The focal length numbers indicate one starts at an ultra wide angle and one starts at a more conservative wide angle. You may have been told that the quality is similar, but there is definitely a difference, as the numbers indicate.

Do you consider yourself more of a wide angle shooter, or more of a telephoto shooter? And if you're going to use it on a digital body, you loose the wide angle because of the 1.5 magnification factor so the 17mm becomes even more important.

By that means that the 17 mm actually will be a 27mm ???
Paul

Yes, on a DSLR that doesn't have a full frame sensor.

But you're asking this question in the film camera section.

Larry ... Yes a post in the wrong forum , it shoul be on digital cameras
Paul