Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM EF-S Review Round-Up

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If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras

Photo Zone:

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM IS is not a perfect lens but it lives quite well up to the very high expectations of the user base. The resolution figures are among the very best seen so far for an APS-C standard zoom lens. The center resolution is nothing short of outstanding and the even borders can keep a very good to even excellent quality level. The distortion characteristic is quite typical for a zoom lens in this range (pronounced barrel distortions @ 17mm, moderate pincushion distortions @ 55mm) whereas CAs are unusually moderate. Unfortunately vignetting is a weak spot of the lens peaking around 1EV at f/2.8 throughout the range. It’s not a show stopper but a little annoying nonetheless. The build quality of the lens is pretty good but in relation to the price tag of the lens Canon should have used a little less plastic – finally even the much cheaper EF 70-200mm f/4 USM L features a magnesium-alloy shell. Probably a marketing decision to keep professionals away from APS-C DSLRs. All-in-all the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM IS is clearly a level up from the other Canon standard zooms – a highly desirable lens though the pricing may rise a few question marks. READ FULL REVIEW

Other Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM EF-S Reviews

SLR Gear

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS is a really excellent wide-to-medium range zoom with image stabilization. This would be the lens for a shooter interested in top-notch optical quality and low-light shooting. This lens is really ideal for anyone doing available-light photography with a Canon sub-frame camera. It’s very sharp, has a nice wide f/2.8 maximum aperture, and offers Canon’s excellent Image Stabilization as well. If you do a lot of available-light work, this lens would justify its rather high price in a heartbeat. If you’re more interested in landscapes and tripod-based available light shooting, you can save a fair bit of money with any of several good alternatives. READ FULL REVIEW

Camera Labs

Canon’s EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a premium zoom lens designed for EF-S bodies and announced alongside the EOS-30D digital SLR in February 2006. Boasting a constant f2.8 aperture throughout the range, it’s the fastest standard focal length zoom lens available for Canon EF-S mount digital SLRs. The lens also features Image Stabilisation to help combat camera-shake. Ultimately while the EF-S 17-55mm makes a great premium zoom for EF-S body owners, you’ve really got to be into either portraiture or low-light photography to justify its higher cost. Most general photographers will be better served by the longer range, not to mention cheaper price of the EF-S 17-85mm. And if you like the sound of an f2.8 zoom but not the high cost, consider the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8; it may not have Image Stabilisation, quiet focusing, nor quite the same range as the Canon model, but offers a constant f2.8 aperture at a low price. READ FULL REVIEW

Photo.net

If you want a high-quality Canon-brand mid-range zoom for your Canon small-sensor digital SLR, you have a choice between the Canon 17-55/2.8 and… nothing. Fortunately, this is a very high quality lens indeed, with a constant f/2.8 aperture and image-stabilization. The 35mm equivalent focal length range is 27-88mm. If you’ve got a Digital Rebel, a 20D or a 30D, and you’re not on a tight budget, buy one right now. READ FULL REVIEW

Pop Photo

This lens is a natural for photojournalists, as well as event and wedding photographers who need to work in ambient light without the mood-crashing intrusions of flash and/or tripod. READ FULL REVIEW

Ken Rockwell

The 17-55mm IS does what’s it’s supposed to. It’s fast, easy to use, and very competent at everything. It has no sore spots, even if it leaves one in your wallet, except for autofocus inconsistency. READ FULL REVIEW

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