EF 20mm f1.8L VS. EF 14-24 f4L

[Daniel Flather]

As the topic reads.

[KyleSTL]

I would be able to afford neither, but the 20mm f/1.8 sounds a lot more interesting.  A lens that wide, with an aperture that large would really put it in a league of its own (I'm not counting the Sigma 20mm f/1.8, since it's not usable at any aperture, let alone wide open).  I think I'm probably in the minority in this survey, though, as most people are drooling over the 14-24mm Nikon, and want the wider angles it provides.

[sarangiman]

most people are drooling over the 14-24mm Nikon, and want the wider angles it provides.

Not sure we're drooling over the wider angle. Just the orders of magnitude better edge-to-edge performance than any Canon wide-angle zoom.

[AdamJ]

I would be able to afford neither, but the 20mm f/1.8 sounds a lot more interesting.  A lens that wide, with an aperture that large would really put it in a league of its own (I'm not counting the Sigma 20mm f/1.8, since it's not usable at any aperture, let alone wide open).  I think I'm probably in the minority in this survey, though, as most people are drooling over the 14-24mm Nikon, and want the wider angles it provides.

I'm right with you. A good 20mm f/1.8 would be a very attractive lens to me, even more so if a new one came from Sigma because of the milder sticker shock.

A 14-24mm f/4 wouldn't attract me away from my Sigma 12-24mm, while an f/2.8 would probably be a little too pricey for a hobbyist like me to justify, though I'm sure it would be a big seller.

[LostArk]

14-24 f/4 makes no sense whatsoever. 17-40 is perfectly fine for all intents and purposes. A 14-24 would have to be f/2.8 to pique my interest, but only if it had Godlike corner to corner sharpness. Even then, the featherweight 17-40 would probably be my choice, since any subject I'd be shooting wider than 24mm would be static and I'd have a tripod with me. UWA's distort people waaay too much for my taste, and in such an unflattering way. I'm seriously contemplating picking up an 8-15 fishy for UWA purposes instead of a 17-40 or 16-35.

[bdunbar79]

It'd be hard for me to buy the 14-24L right now, because I have the 16-35L II which works brilliantly (although not as well as the 24L at 24mm).  I do like the idea of the 20 f/1.8L though.  I like primes.

[Stephen Melvin]

We definitely need a fast lens that's wider than 24mm. A 20mm f/1.4 would be even better, though I don't like the idea of that being more than $2,000, which I suspect it would be.

[AdamJ]

14-24 f/4 makes no sense whatsoever. 17-40 is perfectly fine for all intents and purposes.

All your intents and purposes, perhaps. 

UWA's distort people waaay too much for my taste, and in such an unflattering way. I'm seriously contemplating picking up an 8-15 fishy for UWA purposes instead of a 17-40 or 16-35.

I'm struggling to reconcile those two sentences!

[bdunbar79]

14-24 f/4 makes no sense whatsoever. 17-40 is perfectly fine for all intents and purposes. A 14-24 would have to be f/2.8 to pique my interest, but only if it had Godlike corner to corner sharpness. Even then, the featherweight 17-40 would probably be my choice, since any subject I'd be shooting wider than 24mm would be static and I'd have a tripod with me. UWA's distort people waaay too much for my taste, and in such an unflattering way. I'm seriously contemplating picking up an 8-15 fishy for UWA purposes instead of a 17-40 or 16-35.

It makes perfect sense for those who want a zoom lens from 14 to 24mm.  If you don't like the 14-24 because of distortion of people, how is an 8-15 going to be better?  Or do you mean you want one or the other?

[Axilrod]

14-24 f/4 makes no sense whatsoever.  UWA's distort people waaay too much for my taste, and in such an unflattering way. I'm seriously contemplating picking up an 8-15 fishy for UWA purposes instead of a 17-40 or 16-35.

Buying an 8-15mm fisheye in favor of less distortion over the 16-35 or 17-40 makes no sense whatsoever.  And UWA's only distort people if you allow them to.  Sure if you get a foot away from someone at 17mm they may be distorted, but if you're careful you can avoid it, it's all distance/positioning.  If you don't like what a 17-40/16-35mm does in terms of distorting proportions then you're going to absolutely hate the 8-15mm. 

[preppyak]

We definitely need a fast lens that's wider than 24mm. A 20mm f/1.4 would be even better, though I don't like the idea of that being more than $2,000, which I suspect it would be.

A 20mm f/1.8 would definitely be $2k, since the Sigma is $700 and its an optical joke through f/2.8. Generally you can double the 3rd party price, but, here I think it'd be even higher. Going to f/1.4 would be equally brutal price wise.

[Stephen Melvin]

14-24 f/4 makes no sense whatsoever.  UWA's distort people waaay too much for my taste, and in such an unflattering way. I'm seriously contemplating picking up an 8-15 fishy for UWA purposes instead of a 17-40 or 16-35.

Buying an 8-15mm fisheye in favor of less distortion over the 16-35 or 17-40 makes no sense whatsoever.  And UWA's only distort people if you allow them to.  Sure if you get a foot away from someone at 17mm they may be distorted, but if you're careful you can avoid it, it's all distance/positioning.  If you don't like what a 17-40/16-35mm does in terms of distorting proportions then you're going to absolutely hate the 8-15mm.

Actually, it makes perfect sense. He said "UWA's distort people way too much..." which is absolutely true. It is equally true that fisheye lenses do not distort people in that objectionable way that ultrawides do.

[sach100]

UWA's distort people waaay too much for my taste, and in such an unflattering way. I'm seriously contemplating picking up an 8-15 fishy for UWA purposes instead of a 17-40 or 16-35.

I'm struggling to reconcile those two sentences!

i'm guessing 8-15 for landscapes and other situations where people are not involved?

[Razor2012]

A 14-24L (2.8 preferred) with the same IQ as the 24-70II and 70-200 2.8II would be awesome.  14-200 would then be covered. 

[Daniel Flather]

Yes, if the 14-24 was f2.8 then that might attract a few more people to it.  In UWAs a little zoom goes a long ways, 14mm to 24mm is huge, but at a cost of a few stops.  I'd opt in for the 20/1.8 if it was on par with the amazing 24/1.4 Mrk 2.