Canon EF wide-angle zoom lens 17-40mm
Mfg # 8806A002
CDW # 473700
| UNSPSC 45121600
Know your gear
The EF17-40mm f/4L USM is an ultra wide angle Canon EF zoom lens meant for professional and high amateur SLR EOS camera users.
While it is an excellent lens when used with an analogue SLR camera, the EF17-40mm f/4L USM is especially well suited for digital SLR cameras with an imaging sensor size smaller than the 35mm format. Indeed on such digital SLR cameras these focal lengths can give an angle of view approximately equivalent to that of a 28-70mm lens used on a 35mm camera, which makes it the ideal standard zoom lens.
The EF17-40mm f/4L USM has 12 lens elements arranged in 9 groups. Super Spectra Coating on the elements ensures excellent color balance and minimizes ghosting and flare. To provide superb image quality over a 17-40mm zoom range the lens uses three aspheric elements of two different types, while Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass is used to prevent the chromatic aberrations that often can degrade the subject edge clarity.
Minimum focusing distance is just 28mm throughout the entire zoom range. The Auto-focus works silently and quickly thanks to a fast central processing unit with an improved AF algorithm. You can override AF mode with manual focus should you wish. Controlled by an electromagnetic diaphragm, the EF17-40mm f/4L USM's circular aperture can achieve a more attractive appearance to out of focus background areas in a picture. The front of the lens does not rotate as you focus. This means, for example, that polarizing filters still function effectively as you zoom in and out. At the rear of the lens there's a drop-in gelatin filter holder. Highly resistant to moisture and dust, the EF17-40mm f/4L USM is ideally suited for use in harsh environments. Environment friendly lead-free glass is used throughout its construction.
While it is an excellent lens when used with an analogue SLR camera, the EF17-40mm f/4L USM is especially well suited for digital SLR cameras with an imaging sensor size smaller than the 35mm format. Indeed on such digital SLR cameras these focal lengths can give an angle of view approximately equivalent to that of a 28-70mm lens used on a 35mm camera, which makes it the ideal standard zoom lens.
The EF17-40mm f/4L USM has 12 lens elements arranged in 9 groups. Super Spectra Coating on the elements ensures excellent color balance and minimizes ghosting and flare. To provide superb image quality over a 17-40mm zoom range the lens uses three aspheric elements of two different types, while Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass is used to prevent the chromatic aberrations that often can degrade the subject edge clarity.
Minimum focusing distance is just 28mm throughout the entire zoom range. The Auto-focus works silently and quickly thanks to a fast central processing unit with an improved AF algorithm. You can override AF mode with manual focus should you wish. Controlled by an electromagnetic diaphragm, the EF17-40mm f/4L USM's circular aperture can achieve a more attractive appearance to out of focus background areas in a picture. The front of the lens does not rotate as you focus. This means, for example, that polarizing filters still function effectively as you zoom in and out. At the rear of the lens there's a drop-in gelatin filter holder. Highly resistant to moisture and dust, the EF17-40mm f/4L USM is ideally suited for use in harsh environments. Environment friendly lead-free glass is used throughout its construction.
Enhance your purchase
Canon EF wide-angle zoom lens 17-40mm is rated4.39 out of5 by23.
Rated 5 out of 5 byGarabato from Great lensGreat lens, sharp, fast and at a very good priceFirst had lens in 2008, was stolen in 2012. Just bought another one in January 2019 and regret not replacing it sooner.
Date published: 2019-03-14T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 bySirquack from Fantastic Little LensLove this lens. I needed a higher quality wide angle lens that the kit EF-S lens that came with my Crop camera as I knew I was going to go FF eventually.The kit was slow to focus and the images were just not that sharp.Once I put the 17-40 L on my cam body I knew I had the right lens. It has great image quality and focuses extremely quickly. The L build quality has stood up to one accidental drop with absolutely no issues aftwards.My only issue is the not great aperture of F4. I knew that going in and expected it, but one more stop would have made this the perfect lens. For the price, you just can not beat it.
Date published: 2014-07-10T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 byeinvahn from Best for the buckRazor sharp, solid and a great value.I bought this on sale and I was worth every penny. good Fast focus, very sharp and smooth bokeh.
