WHY DID I BUY THE CANON EF 17-40MM F/4L USM LENS?
You might know that the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II lens is my absolute favorite Canon lens, but when I started doing occasional real estate photography for AirBnb and local businesses, I needed a lens that was a little bit wider. I didn’t want to make a huge investment into yet another super expensive lens, especially because I knew that I could use my 24-70mm lens for most situations when it came to real estate photos. I really just needed something I could use for tight and cramped spaces like small bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens seemed like the best price for what I was looking for. It’s an L series lens, which is Canon’s pro level lens series, but at a fairly reasonable price of $600 (especially compared to the price tag of $1899 for the 24-70mm lens). Though, I actually bought mine gently used so I got an even better deal (you can find them used on KEH Camera or eBay). At this point in my life, I rarely ever steer away from the L series lenses, except in the case of the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens that has a special place in my heart. I have yet to try the RF lenses yet, though it’s on my wish list for next year. :)
WHY DID I BRING THE CANON 17-40MM F/4 L LENS TO JAPAN OVER THE CANON 24-70MM F/2.8 L II LENS?
When I was debating which cameras and lenses to bring with me to Japan, I was torn between bringing my beloved Canon 24-70mm lens and my newer Canon 17-40mm lens. I like to bring a digital camera with me on my trips, along with a handful of film cameras. I mostly use the digital camera as a backup to my film cameras, many of which can be unreliable. It’s mostly just for peace of mind because I actually rarely end up using my digital cameras on my trips! Knowing this, I decided to leave my heavy and large Canon 24-70mm lens behind for the first time on a major trip. The 17-40mm lens is 0.67 pounds lighter, which doesn’t sound like much, but makes a huge difference when I’m lugging a giant camera backpack around a foreign country. Not to mention, it took up less space in my camera bag, allowing me to bring an extra film camera… Yes. I realize that filling that space with another camera probably doesn’t help with my dilemma of a heavy backpack…
THOUGHTS ON THE QUALITY OF THE IMAGES
While the 17-40mm lens doesn’t quite have that professional and super sharp quality to the images that I’m used to with the 24-70mm lens (I think I’ve been spoiled!), it got the job done. And even going through the photos now for this blog post, I’m pleasantly surprised by how beautiful these images turned out. You can really only notice a difference when you zoom in on the images in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom and compare the overall sharpness and the noise in the shadows and corners. It really was a great backup to my film cameras and worked in all lighting conditions, even dark city streets and low-light rooms. And because of it’s ability to capture super wide shots, I easily managed to photograph the stunning architecture of Japan. I always love a wide lens for traveling. I prefer to use the 17-40mm lens with my Canon 5D Mark IV or Canon 6D over my Canon EOS R because I find that the additional lens adapter that I have to use with the EOS R tends to add additional distortion to the edges of the photos when shooting wide. One of the main differences I noticed between the 17-40mm f/4 lens and the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the fact that the 24-70mm lens handles edge distortion much better. Portraits look more natural and the added aperture value of the 24-70mm makes for better images overall. However, when I’m traveling, I’m mostly capturing landmarks and buildings, so it worked out just fine! If you’re going more for portraits or detail photos, the 24-70mm would definitely be a better option.
Did I miss my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens?
Yes. I always do, mostly just because the 24-70 is my heart and soul in a lens. But looking at my images now, I think the 17-40mm lens fulfilled my needs as a backup camera on my trip. I never really end up doing much with my digital images after my trips. I tend to lean towards my film images for sharing on social media and blog posts. Though, if for some reason, my film didn’t turn out from my trip, it’s nice to know that I’d have these images to remember our trip by.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to see more of my favorite images I took in Japan with the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens. I hope these help you to decide if this lens is for you! If you’re on a budget looking for an affordable but professional lens, the 17-40 mm lens would be a great option to start with. Plus, you can always upgrade later! You could also check out my blog post about the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens for comparison. I also posted a video on my YouTube channel about all of the cameras I ended up taking with me on my trip to Japan. You can watch it here!
WHERE TO BUY THE CANON EF 17-40MM F/4 L USM ZOOM LENS
WHERE TO BUY THE CANON EF 24-70MM F/2.8L II USM ZOOM LENS
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<3 Myles Katherine
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