Unboxing the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L

I needed an ultra-wide angle lens for an architecture shoot and, considering my budget, I went for the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L. It’s a nice lens and I’ll share some images shot with it, but in the mean time, here’s the unboxing video.

Why The EF 17-40mm ?

Besides my regular portraits work, I’ve been shooting more architecture photography lately. Of course, you could say that tilt-shift lenses are the ones to use for architecture photography. However, considering my budget I prefer to go wide and make corrections in post production.

What’s in the Box?

If you purchase the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L lens, you’ll get a few things in the box

• the lens
• manuals and more information on a CD
• printed quick guide
• warranty card
• carrying pouch
• lens hood
• the lens

First Impressions

This lens is pretty big and solid, but surprisingly light. Attaching it to my 5D Mk III the whole setup feels seriously solid. I like that the physical length of the lens doesn’t change while zooming or focusing. However, the front element does move slightly, in and out of the lens barrel. It means that, in order to fully seal the lens, you need to attach a filter to the front thread.

I have heard that this lens is known for its distortion and chromatic aberration. However, those are fairly repeatable issues and the lens design has been in the market for a while. That’s why I think I’ll be able to correct those issues using Lightroom.

If you’re interested in buying this lens, you can get it from Adorama.

Have you used ultra-wide angle lenses like this? If so, what was your experience with them? Please, leave a comment below.