Topic: hands on report of the new canon ts-e 17mm (Read 7119 times)

heinrichvoelkel · « **on:** June 05, 2009, 04:12:20 pm »

for those interested click here:
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras...-e_17_f4_l.html

sorry for the broken link, meant this one

Kirk Gittings · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2009, 04:20:21 pm »

That link doesn't work.

keith_cooper · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2009, 04:42:09 pm »

Mine turned up this morning :-)

A quick test from earlier (it's raining now)
TS-E 17 samples/info

DaveCurtis · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2009, 07:38:09 pm »

Michael, will you be doing a review on this lens or the new 24mm ts-e ??

michael · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2009, 08:17:16 pm »

When Canon gets off their butts and sends them to me I will. They've been requested, but nothing yet.

Michael

Grischa Rueschendorf · « **Reply #5 on:** June 05, 2009, 11:19:35 pm »

The 17TSE has been available in Hong Kong for 2 weeks now - though only 3 copies have been delivered according to CPS here.
Please find attached 2 samples taken of the International Finance Centre (IFC2) building in Hong Kong's Central district. This building is about 400 meters (1200 feet) tall and I am standing at about 500 feet distance from the tower.
Both shots are jpegs from totally unaltered RAW files.
Both shots are taken from similar angles at full lens rise.
One shot taken with the 17TSE the other taken last year with the 24TSE (old model!)
I don't have the new 24mm yet so I can't make a direct comparison.

keith_cooper · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2009, 04:50:57 am »

It's still raining here, so my plan to start wandering round photographing some local buildings is on hold :-)

That front element really does feel exposed in the way it sticks out...

Since putting those first few images on the web page I've had a more detailed look at the images I took, and it confirms that this lens is very usable at full shift, particularly when stopped down to ~f/8-11

At full vertical shift with the camera (1Ds3) horizontal, there was no overlap of frames.

I've never been into measuring lens performance quantitatively, but I do await with interest, the findings of some of my 'lens anorak' friends ;-)

In the UK, I believe a few dealers received a small number of lenses last week. At the moment, only the 17mm. No good estimates on the 24 yet, although I suspect Canon expect more of a 'rush' for the 17mm (as far as you do get a rush for a lens at that price...)

DaveCurtis · « **Reply #7 on:** June 06, 2009, 04:48:37 pm »

First impressions look very promising Keith. I would be interested to see how the lens performs unshifted compared to the Canon 14mm II and the Canon 16-35mm f2.8 II @16mm.

keith_cooper · « **Reply #8 on:** June 06, 2009, 05:38:45 pm »

Quote from: DaveDn

First impressions look very promising Keith. I would be interested to see how the lens performs unshifted compared to the Canon 14mm II and the Canon 16-35mm f2.8 II @16mm.

I've only got the original 16-35, so I'd not expect much competition there.

I compared it with my 14 II and the first thing I saw was noticeably more CA on the 14. As to sharpness, not dissimilar but at f/8 I'd probably give the nod to the 17mm

The shots were not taken under optimal conditions, so I wouldn't read a great deal into it. However it's convinced me that the 17 is more than good enough for my work, even shifted quite a bit.

Hopefully I'll get a few better shots in the coming week, a mix between ones that look good and ones that really show aspects of lens performance ;-)

keith_cooper · « **Reply #9 on:** June 10, 2009, 10:17:31 am »

I've added a few more examples to the TS-E 17 page

There are more 100% crops, but this of the clockface gives a good idea of quality (1Ds3 1/2 s @f10 100 ISO 12mm(full) shift)

Luis Argerich · « **Reply #10 on:** June 10, 2009, 11:43:57 am »

Keith, is it me or that image looks very weird? why?

keith_cooper · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2009, 11:52:01 am »

Quote from: luigis

Keith, is it me or that image looks very weird? why?

17mm is a very wide view when shifted - I was not far from the clock tower at all.

The lighting is just due to the time and weather :-)

I've shown the image to several 'local' friends who all loved it and thought it captured the feel correctly, although to me it makes Leicester city centre perhaps look somewhat grander than I think it is...

Much like when getting a fish-eye lens for the first time, I want to get some of that 'new toy' feeling out of the way, taking pictures in my own time and getting a better feel for when it is appropriate on a paying job.

Luis Argerich · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2009, 12:48:48 pm »

It's a very beautiful place, I'd love to be there to shoot. It just looks a little "twisted" as if the clock tower had been straightened and twisted at the same time.
Being a local helps, the tower might actually look this way when you are there

I just wondered if the image was "correct" to you and that is enough for me.

