Real freedom of framing in a lightweight, compact and fast-focusing lens. The EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is an excellent all-purpose lens for EF-S mount EOS cameras.
The EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM provides an effective Focal length range of approximately 27-136mm in 35mm format. This provides plenty of framing options, making it the perfect all-purpose lens that allows you to express your creativity in a vast range of shooting situations.
Light and fast
The small size and low weight of the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM make it ideal for fast moving photography and travel, where it is not practical to carry around a heavy bag of kit. Its ring-type USM works in concert with EF-S mount EOS cameras to provide super-fast, precision auto focusing and predictive tracking - with full manual override available at any time.
Go steady
Image Stabilizer technology compensates for a full three stops, giving the lens an effective maximum aperture of f1.4-2.0; excellent for hand-held and low light photography.
Designed for digital
Designed specifically for digital photography, the lens has specially shaped lens elements and Super Spectra coatings to suppress ghosting and flare, which can be caused by reflections off digital camera sensors. An exclusive optional lens hood can further reduce the incidence of flare.
Background Blur
A circular aperture provides a pleasing background blur when shooting with a wide aperture; ideal for creating a sense of depth and getting your subject or model to stand out from the background.
The 17-85mm IS USM is a fine workhouse, fulfilling almost all applications except those needing very wide-angle lenses and long telephotos. In 35mm camera terms, the 27-136 span equivalent would be judged as adequate. The maximum aperture range may be low, but it has enabled costs to be kept low even with the inclusion of the IS. The IS can counter the problems of slower shutter speeds with the smaller maximum aperture. The bulk makes a compact EF-S camera looks like an accessory to this lens, but this does not mean difficult handling. It looks more natural on the "fuller" 400D, but handling is much the same. In ultimate terms, its high resolving power may not be delivered with the crispness of more expensive designs, but the detail is there for post-sharpening if wished. Drawing is satisfactory, though not perhaps sited to specialist uses. But it is a practical lens witch can truly be described as a good, general purpose standard zoom for all Canon DSLR's. With a mid range price it is well recommended.
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: Editor review
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Yes Pros: Versitile focal range, Excellent image stabilisation Cons: Noticeable curvilinear distortion, Vignetting when wide open.
User Lens Reviews
Average user rating from: 136 user(s)
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.8
Value for Money
4.0
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Great Lens !, Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This lens is a great lens not only because it is extremely versatile in its range going from a wide angle to a telephoto but also because I found the quality of the pictures that I got from it to be excellent.The Image Stabilizer is a good tool to have in situations where there is not a lot of light.You can drop your shutter speed down,have enough light for a good exposure, and not have an out of focus picture. I would highly recommend this lens. I have a 70-200 L series Canon lens that I am very happy with because of it's high optic quality, but I have no problem at all, and all the confidence in the world using this "S" series lens in any situation that I feel to be appropriate at the time.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
great walk-around lens (maybe some chromatic aberr, Friday, 17 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
My first every Ebay score, the Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens (featuring image stabilization) was a much coveted item around here. It had come highly recommended and seemed to be a great complement to my beloved 50mm prime and a perfect replacement for the 18-55mm kit lens that shipped with the XTi.
Initial, first-night impressions? Heavenly.
Compared to the other lenses that I've put on the business end of the XTi, the 17-85mm is one heavy dude. I'd wager that it's at least as heavy as the camera and certainly feels as heavy as the 50mm and the 18-55mm put together. The lens is serious. It means business. It traveled back in time from the future to be here with us today. It's a touch of the photographic high-tech, made accessible to the amateur.
With my right hand on the shutter and my left on the lens' barrel, it didn't feel any less heavy but "heavy", in my mind, became "solid". The auto-focus is nice and quiet and is reasonably fast to lock onto the subject. The focusing ring is also nice and big -- it cries out to be grasped and twisted. It was a joy to realize that even with the auto-focus turned on, the lens would not complain if I fine-tuned a given shot with some manual adjustments. (The AF doesn't totally commandeer the focus, that is to say.) The zoom is also smooth, the barrel moving quickly and easily without over-shooting the desired focal length.
Image stabilization is also a big plus. I have a feeling that once I get the hang of it, it will save quite a few low-light, indoor, and hand-held shots over the lifetime of this lens. This isn't to be naïve and believe it to be a cure-all. Certainly a few of my early test shots with the IS feature on prove that you can still wind up with a whole mess of blur. But others worked out pretty well.
After having used it for about two weeks or so now, most of these initial impressions have stayed true. The IS feature is a good one but isn't something upon which to rely to save every shot. You still need to have good light and the right angle, etc.; but with the right ISO setting, it can save the scene. The heavy feeling of the lens is something I've gotten used to pretty quickly; after a couple of sessions, you just expect the camera to weight that much -- no worries. I've also found that the longer focal lengths are great for portraiture -- I find myself using focal lengths in the 70-85mm range pretty often now and I wonder how I ever lived without them before.
