soupcraze's Full Review: Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
An EF-S lens. $1,000. I told myself repeatedly that I would not buy it. I mean come on, a non-L series lens for this much money? You have got to be kidding me? After killing myself over the decision between the Canon EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM and the Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L USM lenses, I somehow ended up purchasing this lens instead. Perhaps the $70 rebate at the time did something. But looking back at this, I am glad I decided to purchase the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens. The versatility and image quality is astonishing. After seeing the images and comparing them to my older images taken with consumer lenses such as the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens.
Currently the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lives on my Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I have shot over 1,000 images with the lens since purchasing it. I shoot all images in RAW and edit them in DXO Optic's expert mode. Here I was able to see first-hand the distortion of the lens.
This review will be divided into two-parts. The first part will be to people who are beginners in the SLR arena. Later parts should be understood by photographers more familiar with the SLR format.
---FOR BEGINNERS ONLY---
If you are an expert photographer. Read on to the later parts of this review. Otherwise, feel free to get some information about this lens here.
But I would first like to ask you, if you are a beginner to SLR photography, why are you spending $1,000 on a lens? This seems to be a lot considering that if let's say you just picked up a Canon EOS 40D for a grand, this lens costs the same!
My recommendation to you would be to pick up a cheaper lens to learn on. I would recommend the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM to learn on. It will also give you a more generous zoom range.
-Dissecting the Acronyms-
So you're probably wondering what goes into the name of the lens. So let's dissect it right here:
--Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM--
*Canon: This lens is made for Canon SLR cameras. As a newer lens, it supports autofocus. In terms of compatibility, read below...
*EF-S: This is Canon's name for "short back focus." This means that it can only be used on a Canon APS-C camera. An APS-C camera is digital-only, and has a smaller sized sensor than a full-frame camera such as a Canon EOS 5D or a traditional film SLR. For people like me where I will not be upgrading to a full-frame in the near future, is fine. However, if you use a film SLR or own a 5D or 1Ds MkIII, you will lose a whole lot of flexibility. The EF-S line is similar to the "digital camera only" lenses offered by third party manufacturers such as Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina. For Nikon cameras, they have the DX line which is the same thing.
*17-55mm: The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is considered a "short zoom" lens. The lens has a focal length range extending from 17 to 55mm. The lens is widest in its lowest focal length range, and at 17mm, it is quite wide on an APS-C camera. With the addition of this lens to my collection, I have hardly used my Tokina 10-17mm f3.5-4.5 AT-X 107 AF DX. The lens' longest focal length is at 55mm. Unlike other lenses such as the Canon EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM which zoom out much further, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM doesn't have too generous of a focal length range. Nonetheless, despite the lack of a tremendously large range, the lens hits most of the lengths you would need 90% of the time. It is similar to the 18-55mm kit lens that comes with the Digital Rebels. If that sufficed (I know it did for me), it should be good. Of course, you can always compliment it with a good telephoto lens. If you're already spending this much money on lenses, the Canon EF 70-200mm F4L IS USM would make a great complementary lens.
*f2.8 - This is the size of the aperture of the lens. It has a maximum f-stop of 2.8. This means that compared to an f4 counterpart lens, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lets in twice as much light at that setting. This means that this lens is optimal for darker conditions. A diffuse background blur (bokeh) is also easily achieved with this larger maximum aperture. This larger aperture comes at a premium (both price and weight), it is quite worth it for many indoor photographers that do not want to crank the ISO or use flash.
*IS - The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM features something called "Image Stabilization." This mechanism is supposed to help prevent camera shake by providing extra f-stops of hand-hold ability. Camera shake causes blurry photographs, and photographers are able to overcome this by shooting at a shutter speed of a minimum of 1/FOCAL LENGTH. Therefore, in order to achieve sharp results with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens, you need to shoot at a shutter speed of 1/60 in order to prevent blur when shooting at the maximum focal length of 55mm. Typically speaking, at these shorter focal lengths and good lighting (Where you can hit 1/60 and greater), Image Stabilization really is not needed. But... Wait a minute! Why did Canon decide to put Image Stabilization on a lens with such a short focal length range? Simple... You can use it for ultimate low-light settings without flash. At 1600 ISO, I am able to shoot in extremely dark indoor venues with no problems. I have received sharp results of shooting inanimate objects at shutter speeds of lower than 1/10 with ISO 1600 at f2.8. Unfortunately, when you are shooting people or any living beings at a shutter speed that slow, you can have blurry results. This is because Image Stabilization DOES NOT stop action! It will only reduce blur due to camera shake. Therefore in extremely dark areas like bars or some restaurants (Cheesecake Factory is a good example), I will use flash with a much lower ISO. Nonetheless, Image Stabilization combined with a large maximum aperture will allow you to take pictures where you did not think they were possible (Because you were using a slower lens). However, use caution when shooting people or attempting to stop action at low shutter speeds, you will be disappointed. Another word of caution, shooting at high ISO's increases noise dramatically.
