Canon EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM Lens

These lenses are capable of amazing image quality but the quality control leaves a lot to be desired!

After going through three copies of the Sigma 18-50mm trying to find a good one I gave up and took what I assumed would be a safer choice but buying the Canon however I am currently on my third copy which is about to be returned again.

Optically this lens is very good with amazing sharpness even wide open but out of three copies I have had so far 2 had focusing issues while another focused perfectly but had a centring issue meaning one side of the image was sharp while the other was soft.

The build build of these lenses is also questionable considering the very high price of the lens, the materials used are actually quite solid but there is no damping at all on the zoom ring which makes it feel loose and cheap from day one, some dampening would increase the perception of quality tenfold and the same goes for the focus ring which is made from solid plastic and not rubber!

Overall if you have a Canon APS-C camera this is the best wide zoom available from an optical standpoint however the quality control seems to be no better than you get from either Tamron or Sigma.

There are several alternatives from Sigma and Tamron but none quite combine the same features as the Canon in one package, the Sigma 17-50mm OS perhaps comes closest with an image stabilizer and a silent focusing motor but lacks full time manual focusing. The Sigma also has a better build quality and many have claimed it is very nearly as good as the Canon in terms of image quality.

If my fourth copy of the Canon lens is another dud I will be giving the Sigma a try, I just hope their quality control has improved!

I sometimes can't help but feel the more expensive lenses sometimes have more sample variance than the cheaper ones, the Canon 18-55mm IS kit lens is just as sharp as the 17-55mm and if the front element didn't rotate so I could use filters it would be all the lens I need at 1/10th the price of the 17-55mm! It might lack and ultrasonic motor and an f/2.8 aperture but both of those tend to be somewhat useless if the lens won't even focus properly.

Having used the 17mm-85mm Canon lens for some time, we wanted something that could open up a bit more for low light shooting. We looked at the various options on the market, and decided on the Canon 17mm-55mm f2.8. The wide aperture now means we can get superb shots in low light conditions, and the IS system helps you even more, allowing slower shutter speeds still giving sharp results.

If you're umming and ahhing between this and another lens - go for this one. You won't regret it. It's sharp, lightweight and quiet. For those Canon users that know of the 'L' series lenses - this is 'L' quality but without the red ring!

It's great for all 10/20/30/40/50d's, 300/350/400/450/500d's - but not for full frame cameras such as the 1d/5d etc.

If your budget stretches to it - add a Canon 10mm-22mm as well - and you'll then have a good wide to medium focal range covered.

This is a bit more expensive than your standard lenses - but your photographs will demonstrate how the extra investment was worth it. If you have any questions on this lens - we're happy to answer them, even though we don't sell them :)

Probably going to be the most used bit of my camera kit, apart from the camera itself, though it will probably outlast that. With large aperture F2.8 and image stabaliser I am immediately getting much sharper images, even in very dull lighting. Ideal for fast moving children! Good zoom range without losing quality. Very pleased!

i took the plunge in buying this lens. i know its the wrong time as canon lens's prices are at their peak even on used ones. but the promise of sheer quality images never failed.The color and sharpness are "L" quality. Thanks to its UD glass.Its fast and very reliable in low light. IS not as very effective as i thought it would be but the aperture is fast enough to compensate.the negative side is that its an EF-S lens.Upgrading to full frame means selling it.Anyway,selling value is still great as still "no substitute for it" if you have a crop sensor. I highly recommend this lens.

There is no point in spending £400 plus for your SLR and then settling for a Kit lens which is worth less than a quarter of the value of your camera.
This lens is the best you can get and whilst expensive if you ever come to sell it's unlikely you will lose much.
It's excellent for all the reasons given in previous reviews but an added bonus for me is the USM so if you leave it in automatic focus mode you can still manually focus without moving the switch. Why is this important,well on non usm lenses if you forget to switch from AF to MF and focus manually in time you are likely to damage the motor in the lens !
Also remember the f2.8 is available across the full 17-55mm.
If you do a lot of landscape photography you may also need to consider the purchase of a polarising lens but remember this would have to be 77mm in size.