LENS QUERY

[jkrolleston]

Just purchased 40D body and was looking to buy a good quality lens to suit. I was thinking of the 17-40 L series as I will be trading up to either a 5D or 5D MK2 body in the future and as they are full frame sensors I dont really want to go ultra-wide with the likes of a 10-22 Sigma for example.

[DarkPenguin]

Just purchased 40D body and was looking to buy a good quality lens to suit. I was thinking of the 17-40 L series as I will be trading up to either a 5D or 5D MK2 body in the future and as they are full frame sensors I dont really want to go ultra-wide with the likes of a 10-22 Sigma for example.

If that is the focal range you want I would suggest the Canon EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS.  You'll have to sell it when you get your 5D mk 2 but if you want that focal length (equiv) range on the 5D mk 2 you'd have to sell it anyway.  Plus it is a better lens.  (In a lot of ways.  Not build.)

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Dark is probably right. I have a 17-40 L which I used for 99% of the shots I made with my old 10D, and it was a great lens. But when I got my 5D, I also got a 24-105 L IS, which I use for almost everything. The 17-40 just sits in the camera bag and I almost never use it. One of these days I'll sell it.

Eric

[Ken Bennett]

I have a 17-35/2.8L lens, and while it works fine on my 40D bodies, my 17-55 EF-S lens is a much better choice for a standard zoom, in my experience. Internal stabilization is a plus, and the extra reach of the 55mm makes for a good standard zoom range.

[stever]

if you're planning to go full frame then by all means get the 17-40.  it out-resolves the 40D by a lot and will serve you well as a wide angle on full frame.  my experience has been that investing in EF-S lenses is dead-end if you want maximum IQ and the ability to make large prints.  and if you keep the 40D as a backup when you move to full frame (which you might as well, the 40D is a good camera with limited market value) you'd really like lenses that work on both camers

[jkrolleston]

Thanks Eric...I had not initialyy thought of the 24-105, but having looked at a few reviews it might just suit me grand !

Dark is probably right. I have a 17-40 L which I used for 99% of the shots I made with my old 10D, and it was a great lens. But when I got my 5D, I also got a 24-105 L IS, which I use for almost everything. The 17-40 just sits in the camera bag and I almost never use it. One of these days I'll sell it.

Eric

[Panopeeper]

One consideration regarding lens selection is focusing. The 40D too supports high-accuracy (phase-detect) focusing in the center, but only if the lens is at least f/2.8. This is the same for all Canon cameras except the 1Dxxx models, which use this methog even with f/4.

[francois]

Dark is probably right. I have a 17-40 L which I used for 99% of the shots I made with my old 10D, and it was a great lens. But when I got my 5D, I also got a 24-105 L IS, which I use for almost everything. The 17-40 just sits in the camera bag and I almost never use it. One of these days I'll sell it.

Eric

Same here, on my full frame camera, the 17-40 stays in the bag most of the time. It's a nice lens but I find that focals from 24mm and up is what I shoot most often.