Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS USA

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

As a professional architectural photographer, the first tests I have done with this lens are wonderful. It is very sharp, though as a manual focus lens, you have to be very careful with your focussing. Even with its full shift, there is very little vignetting in the upper corners of the frame.

The lens is very heavy and has to be handled delicately. Because of its protruding front element, it has to be handled even more carefully, covering it with the lens cap after virtually every shot. The first few tests I did were all hand held, making it clear it can be used like that fairly easily.

I would recommend this lens unhesitatingly to those who shoot architecture.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

If you shoot architecture, interior or landscape and use a full frame camera, consider this lens a necessary purchase. It works like a charm and no more skewed lines from buildings.
The images are tack sharp front to back and the color is perfect.
This lens performs amazingly well for a 17mm rectilinear lens, with very little geometric distortion and chromatic aberration. F4.0 is very good, and F8-11 creates images that need no help at all. Amazing for a 17mm rectilinear lens!

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I use this lens for architecture but also for landscapes and travel photographs.

I use mainly the tilt and love how it prevents the distortion that happens with any other lens which is not TS. Its actually difficult for me to use my other non TS lenses and Im looking forward to buying additional TZ lenses.

I got used to the manuel focus pretty quick- this might be one of the downsides for people who prefer faster work and auto focus. Also its not possible to put a UV filter on it- so you just have to be careful.

On the the knobs also fell down pretty quickly but Canon fixed it for me for no charge.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I would buy this product again

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Very impressive lens. It does, however, take many hours of experience to master - I'm far from being there. It is very easy to over- or under-compensate with the shift and it is difficult to recognize the level of compensation through the lens. I use a EOS 7D and found that the camera's through the lens metering is unable to meter the light correctly when using the shift with underexposure directly related to the degree of shift. I typically use partial or spot metering modes.

The lens is very susceptible to sun flare. I've never noticed the problem through the lens and correcting the flare and color aberrations post process can be near impossible with complex scenes. The lens can't take filters and a screw-on lens hood is impractical. Due to the bulbous nature of the lens, unless your back is to the sun you may have a problem. The necessity of using a piece of cardboard to shade the lens from direct sunlight is a pain. If you're getting the lens just to have buildings stand straight, you might consider the much less expensive post production process using Photoshop or Lightroom. Barrel distortion is noticeable.

I enjoy photographing historic architecture as a hobby. While I like the wide angle, I think that that the 24mm TS-E would have been more practical for me. All of the remaining TS-E lenses support filters and hoods.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I have owned the 24 TSE II for a 1.5 years so was expecting the same great lens with a wider view. Some test shots indeed showed that this lens was quite capable of very sharp, colorful and defined landscapes. However, getting fine adjustment on tilt and focus is more difficult. The wider FOV means everything in the viewfinder (LCD with Live View 10X) is smaller. Its harder to tell when you have it spot on, but when you do it looks great.
Flare is much worse of a problem than with the 24 TSE II, and no hood makes the lens very vulnerable to flare, any direct sunlight on the lens produces flare and loss of contrast.
Of course the shift and tilt portion of the lens body is identical to the 24 TSE II.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

It's darn sharp, built like a rock. I just wish I could put a filter on it, but you know...

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

In the world of professional photography, cameras and lenses are tools of the trade. I photograph interiors and exteriors of high end real estate. My lens of choice was the Leitz 19mm Elmarit R f2.8 version 1. I used it on my Canon 1ds mk-II. It has great sharpness, is well corrected and produces images with very good color and contrast. I thought about purchasing the Canon 14mm f2.8 for its extreme wide angle capability but after 25 years of view camera experience I opted for the 17mm TS-E. I am so glad I did. The Canon 17mm TS-E offers me shift correction which is invaluable in my line of work. It is extremely well corrected, has little chromatic aberration, and handles direct window light with little or no flare - amazing considering the bulbous design of the front element. Canon did their homework on coatings with this lens. The only time I experienced flare was direct sunlight hitting the element from the side and that was easily corrected by using my hand as a gobo. Is it as sharp as the Leitz 19mm? Could be although the contrast and color reproduction seem a tad soft in comparison. In all fairness to the 17mm TS-E, I just got it and have used it on only 1 job so far. My oberservations are strictly "seat of the pants" and not scientific in nature. This lens takes a little time getting used to but if you have view camera experience you will be up to speed quickly. The build quality is excellent and the weight doesn't bother me at all. I see some reviewers taking exception to the price but I don't. This lens accomplishes what no other lens in today's market can do. I waited, saved and researched this lens for 2 years before purchasing it and am very happy that it is now part of my "tool box." Like all specialty lenses the Canon 17mm TS-E is not for everyone. But for those who make their living like I do, this is one purchase you'll wish you had made long ago.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Great lens but you NEED to read the manual, otherwise is really hard to make it work. But after you have all figure it out It's great. Very sharp.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

It is a good wide angle lens with perspective control. It has very less distortion, and sharp from corner to conner. It is a expensive investment. It gives the creativity and fun for wide angle.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

As a standard lens this is absolutely wonderful.
Very sharp. I use on a 7D so the corners are never a problem. Only had for two weeks now but am loving the challenge of learning this lens. You have to be patient wnd pay extra attention to composure, something I lacked before. This is not a point and shoot lens. May consider selling my 16-35 and use this as my only wide angle, it's that good.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Works as promised. Well built. A joy to use.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I am mainly a landscape photographer. I've owned a 24mm TS-E II for about a year now. That, plus 1.4x TC, has been my go-to lens for many of my shots. I decided to also get 17mm TS-E for wider than 24mm shots. So. my review will be a comparison between the two mainly.