*USM - This stands for Ultrasonic Motor. There are two types of USM mechanisms that Canon uses, micro and ring-type. The latter is lightning-fast, and this is what the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM uses. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM focuses very quickly, even in low-level light, I have not had trouble focusing. On the contrary, the Tamron counterpart to this lens, which I have owned, would have had trouble. If you need extremely fast focusing, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM will deliver.
-Lens Misconceptions- This lens is very unique... It has the price of an L-Series lens, yet it retains its consumer level body as well as name (No L-designation). I feel that I need to address of a few misconceptions with this lens which can certainly throw off some buyers. Some things may seem obvious, some may not.
1. For an EF-S lens, this is heavy!
I read this somewhere online. I don't quite remember where. Unlike Nikon who really spread out their line of DX lenses (From consumer to professional), and which has their gold professional ring on their AF-S 17-55mm lens, Canon has not made too many EF-S lenses as of yet. Nonetheless, despite the few models out there, the EF-S line also ranges from consumer (EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS) to the professional level lenses like this one. However, my first ever SLR lens was the cheaper and now discontinued Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Lens which is not very good at all. Therefore, I feel that if people associate the EF-S line with its cheapest lens like original 18-55mm, then people will come to believe that the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is a cheap consumer lens too, which could not be further from the truth. The only difference between an EF and EF-S lens is the ability to use it on a film camera and full-frame digital. It has nothing to do with the quality. So be sure not to be thrown off.
2. You paid over $800 for an extra 1mm of range?!
A friend joked about this when I bought it, since it costs over $800 more than the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS lens. If you simply look at the focal lengths between this lens and the kit lens without understanding any of the following information after (Especially not knowing f-stops), you may just as well believe that you are paying over $800 for an extra 1mm. In fact, the lenses are very different where the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM has super optics and a much larger maximum aperture where it lets in as much as 4x more light at 55mm at f2.8 vs f5.6. Seriously, think about it... Why would Canon charge more than four times the price of the kit lens just to squeeze out an extra 1mm of wideness. It makes no sense.
3. This lens sucks because it's not an L-Series
If you look at the technical specifications, the only difference between a similar-range L-Series lens and the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is the fact that an L-Series lens has a better quality body, a red ring, and all are currently EF which makes them compatible with film or full-frame cameras. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM has aspherical and ultra-low dispersion lens elements which are found on L-Series lenses. Therefore, the glass inside the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is actually the same kind you would find on comparable L-glass, and believe me... You will see it.
4. This lens has terrible build quality!
Compared to an L-Series lens it may seem so. But this is all relative. You have to look at the lens for what it is instead of comparing it to another lens. A great example is my Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM Lens. On message boards, people say that the lens has poor build quality. When I first got it, I thought the build quality was excellent. It is an extremely solidly built lens that has withstood heavy use with no signs of wear. When I first picked up the Canon EF 70-200mm F4L USM, I was amazed with the build quality. Yes, the L-Series was superior in build to the cheaper 70-300mm lens, but the 70-300mm still sports very solid build! It is also vastly superior in build to the cheaper low-end Canon EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 III Lens. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is a very solid lens. It is much more solid than my older 28-135mm. When you hold the lens, you can feel its heaviness and its solidity outside. The plastic is the best quality out there. Nonetheless, on message boards, users make it seem like the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is ready to fall apart in your hands. This could not be further from the truth. Also compared to the original 18-55mm, the lenses are like day and night.
Alright, there are three misconceptions that you should be aware of.
-How does the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM stack up to consumer lenses of similar focal length range?
*VS Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS - This is a popular lens that you can get with the new Digital Rebel XSi. It is a considerably improved version from the original 18-55mm. While I have not used this lens extensively (Never owned or borrowed), the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM still sports a much larger maximum aperture, build quality, and most likely offers considerably improved image quality. Also it offers a USM focusing motor which leads to significantly faster focus speeds. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is more expensive by more than four folds, but is worth it for professionals.
