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

Pictures:
Specifications:
Manufacturer Canon
Model EF-S 17-55 mm f/2.8 IS USM
Lens style Universal zoom
Focal length 17 - 55 mm
Maximum aperture f/2.8
Angle of view 77.3 - 27.8 o
Closest focusing distance 0.35 m
Maximum magnification 1:5.88
Minimum aperture 22
Number of diaphragm blades 7
Auto focus type USM
Lens Construction 19 elements / 12 groups
Filter diameter 77 mm
Macro No
Available mounts Canon EF-S
Dimensions 83.5 x 110.6 mm
Weight 645 g
Additional information Marketed March 2006
Average rating (14 owners reviews)
Build quality
Optical quality
Value for money

Overall

3.93 Average
Owners reviews (14)
  1. JaglanBeta
    JaglanBeta 15 January 2014, 18:22
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 95.148.x.x
    Owner since: 3 years
    Price: £750
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: For the very high "L" level pricing it should have better build quality, not suffer chronic zoom creep, not have so much distortion at 17mm, and it should be weather sealed.

    Pros: Stunning image quality (wide angle distortion excepted), f2.8, IS, super fast focussing, good size and weight. DPP lens profile to correct distortion.

    Summary: Dont get me wrong, this is optically fantastic, its like having a bag full of primes on your camera. My list of cons is long and I'm being very picky with them - but the zoom creep is the most troublesome for me. It would be impossible for me to photograph the lens as shown in the 3rd photo at the top of the page - it'd drop to 17mm before I got the photo composed. On a strap it always ends up at 55mm. It shouldn't happen on a lens this expensive.

  2. Bagatta
    Bagatta 15 January 2013, 11:19
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 217.148.x.x
    Owner since: 3 years
    Price: 800 €
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: Entra polvere e va a depositarsi sulla lente frontale.

    Pros: Una lente splendida, estremamente duttile, la metti e non la togli quasi più.

    Summary: Per aps c, il miglior acquisto.

  3. billyboy
    billyboy 31 August 2012, 09:58
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 220.101.x.x
    Owner since: 1 year
    Price: $1096 with
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: For what it is... none

    Pros: Sharp, great range, easy to use, IS works a treat, USM is fast and silent, manual focus? just grab the focus ring. Constant f2.8. Super images from this baby, mild distortion easily fixed with canon lens profiles in camera or DPP. Hard to take a bad photo with it.

    Summary: Its one of the best EF-S lenses you can buy. Great optics, good medium weight to carry around. Its a great all round lens for photos and excellent for Video. If you own an EF-S camera just buy it. If you need weather sealed buy L. I love it.

  4. muppetslayer
    muppetslayer 6 December 2011, 12:07
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 89.241.x.x
    Owner since: 3 years
    Price: £700
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: Build quality is adequate, but for the money would like better. Rediculous that non lens hood included for this kind of money. Or pouch!

    Pros: Very sharp. Excellent IS. As good as an L lens if not better, for crop sensors.

    Summary: Love mine. use this on my crop as a walk around lens. Never comes off(well seldom). Sometimes a little short on reach, but thats why I have the 70-200.

  5. Peter I
    Peter I 7 June 2011, 16:10
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 91.176.x.x
    Owner since: 3 years
    Price: in kit wit
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: lots of unsharp photos with this lens

    Pros: useful focus range on aps-c

    Summary: Inferior to the tamron 17-50 I replaced it with

  6. Bioibon
    Bioibon 9 March 2011, 17:11
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 150.241.x.x
    Owner since: 3 years
    Price: 800 Euro
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: Build quality. My copy have dust problems until added a UV filter. Crappy manual focus ring.

    Pros: Excellent IQ, wide open. Excelent IS (photos at 0.5s: thats amazing)

    Summary: This lens with a L build quality could be one of the best zooms in world. Excellent glass in a crappy enclosure.

  7. Elsass
    Elsass 28 January 2011, 20:13
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 150.214.x.x
    Owner since: 3 years
    Price: 800$
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: Build quality could be better. Vignetting and bokeh could be a little better. High price. NO HOOD

    Pros: Sharp at all apertures, colors and contrast. Excellent USM autofocus. Very good image stabilizer. Maybe the most versatile zoom lens. The best option for low light photography.

    Summary: I use it mostly at f/2.8, and it's behaviour is excellent with a 550d.

