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Mac D.
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Registered: Apr 9, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 431
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Review Date: Nov 6, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,300.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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excellent sharpness edge to edge, build quality.. CA, Flare, Vignetting and Barrel distortion are barely factors.
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Cons:
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Price, No filters, vulnerable front element, manual focus only
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 Nov 6, 2009
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AGeoJO
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Registered: Jul 8, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 11403
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Review Date: Oct 17, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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The abundance of sharpness :D, pretty flare resistant (must be the new SWC coating), allowing plenty of movement, more so than the other older TS-E design, the ability to change the direction to be parallel or perpendicular to each other done by yourself.
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Cons:
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The lens cap is bulky but I couldn't think of any better design with such a bulging front element like that. I wish Canon would put in a simple gelatine filter holder at the rear, more for ND filter but I realized that this lens was designed more with architecture in mind rather than landscape. I don't care about the polarizing effect on an UWA lens anyway. So, that it doesn't accomodate any filter doesn't bother me much.
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This has taken the first place of my favorite TS-E lens lineup formerly occupied by the TS-E 90mm. Granted, the two are completely different beasts but nonetheless :D.
Prior to this lens, I felt that Canon was lagging behind in the (ultra) wide angle arena, not only compared to Zeiss and Leica but even to Nikon. This lens has definitely changed my view about Canon's ability to produce great wide angle lenses. Canon must have felt the heat and finally came up with this unique and truly amazing lens. I gladly said good-bye to my 16-35 Mark II. In my book, this TS-E lens is comparable to my continued to be used Nikon 14-24, which is impressive being a zoom lens but this lens, with its tilting and shifting action, can do some tricks on its own.
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Oct 17, 2009
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John Mills
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Registered: Aug 23, 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 330
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Review Date: Oct 11, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness, rectilinear, flare control is good without hood, build quality, good contrast and colour, big shift movements.
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Cons:
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No lenshood.
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This lens is just so sharp and straight. I rate it with the Schneider 90mm XL and my Rodenstock 90mm Grandagon. Thank you Canon worth every dollar paid.
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Oct 11, 2009
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Roy Pertchik
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Registered: Dec 4, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3343
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Review Date: Sep 27, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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This review will sound like a stupid review because there is nothing bad to say. Sharp from corner to corner wide open, shifted, tilted (when appropriate), CA negligible if at all.
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Cons:
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Needlessly bulky lens cap. Will need a home brew to fit 5.65x5.65 sheet glass filters for circ pol and ND.
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Couldn't be happier with this lens. It's stupidly sharp all over, wide open, and shifted it's still pretty sharp in the most extreme corners, too. Stopped down, it's fantastic every where. It no CA to speak of. Astounding. Shifted, it's equivalent to an 11mm lens on a FF. Surreal.
Buying this lens allowed me to sell off my 16-35 II, which was no where near as sharp in the corners or even in the center. Also selling off 24T&S. I now carry the 17mm T&S, a 24L 1.4, a 50L 1.2, a 70-200 2.8IS, a 1.4TC, and with two bodies (ff and cropper), I have everything I could possibly need.
This is not only the best wide Canon has made in many years or possibly ever, it is also a great, great optic that I am certain will become a legend.
If you like tilt and shift, you will be very hapy with this as your wide end solution.
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Sep 27, 2009
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felipin
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Registered: Dec 1, 2005
Location: Spain
Posts: 41
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Review Date: Aug 30, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Uniqueness, sharpness, overall image quality, build quality, lack of CA, lack of distortion, wideness.
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Cons:
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Expensive, wideness (sometimes...), unprotected frontal element, no filters.
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This is a truly unique lens: I'm glad Canon did it! With it, Canon shooters can achieve certain imagery that no other people using SRLs can...
The image quality is simply stunning. After using it, all my other TS-E lenses (the 24 Mk I and even the 45) seem lemons.
Of course, corner sharpness, if shifted/tilted, is not the same, but anyway the images are amazing.
It's very hard to hand hold the lens, even with an appropriate focus screen, but, well, any serious architectural work can hardly be done without a tripod...