*VS Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM - I owned this lens briefly. I liked the lens because of its wideness as well as Image Stabilization. So wait a minute, this lens is half the price of the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, so why would I buy the latter? The 17-85mm has a much slower maximum aperture which makes shooting photos indoors difficult without flash. While I found image quality to be very good at the time, the sharpness provided by this lens is reasonable. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is significantly sharper. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is also very sharp wide-open, which makes it a better choice for indoor photography compared to the 17-85mm. The color rendition was also quite a bit better. The 17-85mm's only advantage over the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is the additional 30mm of zoom. But of course there is another zoom mechanism that can enhance your Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM. You can use your feet to get closer to your subject when possible. :-) I found 55mm to be long enough when shooting at parties (Sitting at the table). Though, the 85mm can come in handy too. Nonetheless, if you want to save a lot of money and sacrifice image quality plus low-light versatility, by all means get the 17-85mm. Otherwise, you would be happier spending the extra $500 on the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM.
*VS Canon EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM - Unlike the previous lenses listed, this lens will be compatible with full frame or film cameras. It also extends 80mm more than the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM! I enjoyed this lens a lot, but the 28mm was just not wide enough in many instances. The image also produces softer images with worse color rendition. A better choice if you want telephoto abilities at the expensive of wideness and image quality.
-Beginner's Conclusion-
*I must reiterate again, why are you looking at a $1,000 lens if you are just starting out? The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is a spectacular lens that has superior image quality to cheaper consumer grade lenses. Though, there are misconceptions about the lens. While it may not have the red L-Series ring on the outside, it has the glass on the inside to be considered a top-of-the-line professional zoom lens. Yes, it is far more expensive than many consumer lenses. is it worth it? In my opinion, yes. But if you are just beginning, this may seem a bit too expensive for a first lens. I would recommend getting the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM to learn photography, and then take advantage of it.
Now read on further to see what this lens has to offer.
---FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS & PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH SLR FORMAT---
The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is a spectacular lens in its own way. For my personal style of photography, it suits me extremely well. It was expensive, but well worth it, and here are my thoughts...
-Who this lens is for...
This lens works great for photographers that mostly shoot indoors. The small focal length range makes it unattractive for some when shooting outdoors (Unless you are concerned about wideness). Well for shooting wildlife, the lens really sucks. For shooting architecture and other stuff that requires a wider focal length range, it is quite good. Where it really shines is the indoors! First of all, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM features a f2.8 aperture. This is as fast as any Canon zoom lens goes. This is ideal for low-light shooting. But wait, I'm not done yet. Let me explain:
Now you can have your cake, and eat it too!
When I was trying to decide between the Canon EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM and the Canon EF 24-70mm F4L USM lenses, I ran across the debate between a faster aperture of f2.8 versus Image Stabilization. You had many people battling it out. Which one was better?! I just could not decide. But all of a sudden you have the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, which gives you both the fast f2.8 aperture that lets in twice as much light as the f4 lens at maximum aperture, as well as having built-in three stop Image Stabilization! Canon has finally given you the absolute best of both worlds, by having a large aperture with Image Stabilization. This gives you unparalleled low-light capabilities. I find this to be extremely helpful, especially when trying to be artistic and shooting inanimate objects at high ISO with shutter speeds of less than 1/10.
When shooting at f2.8, you still get excellent sharpness. When looking back at my pictures since first starting SLR photography, I noticed many images on consumer lenses wide open were just... Soft. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, on the contrary, is sharp at all apertures. So when shooting at a higher ISO and a moderately fast shutter speed of 1/60 or greater, I have excellent sharpness. This is important for anyone that shoots considerably indoors, especially when shooting people.
So if you are shooting weddings, friends at bars, or outdoors at night, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM can provide you with the flexibility that other lenses would not.
-PRICE-
The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is expensive. In fact, it is very expensive. I managed to purchase the lens for $960 after getting Canon's $70 rebate. Otherwise, the lens is $1,030 which places itself $30 under the Canon EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM which goes for $1,060, and $160 less than the more expensive Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L USM which goes for $1,090. It is also significantly more expensive than the Canon EF 17-40mm F4L USM lens, which is $700. So you may say to yourself. "Now wait a minute, those are all lenses out there! Also, the 17-40mm is $300 cheaper! Now why would I buy this lens over an L-Series?" Well, if you are set on getting an L-Series lens no matter what, then get one. Otherwise, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is a unique offering. It offers what no other L-Series has...
Both f2.8 and IS combined to make one sweet lens.
Let's see how it stacks up against the comparable L-Series lenses.
