Canon EF-S 17-55 mm f/2.8 IS USM
1. Introduction
Originally posted 2006-06-22 on Optyczne.pl
At the end of February 2006, Canon announced the release of its new Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM lens. This Canon lens was meant to fill the void for a good substitute for DSLR kit lens cameras with an APS-C class sensor.
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For Canon, the situation in this product range did not look very promising. First, users of this system had to deal with a cheap EF-S 18-55 mm plastic kit lens and much more expensive L-grade 17-40 mm f/4 lens, which, thanks to its being suitable for a full frame, was quite sizable. Only in August 2004 did Canon decide to release a lens which was supposed to be significantly better than the kit lens but at the same time considerably less expensive than the L-grade lens. It was the Canon EF-S 17-85 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. Unfortunately, Canon's entry into the market turned out to be a poor one, which is clearly shown in our test. In spite of the high price of 450$ or more, customers received a lens with a relatively poor aperture, high chromatic aberration, significant vignetting and a significant distortion for a 17 mm. Canon simply decided to release this new product to fill the gap in the market.
Read the results of our tests and comparison with other Canon products, as well as with the competition, before deciding whether or not it's worth taking this lens into consideration.
