Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras, Black - 1242B002

I received my Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens today (12/28/06). It feels heavier by far than the 18-55mm kit lens, but lighter than I expected. Feels good (well-balanced) cradling the lens in the left hand near the base of the lens when mounted to my Canon Digital Rebel XT. I put the lens on the camera right away in a manner that would limit the opportunity for dust to intrude on the back of the lens or into the camera, since I've read about this lens not being sealed as well as "L" series Canon lenses. I may never take it off. 8-)This lens focuses fast and sure--even in low light, no hunting around to lock onto a subject. Pictures taken with the camera hand-held at 1/10 to 1/15 sec shutter speeds inside with no flash were tack-sharp (Thanks to the IS). With F2.8 and IS, this lens opens up a whole new world of natural low-light photography. Not only are more inside shots possible, you also have the versatility to create gorgeous bokeh. You create these bokeh effects generally zoomed to 55mm (where the kit lens' max aperture is F5.6). Since the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 has a constant F2.8 max aperature, you don't have to worry about the depth of field increasing as you zoom. It is so confidence-inspiring to walk around and set your aperture where you want it to give you the depth of field you want, and not really worry about the shutter speed being too slow. Some of my outside dusk (low-light) shots at 1/6 sec shutter and F22 came out sharp (Thanks again to IS). I almost got vertigo when I first looked at my pics uploaded to my PC--they were so realistic. Images really pop!The decision to go with this lens instead of some of the "L" grade lenses involved the following criteria:1. Focal Length Range. I wanted at least the range of the 18-55mm kit lens.2. Max Aperture. I wanted f/2.8, since f/4 is too confining for low-light situations. Also, f/4 doesn't give you the depth of field limiting ability of f/2.8. Trade-off is size and weight (and price).3. Constant Max Aperture. I wanted a constant max aperture throughout the zoom range. I don't want to set the aperture and have the camera stop it down due to the max aperture decreasing as you zoom in (as is the case with the kit lens).4. USM. I wanted the Ultrasonic Motor (USM) feature, since this is known to be the fastest and quietest autofocus technology.5. IS. I wanted Image Stabilization (IS), since this effectively makes your lens faster, because you can shoot in lower light at lower shutter speeds without fear of blur (provided the subject is still). Also, zoomed-into 55mm, camera shake can be more of a problem than at shorter focal lengths. IS has got you covered there as well. This lens only has one IS mode (no mode for panning).6. Full Format or Crop-optimized. It is true that going with a full format lens would mean that you could use it on any DSLR (35mm film, APS-C DSLR, and Full Format DSLRs such as the 5D and 1Ds Mark II). However, full format lenses are not optimized for the 1.6x crop of the Canon DSLRs Rebel through 30D. The crop-optimized lenses (designated by the "EF-S" in the model name) are tailored to the smaller image sensors of the APS-C camera bodies. The lens elements and coatings are designed to minimize the ghosting and flare that can come from reflections off of the image sensors in digital cameras. Also, the crop-optimized lenses tend to be smaller, lighter and less expensive than otherwise identical full format lenses. I considered the EF 17-40mm f/4L, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L and the EF 24-105mm f/4L. But, none of these had the focal length range I wanted, and two of them weren't fast enough (f/4), and the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L was very heavy (2.1 lbs). I determined there was no need to sacrifice performance now for some possible benefit later on if I purchase a full format camera. If I ever do, I would hope there would be full format lenses that have been designed to limit chromatic aberrations and introduce other digital optimizations currently provided by the crop-optimized APS-C format-only lenses. Besides, you can always continue to use your old camera and lens as a back-up, or you can sell them to help purchase the new ones.7. Grade ("L" series or Advanced Amature). Of course, if all else is equal, take the "L" lens with the red stripe. But, all else is not equal. I'd rather have an optically superior lens that is well-built (although not as well as an "L" series) that meets all my other criteria, and just be careful to keep the dust out. The EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 is expensive (I paid $[...] on [...]). But, I'm sure if there were an "L" series version of this lens, it would be even more expensive.Conclusion: This is one great lens! There's nothing else out there for 1.6x crop digital cameras that gives you the sweet spot of zoom range, low light capability, depth of field control, image stabilization, fast and quiet auto-focus, and superior image quality rivaling prime lenses. And to put the considerable weight (22.8 oz.) into perspective, it is still 3.8 oz. lighter than the very good digital-only Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8, and the Nikon does not even have image stabilization (and costs more to boot). Game, set and match!UPDATE 2/3/07: I've taken 1000+ pictures. I'm impressed with battery life given that I thought IS would use a lot of power. But, since flash is nearly never needed (due to f/2.8 and IS), battery life has seemingly been extended. I didn't realize how much I would grow to expect a stable image through the viewfinder until I looked through a viewfinder with a lens without IS and saw the image shaking. Note that cameras with built-in image sensors (such as Sony Alpha) don't stabilize the viewfinder. The EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM autofocus locks-on amazingly fast even in low light. No apparent optical weak spots at any focal length or aperture. Lens hood (optional) eliminated most, but not all, flares from bright sun. I think this is the best, most versatile walk-around lens you can get. I wish Canon would make an EF-S 55-200mm f/2.8 IS USM lens to pair it with so I could zoom in closer on distant wildlife, etc.

