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Canon 16-35/2.8L II and 17-40/4L

Conclusions

I’m underwhelmed by both these Canon zooms, and with DSLRs likely to hit 30-40 megapixels soon, neither of these lenses can deliver the quality that such a camera will demand, since neither one is up to the task with the 21-megapixel Canon 5D Mark II. While the quality is satisfactory (mostly) by f/8, that’s limiting and not versatile.

Sure, you can stop down to f/8 or f/11 and get decent results, assuming you can find a good sample. But my tests and field experience show the Zeiss ZE 21mm f/2.8 Distagon to be superior wide open at f/2.8 to either of these mediocre zooms— see Guide to Zeiss ZE / Zeiss ZF Lenses.

Then there is the Canon 35mm f/1.4L and TS-E 17mm f/4L, which also show superior results. So it boils down to whether you prefer the convenience and lower cost of one zoom lens, or higher quality and more expense of fixed focal length lenses.

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Diglloyd DAP is DSLR-oriented, but also contains workflow and other topics. Much of the focus is on Canon and Nikon but also Pentax and Pentax medium format.

Special emphasis is placed on lens evaluation, focusing on Canon and Nikon and Sigma lenses, but with a few others like Rokinon/Samyang.

Make better images by learning how to get the best results right away.
Save money by choosing the right lens for your needs the first time, particularly some of the new Sigma Art lenses vs Nikon and Canon.
Workflow discusses image organization, raw conversion and post processing. Many examples show processing parameters for direct insight into how the image was converted.
Jaw-dropping image quality found nowhere else utilizing Retina-grade images up to full camera resolution, plus large crops [past 2 years or so].
Real world examples with insights found nowhere else. Make sharper images just by understanding lens behavior you won’t read about elsewhere.
Aperture series from wide open through stopped down, showing the full range of lens performance and bokeh.
Optical quality analysis of field curvature, focus shift, sharpness, flare, distortion, and performance in the field.

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