What wide-angle lens for Canon full-frame?

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I moved from a 450D to 5D not long ago and miss my beloved Sigma 10-20mm. I got the Sigma 12-24mm but, while it has an impressive field of view, I'm less impressed with its optical quality and lack of capability to take filters. Are there any other wide-angles other than the Canon 17-40mm L?
 
Not impressed with the Sigma 12-24mm? I love mine, I have no complaints at all. On my film body I have a Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM.
 
16-35mm? MKI can be had for around £550, or the MKII which is nearer to £900
 
Just posted a similar reply in the 5D2 thread. From what I've seen I prefer the look of the Siggy (nicer colours and less CA & distortion than the Canon). I've read reports of quality issues with the 12-24.
 
I think the 17-40mm L is the ideal ultra wide-angle choice for Canon full-frame - if you've got one already, disregard the next bit! :D It's fairly inexpensive for an L, decent build and image quality, and takes filters.

If you've got the cash, the 16-35mm L has a wide aperture (f/2.8 as opposed to f/4), but the IQ apparently isn't any better than the 17-40mm.

Failing that, there are various Canon wide-angle primes, some L and some not, and some non-L zooms that may float your boat - IMO none as nice as the 17-40mm.. In terms of third-party marques, AFAIK only Sigma do a full-frame ultra wide-angle zoom, the 12-24mm which you know about already. All the rest are made for crop bodies.

In terms of the Siggy's quality, yes it's great if you get a good one, but there seem to be a lot of dodgy copies floating around. I suspect that if you return one as bad, it ends up being put back on the shelf instead of being returned to Sigma, depending where you buy from.

A.
 
Rooster said:
I moved from a 450D to 5D not long ago and miss my beloved Sigma 10-20mm. I got the Sigma 12-24mm but, while it has an impressive field of view, I'm less impressed with its optical quality and lack of capability to take filters. Are there any other wide-angles other than the Canon 17-40mm L?
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That's the question I've been asking aswell, pretty much in the same boat as the 10-20 goes and have been looking at the Sigma 12-24mm, but as you say, lack of capability to take filters.
 
Depends on your pocket and what other lenses you have.

Some non zooms to be aware of are 14L II & 17L TSE. (also can't take filters though!)
 
24 2.8, or if you're made of money the 1.4. 24 is plenty wide enough on a FF IMHO. I've got the 16-35 but rarely use it.
 
If it is for landscapes, maybe some older manual focus primes may be the way forward. E.g. some of the old OM Zuiko glass with an adapter (24mm f2/f2.8, 21mm f2/2.8 or 28mm f2/2.8) or some of the Tamron or Vivitar Glass. Pretty much anything except for Canon FD will fit with an adapter.
 
ShrubMonkey said:
Just posted a similar reply in the 5D2 thread. From what I've seen I prefer the look of the Siggy (nicer colours and less CA & distortion than the Canon). I've read reports of quality issues with the 12-24.
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I had 2 attempts at getting the 12-24, neither were sharp. I decided on the 17-40L and I love it, it`s my most used lens now. :)
 
I had 2 attempts at getting the 12-24, neither were sharp. I decided on the 17-40L and I love it, it`s my most used lens now.
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Yeah that is the one thing putting me off and why I can't decide.
 
ShrubMonkey said:
Yeah that is the one thing putting me off and why I can't decide.
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There are merits to buying second-hand and trying the lens in the shop you buy it from first. Especially if the lens you're after has known QC issues...
 
I tried a new one on my 5D2 in Jacobs on New Oxford Street a while back.. I couldn't really tell from the shots I took in the shop whether it was good or not.

You really need to shoot something like a brick wall where you can pixel-peep the corners to compare sharpness on each side of the frame.

Surprising how big the 12-24mm is in the flesh, and how far the front element sticks out.. I'd be scared of scratching it against something..

A.
 
woof woof said:
Not impressed with the Sigma 12-24mm? I love mine, I have no complaints at all. On my film body I have a Canon 20-35mm f3.5-4.5 USM.
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Think I may have got a duff copy. I bought it on Ebay and the seller bought it new only two months before, so draw your own conclusions! It vignettes very badly, mostly down the left hand side, at 12mm so it's almost unusable at that focal length, which I think is a swizz.
 
It's hard to find too much wrong with the 17-40L. Performance, build, value. Seriously impressed with mine :love: Unbeatable range too - 2.4:1 zoom range from super-wide to almost standard focal length (equivalent to 10.6-25mm on crop format).

There's a reason why Canon doesn't make a shorter zoom. If you want wider, primes are the way I think. At a price.
 
HoppyUK said:
It's hard to find too much wrong with the 17-40L. Performance, build, value. Seriously impressed with mine :love: Unbeatable range too - 2.4:1 zoom range from super-wide to almost standard focal length (equivalent to 10.6-25mm on crop format).

There's a reason why Canon doesn't make a shorter zoom. If you want wider, primes are the way I think. At a price.
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The 17-40mm does look nice but the amazing 12mm focal length on a full frame is what I wanted. I would be quite happy with a prime if only they weren't so expenisve. How come Canon doesn't produce a range of dirt-cheap-but-good primes like the nifty fifty? They would sell by the truckload.
 
Another happy user of the Sigma 12-24.

To those who still seem to think it can't take filters, check in the leaflet that came with it - and check in the box for the template to cut gels to fit in the slot behind the rear element. It's also apparently possible to use blu-tak and big square filters on the built in hood if you want to use grads. Pols on a lens that wide give horrible effects on skies so are best avoided anyway.
 
17-40 by a country mile. I had it one my 30d and 40d before i got my 5dmk1 and it never comes off the 5d :)
 
I loved my 12-24 Siggy when I had it, I sold it to buy a 10-22 efs when I changed from FF to crop, now I'm back witrh FF when I can find a goodun I'll get another!

The big problem with them is the number of poor copies kicking about!
 
Rooster said:
Think I may have got a duff copy. I bought it on Ebay and the seller bought it new only two months before, so draw your own conclusions! It vignettes very badly, mostly down the left hand side, at 12mm so it's almost unusable at that focal length, which I think is a swizz.
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Would it be worth sending it to Sigma for a good going-over?
 
you can try siggy 15-30mm :) its a bit soft on the edges for ff but its a great lens. I would use this more often than my 17-40mm
 
Purchased a used Siggy 12-24 today for my 5D2 for £319. Few test shots in the shop looked ok.
 
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