I've now had this lens for more than two months and shot more than 3,000 photos with it. Deciding on the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens for my wedding photography business is a no-brainer. Nonetheless, I did full due diligence before choosing to part with over $1000 for the glass.Key Considerations:The purpose of this purchase is to get a professional quality lens for shooting weddings to minimize the number of lens swaps I currently have to make today.Durability. Shooting weddings is not quite the same as a photojournalist going into combat. Nonetheless, equipment takes a beating from constant packing and unpacking, bouncing around in the back of cars, being rained upon, getting knocked and jostled as we move about, and being occasionally dropped. Our gear must hold up or we will discover the false economy of buying equipment twice.Weight. Wedding days are marathons for photographers that can last 8-10 hours without much opportunity for a break. That's not much fun when you have 7lbs hanging from your neck all day and evening long. It's exhausting. This is especially important for people with bad backs, knees or ankles. So I try to keep our equipment as light as possible without sacrificing quality.Low-light performance. One of the great challenges of wedding photography is working in bad light. Some chapels or officiates prohibit the use of flashes during the ceremony. And receptions are often at night and are in dark halls. In order to capture the action throughout, we need lenses that can perform well in low light. For me, this means a fixed maximum aperture of f/2.8 or faster.Angle of view. In the past I have used 24-105mm lenses with my 135 film cameras. I consider this focal range ideal for general people photography; 24mm is wide enough for indoor use and group shots without introducing too much distortion and 105mm is fantastic for beautiful portraiture. Our Canon camera bodies have APS-C sensors that are smaller than 35mm film, which reduces the effective angle of view of each image recorded. Placing a 24-105mm lens in front of an APS-C sensor narrows the angle of view by a factor of 1.6, making it the equivalent angle as a 38-168mm lens in front of a 35mm film or full frame digital sensor camera. 38mm on the wide end is simply not wide enough for general wedding work. In order to approximate on an APS-C sensor the angle of view that the 24-105mm lens on a 35mm body provides we multiply the lens size by 0.625, resulting in a lens that is 15-66mm.Options:There are no lenses that are precisely that size. Some L-series glass that are close include:* EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II* EF 17-40mm f/4L* EF 20-35mm f/2.8L* EF 24-70mm f/2.8L* EF 24-105mm f/4LI'm not happy with any of these for use on an APS-C body. The 16-35mm is too short on the long end for portrait work. The 17-40mm is too dark and too short on the long end. The 20-35mm is too narrow a zoom range for all-purpose work (i.e. too narrow on the wide end and too short on the long end). The 24-70mm doesn't get wide enough. Likewise the 24-105mm, which is also darker than I want.EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USMI had intended to buy only Canon L-series lenses, but Canon doesn't make an L-series lens optimized for APS-C digital sensor cameras. Yet Canon currently makes only two cameras that feature full-size digital sensors, the 5D Mk II ($2400, 2.5 lbs w/battery grip) and the 1Ds Mk III ($7000, 2.5 lbs.). The rest of their cameras are APS-H (1D Mk IV) or APS-C, including the Rebel models, 60D, and excellent 7D bodies.Angle of view. For those of us that shoot with Canon APS-C bodies, the 17-55mm promises to be the best general purpose standard zoom lens for wedding photographers due to its low-light performance and exceptional sharpness. It is lighter than the L-series lenses but its construction, while solid, is not as bomb proof. 