Make sure this fitsby entering your model number. 17-55mm wide-angle zoom lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Canon DSLR cameras AD and aspherical elements deliver impressive image quality through entire zoom range, Closest focusing distance : 1.15 feet Image Stabilizer lens groups shift to compensate for image shake even in dim lighting Large circular aperture produces shallow depth of field; ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM) Measures 3.3 inches in diameter and 4.4 inches long; weighs 22.8 ounces; 1-year warranty
Overall great lens. Its sharp as a tack and the contrast of the images is stunning. This lens is notorious for collecting dust. All of my lens are in immaculate shape as I take good care of them but that did not prevent dust from collecting in this lens. Its easy to perform surgery on these lens to clean them. I had it in top top shape after blowing out the lens. The whole process takes less than 8 minutes. I just wish I didnt have to take apart such an expensive lens. Id be happier with giving it a 3.5 rating but ill just round to 4 because of the positives mention above. Also, this lens, size-wise is a monster. The construction looks and feels great but you are going to feel the weight. There are comparable Sigma and Tamron lenses with a similar focal length that wont break your back like this bad boy.
Phil in MIdland
4
Ive been using this lens for over 2 years now. It replaced the 17-85mm f4-5.6 that I bought several years ago. Here are some of my random comments about it. This lens is mounted on my camera (Canon 7d) more than any other lens. It is very sharp for a zoom, and I have tested the sharpness using FoCal and various test targets. The IS and auto-focus is effective and fast enough for me. There are times when I wish it would reach a bit further, maybe, 70mm. However, for many landscape, and interior shots, it fills the bill nicely. I have not noticed any dust buildup in the lens, which was the major criticism Ive seen for this lens. There are ways to safely clean this lens yourself, however. I found a few YouTube videos that show you how. Ive only had one problem with this lens. I noticed that it exhibited extreme lens creep after about a year of use. Pointing it up or down would cause the lens to creep and lose the compositions (and focus). This is unacceptable. I found a solution to this, by using some label strips (Dymo metallic) stacked along the lens barrel. This gives enough friction to prevent the creep. Thus, I deducted a star for this. I like the 77mm diameter of this lens, since I can use the same filters I use for my 10-22mm and 70-200mm lenses. I was really surprised to see that Canon lowered the price of this lens since I bought it. Back in 2011, you couldt find one for much less than $1000. I have never regretted buying this lens.
GM
4
This lens is nearly perfect in all aspects: i) Extremely sharp at all apertures; probably the sharpest zoom made by Canon to date. ii) Great range for a 1.6x camera (x0D, x00D bodies). Youll need two lenses to cover the same range with L lenses (17-40 f/4 and 24-70 f/2.8, while missing the f/2.8 in 17-40 and IS). iii) Constant maximum aperture f/2.8. iv) Very nice looking, smooth bokeh. v) Non-existent fringing in high contrast situations. vi) IS rocks; say good bye to camera shake, allows much longer handhold exposures. Why four stars? i) Colors & saturation are not as snappy as L lenses (visible on a good *calibrated* monitor). I guess this has something to do with the quality of glass (L lenses, for example, use a crystal called fluorite in some parts. There may be other differences in glass). All in all, colors from 17-55 are not as attractive to me as those from L glass. ii) Why so much plastic for a $1000 lens? After I used several L lenses, this lens feels cheap. iii) Canon tries to rip off customers by asking ~$40 for hood. What I didnt care? i) EF-S. I think Canon is committed to 1.6x format for a loong time to come. Cropped sensor cameras allow smaller lenses with a higher quality (this lens, for example, is much sharper than 24-70 f/2.8 L at f/2.8). I think there will be a very good second hand market if you ever decide to sell this lens. ii) Light fall-off wide open. No problem in typical working conditions. Can be easily fixed in software. Many people do vignetting intentionally, since it helps eyes focus to the center. The competitors of this lens are Canon 17-40L, Canon 24-70L, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, Sigma 18-50 f/2.8. I owned both Canon 24-70L and Sigma 18-50, and I can say that both are pretty good lenses (sold them to buy 17-55). But, beware that no single lens is uniquely optimal! You either miss range, max aperture, build quality, sharpness wide-open or IS. If Canon upgrades the glass (i.e. color, saturation) and the build of 17-55 to L quality, that would be my dream lens. Currently, 17-55 is nearly perfect, but is not entirely so.
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