Posted by Bill Pelzmann on February 18, 2009 at 1:23 AM
Just saw this announcement from Canon at PMA.
The 24mm was rumored, but this is the first that I've heard about a 17mm !!
TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II - estimated retail price of $2,199.00.
TS-E 17mm f/4L - estimated retail price of $2,499.00.
Both are expected to ship in May.
Both have Canon's SubWavelength Structure Coating (SWC)
Also from the press release - "Canon has now added a new unique functionality to the TS-E 17mm f/4L and TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, allowing users to rotate the direction of the tilt and shift independently of each other." WOW! Totally unexpected!
At those prices they should be flying off the shelves!
Note: The old TS-E 24mm has been discontinued.
It will be interesting to see how much they've been able to improve the performance in the corners on the 24.
Posted by Chris Rice on February 18, 2009 at 1:44 AM
My god, at those prices a tiltshift lens like that better produce some amazing images. A 17mm TS lens could change the world
Posted by Jesse Speer on February 18, 2009 at 1:59 AM
Boy, do I really like my "cheap" Nikon 14-24mm right about now.
The 17mm is a fascinating announcement. The new tilt/shift rotation feature is a nice addition. But yeah, it better change the world for that price. Wow.
Posted by Paul Wegemann on February 18, 2009 at 8:19 AM
I had the same thought as Jesse. The Nikon 14-24 is a bargain compared to these. 17mm TSE? Well, I can dream.
Posted by Todd Caudle on February 18, 2009 at 11:24 AM
A 17mm TS lens could change the world
I know there are more reasons than changing the plane of focus to get a TS lens, but there's so much inherent DOF in a 17mm that I don't see the point. I would guess that the shift function is going to be somewhat limited due to the lens' image circle, so this just seems like a luxury lens few will be able to afford.
Posted by Todd Caudle on February 18, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Geez, check out the target -- er, I mean, front element -- on that thing!
Posted by Jesse Speer on February 18, 2009 at 12:32 PM
I noticed that too. Scary bulbous - even more than the 14-24mm.
Posted by Chris Rice on February 18, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Wow that's an odd looking piece... forget the filter folks.
Posted by Guy Schmickle on February 18, 2009 at 2:28 PM
Holy crap!! While I'd love to have the 24mm, it's not gonna happen at that price. The recent pricing trends for pro level DSLR equipment has been really disappointing to me. I guess I'll just keep trying to make due with what I got!
Posted by Doug Roane on February 18, 2009 at 3:37 PM
I can only dream. Todd, the beauty of a 17 mm TS is that, obviously, you can get a larger dof at a larger aperture, enabling a faster shutter speed - great for shooting a breezy landscape with a very close fg subject.
Posted by Todd Caudle on February 18, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Sorry to quibble, but you don't gain DOF with tilt. But I know what you mean. It just seems that you could get an awful lot of DOF at f8 and no tilt with a 17mm. Jerry Greer and I were talking this morning, and he said the mtf curves on this lens look pretty phenomenal. If that's the case, and Canon has FINALLY produced a worthy wide-angle lens, that would be reason enough to buy it. But not for $2500.
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on February 18, 2009 at 6:57 PM
Todd, yes, the MTF curves look great for both lenses, but these are unshifted curves.
I'm sure the larger 67.2mm image circle helps a lot - vs. 58.6mm for all of the older Canon TS-E lenses.
No info on what happens to IQ when they are shifted, and if the full 12mm shift is useable.
On the current 24mm, the 8mm-11mm shifts are marked red because of quality and light falloff.
The 17mm, when fully shifted 12mm horizontally in landscape orientation:
= 120.9 x 70.4 degree FOV = 10.2 mm lens equivalent , and a 67% increase in MP
When fully shifted 12mm horizontally in a portrait orientation:
= 93.3 x 109.4 degree FOV = 12.8 mm lens equivalent, and a 100% increase in MP
So, on a 5DII, would I have use for a sharp (?), 12mm FOV lens, providing a 42MP image ???
I'm not sure, given the price, but I certainly applaud Canon for pushing the envelope on lens technology.
Discussion
11 repliesThe 24mm was rumored, but this is the first that I've heard about a 17mm !!
TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II - estimated retail price of $2,199.00.
TS-E 17mm f/4L - estimated retail price of $2,499.00.
Both are expected to ship in May.
Both have Canon's SubWavelength Structure Coating (SWC)
Also from the press release - "Canon has now added a new unique functionality to the TS-E 17mm f/4L and TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, allowing users to rotate the direction of the tilt and shift independently of each other." WOW! Totally unexpected!
At those prices they should be flying off the shelves!
Note: The old TS-E 24mm has been discontinued.
It will be interesting to see how much they've been able to improve the performance in the corners on the 24.
The 17mm is a fascinating announcement. The new tilt/shift rotation feature is a nice addition. But yeah, it better change the world for that price. Wow.
I know there are more reasons than changing the plane of focus to get a TS lens, but there's so much inherent DOF in a 17mm that I don't see the point. I would guess that the shift function is going to be somewhat limited due to the lens' image circle, so this just seems like a luxury lens few will be able to afford.
I'm sure the larger 67.2mm image circle helps a lot - vs. 58.6mm for all of the older Canon TS-E lenses.
No info on what happens to IQ when they are shifted, and if the full 12mm shift is useable.
On the current 24mm, the 8mm-11mm shifts are marked red because of quality and light falloff.
The 17mm, when fully shifted 12mm horizontally in landscape orientation:
= 120.9 x 70.4 degree FOV = 10.2 mm lens equivalent , and a 67% increase in MP
When fully shifted 12mm horizontally in a portrait orientation:
= 93.3 x 109.4 degree FOV = 12.8 mm lens equivalent, and a 100% increase in MP
So, on a 5DII, would I have use for a sharp (?), 12mm FOV lens, providing a 42MP image ???
I'm not sure, given the price, but I certainly applaud Canon for pushing the envelope on lens technology.