George, You and Daniel are 100% correct! One of the reasons I got this lens was to assist me (i.e. force me..) to look @ the total not just the immediate subject! I've been "playing" around with photography for about 50 years now (got my first camera, a small fixed focal, fixed shutter, fixed aperture camera, don't remember the brand. Used 620 roll film). Really learned the technical aspects of photography when I became one of my high school's newspaper photographers... Did the vast majority of my shooting with a Graflex Speed Graphic (2.25x3.25, had a Graflok back so I could put 120/220 roll film and Polaroid sheet film backs on it). Really taught me how to expose a picture (light meters, we don't need no stinkin' light meters! []). Unfortunately, I've always been more of a photoGRAPHER instead of a PHOTOGrapher (get the details just fine, just not the greatest at composition....)... My wife is a water color artist and she's beating on me to get better at composition. I FULLY understood that the wide angle would make THAT job harder and embrace the challenge!


Got my first Canon 35mm back in '72 (an Ftb) which I used until I got my A-1 in '80 (gave the Ftb to my brother who promptly broke it!). Got the wife an AE-1 later the same year. Used them for many happy years but gradually stopped (film processing, etc). Got into digital about 9 years ago with a FujiFilm FinePix 3800, then a Canon A540, then a Canon S5-IS. THEN, this January, looked @ the 50D and decided to get a 40D (I used to shoot Kodachrome 25 and 64 in everything from the Graflex [well, 64 in the Graflex!] to the A-1. Film grain was important to me..) Not knocking the 50D, seems to be a great camera and I've occasionally had thoughts that I made a mistake, but not really... My only problem is that I've spent almost $4K in the last 7 months and I could spend a LOT more! []... Oh well, it's only $$$


I'm enjoying getting back into photography and intend to get MUCH better! We'll just have to see!





Again, thanks!