A Superwide that gives DSLR users a true wide angle view

What can I say about this lens? it was actually one of the reasons that I chose to go with the Canon line for my venture into DSLR photography. Previously, I had used a point and shoot camera and had always wanted to be able to get the perspective from a wide angle focal length. My then current 28-200mm just wasn't enough for me. I started to do some research on superwide lenses from the different manufacturers to find the best option available. I had planned from the beginning to build my DSLR system based on the lenses instead of the actual camera body. The Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 was consistently reviewed at or near the top of all the competition. With those recommendations and the quality of the Canon "L" glass, my decision was made...Canon.

As it turned out, after all the purchasing was done, this was the first lens that I mounted to my new 40D. Oh boy...just looking through the viewfinder gave me chills. For the first time, I was able to capture a scene the way I "saw" it. I love the perspective of the wide angle, and this lens does it perfect.

Even though the designation is 10-22mm, you have to keep in mind that this is a digital only lens (I'm sure the only reason that it is not able to be labeled an "L" lens). It is designed for a cropped frame sensor like is on the Rebel series as well as the 10D, 20D, 30D, and 40D. This means that a conversion of 1.6x should be applied to find out the actual focal length compared to the familiar 35mm format. That superwide 10mm becomes a 16mm, which is still fabulous and a hair better than the previous standard of the 17mm wide angle.

Regardless of how you choose to measure the focal length of this lens, what matters is how it performs. In wide angle photography distortion starts to become a big issue as straight lines are bowed , and horizons take on an unnatural curve. Keep in mind that the human eye "sees" at roughly 50mm, and that is the perspective we are used to. Going as wide as 16mm reveals much more than our eyes are used to taking in. Canon did an outstanding job at controlling linear distortion in this lens. In fact, in a typical landscape shot, you won't notice any distortion at all. Architecture on the other hand, with strong straight lines will likely pose a problem. However, in this class, the Canon is still your best choice. Post processing can correct for any distortion if you desire.

Because this lens is as wide as it is, you might find a problem with vignetting if you use filters. I've found that a slimline B+W polarizer will work just fine through the entire zoom range. If you add an additional filter, you will notice some vignetting (darkening at the corners) at the wide end of the lens. If you zoom to an indicated 11mm, that will usually clear any vignetting problems and will still give you a very good 17-18mm wide focal length in 35mm terms.

Build Quality...

I have found this lens to be on par with my other "L" lenses when it comes to build quality. The focus and zoom rings are very smooth and well dampened. The lens body is plastic, but the lens mount is metal, which was a big consideration for me.

It is also worth noting that the filter diameter of this lens is 77mm which is in line with most of the Canon family which simplifies your filter size choices. My kit only includes one lens that is not 77mm and with a step up ring, I can mount my 77mm filters on the 67mm telezoom.

Final Thoughts...

For actual controlled tests of this lens you can go to many online resources to see the results. I'll sum them up for you. This is a very sharp lens, that controls distortion very well throughout the zoom range. There is only a slight bit of edge softness that will likely never be noticed. Even though the lens barrel is plastic, the build quality is impressive, and the metal lens mount is the real important thing here. Focusing is internal and is done through Canon's USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) that is quiet and quick. Of course you can manual focus this lens at any time.

It will come as no surprise that I will highly recommend this lens for those DSLR shooters that miss the superwide views they used to get with film and don't currently have a full framed DSLR. Actually, with this lens, there is less and less of an argument for going to a full frame camera. Way to go Canon!