That said, I'm beginning to wonder a little about the lens' Chromatic aberration. I've had a few shots that don't seem to "resolve" the same way during post-processing (in Aperture) as similar shots under similar conditions with the same camera body and a different lens (e.g., the 50mm prime). This is not to say that I have my mind made up and am squaring the blame on the lens -- certainly not! But I am trying to parse my way through some of these, experimenting with some different conditions, etc. to see where it lands. I've just fallen into a certain rhythm with my post-processing and I would hate to have to learn a new dance just for the one, new lens.
All things considered however, I've been very pleased with most of my results from the 17-85mm thus far.
...so yeah, worth it.
But with respect to "worth it": Canon lists a retail price of $600 for the EF-S 17-85mm IS lens. Most places online seem to offer it in the $475-$550 range. As far as lenses go, this is hardly a costly one. Considering that this is one of the two lenses "given away" as the kit lens for Canon's 40D body, you wonder a little Bit if the mass-production maybe watered it down just a little bit...? Just the same, this is a great "walk-around" lens: it is sturdy, has some great built-in features, and has a versatile range of focal lengths. If you got this lens "free" with your camera body then you are in luck. If you're looking to pick up one separately... Well, it's a great lens to have. And I'm happy with mine. But see if you can't score one on Ebay or through your local re-seller of high-quality, previously enjoyed lenses.
Happy shooting, y'all.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Best Non-L Canon Lens You Can Buy, Thursday, 16 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
Obviously there are lots of reviews already out there on this lens. It is as simple as this... this is Canon's best non-L lens available. As far as non-L lenses this would be #1 with the 28mm - 135mm Lens being #2. So there you go!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
O.K. but not great, Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
1.8
Sharpness
1.0
Build Quality
2.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
2.0
Mega distortion @ 17mm. Cleans up fast once you move of 17mm. CA's more than you would like to see but these can be cleaned up with Canon's included software for EOS camera's. Thumbs down to Canon for not including a lens hood for this lens. They want about $35 for that molded piece of plastic. On the upside the range is very versatile. Being 28-135 in the 35mm format. Also has a metal mount not plastic like some of there other entry level lens. Note: There are two of these 17-85 lens available. The more desirable Made in Japan version and a less desirable Made in Taiwan version. Most EOS kits ship with the Taiwan version.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
great lens, Sunday, 08 March 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
I bought this lens in July 08. It stays on my 40d about 80% of the time. Only problem i have had, it seems to be a bit soft at f4 and 5.6. But it is sharp as a tack at f11. Maybe my copy is a bit off, but other than that I love it.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Versatile, but not for those who are picky, Thursday, 19 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I suspect that a lot of people who read reviews for this lens currently have the kit lens and are looking for that next upgrade.
That was the situation I was in when I got this lens. I've used it for about 4 months now and I even took it to Cambodia with me and it served as my "walk-around" all-in-one lens.
In that respect, this lens is NICE. This is probably the most useful focal lengths you can get for the APS-C sensor cameras. It gives you everything from wide-angles to medium-telephoto.
Anyway, if you're a stickler about image quality, you probably won't like the lens. As you've probably already read, the Barrel Distortion is quite noticeable even if you're not trained in this stuff and chromatic Aberration can be pretty bad too. However, in my experience, if you're shooting outside, where it's well lit, this lens will be your all-in-one solution.
The only major complaint I have about this lens is that it's kind of slow (f4-5.6) but that only matters to me because I tend to shoot indoor events a lot more than outdoor events, so I've started looking for a f2.8 zoom to buy. However if you're the type of person that only takes pictures when you're going outside somewhere, where it's well lit, and you don't want to carry around multiple lenses for your wide angle and telephoto needs, this is the way to go!
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
BAD chromatic aberration and vignetting, Monday, 16 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
2.0
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
2.0
AF Speed
1.0
Value for Money
3.0
Do not buy this product if you are serious about the quality of your pictures. This lens has the worst aberration and vignetting at 17mm. I spent a whole day taking pictures on a coast and the results were terrifying. My images had color noise, vignetting and were unsharp. So if you are going to shoot at the wide end a lot, this lens is not for you.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Good Lens, not perfect, Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
2.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
2.0
I have owned this lens now for over 2 years; it was purchased with the Canon 30D. It works well in a "one lens fits all" situation, but does not produce perfectly sharp pictures. The real issue with the lens that I have is that the use of image stabilization produces photos that are not nearly as sharp as those taken without stabilization switched on. I suspect that this may be an issue with my particular lens and not a design weakness.
taylorko.zenfolio.com
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Significant Improvement Over XSi Kit Lens, Sunday, 11 January 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
4.0
I wanted a solid all-around lens that offered improved focal length, build quality and image quality over the 18-55 IS kit lens for the XSi. This lens fits all of these requirements.
- Very solid build quality compared to the kit lens; I love the ultrasonic focusing and full-time manual focus.
- The extra 30mm on the long end is great, especially since it doesn't sacrifice any wide angle performance.
- The image quality is also significantly better. I took comparison photos at various focal lengths and compared the 18-55 with the 17-85. The 17-85 is noticeably sharper and has better Contrast. I'm sure it isn't as good as an L lens, but it also much smaller, lighter and cheaper.
