What wide-angle, high-quality lens should I buy next for travel photography [Canon]?

Question

I do a fair amount of travel photography, but must travel quite light since I leave for months at a time to remote destinations (and carry all my equipment on my back). I'm a semi-pro but really enjoy taking photos for personal enjoyment most. The problem: The few lenses I carry with me just aren't cutting it in terms of sharpness and ability to fit the whole scene in my shot.

My travel kit includes a:

-Canon 7D

-50mm 1.4

-17-50 2.8

-70-200 or (usually) 70-300

I mostly shoot travel portraits, but I'd like to do more in-the-moment, full-body portraits with more props/scenery (farmers with animals/equipment, fishermen in their boats, cooks with their food). Instead of just getting a shot from the chest up, I'd really like to focus on the bigger picture, too. For most photos I take, I have just a few seconds or minutes to get the right shot, so fast focusing is pretty important as well as clarity.

What I'm looking for:

-A wide-angle, preferably prime lens that is SHARP (this is the most important factor)

-Something not too far out of my $1,500 limit

-A lens that isn't too bulky or heavy to carry--the smaller the better

-Any brand (though I haven't had good experiences with Sigma)

-A lens with apertures around 1.4-2.0 are ideal; I definitely won't go above 2.8

What are your recommendations? Equally helpful: What would you not recommend? I need a lens that is known for sharpness and clarity--a real professional look and fast focusing are important to me. I of course have some in mind, but wanted your opinions before my final tests. Links to your example photos with recommended lenses are welcomed. Thanks, all!

Answer 1

If you want to go with a Canon lens, the EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM is within a couple hundred of your price point. The EF 35mm f/1.4L USM is actually within your price point and is very well reviewed, but is getting a little bit closer to standard than wide angle, particularly when on your 7D due to the crop sensor.

On the slower and zoom side, there is the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM which is also just a little bit outside your price range and highly reviewed, but it's only a 2.8 so if you don't mind a prime, one of the other options may be better.

Answer 2

With your criteria I think this one fits your bill, if you can stretch the $1500 to $1800:

Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 21mm f/2.8 ZE Lens for Canon EF Mount EOS DSLR Cameras

You wont look more professional with anything else than this. it is a pretty wide prime, and maximum aperture F2.8 is common for fast wide angle lenses (seem the physical constraints makes it hard to go faster than that for wide angle lenses).

Apparently, it should be possible to get one for around $1500:

Review

It will focus as fast as your focus skill allows. I recommend the efs focus screen, with your standard zoom being the fixed aperture 2.8.

They also make a 15mm F2.8 Distagon. But it is twice your budget.

Answer 3

As someone who owns and uses both the Canon 5D mark II and the Canon 7D I think the biggest problem with your lenses is the anti-aliasing filter on your 7D. If increasing the sharpness setting in-camera or using the unsharpen mask in post doesn't get the results you need it is time for you to go full frame.

For around $1500 you can find a deal on a new 6D if you are willing to wait a few weeks (monitor The-Digital-Picture) or a used 5D II. Going to the higher resolution and larger pixel sizes will improve every lens in your bag except the 17-50, which you can probably sell along with the 70-300 to replace it with the EF 17-40mm f/4 L or the EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS (which has recently dropped in price to around $750-800 USD). A 24mm lens on a full frame will give the same Angle of View as a 15mm lens on a Canon APS-C body. The move from the APS-C to a full frame 6D or 5DII will gain you more in usable ISO than the stop you lose in the lenses. If you sell the 7D and the 17-50 you should have enough for the Tamron AF 24-70mm f/2.8 VC if you would rather go that way.