What I love
I love the 17mm TS-E, which I find it to be sharper than 16-35mm f/2.8 and 17-40 f/4.0 on the edges. I rented all three of them a couple different times for jobs as well as to compare them side by side. I liked it enough to want to purchase my own copy.

What I do not love
Once you shift the lens pretty far, or tilt more than a couple degrees, the image quality suffers quite a bit around the edges. Lots of CA and fuzziness. You have to step down quite a bit to avoid this. 24mm TS-E II is super sharp, even when tilted or shifted heavily, so this is a bit disappointing.

Overall, I don't think there is anything better than 17mm TS-E at that range and what it can do (Tilt, shift), so I am happy in that regards.

I think this will be improved on the version II, like the 24mm TS-E II, and then everyone will say how the original 17mm is just not sharp. :-)

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I shoot architecture for Real Estate. I was using my 7D with a 10-22mm lens, which gave wonderful results. However, 50% of my shots included way too much ceiling or much to wide a photo just to get the peak of the roof in the photo.

It is now my backup setup as I've upgraded to the full frame 5D Mark II to match up with the 17mm TS lens.

Here is my steps for others new to the lens:
1. Level the camera. This is critical so that vertical lines are vertical, which is a mark of a real pro.
2. With the TS at zero for tile and shift, set your exposure. Once you shift +/- of zero, the exposure may change.
3. Focus (the lens is not automatic focusing.
4. Shift the lens for the composition you want and take the photo.

Focusing is critical and therefore using Live View and 10x zoom to judge when it is focused is extremely helpful.

I have a rule that the cap is replaced after every shot as the bulbous lens is very unprotected.

Great investment that should serve me well for many years to come. Or at least until an automatically focusing version is released.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Not a lens for all. If you shoot commercial building Exteriors and Interiors it may be a must have. Landscape shooters may be able to live without it - but I couldn't. It may be a small step down from the incomparable TS-E 24mm II, but it's a very small step. It works as an ultra wide on any Canon Full Frame and stays wide enough to be useful on the cropped sensor cameras (7D, 60D etc.)

I replaced a 14mm II with this lens. The 14mm II is very capable - the 17mm TS-E is sharper and with tilt / swing far more versatile.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Great for architectural interior photography.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I have been a professional photographer (architecture and landscape) for 15 years and got my start on film. During this time I have used Hasselblad (film), Arca Swiss (film and RM3D with P+ back), and Nikon with an assortment of high quality lenses.

My favorite combo to date has been the RM3D with a Rodenstock 28HR. This is a fantastically sharp lens/back combo with a lot of available shift.

Well, let's just say, I have a new favorite. While, not quite the same as an Arca/Rodi combo, this lens performs with tremendous flexibility, sharpness and IQ. I have used a Nikon D3x with a 24pce for several years and I've got to say, this lens was worth the switch.

While I've only shot 5 projects with this lens, I've have yet to have flare problems even unflagged. And as far as I can tell, there is harly any barrel distortion which is pretty amazing for a 17mm lens.

Basically, I love it.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Remarkable quality when using this lens to take photos of interiors. Any wide angle lens performs better inside when you set it on a tripod. However, the raise and tilt adds more control. I have very happy with this lens.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I was looking for a wide-angle lens and wasn't sure whether to get this one or the Zeiss Distagon 21mm f2.8. Granted, these are two lenses for different kinds of subjects, but I was mostly interested in a sharp wide-angle lens. While these two lenses are in a similar category in terms of sharpness, in the end I went with the 17mm TS-E because it is significantly wider and also allows perspective correction.

Comments about Canon Wide Tilt/Shift TS-E 17mm f/4L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I shoot a lot of architecture, including model homes. Before making this purchase my go-to lenses for interior spaces were my 24mm T/S (older style) and EF 17-40mm f/4L.

For small spaces my new 17mm TS-E is now my go-to lens. When shooting a model home I use it for about 70% of the interior shots.

I find the image quality to be outstanding. No complaints.

There are two drawbacks for me. One is that the glass protrudes out the front with no ability to attach a hood or protective filter. I worry a lot about banging it on something. I have forced myself to install the cap every time I move the camera.

Additionally, I have found that this lens is very prone to producing rainbow lens flare in situations where none of my existing lenses would do this. If I'm shooting a kitchen with bright pendent lights I will have to remove some rainbow artifacts in post processing. So far none have ruined a shot, but each time a snap an image I wonder if I am am going to have to cope with the flare.