*VS Canon EF 17-40mm F4L USM - This is the cheapest L-Series short-zoom that you can buy. In fact, it is actually intended as an ultra-wide zoom for full-frame cameras, but the focal length range works quite well on an APS-C camera. While it sports excellent build quality and very fine optics, the 17-40mm has a few major weaknesses against the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM. First of all, it is 15mm shorter on the long-end. This makes it difficult to use in many instances because of the lack of reach. This is one whammy when using it indoors. The 17-40mm also sports a slow maximum aperture of f4, which without Image Stabilization, makes it less useful for low-light photography compared to the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, or even the 24-105mm. To the 17-40mm's advantage, it sports better build quality.
*VS Canon EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM - The Canon EF 24-105mm FL IS USM offers a more generous focal length range on the long end while offering less in terms of wideness. Similarly to the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, it offers Image Stabilization. This makes the 24-105mm a good choice in lower-light situations, but unfortunately, the maximum aperture of f4 makes it lacking in that respect to the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM. For outdoor photos, especially in broad daylight, the 24-105mm maybe more attractive thanks to the longer focal length range. Otherwise, if you are very serious about primarily indoor photos, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM will be a good choice. For outdoor photos, get a good telephoto. The 24-105mm sports better build quality.
*VS Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L USM - This was a tough choice... This lens is intended for low-light photographers. This lens offers a bit more range in the long end while giving up a bit of wideness. Unlike the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, the 24-70mm does not have Image Stabilization. Therefore, the 17-55mm can use Image Stabilization to shoot at lower shutter speeds without suffering from camera shake induced blur. Nonetheless, I wanted to warn you again that this will NOT stop action. So if you're attempting to stop action of people, you will not be able to do it with IS. However, when shooting EXTREMELY still people or inanimate objects, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM should do a better job controlling the blur than the 24-70mm at comparable ISO and shutter speed while shooting at f2.8. The 24-70mm offers much better build quality, however is a larger and very heavy lens.
*VS Third-Party Zooms - I used to use the Tamron 17-50mm lens. It was good. But the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM provided me with better image quality, producing richer colors and contrast. It also has IS and USM which is better. I have not used the Sigma 18-50mm so I can't comment on that. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM maybe more expensive, but you do get a bit more features for the money. If you're purpose is indoor photography, the IS will make it worth your while.
As you can see, compared to the other lenses, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM has both Image Stabilization plus a fast f2.8 maximum aperture which gives it an advantage any the other lenses. If you shoot mostly outdoors, the 24-105mm maybe better since an f4 maximum aperture should be efficient especially when shooting in good light. The 24-105mm should also offer decent low-light performance with Image Stabilization. The 24-70mm offers an f2.8 aperture, but will produce blurry shots when the shutter speed becomes too slow. So ultimately, we see that at the cost of build quality and full-frame compatibility offers more than any other lens can. You get the best of both worlds for low light photography. The L-Series glass inside will also give you the best possible image quality, so do not feel that Canon is ripping you off in this department. You are getting the best glass possible here. So if you can deal with using an APS-C camera and not have an L-Series lens, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM maybe better if you shoot mostly indoors.
Compared to the third-party zooms, I found the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM to produce better colors and contrast than the Tamron. Also USM and IS make it worth your while. On a budget though, the Tammy and I am sure the Sigma make great lenses if you want that wide f2.8 aperture.
-BUILD QUALITY-
When looking at the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM without comparing it to any other lens, the build quality is very good. It is build out of very solid plastic, which makes it considerably higher in quality than other consumer lenses I have used, which include the likes of the 28-135mm and 18-55mm. The zoom mechanism is fairly smooth. You can push the zoom ring with one finger from about 17 to 20mm, and then after that there is more resistance. The zoom was originally very stiff when I first got it. But after some use, it loosened up. It doesn't feel nearly as loose as others that I have used. Nonetheless, it feels quite good. The zoom ring is very large and you can easily grasp it. The focus ring is smaller and located behind it.
Unlike many L-Series lenses, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is not weather-sealed. Also, many photographers on different message boards complain of dust issues with the lens. While dust doesn't impact image quality, it doesn't look very nice cosmetically. Within two weeks of use, I noticed a single speck of dust stuck behind my front element. Otherwise, after extremely heavy use with mounting and unmounting, I have not noticed anymore dust. I would also like to mention that I have been using a UV filter from the moment I got the lens.
