What you should know:
The 17-55mm lens maintains an f/2.8 aperture throughout its entire zoom range—capturing four times the light as the standard 18-55mm lens when zoomed all the way in. Gathering this much light requires a substantial amount of glass—the lens is 4.4 by 3.3 inches (HD) in size, weighs 1.4 pounds, and uses relatively large 77mm filters. The front element doesn't rotate when zooming or focusing, so using a polarizing filter to eliminate reflections is possible, and the lens does include a hood to help reduce flare.
Canon EF-S lenses cannot be mounted to full-frame cameras, so you won't be able to take this lens with you if you decide to upgrade to a EOS 5D Mark III $2,679.00 at 42nd Street Photo—this is one area where Nikon has an edge, as its full-frame lineup can use APS-C lenses at a reduced resolution in a special crop mode.
What it offers:
If you're looking to upgrade your 18-55mm kit lens, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a good, but expensive, way to go.
The advantage:
Very sharp at wider angles. Fast aperture. Minimal distortion.
The unfavorable:
Big. Expensive. Soft at 55mm.
The price:
$1179.99
The 17-55mm lens maintains an f/2.8 aperture throughout its entire zoom range—capturing four times the light as the standard 18-55mm lens when zoomed all the way in. Gathering this much light requires a substantial amount of glass—the lens is 4.4 by 3.3 inches (HD) in size, weighs 1.4 pounds, and uses relatively large 77mm filters. The front element doesn't rotate when zooming or focusing, so using a polarizing filter to eliminate reflections is possible, and the lens does include a hood to help reduce flare.
Canon EF-S lenses cannot be mounted to full-frame cameras, so you won't be able to take this lens with you if you decide to upgrade to a EOS 5D Mark III $2,679.00 at 42nd Street Photo—this is one area where Nikon has an edge, as its full-frame lineup can use APS-C lenses at a reduced resolution in a special crop mode.
What it offers:
If you're looking to upgrade your 18-55mm kit lens, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a good, but expensive, way to go.
The advantage:
Very sharp at wider angles. Fast aperture. Minimal distortion.
The unfavorable:
Big. Expensive. Soft at 55mm.
The price:
$1179.99