Quote from: keith_cooper

17mm is a very wide view when shifted - I was not far from the clock tower at all.

The lighting is just due to the time and weather :-)

I've shown the image to several 'local' friends who all loved it and thought it captured the feel correctly, although to me it makes Leicester city centre perhaps look somewhat grander than I think it is...

Much like when getting a fish-eye lens for the first time, I want to get some of that 'new toy' feeling out of the way, taking pictures in my own time and getting a better feel for when it is appropriate on a paying job.

Slobodan Blagojevic · « **Reply #13 on:** June 10, 2009, 01:40:55 pm »

Quote from: luigis

Keith, is it me or that image looks very weird? why?

It does look weird to me too, and I'll venture a guess: human perception DOES expect a certain amount of perspective distortion to take place in order for us to perceive it as natural. We DO see tall buildings converging at the top when we stand close to them. In the case of the clock tower image, our brain is trying to (over)compensate for the lack of expected distortion, hence we perceive the tower being "fatter" at the top. I would expect that oftentimes t&s lenses should be used best like a polarizer filter: find the maximum strength, then back off a notch.

telyt · « **Reply #14 on:** June 10, 2009, 03:46:25 pm »

Quote from: luigis

Keith, is it me or that image looks very weird? why?

Looks like Keith wasn't precisely perpendicular to the face of the clock. The spires on the tower aren't even. I'll bet this will be a challenging lens to master.

keith_cooper · « **Reply #15 on:** June 10, 2009, 04:05:42 pm »

Quote from: telyt

Looks like Keith wasn't precisely perpendicular to the face of the clock. The spires on the tower aren't even. I'll bet this will be a challenging lens to master.

Intentionally so in the alignment :-) I have 6 other shots taken round the tower and this one was unanimously picked by my 'Leicester born locals' this morning when I was looking at the shots from last night...

The perspective effects of this lens at full shift give the feeling of twisting the tower - look at the base to see that although I am in fact square on to it, the fact that it is offset from the middle of the frame is what gives the 'twisted' effect at the top.

You're right though, that it will take some practice to get proficient in using the lens effectively - sounds like fun :-)

uaiomex · « **Reply #16 on:** June 10, 2009, 06:32:44 pm »

I do freelance work for an interior and decor magazine. I like to leave residual keystoning to make it look more natural and less "distorted". Here, correcting distortion actually is adding distortion. All things in the universe get smaller and smaller as they get farther. T/S lenses and viewcamera movements add this kind of distortion to get perfect vertical walls. Arquitects in general prefer to see their work on photos like this. With rare exemptions I prefer little less than perfect vertical. In Keith's picture the top of the tower looks weird because of perfect vertical walls and being off the center. Both things add to weirdness. It's a good picture. It suppossed to look weird after so much shift. Sometimes I encounter photos with "perfectly corrected" buildings that my brain tells me that the buildings are wider at the 90th floor than at street level!. Talk about weirdness!!! Amazing lens nevertheless.
Eduardo

Quote from: slobodan56

It does look weird to me too, and I'll venture a guess: human perception DOES expect a certain amount of perspective distortion to take place in order for us to perceive it as natural. We DO see tall buildings converging at the top when we stand close to them. In the case of the clock tower image, our brain is trying to (over)compensate for the lack of expected distortion, hence we perceive the tower being "fatter" at the top. I would expect that oftentimes t&s lenses should be used best like a polarizer filter: find the maximum strength, then back off a notch.

adam z · « **Reply #17 on:** June 10, 2009, 08:45:48 pm »

How is the corner and edge sharpness (both with no movement and with a lot of movement) on a 1Ds MkIII, That 21mp sensor should realy test this lens.

Josh-H · « **Reply #18 on:** June 10, 2009, 10:12:03 pm »

Well my 17mm TSE has also arrived - hope to take some test shots tommorow.

The front element has me... well.. nervous (its huge). Going to have to be careful in the field with this when the lens cap is off.

keith_cooper · « **Reply #19 on:** June 11, 2009, 03:42:37 am »

Quote from: adam z

How is the corner and edge sharpness (both with no movement and with a lot of movement) on a 1Ds MkIII, That 21mp sensor should realy test this lens.

It's very sharp for such a wide lens. There are some samples in the original link at the top of the thread. They were initial tests and I think could be bettered with a bit more care.

It's more than sharp enough to keep me happy, but then I've never been an image sharpness nut (YMMV ;-)

Author Topic: hands on report of the new canon ts-e 17mm (Read 7119 times)

telyt