the fifth time I have ordered from them, and I have never had a problem.
If you are looking for a great wide angle zoom, THIS IS IT! A great match for my 20D, and I am sure it will be great for the Canon 5D that is in my near future.
I have bought this lens refurbished at Adorama.
My powerhorse lens, no doubt, on my Canon 20D Camera.
I have used it in:
Thailand, China, Ski tours, the Israeli desert, skiing resorts in Europe, California, Canada, from below freezing to scorching heat.
0 problems. I\d give it a 4, as larger zoom range and IS would make it a 5.
Strengths:
Weight, overall picture quality.
Price (especially refurbished).
This camera has WAY better build than my sigma 24-70 f/2.8, and picture quality, and AF is MUCH faster on my 20D
Weaknesses:
Not f/2.8, could use a wider zoom range.
Similar Products Used:
Sigma 24-70 f/2.8
Customer Service:
Extremely poor in Israel. Not with product, but with other Canon products.
NEVER visit the dealer, and go with Golden Camera or Erlich.
Great build quality and nice to use. Good colours.
Weaknesses:
First, I use it on a Canon 5D, so weaknesses are more obvious than on an APS-C sensor camera. I find it a bit on the soft side, and corners definitely soft at f/8. On the other hand I have not owned a critically sharp wide-angle that goes down to 20mm or less. I previously owned the 16-35/2.8 (first version), and it was also very soft in the corners, but a little sharper in the center.
Similar Products Used:
Tokina 17/3.5, Canon 20/2.8, Canon 16-35/2.8, Canon 10-22 on 20D
This is my workhorse lens and I love it. It's not as fast as the 16-35 f/2.8 and sometimes I do want the extra f/stop - but the size difference and portability make up the difference in spades. I use this lens every day. It has never failed on me, even in the rain or on the beach (yes, it got hit by a Pacific Ocean curve-ball) and it is about as sharp as it gets. Best professional lens for the money - no doubt!
A fantastic and necessary lens for Canon dslrs with a 1.6 crop factor, ie 20D, 30D, 350D etc giving you a great standard zoom length. In 35mm terms equivalent to 27-64mm.
Strengths:
Great build. Feels so sturdy and a serious piece of equipment. I've never had USM focussing (ultra-sonic motor) but it's so fast at focussing I had to keep checking that the focus barrel had changed. The grips for zooming feels very comfortable. I love the full time manual focussing too so you can focus manually even if you are in AF mode. The images have a gorgeous, contrasty look and shooting at around F8 the image seems to be sharp from centre to edge. It seems to perform best from 30mm - 40 but works beautifuly across the range. I used to have the Tamron 17-35 but this is much better in terms of colour, contrast, sharpness & build. Contrast & colour is better than 50mm 1.8 II which I thought was already a stunning lens for the price. Comparing images with the kit lens, the kit lens has a muddie, brown colout and is a lot softer. The 'L' build keeps out dust better than the kit lens.
Weaknesses:
It is very big compared with the kit lens meaning I need a new camera case and it's bit heavier, but not excessively so. New it is very expensive which is why I bought it used online and a very good 1 yr old lens at that. F4 is not that wide and requires shooting with higher iso settings. Does not reach as far as the kit lens.
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