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Review Date: Jun 14, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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--UWA is back for 1.6 bodies (which will be around for at least another 5-6 years most likely, so you will be able to play with this lens for another 8 years)
--Decent build quality, with the exception of the focus ring
--Sharp, like the 16-35L
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Cons:
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--Loose focus ring (sloppy, Canon).
--Max aperture is 3.5, and is not constant throughout zoom range.
--For the price, I would have expected one or more of the following:
a) a constant 2.8 aperture (or at least a possible 2.8 on the wide end),
b.1) no loose parts on the entire lens (a la the focus ring),
b.2) better build quality than third party competitors (e.g., Tokina 11-16 [b]2.8[/b])
c) a lens hood included.
d) longer warranty
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Negs:
Canon needed to cripple this lens a little bit so as to not make it so attractive to possible full framers who might find a 40D+10-22 more palatable than shelling out for a 5D and 16-35L. As a result, the 700EUR price tag doesn't include a hood, or a build quality matching the less expensive 17-40L, or even a build quality matching the 350EUR 60mm EF-S (read: no play in any components).
It does, however, have a rather limiting 3.5 maximum aperture - making it nearly useless for ISO 200, or even 400, indoors. Bring a tripod, because this lens' sweet spot is around F6.3.
Thanks, Canon.
Positives:
That said, it is a rather sharp lens, and if you are into landscape/architectural photography, then most of the problems I mentioned above are moot. Because of the pseudo-internal focus mechanism, I suspect this lens will be pretty free of dust over the years (mine is still fairly new, so I'm speculating here).
This is not as versatile a lens as one might initially think (due in no small way to the meager max aperture), but as I said, if you are into landscapes and architecture, then this will be all you need until the death of 1.6 in another 0.75-decades or so.
Afterward:
Now that the Tokina 11-16 2.8 has been getting great reviews, I would imagine that Canon will find it hard to justify the high price tag this lens carries, and will have to make concessions to lure the 1.6-crop UWA fans back to the 10-22.
Cheers.
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