Canon - EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens - Black

The EF-S 17~55mm f/2.8 lens has proved to be everything I had hoped for when I chose it to supplant the EF-S 18~135 f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens on my first Canon APS-C Camera. The large f2.8 aperture allows very good subject isolation and combines with an older version of Canon's image stabilization (IS) to provide low light utility. The shear mass of quality glass used in the wide and heavy EF-S 17~55mm suggests that image quality will be high - the EF-S 17~55mm validates that hinted promise of clarity and sharpness without noticeable chromatic aberration. I bought the EF-S 17~55mm in spite of reports that the lens sucks in dust like a mini-vacuum cleaner and that the older version of Canon's IS is prone to failure. After nearly two years of frequent use, including a few months of exposure to the rigors of sunny Southeast Asia, there is no dust and the IS is still on the job. In summary, with fingers crossed on the question of IS durability, I am more impressed by the EF-S 17~55mm f/2.8 IS USM than I was on the day the lens was delivered nearly two years ago.

I have used this lens for 3-4 years in extreme low light conditions on crop cameras and have been very very pleased. At f/2.8, it simply pulls light in. Performance and optics miles ahead of a kit lens. It has been rugged, too-- dropped it and only lost the filter. This is an ideal range for a crop camera and is my go-to lens for most indoor work.

I decided to buy it as standard zoom lense, instead of having recommended kit lense for EOS 7D. I am glad I made a right choice, otherwise, I could have spent twice both on kit lens and EF 17-55. Its a great buy, stable with 2.8 gives a great changes to enhance the quality of work.

After making micro-adjustments for focus, this lens is dead on. Canon support generally indicates micros are not needed, but I've had to fine tune three lenses thus far. Right not, the IQ is superb in terms of sharp lines. I now use this as my standard for lens comparison. However,the dust has also affected my experience. Clearing the particles is relatively easy (5 minutes), so it doesn't affect overall performance. But for this price point, would expect a bit more sealing.

Here's an update to my entry a little over a year ago. I'd like to reiterate my commentary on the build quality. I was taking some pictures of an old family portrait that was laying flat on the kitchen table with the camera pointed down to get the picture. The front len bezel came apart and landed on the portrait. Fortunately the glass wasn't scratched . . Had the Canon guys not put it back together correctly when they cleaned the excessive dust out of in March of 2010? I can't answer that, but still stick to my "poor build quality" assessment, especially for a lens that costs as much as this one does.