Do I really need my 17-40

EMA747

EMA747

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Andy
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This is more thinking aloud than anything but just thought I'd see what others suggest.

I have just moved up from a 7D to a 1DmkIV and have the 70-200, 24-70 and 17-40 L lenses.

Now when I had the 7D the 17-40 was a nice "walkaround" lens but the 24-70 and change of crop from 1.6x to 1.3x has changed that. I like wide shots but I have only used the 17-40 a couple of times after getting the new gear. I am just wondering if I should maybe let it go and free up some cash or will I miss it later down the line? :thinking:

I am trying to start out down the road to becoming a pro but how useful is the 17-40 and could I survive on just the other two lenses? I see lots of pros with loads of lenses but how often are they really used? If I'm only going to use the 17-40 very occasionally then the money would be more useful to me right now.

Any comments?
 
I guess it depends what you shoot.

I found 24 to be too narrow not just on a 1.6 but also on a 1.3 as I shot mostly landscapes where the 17-24 part of the 17-40 got a lot of use. That said - I need another now lol

Did you have something like a 10-20 with your 7D ? If you did - how often did you reach for that over your 17-40 as that would kind of give you an idea of how often you might use 17-40 on a 1.3 crop.

If landscapes or architecture aren't your thing then perhaps 24mm will be wide enough for 90% of your needs in which case I guess it's down to how much you want the money for something else.
 
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also its a good backup lens, a 16-35 24-70 and 70-200 cover each other fairly nicely if the 16-35 or 24-70 go tits up, maybe a 50 too

depends on your approach
 
I find the 24-70 performs brilliantly on 1.3 crop, it is very rare that I ever wish for something wider.
 
I do shoot a few landscapes but my thinking is that on the 1.6 crop the 17-40 becomes 27-64 but the 24-70 on the 1.3x becomes 31-91. The lower end of 27 vs 31 is not really much different and on the 1.6x the 17-40 has always been fine so the 24-70 should be pretty much the same at the wider end.
 
EMA747 said:
I do shoot a few landscapes but my thinking is that on the 1.6 crop the 17-40 becomes 27-64 but the 24-70 on the 1.3x becomes 31-91. The lower end of 27 vs 31 is not really much different and on the 1.6x the 17-40 has always been fine so the 24-70 should be pretty much the same at the wider end.
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Yes that makes sense.

That's really why I asked whether you ever used something like a 10-20 on your 7D. If you did then you would want the 17-40 on your 1D as a wide option.

If 17-40 was as wide as you ever went on your 7D then your 24mm wouldn't be a massive change width wise.

That said - those few mm can make a difference.
 
Try pretending you don't have it for a month or two and see how many times you think " if I had my 17-40..."... and then you'll know.
 
trencheel303 said:
Try pretending you don't have it for a month or two and see how many times you think " if I had my 17-40..."... and then you'll know.
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I am trying to afford a new bike for a cycle tour and someone will do me a good deal but I need the money in the next few days. :|
 
Do you need it to make money?

If you're in business and serious about it, then the only question here really is the ROI. Will it make you money.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
Do you need it to make money?

If you're in business and serious about it, then the only question here really is the ROI. Will it make you money.
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Well I've not actually made any money yet so I the answer is probably no (at least not anytime soon ;))
 
ok, bad wording, but like...

- what lenses will you use to do the bulk majority of work that you want to be doing
- what benefit will you gain from having other lenses
- is that benefit worth the opportunity cost of not having the money from the 17-40 to spend on something else
 
itsdavedotnet said:
ok, bad wording, but like...

- what lenses will you use to do the bulk majority of work that you want to be doing
- what benefit will you gain from having other lenses
- is that benefit worth the opportunity cost of not having the money from the 17-40 to spend on something else
Click to expand...
Well I'm not exactly sure what the pros and cons would be as I really don't have a specific area of photography yet. My main interest areas would certainly be motorsport, transport, aviation, travel, sport.
Not sure they are really areas where super wide angle is a major plus.
 
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