I've never rented a lens before, but www.borrowlenses.com had a free extra week promotion that I couldn't resist. In the next couple days, I'm going to be getting a Tokina 11-16/2.8 ultra-wide-angle lens for three weeks. I've been trying to decide between that and the Canon 10-22/3.5-4.5, but the Tokina won in the end.

Why? Well:

I've been finding myself wishing for a wider lens for a while, especially when shooting from the front of the stage, I just can't get it all in. Renting for a few weeks will give me a chance to see if I can really use the short focal lengths effectively, in music, nature, and interior situations. The only thing going for the Canon 10-22 is the extra 1mm on the wide end and that it's a bit lighter. It's a 3.5-4.0 lens, so it's too slow for shows. Both lenses use the 77mm filter thread, same as my 17-55/2.8 but the Tokina comes with a lens hood and has a better build quality. Distortion and corner sharpness isn't as much of an issue for me, since I don't shoot architecture and I can stop down for landscapes. It's also almost $150 cheaper.

I didn't place the order before 10am today, so I might not have it in time to shoot a show or Harley Magsino's photo shoot this weekend, but that just means I'll have it an extra weekend at the end, which won't be so bad. I am planning on going out to shoot at one, maybe two clubs on Saturday night, so the couple people who have been meaning to make it to a show with me, email me and I'll let you know where I'll be. I'm going to be making full use of my time with this lens this month, so feel free to give me some ideas about what I should shoot.