Unlike the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS which is extremely light and feels awesome on a Digital Rebel, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is an extremely heavy and large lens, especially with the lens hood attached. On my Digital Rebel XTi, the lens feels extremely front-heavy. While this maybe uncomfortable, it is very hand-holdable nonetheless. I feel that the 24-70mm would have made a far worse combination in terms of weight distribution. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM will feel more even when combined with a Canon EOS 40D. When I have my flash attached, my setup feels more balanced.
The lens holds up very well under my heavy use. However, if you are planning on working in the rain, go for a weather sealed L-Series lens, and not to mention a sealed body like a Canon EOS 1D!
-FEATURES-
*Fast Maximum Aperture - The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM features an f2.8 maximum aperture. This is fast as they come in terms of Canon zoom lenses. This is helpful for me when I decide to take ambient light photographs. The aperture stays constant throughout the entire zoom range, which means that it doesn't become narrower. The f2.8 aperture combined with circular aperture blades produces buttery smooth bokeh, which makes the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM superb for portraits.
*Image Stabilization - The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM features three-stop Image Stabilization. At first it might seem pointless for a lens of such a focal length range. This is partly true when you shoot outdoors at these focal length ranges, where the good light levels will allow you to shoot at shutter speeds of 1/HUNDRED(S). Image Stabilization really makes a difference indoors. Combined with the large aperture, you can take sharp images of still subjects at extremely slow shutter speeds. I can shoot at 1/5 or even slower, and with a steady-hand, have very good results. This will not stop subject motion. So when shooting a subject, everything maybe sharp except the face if they moved it. Also, to make most of indoor flashless photographs, you need to use a high ISO. This increases noise, but can be helped with noise reduction software on your computer during post processing.
*Ultrasonic Motor - The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM uses a ring-USM focus motor. It is lightning-fast and silent. This is great for indoors especially since it is not disruptive. When I used my Tamron SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 Di-II LD Lens, it produced a high-pitched whine which was disruptive at times. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM also focuses very well in low-light conditions without flash assist, and this is where the Tammy would often hunt.
*77mm Filter Size - This is something that the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM shares with many L-Series lenses, the 77mm filter size. These filters tend to be expensive, but you should always have a UV filter on for added protection.
*EW-83J Lens Hood - Unlike with the L-Series lenses, this is optional. It's also $50! Unfortunately, it is needed because the lens tends to flare quite a bit. It helps to curb flare dramatically unless your lens is pointing directly into a strong light source. It also offers added protection against dropping it.
-IMAGE QUALITY-
--The Good Stuff--
The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM produces absolutely spectacular results. I looked on Pixel-Peeper and have also looked at other images produced by L-Series lenses, and the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is right up there. Here's my findings:
*Color Rendition - When shooting a few test images, I shot images in JPEG and let the Digital Rebel's Digic II processor take care of image processing. The colors looked spectacular. They were far more vibrant with far greater saturation than some of the consumer lenses I have used, such as the Canon EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM. The color contrast is also very good. I usually adjust color rendition myself in DXO Optics Pro. I use the Fuji FinePix S5 Pro profile in order to have better skin tones. I have also taken many landscape photos, and once again, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM shows its brilliance with absolutely astonishing colors. The results are astonishing.
*Sharpness - The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is very sharp. It is far sharper than the consumer zooms I have used, especially when using it wide-open at f2.8. I would often soften portraits by -0.5 in DXO to have a smoother look (Also helping to cover blemishes better). The sharpness I have seen at f2.8 makes this lens ideal for indoor photography, especially flashless, since you will often be shooting wide-open. Sharpness does increase when stopping down, but is very satisfying wide-open. When shooting with flash in "P" mode, I would often shoot at f4.0, and have astonishing results. The only drawback to such sharpness is that it really brings out someones' blemishes and other flaws in the face. If you are also looking for a softer and dreamier look, you can always adjust that in post processing. Overall, sharpness is excellent from the center to the edges of the image.
*Bokeh - Bokeh is a phenomenon when the subject in the foreground is in focus, while the background is extremely blurred. This helps to focus all attention on the subject. There is good bokeh and bad bokeh. If you maximize the image, you will notice little circles, which are created by the aperture blades. Good bokeh has very smooth round circles with no rough edges. This is created by curved aperture blades. Bad bokeh has rough edges. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM produces extremely fine bokeh, especially when shooting wide-open at f2.8. It produces very fine circles without sharp edges, thanks to the rounded aperture blades. Bokeh is still very good when stopped down. I tend to take all portraits at f2.8 and thus keep the camera in aperture priority mode (AV).
