Best Canon Wide angle lens for a 50D?

B

bombfrog

Suspended / Banned
Messages
190
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm in the market for a top spec wide angle lens for doing landscapes/architecture etc.

The choices seem to be...

Canon 14mm F2.8L II USM - £1919.00
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM - £1199
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM - £679.00
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens - £809

On a crop sensor I guess I need the widest one, but that's also the cheapest and slowest. I'm guessing the 14mm is the best but is it worth an extra £700 for an extra 2mm?

I guess another consideration is that the 16-35mm could also function as a good general purpose lens with zoom up to 35mm?

Confused.
 
How about an EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS - A real cracker of a lens and a great walkabout. Don't know what else you have for general use, but this is a real peach.
 
bombfrog said:
I'm in the market for a top spec wide angle lens for doing landscapes/architecture etc.

The choices seem to be...

Canon 14mm F2.8L II USM - £1919.00
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM - £1199
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM - £679.00

On a crop sensor I guess I need the widest one, but that's also the cheapest and slowest. I'm guessing the 14mm is the best but is it worth an extra £700 for an extra 2mm?

I guess another consideration is that the 16-35mm could also function as a good general purpose lens with zoom up to 35mm?

Confused.
Click to expand...

Are you looking for a wide, or ultra-wide? If you're really into architectural stuff, have you considered a tilt-shift lens? I wouldn't really pay all that much attention to the speed either, presumably most of the time it'll be tripod mounted and stopped down a little anyway?

Chris
 
I'm going on a long US road trip next year so I'm thinking of something I can use to get good wide shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Grand Canyon etc. But also I think it'll come in useful for getting a few indoor shots, like inside a theatre, or inside an American football stadium.

You may have to explain a tilt shift lens to me.
 
swag72 said:
How about an EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS - A real cracker of a lens and a great walkabout. Don't know what else you have for general use, but this is a real peach.
Click to expand...

Hadn't considered it but I've added it to the list.

I think one of the reasons I didn't was because I already have a Tamron 17-50mm lens so I was really going for something wider.
 
bombfrog said:
I'm going on a long US road trip next year so I'm thinking of something I can use to get good wide shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Grand Canyon etc. But also I think it'll come in useful for getting a few indoor shots, like inside a theatre, or inside an American football stadium.

Hmmm, would it be possible to take two lenses? There's not really anything that can be a good low-light walkabout and ultra-wide. Probably not what you want to hear though!


bombfrog said:
You may have to explain a tilt shift lens to me.
Click to expand...

Ahahahahahahaha, no chance matey :D. I think it's something to do with little tiny elves who live in the lens and correct the distortion by bending the light beams with their little hands. Use wikipedia for a slightly more scientific reply :lol:

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Personally I can vouch for the Canon 10-22. Its a stunner of a lens and IQ wise will easily compete, if not better the two L series lenses on your list.

Its also surprisingly versatile, Ive used it as a walkaround on many occasions, and TBH you dont really need a wide angle to be particularly fast. That said, is 2.8 really much faster the 3.5 in real terms?

...oh and its super, super wide, the widest you'll find!

That said, the EFS 17-55 is the ultimate walkaround lens on a crop IMO.
 
On a 50D, only the 10-22mm is really wide angle with a equivalent focal length of 1.62x10=16.2.

I wouldn't worry about the max aperture of the 10-22, at these short focal lengths you can achieve some very slow shutter speed hand-held shots quite happily.

I used to have the 10-22 when I had my 40D and it is a really great lens. Can't believe it costs that much now. I got mine for <£500 in early 2009. I would still say it is worth the price though, if you do sell later, they keep their value very well like the best L's.
 
swag72 said:
How about an EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS - A real cracker of a lens and a great walkabout. Don't know what else you have for general use, but this is a real peach.
Click to expand...

I would also second this. If you can do without the ultra-wide 10-17 range then the 17-55 is also a belter. (Had one too with the 40D). IMO a 'desert island' lens for a Canon crop body.
 
you don't need speed for the work you wanna do so go for the 10-22mm. It's a truly awesome bit of kit for the money.
 
Having looked at a site with a few photo comparisons at different lengths I think I'm going to have to go for the 10-22mm to get the effects I want to achieve.

It has got me thinking about replacing my 17-55mm with something better too though.
 
Wide and not Ultra Wide then the 17-55 f/2.8 if you need the speed, if you want versatility for a USA road trip Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. A bit wider and a bit longer but a bit slower with the same IQ as the 17-55 f/2.8
 
The Canon 10-22mm is a cracker from what I've read, but the Sigma 10-20 and the Tokina mentioned above are both very good and worth considering depending on your budget. :thumbs:
 
The 10-22 and 17-55 EF-S lenses are both real gems, with them in your bag (ok so throw in a 70-200/4L IS) you're golden for a road trip. I so so so so wish I had my 17-55/2.8 IS when we did a road trip in the US.. but it hadn't been made yet :D Then again, I didn't really know how to use my camera either back then!

If you really want WIIIIDE can't beat the 10-22 but the Tokinas (11-16 & 12-24) are good also (can be used as a bludgeon to slay any attacking bears as well). If you want to run around without changing lenses, can't beat the 17-55/2.8 IS.

For something like the grand canyon.. panoramas will do it as well. Just shoot away and stitch at home. And DO take a tripod! I didn't..
 
I would recommend trying to borrow an UWA before getting one. Only based on my own experience, but I thought I'd love the UWA, never got on with it and moved it on pretty quickly. I thought they'd be great for getting whole buildings in the shot, but there's more to it than that, and I just never got it.

I'm sure you'll be fine, but just my ramblings from my experience.
 
swag72 said:
I would recommend trying to borrow an UWA before getting one. Only based on my own experience, but I thought I'd love the UWA, never got on with it and moved it on pretty quickly. I thought they'd be great for getting whole buildings in the shot, but there's more to it than that, and I just never got it.

I'm sure you'll be fine, but just my ramblings from my experience.
Click to expand...

They take time and patience, but are highly addictive!
 
Te Amo said:
17-40L
One of the best IQ WA lenses on the market.
Click to expand...

If used on a crop body then other than the red ring and better weather sealing then there is no advantage to the 17-55 IS on a Canon crop. Even then, unless you are using the 7D, the weather sealing is superfluous as the body wont have it anyway.

IQ wise on crop, the 17-55 IS is every bit as good.

If you have the opportunity to compare side by side it is striking how similar in construction the the EF-S 10-22 and EF 17-40 L are.

IMO, the 17-40 is an above-average short GP lens on crop and a very-good UWA on FF.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top