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Aug 30, 2009
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ck_WTB
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Registered: Aug 29, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 61
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Review Date: Aug 29, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,350.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Ultra wide angle lens that is near perfect even with shift and tilt. Coupled with Canon's 21MP full frame sensors you get one of the best set ups for architectural photography.
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Cons:
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Cost is expected. The big problem with the lens is lack of lens hood to reduce flare and help protect protruding front element.
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Prior to purchasing a copy of this lens I was able to rent the 17 and both versions of the 24 for paid and personal architectural work. The new 24 has slightly better CA control, costs slightly less and most importantly allows for the use of a lens hood and front filter. However, the 17 is significantly wider than the 24 and in my book the must have for architecture or wide landscape photography.
I have more detailed reviews and photo galleries for all three of Canon's wide angle tilt/shift lenses on my website:
http://www.witnesstobeauty.com/f539876575
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Aug 29, 2009
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goldscout
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Registered: Jun 13, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 157
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Review Date: Aug 28, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,499.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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This lens is a boon for interior views in tight spaces and for landscape shots when you want everything in focus far to near. You can make panoramics by using the shift and photoshop with no problem. Tilt and shift can be shifted independently. Add a 1.4 tele extender and now you've got a 24 mm tilt shift as well.
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Cons:
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It's large and it's expensive and you have to be careful. Nothing that anyone who cares enough about photography to buy this lens will be disturbed by.
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Aug 28, 2009
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Henning
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Registered: Jun 9, 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 29
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Review Date: Aug 16, 2009
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: $2,460.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Huge image circle, excellent flare control, very good optical performance considering large image circle, good implementation of tilt and shift controls and relationship between them.
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Cons:
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Size, unnecessarily large lenscap making stowage difficult, unprotected front element, far corners could be better.
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I've had lots of shift lenses from other systems, and some tilt and shift lenses from Canon, starting with the 35TS, which was outstanding optically but a bit clumsy to operate. Later I got some of the current TS-E lenses, including the 24 which was marginal optically. The 24MkII is a huge improvement, and the 17 is just as good, which is astounding.
This lens has the same angular coverage as an 11mm lens for full frame would have; it puts to rest some of the criticisms that Canon can't design a decent wide angle. Finally, a very good very wide lens!
This is a very practical lens in tight spaces and almost a necessity for any serious architectural photographer. I won't use the tilt much on this focal length, but the shift capability is amazing.
I would have killed for this lens in my film days, but even on digital you can't get what this lens provides any other way.
My faith in Canon is restored.
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Aug 16, 2009
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dkwlau
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Registered: May 12, 2005
Location: China
Posts: 19
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Review Date: Aug 1, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Much wider than 24mm, Sharp to the corners, Minimal CA, Minimal distortion, Excellent built, Excellent front lens cap design
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Cons:
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Protruding front element, Cannot use filter
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I have been using 24mm TS-E MK 1 for a few years, mainly for architectural photography during travelling to Europe (for holiday). I found it not wide enough for many situations, where I could not stand back anymore to have the view that I wish.
Now the 17mm TS-E allows me to do so.
It is sharper than 24mm TS-E MK 1 and has much less CA. It is also sharper than my 16-35 MK II when used as a normal 17mm lens, and has less distortion too.
I mainly handholding the camera when using 24mm TS-E. Handholding 17mm TS-E is more difficult but still OK, if you use grid screen and not looking for 100% perfect alignment. But using a tripod and bubble lever is definitely better.
I only use its shift capability and found tilt capability little use for the type of photography that I take. The DOF of 17mm stopping down is already big enough in most cases.
The main negative thing about this lens is the protruding front element, which is risky for damage and attracts attention. My way to protect it is to point the lens down when walking in a crowd. Putting on and off the lens cap may mean lost in shooting opportunity.
Some sample photos during my recent trip to Austria. About half of the photos inside this album are taken using 17mm TS-E.
http://www.pbase.com/davidkwlau/austria_2009
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Aug 1, 2009
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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25
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50745
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Oct 23, 2012
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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92% of reviewers
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$2,333.42
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.79
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8.21
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9.8
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