Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras | 
 enlarge | Brand: Canon
Category: Photography
List Price: $1,700.00
Buy New: $999.95
You Save: $700.05 (41%)
New (30)
Rating:  64 reviews
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: No
Optical Zoom: 3.2
Maximum Focal Length: 55
Minimum Focal Length: 17
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 5 x 5 x 3
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 1242B002
Model: 1242B002
UPC: 013803064445
EAN: 0013803064445
ASIN: B000EW8074
Release Date: March 31, 2006
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Pre-Order (0-0 Business Days)
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| Features:
| • | 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 | | • | 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 |
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Amazon.com Product Description
Designed to meet consumer demands for a fast EF-S zoom lens, the EF-S 17-55mm offers image quality on par with Canon's highly regarded L-series lenses. The lens features a large circular aperture that produces a shallow depth of field, creating background blur that draws special attention to the photographic subject. The lens construction, meanwhile, includes UD and aspherical elements that deliver impressive image quality throughout the entire zoom range. And thanks to the Image Stabilizer lens groups--which shift to compensate for camera shake--the image appears crisp and clear on the image plane, eve in dim light. Finally, the lens offers a ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM), inner focusing, and new AF algorithms to help achieve autofocus quickly and quietly, along with full-time mechanical manual focusing that makes it possible to manually adjust the focus even in AF mode. As with all Canon lenses, this lens carries a one-year warranty. - Focal length: 17-55mm
- Maximum aperture: f/2.8
- Lens construction: 19 elements in 12 groups
- Diagonal angle of view: 78 degrees (at 30 feet) to 27 degrees (at 50 feet)
- Focus adjustment: AF with full-time manual
- Closest focusing distance: 1.15 feet
- Zoom system: 5-group helical zoom (front group moves 27mm)
- Filter size: 77mm
- Dimensions: 3.3 inches in diameter, 4.4 inches long
- Weight: 22.8 ounces
Product Description
To meet user demands for a fast EF-S zoom lens, Canon has specially designed a new lens with a large aperture of f/2.8 for select Canon Digital SLR cameras. The large circular aperture produces a shallow depth-of-field, creating background blur that draws attention to the photographic subject. The lens construction includes UD and aspherical elements, which deliver impressive image quality throughout the entire zoom range. Image Stabilizer lens groups shift to compensate for camera movement so that the image appears steady on the image plane, ensuring clear, crisp images, even in dim light. With a Ring-type USM, inner focusing and new AF algorithms, this lens achieves autofocus quickly and quietly, and with full-time mechanical manual focusing, manually adjusting the focus is possible even in AF mode.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 59 more reviews...
 great digital lense August 14, 2008
J. Kasameyer (PDX)
Just bought this to do weddings and graduations. Sold 17-85 IS and 17-40 L and 28-135 IS. Realizing, with 40D, I am not going back to full frame ie 5D or EOS 3 film camera. Loved full frame lenses, esp 17-40, but get same color saturation and clarity w/17-55. Right up there with old 20-35 2.8L film lens. Difference is I'm not shooting velvia anymore, so I can get great shots at very low light -- great for church weddings and receptions.
Outstanding August 3, 2008
Leonard Z. (Baltimore, MD USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an outstanding deal. It's basically an L lens, for all scope and purposes. All right, it doesn't have the magnesium casing and is not weatherproof. However, it does have the most important component of an L lens: the UD glass. And the UD class is there. It also has the IS, which puts the f-stop lower than the 2.8. Personally, I'm not aware of any other lens with the zoom range of 17-55, f-stop smaller than 2.8 and a specialty, high-end glass that this lens has. And I'm not a brand fanatic. Excellent lens for low light outdoors. I took the lens out for a dusk shooting session. The results were jaw dropping. Extremely sharp, beautiful bouquet, rich colors, amazing contrasts. The only other lens coming close to this is Canon's 16-35 f/2.8L. However, it doesn't match it.
A "must have" lens for the serious photographer.
 *The* Walkabout Lens August 2, 2008
C. Franz (Zurich, ZH Switzerland)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Considering that my camera came with a lens that has almost the same focal length (my kit lens is the EFS 18-55 3.5-5.6 IS), I was wondering if this lens was really worth the shocking price.
It took all of one afternoon to convince me just how much better this lens is. I still think that the lens is on the pricey side, but performance wise this is an L lens. Images are stunningly sharp, and colors are fantastic. Wide open it produces beautiful bokeh, and because it is a fast lens you can use it indoors as well as out-doors. Since the 17-55 mm range (since it only can be used on a 1.6 FOV body, it's actually a 27-88 mm lens) covers my favorite focal length (35-50mm) it is my favorite walk-about lens. Wide-angle shots (especially inside buildings) are handled equally well as portraits by this lens.
