Essential for interiors and architecture,
Kevin Carter looks at Canon’s widest tilt and shift lens.
SRP: $2,499
Canon’s L-series lenses have a reputation
for high optical quality and innovative design. The company has had a number of
firsts over the years, including a perspective control lens with both tilt and
shift movements for their 35mm F-1 camera back in 1973. Today, Canon offers no
less than four full-frame TS-E lenses in EF mount including this lens, which
is, with a notable 12mm of shift and a 104-degree (diagonal) angle of view, the
widest of its type regardless of make. It is not just interiors where this lens
excels but also architecture, and while pricey, it’s also an attractive
optional fitment as the equivalent to a 28mm on a Canon APS-C-format DSLR.
Although manual focus, the TS-E designation
indicates the aperture is electronically stopped down and, in terms of
handling, an important consideration in a lens where mechanical linkages are
next to impossible. This lens and the TS-E 24mm f3.5L Mark II, introduced at
the same time, offer the option to use both shift and tilt in the same plane.
Canon’s older TS-E 45mm and TS 90mm have those movements set at 90 degrees
apart, which improves the ergonomics but that’s not really the point with these
lenses as the increase in depth of field and control of perspective is usually
wanted in the same plane. Not only that but they’re all meant for use on a
tripod anyway.
The newer versions are much bigger than the
originals, and at 820g, the TS-E 17mm is quite a weight. But it’s not much of
an issue as the size allows for greater shift (from a large image circle) but
also a large, precise manual focus ring, and more room for the adjustment
controls. Movements are made using large metal knobs, while the smaller knobs
(offset by 180 degrees) are used to lock the lens in plane.
Like the earlier original models, the title
mechanism is set at 90 degrees to the distance scale. When rotated so that the
tilt and shift movements are in the same plane, the distance scale and the
controls also revolve by the same amount. However, this puts the controls in
same plane and quite close together. In addition, the lens has a rotating mount
so the movements can be aligned to the subject plane. Despite the complexity,
the controls remain easy to use when looking through the viewfinder or at the
live image on the rear.
As for image quality, the TS-E 17mm doesn’t
quite match the TS-E 24mm Mark II wide-open across the frame, but with
excellent central sharpness, the lens performs well. Optimal performance is
achieved two stops from the maximum, at f8, though the lens remains pin-sharp
right across the frame at both f11 and f16. By that point diffraction can be
seen to affect sharpness on our chart, though in practice it’s not till the
lens is stopped down to f22 that the resolution drop becomes noticeable.
While there’s some chromatic aberration,
levels are very low. Ultra-wides like this can also be a bit of let-down with
vignetting and distortion, but that’s not the case here. Some very slight
barrel distortion can be seen, but levels are low and, as you might expect with
a lens that has a large imaging circle, vignetting at maximum aperture is
really only a problem when you’re close to the maximum shift. Flare and
ghosting is inevitable with a hugely convex front, though Canon has done well
to minimize the effects. It all adds up to a unique and hugely versatile lens
that’s capable of the highest imaging quality.
Test
result: tested on a CanonEOS 1Ds Mark III, mounted on the tripod, shooting
max-quality JPEGs at ISO100
Technical
data
Model: Canon TS-E17mmf4L
Price: $2,499
Web: www.canon.com
Phone: 08443690100
Elements/construction: 18/12
Angle of view: 104 degress (diagonal)
Max aperture: f4
Min aperture: f22
Min focus distance: 0.25m
Mount: Canon EF
Filter size: N/A
Length: 106.9mm
Diameter: 88.9mm
Weight: 820g
Verdict
Score: 9/10
This lens is costly but it has tilt and shift movements in the
same plane and is the widest currently available, as well as being a fabulous
performer.
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