*Macro - This is not a macro lens. So don't try using this as a macro lens. I use my Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM instead when trying to take pictures of flowers or other such things. It will not focus when getting very close to a subject.
Overall, the colors and sharpness are what you would expect for $1,000. Really damn good! I was blown away with how different the image quality was compared to the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM that I got rid of. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM shines indoors especially where I would have to shoot at apertures of around ~f4 (Which was max for the 17-85mm).
--The Bad Stuff--
No lens is perfect, and of course the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM does have its issues.
*Chromatic Aberration (CA)- This is the fringing of colors. This is a defect. When loading up the images into DXO Optics, I have noticed minimal CA when using this lens. I looked at older JPEG's from my old Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 USM, and have noticed CA in places. When loading up images taken from the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM into DXO, I have hardly noticed any. There is also the dreaded purple fringing (Which creates a purplish color at the color fringe), which is not at all present with this lens. For the CA that exists, it can easily be fixed by using a good RAW converter. DXO does this for me.
*Distortion - Like any other lens, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM does have some barrel distortion. I am able to see if by going to the "enhance" menu in DXO Optics. I check off the check box to fix distortion. Then when I click on the preview, I will see what the original RAW looked like without any adjustments. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM does have barrel distortion visible, which makes the image looked a bit curve. By looking at it with my untrained eye, it doesn't look very bad. Processing in DXO helped to correct this problem successfully. Even if you do not do post processing, the distortion is mild.
*Vignetting - The vignetting in this lens was barely noticeable when I shot JPEG's. I shot some outdoor images at f2.8, and it was just noticeable wide open when shooting a very light backdrop. When stopped down, I was unable to notice this. In post processing, you are also able to correct this.
Lens Flare - This is perhaps the biggest issue with this lens. According to Canon, they added some neat coating which helps to prevent lens flare. What? Where? I don't see it. When the lens is in front of a light source, it flares quite a bit. This was especially annoying when shooting with the sun out. However, I would see the flare in the viewfinder, and would then move the camera. The lens hood is absolutely necessary in order to help prevent lens flare. Even with the hood, when shooting in the presence of strong sunlight, you will still experience flare. Maybe my copy is very prone to it. But I am surprised it flares this much, since my old Tammy never flared like this. Neither did any cheaper lenses. I also use a multilayer B W MRC 010 77mm UV filter, so I am still surprised with the extent of flaring. If you have the patience or a still enough subject to readjust your shooting position, you maybe okay. In fact, flare can often look pretty cool. When pointed at the sun (I took some photos of flowers with the camera angled up), I noticed halos. That was definitely annoying. Unfortunately, you can not fix flare in post processing, or at least I am unaware of any ways to fix this issue.
*On-Board Flash - I honestly don't know how many people this would actually apply to... If you are a serious amateur or professional, chances are you on a flashgun. With the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, you are going to need it! I have had a few moments where I didn't have my Metz Mecablitz 58 AF-1 Flash flash with me. When shooting at wide focal lengths using the camera's built-in flash, you will have an extremely noticeable shadow present at the bottom of your frame. This is because the barrel of the lens is so big! This can really ruin your photos. But the truth of the matter is that the on-board flash is a very poor source of light. You would be much better off using a Canon Speedlite flash or other brand such as Metz to get the best quality results. If you are a beginner and are seriously considering this flash, be sure to get a flash too. Trust me, you will need it.
-The Verdict-
Without a doubt, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is a whole different kind of animal. It is $1,000 and doesn't have the red ring painted onto its barrel. This made me very reluctant initially. But when you look at it, it does provide L-Series optics combined with a fast f2.8 maximum aperture as well as three-stop Image Stabilization. For the indoor photography, this lens maybe a godsend. And hey, at least you don't have to worry about weather sealing indoors (Unless the sprinkler system goes off, heh). Build quality is also excellent. It's far better than consumer zooms and is heavy! You may not enjoy this so much on a Digital Rebel (Until you see your resulting images of course), but it will be better balanced with a heavier camera body like the EOS 40D. The IS combined with f2.8 will give you unparalleled when shooting without flash. At f2.8, the lens is insanely sharp. The color rendition is also spectacular, and far better than the consumer zooms I used. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM performs better than the third-party short zooms. $600 better? It's up for you to decide. For me, the improved image quality alongside USM and IS was. Don't fear the fact that it doesn't have a red ring. I mean what matters most? The way your lens looks? Or is it??? Oh I know.
The most important thing is the images that result on your computer screen. In that areas, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM. Is it $1,000 good? Yes.
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