90% of my paid work is weddings. I need a super wide angle zoom and some advice on selecting the model. My work horse for shooting is a 24-70mm f2.8. It is always on one of my three Canon crop bodies. I want to spend at most $800. I have tried out several models and I find that getting down to the mid teens in my focal range is plenty. I have a 8mm fish eye, so I don't need to zoom down that far. I have it down to the following: Canon 17-40mm f4L, Tokia 16-28mm f2.8, Tokina 11-16mm f2.8, and the Tokina 12-24,, f4.

I need a constant aperture, f4 is good, but f2.8 is better. What I like about the Tokina 16-28 is that it over laps my work horse, less time switches between cameras. I have rented each of these and the sharpness is excellent as far as I can see on each.

Please help me decide. The more comments the better.

I have the Tokina 11-16 and I love it.  It still works on a full frame body at 16mm too, though soft in the corners of course.  Suprisingly not any significant vignette.

Ken Rockwell highly recommends it, but don't let that turn you off to it.

These are with a D300 Crop Sensor

Mine is the Nikon version.  Though how different can they be?

It says Sd 11-16 F2.8 (IF) DX
And elsewhere it says AT-X Pro

The Canon EF-S 10-22mm USM Lens is the best for your Canon APS-C camera. I currently use it for the 50D and 7D.

The Tokina AT-X 116 is also good, I use it on the D300 Nikons.

Both these lenses exhibit minimal distortion at the wide end, rendering straight lines as straight lines. Other lenses would show straight lines as curves., and very difficult to correct in Photoshop.

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I had the Tokina 12-24 on my D200 and 300 nikons. IT was as sharp as the Nikkor version for about 1/2 the price BUT..after 3 years of mild use id suddenly had to be stopped down more and more to get sharp edges. And it was never dropped or abused. Just not the great build you'd more likely get with the Original Manufactures version..Canon in your case.

I don't have one and haven't personally used it, but I hear others raving about the 17-55 f2.8 lens, especially the photographers I meet at weddings (at least 3 of them).  I don't know what it costs, but even if it's a little bit over your budget, it might be worth checking out, anyway.

For events, I'd rather have a lens that is slightly softer but focuses fast. That's why I usually stick with Canon and that's what keeps me away from Tokina. Granted, that wide, it's easier to focus. I know Sigma and Tamron have stepped up in the AF department but they seem to have more quality variations than Tokina.

Also, if you're wide and are on crop, the Canon 10-22mm is a good option since if you're closer to subject f/4.5 at the long end is not bad.

I had a Sigma 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5mm on full and the focus was loud and slow. It would lock when it'd get there, but it would take time to get there. I still have it, but the aperture blades became stuck so now I'm looking at the Canon 16-35mm. You can get the older ones for ~$800.

If you're unsure, check out lensrentals.com and see if you can find one you want to test before buying.

I recommend a 17-50 or comparable if you aren't using a full frame camera.

Those who reply with pictures aren't really answering your questions.

In the Nikon line I adore the 16-35 f4N  -  I think Canon has an equivalent...

I have the newest Sigma 17-50 f2.8.  It works for me.

For a crop body, the Sigma 10-20 is really, really excellent.