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Review by jt354 on 16 September 2010

Individual review
Build Quality	5
Reliability	5
Sharpness	3
Bokeh	2
Other Image Quality	5
AF Accuracy	5
AF Speed	5
AF (difficult conditions)	5
Value for money	4

Pros:  stunning colors, wide for "cheap", constant f/4
Cons:  sharpness, bokeh (see review)

Canon's 17-40mm f/4L is another excellent deal. It is the cheapest professional ultrawide offered by any manufacturer (to my knowledge) at ~$700. I made the mistake of purchasing this lens for an APS-C camera, on which it is no better optically than the 18-55mm IS. On full frame, it is really an excellent lens, comparable to the Canon 10-22mm in both focal length, optical performance, and price, and far superior in build quality. The 17-40 is rather soft wide open, my copy especially so at infinity. It improves stopped down, where it will typically be used. Color and contrast are astounding. Bokeh is poor, as expected for an ultrawide, but the DOF usually eliminates this issue.

Review by I Simonius on 3 June 2009

Individual review
Build Quality	5
Reliability	2
Sharpness	5
Bokeh	2
Other Image Quality	3
AF Accuracy	3
AF Speed	4
AF (difficult conditions)	3
Value for money	5

Pros:  Very sharp with low distortion
Cons:  Wide open not so great, needs stopping down. Unreliable in AF

Cons first: I get more trouble with this lens not performing AF , or resetting AF points, or giving error messages than any other lens. Also I had to return it to Canon 3 times to get the misaligned element when new, fixed. Needs stopping down (one stop) to get good performance. Edges really let it down ( needs an update with aspherical elements to correct the rough edges (like the 16-35 has)

Pros: very Light (important when carrying all day) - takes filters (unlike the 14mm) is almost as wide as the 14mm (which doesn't take filters) has resolving power once stopped down that equals or beats every other lens in the range (and the 14mm)