Okay. Why would you plunk down over $1500 for a prime, wide angle? There is just something magic about this lens to me. The Mark I version was a favorite lens of mine to shoot dogs with. You couldn’t match the background blur, color and build quality of that lens. I was always very happy with it but when Canon announced a Mark II version… I was intrigued. But I did hold off for some reviews… plus they weren’t in stock ANYWHERE. (I actually got a decent deal on eBay and used www.live.com 8% cashback program).

Well, the reviews all indicated marginally better sharpness and much better build quality. That’s exactly what I found too. It does focus a little faster and more reliably than the Mark I version. It’s truly a beautiful lens and take AMAZING photos. If you are looking for a fast wide angle… this baby is it!

Canon doesn’t have many ultra-wide choices: 14L, 16-35L and 17-40L. I have owned the two latter. The 16-35L used to be one of my favorite travel lenses. Especially on the 1.3 crop body. It has since been replaced by the 24L but I still love the dramatic wides the 16mm can produce. There is the usual slight distortion at wides but I found the colors up to par for L lenses and above average sharpness. It has a nice weight and a very solid feel.

Canon recently came out with a II version of this lens that is supposed to be sharper and control flair better. I am sure this is true but the huge lens filter and my satisfaction with the current version has kept me from upgrading. If you have the money, get the 2.8 version. If not, the 17-40L performs just as well… just not as fast.