Compared to my kit lens -- well, there really is no comparison. The fixed 2.8 aperture through the whole focal range alone puts the kit lens to shame. Mounted on a 450D this lens produces a nicely balanced composition that is easy to handle. AF is quick and silent, and the image stabilisator helps to steady those shots that otherwise would require a larger aperture. As with the kit lens, it can't do miracles, though, as too many marginal pictures unfortunately prove (I should have upped the ISO on those). The much larger (compared to the kit lens) body is easier to operate, and frankly, also looks better. The 77mm filter thread may be an annoyance to you if you don't have any other lens with that size, as you have to purchase new filters and can't share them with other lenses (most of my other lenses, not being L type, have 58mm threads).
Although the barrel extends with zoom, it does not turn during zooming, nor during focusing. This helps a lot when you are shooting outdoors with a circular pol filter and have to get the right focal length fast.
Although the lens has a nice weight (650g), I am a bit disappointed that the barrel is made from plastic instead of metal - I would expect that a lens with this price tag would have a quality feel to match. The plastic does feel a bit cheap. I'm also disappointed that this lens did not come with a lens hood. Again, at that price I would expect these things to be included.
When deciding to purchase this lens it is important to also consider the fact that this lens is an 'EF-S' type and will only work on 1.6FOV cameras, not on full frame bodies. It will therefore stay with your 1.6 should you get a full body later.
Personally, I think it is an excellent lens, and I happily recommend it to anyone who shoots in the same focal range.
 I think I got a bad copy July 31, 2008
B. Lee
When I get something that I think is defective, I'm torn about writing a review. So let me just say this: from all the other reviews here, even the most negative ones, I'm pretty sure I just got a bad copy of this lens. So sure that even though I returned this one, I'm still thinking about buying another one at some point in the future. The copy of this lens that I got produced nothing but soft images, with some chromatic aberrations the likes of which I haven't seen in any other SLR lens, on the level of a cheap point and shoot. And since my review is probably the only one you or I will read that will make that claim of this lens, I think this one was a fluke.
I had a Tamron 17-50 before this, so I can compare some to that. When I noticed that the photos looked so bad, I took some shots to test focus, and found that the lens was slightly front focusing about half the time. This seems to be common in Canon lenses, and Canon will happily readjust the lens for you. Unlike the Tamron 17-50 lens, the focus was very repeatable, at a distance of 3-4 ft the focus point only wandered over about a 1-2 inch range. The Tamron easily wandered around in an almost 1 ft wide (12 inch) range in the same kinds of shots. So if this had been the only problem I would have just sent it to Canon for an adjustment. But even the best focus point was soft and fuzzy, which once again, from all accounts (other than mine) should not be the case for this lens.
Compared to the Tamron and to the 40D's 28-135 kit lens, the built quality seemed better than either of those lenses. It's not as good as my Canon 70-200 L, but for a plastic lens it seemed pretty solid. It's quite large, which surprised me for a digital only lens -- a little larger than the 28-135. Beyond that it's hard for me to comment much, my copy was far softer and had much more chromatic aberration than either of those lenses, which doesn't seem to be typical. The performance of my copy was about what I would have expected from the old XTi 18-55 kit lens from what I've heard, if even that good, not a lens that cost about $1k.
Since I don't think my copy is typical I'm giving this 3 stars, I guess more as a knock against Canon QA than the lens. As I say, I may buy another one at some point in the future, but I can't get one in time for my next trip (tomorrow) so that will have to wait. If I do get another one and it's as good as everyone says, I'll update this review.
Amazon required me to pay to have this lens returned, which is not a trivial amount since they also require to you insure it. Given that the lens seemed to be defective, that was disappointing.
Update: It's interesting to see that B. Harris had a very similar experience in a review published within an hour of mine! I gave the lens 3 stars instead of 2 because I didn't think it was typical, now I'll have to think about that. I'll also echo what he said about packing, Amazon packaged this like it was a CD or book, not a lens that cost $1k, and I certainly can't rule out that being the cause of the lens's poor performance.
 Very Disappointed July 31, 2008
B. Harris (Indiana)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I really wanted to like this lens. I read so many positive reviews and so many reports showing excellent performance. Specifically, I was wanting the sharpest lens with the most detail. I don't expect to be upgrading to a full-frame soon, so the range fit my needs better than any of the current L offerings. I purchased the EF-S 17-55 to replace a Sigma 17-70 lens with which I wasn't entirely happy. Even though a lot of people complained about build quality, I wasn't that concerned with that aspect; but while I found the lens to be solid, the zoom ring did not turn smoothly at all. The biggest problem, though, was that the lens was softer at any aperture and focal length than my EF-S 10-22, my Sigma 17-70 or even my old 18-55 kit lens. I don't know whether I received a dud copy or whether it became messed up in shipping. In either case, I just didn't think it was worth $1000 for a lens that was either that poor from the factory or so fragile that the overnight trip completely threw it out of alignment.
The two stars is for the lens. I would like to have given Amazon 0 stars for their packaging. The box containing the lens had a single (1), small inflatable pillow leaving 3/4 of the box empty for the lens to slide around in. I paid $1000 for a lens and $20 for overnight shipping, surely they could have afforded to use a couple more air pillows. I'm sticking with Adorama from now on.
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