16 vs 17

------Canon 17-40mm f/4LCanon 16-35mm f/2.8LPlease note that the MTF Charts for the 17-40mm are from Canon Japan web site.
The ones on the Canon U.S site are incorrect.
Fig. 1
Images above courtesy Canon USA
Canon has been busy recently in the ultra-wide angle zoom department. A couple of years ago they introduced the 16-35mm f/2.8L as a replacement for their earlier ultra-wide zoom, the 17-35mm f/2.8L. I reviewed this new lens, comparing it to the earlier model, and found it to be considerably better in almost every respect.
Now, in the spring of 2003 Canon offers up an alternative, the 17-40mm f/4L. What are the differences, and how do these lenses compare to each other? Many readers had written to ask me if I'd yet had a chance to test the new lens. Though it wasn't on my personal list (because I already owned the 16-35mm) I was pleased to have a look at it. My friends at Vistek in Toronto — Canada's largest professional photographic equipment dealer, were kind enough to lend me on...