55mm does not reach as far as I would like on the long end (i.e. 66mm), but it is an acceptable compromise to make to preserve the fast maximum aperture.Image stabilization. IS for a lens in this category is a thing of debate. Conventional wisdom among many is that it is unnecessary for a lens this wide. On the other hand, many reviews place the sharpness of this lens on par with or ahead of the world class lenses in this category so it seems to be good for something. Besides, I don't always have the steadiest hands, so I welcome the technological assist. The 17-55mm's IS is a single mode system that does not allow for panning while IS is engaged.Optics. Contributing to the 17-55mm's image quality is the use of three aspherical lens elements and a Super-UD glass element, the kind of glass that is normally only found in L-series lenses. It features internal focusing, coatings to control flare, and a circular aperture diaphragm for buttery beautiful bokeh.What others are saying about this lens:* LensPlay ranks the lens 9th best among all EOS compatible lenses, averaging 9.3 (on a 10 point scale) from 480 user ratings.* Bryan Carnathan at The-Digital-Picture.com writes: "This lens is sharp! Wide open and from edge to edge... I expected its image quality to match or nearly match that of Canon's L Series Lenses as it shares the L-Series UD lens elements. As it turns out, my 17-55 matches or exceeds the optical performance of my L-Series zooms in the similar focal length range... [this] lens is an ideal lens to include in your kit [for] weddings, events, parties, family activities, portraits, etc..."* Gordon Laing at Camera Labs writes, "When you also take the 17-55mm's Image Stabilization facilities into account, you've got a lens which can perform relative miracles under poor light... If you're seriously into portraits or low light work though, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm will delight."* Canonlensreview.com "How does the Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM lens compare to L-Series lenses? You will find out that the Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM lens will either meet or beat the similar range L-Series zoom lenses. In many cases the image quality was better with this lens. It is extremely sharp, very fast and equipped with the image stabilizer function making the Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM lens a force to be reckoned with... The Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM lens will meet and beat the standard zoom L-Series lenses."* SLRGear.com "This would be the lens for a shooter interested in top-notch optical quality and low-light shooting."What's Not So HotOf course there are some complaints about this lens as well. Fortunate these are few and far between.Dust. Far and away the most frequent complaint about this lens is that it tends to suck dust into it when you are zooming in and out. However, I have not read any reviews that implicate this dust in degrading image quality. Also, there is a simple preventative measure to keep the dust out: use a filter. Apparently the dust finds its way into the lens around the front glass element. Screwing a filter onto the end completes the dust sealing. The folks that do so report no dust problem. Since I always use a lens protector filter, this is not a problem for me.Zoom Ring. I've read a couple of reviews that claim that the zoom ring does not turn as smoothly as do L-series zoom lenses. I've read this complaint more than once but not more than twice, so perhaps these are isolated cases. Or maybe the reviewers had unrealistic expectations. I find the zoom and focus rings to be adequately smooth.Incompatibility. Finally, some folks have complained that they cannot use this lens on their full frame bodies. If we had full frame bodies we'd be buying the excellent EF 24-70mm f/2.8L without hesitation, so I don't understand this complaint.Final ThoughtsIn the last two months I've used this lens to cover weddings, family portrait sessions, concerts, music competitions, and a convention. This lens has been a joy every step of the way.This lens devours light and is as sharp or is sharper than any L-series lens I have seen. The auto focus is brilliantly fast and quiet. I didn't think that with f/2.8 on an APS-C sensor that I would be able to get such shallow DOF. At the last wedding I shot I didn't swap lenses even once (I keep a longer lens on another body). The IS motors create enough noise that you can hear it when it is really really quiet but it isn't loud enough to be distracting. Contrary to conventional wisdom, IS really does help sharpen things up with wide-angle lenses. My only wish is that it was weather sealed for use in direct rain.The EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is unequalled (including Canon L-series, Nikkor, or 3rd party) as the ideal general-purpose standard zoom lens for rapidly changing low-light shooting such as weddings for APS-C shooters.