Date published: 2016-09-08T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 byLIfe In Still from You Will Not Regret The 17-40LThe 17-40L lens is an amazing lens to own. Don't just think landscapes, portraits, action photography...this lens allows you to get right up in the mix. The contrast and colors produced by this lens are perfect. Throw on a circular polorizer or neutral density filter and you'll find yourself shooting outdoors for hours. Combined with a decent body (7D for example, F4 should not be an issue. AF is quick, lens is light and feels nice in your hands and well weighted in comparison to the camera body. What else can I say.....oh ya it's affordable. P.S. - Take a look at the Canon 85mm 1.8 if you haven't already....it's a great kept secret!!!!
Date published: 2011-07-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 byBig Rez from Great lensThis is a great affordable L series lens. It is wide enough for a full frame or crop body. It is built like a tank and a very reliable lense @ f/4. No need for 2.8 if you use a flash or light your subject correctly.
Date published: 2013-01-02T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 byAgachado from Razor sharp shots, fast auto focusThis is an outstanding workhorse lens. Images come out crystal clear, and the build is everything you expect from an "L" series lens. I couldn't be happier with it.
Date published: 2016-03-05T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 byTheo from Great ZWA Lens!As my first "L" glass purchase, I was extremely pleased at the large step-up the 17-40f/4 L provided over the kit lens (on original D-Rebel). Sharpness, Color, Clarity and Bokeh far exceeded it in performance, and of course, Quality! I find the f/4 to be very fast and for me, it was well worth the additional cost!!Complimenting this, my walk around is the 24-105 f/4 L IS and on the long end, 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS... what a Great Trio set for the investment. I've researched long and hard and haven't found any to be better. Great job, Canon!!!
Date published: 2008-11-27T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 byMike from Rockville, MD from Excellent for the AmateursBy no means am I an expert at photography although I love to take photos. I've always dreamed about owning a super high quality camera and lens kit. Last year I took the plunge. I purchased a Canon 5D (well discounted after the Mark II release), Canon 70-300MM IS USM lens, Canon 28-138MM IS USM and the Canon 17-40MM USM I'm writing this review on. I read many of the reviews users have posted and from an amateurs perspective this lens is fantastic. It works very well with my 5D producing very high quality photos both indoors and out. I use it all the time for indoor shooting with my 5D and an attached Canon 580 Flash. The results are terrific. Outside the photos are crisp although, and I apologize I don't know the right term, the edges seem to compress in. It doesn't bother me one bit since overall the photos are gorgeous. I know what I purchased is more than what the average person would invest in but I wanted a fantastic kit that I could use for years to come. The 17-40MM lens has worked perfectly from the heat of the beach to the glaciers of Alaska. I really love this lens and would highly recommend it. Thanks for reading...
Date published: 2009-08-05T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 bykmggdc from distortion at 17-20mm rangeI have owned this lens for several years and use it to shoot kitchen interiors. Shots are often tight with the need for wide angle. I bought this over the 16-35mm due to the price. However kitchens are full of linear / vertical geometry and we shoot parallel and level. Unfortunately this lens has tremendous distortion along the perimeter of the shots. It is especially noticeable in our work since we are always aligning our shots with vertical lines in the room. If there is a vertical object such as a wall or cabinet edge, it will show tremendous distortion in the mid section of the shot. I has to cropped out on the final edit or corrected in software (not always possible since we use HDR photography).To compensate we shoot at 20mm; but that defeats the purpose of owning the 17mm. If I had to do it over I'd get the 16-35mm. Hopefully that does not have this issue.This lens is likely great for someone not shooting subjects with geometry, so my complaint is specific; but it is a real issue with this lens. I am dissappointed in that this carries the L designation, I don't think it is Canon's best to say the least.
Date published: 2010-10-03T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 byrkfjacobson from Affordable L Glass LensGreat value L glass lens. I got this lens to upgrade from my kit lens for my Canon Rebel T5. Just tested this lens out by taking exhibit hall and cosplay photos at San Diego Comic Con. Pros: The lens is relatively small and light weight, which was great for carrying around all day, and the color is fantastic. Cons: This lens does not have image stabilization and is definitely not as sharp at the widest aperture (f4, which means taking indoor photos with lower light results in very soft focus photos. Looking forward to trying this lens out for some landscape and travel photography in future!
Date published: 2019-07-22T00:00:00-04:00