Canon L EF 17-40mm USM 17-40mm
A constant f/4 aperture and L-series build quality with weather sealing make this a durable ultra-wide zoom for full-frame Canon EF shooters. Its optical design, incorporating one Super UD and three aspherical elements, delivers sharpness and contrast while keeping the lens relatively lightweight at 499g. This lens is best for landscape and architecture photographers needing a rugged, affordable entry into L-series glass.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong social proof (83rd percentile) 83rd
- Strong versatility (76th percentile) 76th
- Strong macro (71st percentile) 71st
- Strong aperture (71st percentile) 71st
Cons
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Based on 8 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Wide-angle-zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 17 |
| Focal Length Max | 40 |
| Elements | 12 |
| Groups | 9 |
| Aspherical Elements | 3 |
| ED Elements | 0 |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/4 |
| Min Aperture | f/22 |
| Constant | Yes |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
Build
| Mount | Canon EF |
| Format | Full-Frame |
| Weather Sealed | Yes |
| Weight | 0.5 kg / 1.1 lbs |
| Filter Thread | 77 |
AF & Stabilization
| AF Type | Autofocus |
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 280 |
| Max Magnification | 1:4.2 |
vs Competition
| Spec | Canon L EF 17-40mm USM 17-40mm | Sigma Contemporary 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | Tamron Di III 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD | Panasonic LUMIX S S-R28200 | Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR | Sony G Master SEL70200GM2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 17-40mm | 16-300mm | 18-300mm | 28-200mm | 16-85mm | 70-200mm |
| Max Aperture | f/4 | f/3.5 | f/3.5 | f/4 | f/3.5 | f/2.8 |
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony E | Fujifilm X | L-Mount | Nikon F | Sony E |
| Stabilization | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Weather Sealed | true | true | false | true | false | true |
| Weight (g) | 499 | 615 | 92 | 413 | 59 | 1045 |
| AF Type | Autofocus | HLA | VXD linear motor | Autofocus | AF-S | XD Linear Motors |
| Lens Type | wide-angle-zoom | zoom | zoom | macro | zoom | telephoto |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AF | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon L EF 17-40mm USM 17-40mm | 54.8 | 69.7 | 66.9 | 71.4 | 63.1 | 71.4 | 76.3 | 83 | 35.6 |
| Sigma Contemporary 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Compare | 54.8 | 84.3 | 57.8 | 86.5 | 98.8 | 76.9 | 99.6 | 83 | 99.1 |
| Tamron Di III 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD Compare | 98.1 | 74.9 | 96.3 | 88.4 | 73.5 | 76.9 | 99.2 | 83 | 80.5 |
| Panasonic LUMIX S S-R28200 Compare | 54.8 | 77.8 | 73.8 | 89.5 | 90.9 | 71.4 | 95.7 | 75.3 | 99.4 |
| Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Compare | 54.8 | 74.9 | 98.4 | 59.8 | 64.1 | 76.9 | 94.3 | 87.9 | 92.2 |
| Sony G Master SEL70200GM2 Compare | 98.1 | 90.8 | 33.3 | 33.1 | 87.2 | 83.8 | 79.4 | 94.8 | 80.5 |
Price
Value & Pricing
B&H Photo 1 offer From CA$833
We started tracking prices for this product on Jun 6, 2026. The chart appears once we have more data.
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
