[ragsnoldiron]

I am very pleased with this lens based on the first shots I took today immediately after receiving it (thanks PZ for the review!). I paid 460 USD delivered to Canada from the USA, and it is under the Bower brand. I used the lens in Av mode and Manual on my 5D II, and it is wonderful to focus with and my exposures are very good. I sold my EF 14L II in the spring for close to $2K, so I am extremely pleased with the results from this lens for the sub 500 price. The only downside is the hood/lens cap assembly since the plastic is pretty flimsy. I am using the Cokin X-Pro filter system with my wide angle lenses, and I tried the universal adapter on the petal hood (a route that works very well on the sigma 15-30) but the petal heights are too far apart to make it work as is, and the plastic petals flex too much to mount it on just two. I am heading in to the high mountains of British Columbia near the Alberta border this weekend, and it looks to be a very wet and cloudy outing, so I will let you know how it does in the rain. I absolutely soaked my TS-E 24 II and 5D II in a thunderstorm yesterday morning and everything seems fine, hopefully the Bower holds up to the humidity and cold too.