Canon EF 11-24mm f/4l USM £2700/$2800
Canon’s full-frame whopper comes up trumps
outstripping the Sigma 12-24mm lens by a single millimetre at its shortest focal length, this lens gives the most enormous viewing angle of any rectilinear zoom lens on the planet: a monstrous 126 degrees. The build is pretty monstrous too, at least for a wide-angle zoom, at 108x132mm and 1180g. That said, it’s only marginally bigger and heavier than Sigma’s new 12-24mm Art lens, the latter also coming close in its maximum viewing angle of 122 degrees.
As you’d expect at the price, this L-series lens has impeccable, fully professionalgrade build quality. The optical path includes UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) and Super UD elements, along with three different types of coatings to fend off flare.
As usual for such a wide lens, the hood is integral, which gives some physical protection to the extremely bulbous, protruding front element. To use filters, you’ll need a specialist system like the Lee Filters SW150 Mark II.
Performance
Autofocus is very quick and quiet, and the lack of stabilization isn’t too much of an issue at the short end of the zoom range, where you can typically get away with shutter speeds as slow as 1/10 sec in handheld shooting. Centresharpness is very good at all focal lengths but the Canon loses out slightly to the Sigma 12-24mm for corner sharpness at the short end of the zoom. Both lenses do well to control distortions and colour fringing but the Sigma has the edge.