  8. zlhr
    zlhr 16 January 2011, 16:16
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 203.82.x.x
    Owner since: 2 years
    Price: RM3850
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: Lens hood not include, plastic build quality. Expensive for 'ef-s class'

    Pros: high speed and very sharp, great for low light photography and wedding photography

    Summary: buy it! if money doesn't matter

  9. Prometheus
    Prometheus 17 December 2010, 15:35
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 84.159.x.x
    Owner since: 1 year
    Price: 860€
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: - build quality not on par withe the optical quality - a bit too expensive - bokeh "can" be nervous at some backrounds - no lenshood delivered - up to 70mm range would fit better to the teles 70-...

    Pros: - outstanding optical quality - constant aperture of f2.8 - homogenous IQ over the full picture, perfectly suited for landscape - no weak wide end, the 17mm setting ist actually quite impressive, even wide open - good and useful range - effective stabilizer - build quality better than it seems first - sharpness can be up to some primes

    Summary: It is simply the best high-speed, constant-aperture and stabilized standard-zoom for APS-C. Perfect walkarround lens, though expensive. More affordable alternatives like tamron & sigma are much cheaper but also optically a bit worse. I hated the hefty price tag, but love performance of the lens!

  10. Feby
    Feby 22 September 2010, 18:23
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 24.130.x.x
    Owner since: 1 month
    Price: 1050$
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: Build Quality - Does not have that feeel! Slight sound while autofocusing Extends while zooming unlike 17-40 Price EF-S

    Pros: Image quality! 5/5 Autofocus - very fast IS - Great stabilization (Gets quality images even at 1") Great range f/2.8 - Gets some nice blurry background even indoor.

    Summary: My primary lens on 7D now. Its the best walk around lens for my purpose.

  11. Sylvain
    Sylvain 7 September 2010, 15:29
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 62.235.x.x
    Owner since: 2 years
    Price: 840€
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: I can't complain enough about it's build quality. Well, it hasn't let me down yet but it doesn't make you confident at all. The lens has a tendency for zoom creep when pointed downwards. The zoom ring has some play after a while. The zoom action isn't linear. The paint wears out. No weather sealing. Colour rendition although it's hard to assess is colder than the much appreciated L lenses

    Pros: Sharp everywhere, all the time. AF accuracy. Effective IS. Very reliable lens in terms of image quality.

    Summary: This lens would be just perfect had it been built tightly with high quality components and a couple of rubber seals here and there. Now it's just a pricey very good lens.

  12. Crimsonfilms
    Crimsonfilms 23 August 2010, 21:25
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 67.152.x.x
    Owner since: 3 months
    Price: Used $800
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: Price. This should be L level build quality for this price. It does not come with a hood and/or bag. It should for this price. Noticeable distortion at 17mm up to f/2.8. Big. Bigger than Tamron and Sigma. I would prefer a longer focus throw (degree of turn). Makes it easier to get pinpoint manual focus.

    Pros: Very sharp throughout the entire zoom. IS is excellent. USM autofocus is fast. Focus ring is excellent

    Summary: This is the best normal zoom lens for Canon APS-C. Slightly sharper than the Tamron or Sigma, especially at the edge. Much better feature set (USM and IS). However it is over priced. If this was an L lens with better weather seal and comes with hood/pouch it would justify the price. But it is not. I still bought it because I don't like the Tamron and Sigma lenses.

  13. Frank
    Frank 22 October 2009, 00:50
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 173.55.x.x
    Owner since: 1 year
    Price: 900
    User profile: Amateur

    Cons: Big (good filters can be expensive), No hood included

    Pros: GREAT IQ; Sharp; Great low-light lens;

    Summary: The best walk-around, general purpose lens for cropped-sensor Canons.

  14. Ilya Snopchenko
    Ilya Snopchenko 21 October 2009, 08:42
    Build quality
    Optical quality
    Value for money

    Overall

    IP 95.55.x.x
    Owner since: 1 year
    Price: ~ $ 1150
    User profile: Semipro

    Cons: - No hood included; COME ON Canon! - No seals; collected lots of dust within a few weeks. - Stabilizer broke after 2 months and had to be serviced. The wait was irritating. - Not a FF optic. ;)

    Pros: - Sharp. No, not like this: SHARP. - Stabilized. - Great range.

    Summary: I had this on a 30D as the only lens for over a year and was making due all right (except for theatre shoots where I naturally felt awkwardly). It's a great all around lens, if only it had been built better and had better QC...