Field-test of Canon EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM Super Wide Angle Zoom lens. When Canon designed its original FD 24-35mm f/3.5L zoom lens in the early 80s, the idea was to give photographers the convenience of having all the three widely-used wide-angle focal lengths in one compact lens. This zoom lens was replaced by the newer FD 20-35mm f/3.5L version. Due to its f/3.5 maximum aperture, which was considered to be fast in those days, the lens was intended to be used more for travel and landscape photography. It was never intended as a lens for those working in the press, sports and photojournalism fields. All that changed with the introduction of the EF 20-35mm f/2.8L AFD zoom lens for the EOS system. The use of a f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the entire zooming range means that for the first time, professional photographers working in the news, sports and photojournalism can use this lens. Of course, the f/3.5 maximum aperture of the discontinued FD version was bright enough for most low-light photography but press photographers, being the demanding breed they are, if the lens isn't the f/2.8 type, it is just not good enough. There was, however, a minority who did use the FD version for their media work. From 1990 onwards, most of the new EF lenses launched by Canon were of the newer USM versions employing the latest ultrasonic motors like Micro USM and reasonably-priced ring-type USM. From 1994 onwards, most Canon EOS users predicted that an all-new, USM version of the popular EF 20-35mm f/2.8L AFD zoom lens will be available soon. This prediction was based on the new EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM and the new EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM zoom lenses made available by Canon. Almost everybody (including me) expected the new lens to have a wider focal length of 18mm due to the EOS-1N's companion Speedlite, the 540EZ, having a built-in 18mm wide panel. When the lens was finally announced, EOS users around the world were surprised when the lens turned out to be the EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM instead. << Back to Main . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 .