The only con I can think of is the lens' weight. It is a lot heavier than the kit lens, but this was expected. This is the trade-off for getting better glass. Overall I am very pleased with this lens and for my casual photography use it is more than adequate.
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Great, reasonably priced walk-around IS lens, Sunday, 11 January 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This Canon lens is, I believe, one of the most under-rated in their line-up. Canon thinks enough of it to sell in the new kit packages and many people are discovering what a fine little lens it is. A major upgrade over the 18-55, this lens focuses quickly and accurately; it is relatively lightweight and fits nicely in any camera bag. The focal range is excellent for a general lens to just leave on your camera. For a little more information on how it can produce, go to luminous-landscape's website and look at the Canon 20D and 17-85 review. That will show that raising your ISO will give this lens a chance to operate in very low light conditions. I owned this awhile back & was very happy with it; sold it when I decided I wanted a lens with a longer range. I got the 24-105--another fine lens but at more than double the cost! For my purposes it was all right; for my son, the 17-85 has been excellent on his camera for all this time.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Locks up over time, Thursday, 08 January 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
2.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
2.0
I have had this lens for about two years and it has been my go-to lens for as long. However, over time the little screws in the lens come loose and now all I have a 55-85mm lens as the lens has locked up and refuses to budge. Looks like I'm in the market for a new lens - am looking at the 18-200mm instead only wish that one came with USM.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Great lens but expensive, Thursday, 04 December 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
4.0
I think this lens is great but it is pretty expensive especially if you're not an "advanced" amateur. I mean you have to be honest with yourself and ask yourself if you're really going to be able to tell the difference between like a Sigma generic lens versus paying the difference for a Canon lens. No doubt the Canon lens is better quality but are you really that "advanced" to be worth spending this kind of money on a lens?
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
My XTI everyday, Tuesday, 04 November 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.3
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
Upgraded almost a year ago from the very average 18-55 kit lens that came with my XTI. Wanted more color, contrast and IS and the best autofocus I could find without being too spendy. USM on the 17-85 snaps to attention almost instantaneously, and the stabilization works great. Nothing worse than a lens that you have to wait on while it hunts to find focus, and although the f/4-5.6 is nothing to write home about, the IS helps compensate for the slow aperture when you need it the most.
I also have an EF50 f/1.4 for low light indoors, and an EF70-300DO for compact tele, but the 17-85 is what I keep going back to for general applications. IQ is really quite good and the range somehow just fits most composures I come across. Small and light, this EF-S lens is a perfect mate for a APS-C DSLR to use for everyday snaps.
I also bought (and sold) an EF24-104L, but the low end was always too tight, and the tele end wasn't far enough (great images though). Also considered the EF-S17-55 f/2.8, but eventually decided to save the dollars.
The 17-85 does show a little distortion and vigneting at 17, but easy to fix by 19 if that bothers you (not obvious enough to bother me). 20-85 is always really sharp. Did not really consider any 3rd party lenses, and this was the only Canon lens I could find with IS + USM + Range + IQ + Price. Doesn't seem prone to flare or CA. No dust or problems to report. Zooming is smooth without any creep. I keep a polarizer on most of the time since this is usually used outdoors.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Great images, great versatility, Sunday, 14 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
The Canon EF-S 17-85mm zoom lens is a great alternative to the 18-55mm kit lens. I use it on a Canon EOS Rebel XTi. It produces higher quality images and the greater zoom range is very handy. The auto-focus is very accurate and it's easy to manual focus as well. The image stabilization circuitry is great: I've shot pix from a moving cable car in San Francisco, panned, caught birds in flight, and captured moving surfers -- all without shake or blur. The 17-85mm zoom range (27-135mm on a camera with an APS-C sensor like the Rebel I use) gives you everything from wide-angle to medium telephoto in one lens. There are a lot of great photos to be captured within that zoom range. And you can capture them without carrying multiple lenses. In the high-priced world of camera lenses, it's a relative bargain, too.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Not cheap but the only lens you'll need, Sunday, 07 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
In my film days I shot only with prime lenses and never owned a zoom, the reason being zooms normally have smaller maximum apertures,often incorporate optical compromises, and shoot through more glass than a prime lens. That was then, this is now. Canon has overcome the small maximum aperture with the Image Stabilizer (IS). This means that if the camera tells you you can only shoot a particular scene at f/4 at 1/15th of a second which is very hard to shoot without blur, the IS compensates for the motion resulting from being handheld by actually moving the elements within the lens. The result is you can shoot at a much lower shutter speed and get away with it -- a tremendous advantage for a lens that only goes down to f/4. The 17-85mm zoom range is equivalent to 28-135mm in 35mm. Seldom have I felt the need for either a wider or longer focal length and constantly switching lenses only adds to the dust problem inside the camera. And the image quality is superb as always. Canon optics have been ahead of Nikon optics for many years which accounts for why so many have made the switch from Nikon to Canon. And please don't forget to order a UV filter with it. Put the filter on and never take it off.
