This is a fantastic lens from Nikon, the 17-55mm is just the right lenght to give 28-80mm in a Digital body, but this lens will also work on your old faithfully 35mm body as well. Don't think this lens is going to be small because it is not, it is one of the largest short Nikon Zooms with perhaps only the 28-70mm being larger.
The Auto focus is fast as does not hunt and with the added benefit of the f2.8 aperture you can hand hold well in to dusk. You do need to watch out for Barrel Distortion at either end of the zoom. You could save your money and have the 18-70mm that is a close second to this lens and costs a lot less. Plus if you already have the 70-200mm that every decent photographer should have then you will be missing the gap between 55mm and 70mm.
If you have the money then buy it as it is a Pro lens that can work wonders for you and has Pro build quality and optics, the images you will get with have the edge on a cheaper lens. You will also find yourself not wanting to take this lens off your body. But for me the only major issue is the 55mm lenght. I would rather have the 28-70mm f2.8 Nikon lens, this would then fill the gap tp the 70-200mm
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: I own it
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Yes Pros: Excellent optics Cons: Not cheap
User Lens Reviews
Average user rating from: 59 user(s)
Overall rating (weighted)
4.6
Sharpness
4.7
Build Quality
4.6
AF Speed
4.6
Value for Money
4.6
Add new review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Excellent lens, Friday, 03 July 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
I've had this lens for a few months now. I use it with my D200, and the PQ is simply amazing. I try to stay away from 2.8 aperture though - I much prefer the sharpness and clarity at aperture 4 (or less). When the light is low - I use SB-600. Overall, I think this is the best lens there is in this zoom range - I'm sure 24-70 might be better (I've never tried it) - but is it worth the extra $700 or so? To me - it isn't. I just can't see how the picture quality can increase much from what I get with this lens. I also have D700 and a couple of other lenses (50mm 1.8 and 70-200 VR), so every once in a while I do compare them. D700 is REALLY good in low light. In the daylight D200 can hold its ground. The quality of photos I get with my D200 + 17-55 combo is so good - I don't even think about getting 24-70 for my D700 - and instead I will continue using D200 with 17-55. Highly recommend this lens for DX bodies.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
amazing, Friday, 26 June 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I bought this lens with nikon 70-200 2.8, sb 900, with a D300 body, it took sharp picture cristal clear, good walkaround lens with my D300-MB D-10 grip, Love it, looking forward to the next legend the 24-70 2.8 soon
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
One of the Best lenes!, Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
www.viewfromthetopfloor.com
This is one of the BEST lenses I have used! I purchased this beast after reviewing the lens here and at other sites. I needed a fast lens and this one seemed to be rated very highly. Now I can understand why. I just returned from three days shooting up in Maine (photos not up on my site yet) and I have to say the detail, and clarity are absolutely incredible! I am able to easily view images shot with this lens not only at 100%, but even at 200% in my Lightroom application! This is not something I could do with my other lenses. Well worth the money for sure. I am using it on my Nikon D300, and Finepix S2 Pro. Since I purchased it the lens has not come off the D300. This weekend (2/28) I am shooting my first wedding with the lens. It is entirely indoors, with available light and some light flash. I'm looking forward to it now. My other lenses include the 18-200 VR Zoom, though not as sharp and clear as this one still a very good lens. I also have the Tokina 12-24 F4 zoom and some other Macro lenses and a lensbaby 3G.
Like I said, this one has not come off the D300. It's unbelievable. Well worth the money if you shoot pro, or just want the very best results.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
One of the Best lenes!, Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
www.viewfromthetopfloor.com
This is one of the BEST lenses I have used! I purchased this beast after reviewing the lens here and at other sites. I needed a fast lens and this one seemed to be rated very highly. Now I can understand why. I just returned from three days shooting up in Maine (photos up on my website now) and I have to say the detail, and clarity are absolutely incredible! I am able to easily view images shot with this lens not only at 100%, but even at 200% in my Lightroom application! This is not something I could do with my other lenses. Well worth the money for sure. I am using it on my Nikon D300, and Finepix S2 Pro. Since I purchased it the lens has not come off the D300. This weekend (2/28) I am shooting my first wedding with the lens. It is entirely indoors, with available light and some light flash. I'm looking forward to it now. My other lenses include the 18-200 VR Zoom, though not as sharp and clear as this one still a very good lens. I also have the Tokina 12-24 F4 zoom and some other Macro lenses and a lensbaby 3G. I'm updating this review today, 3/16/09 to report the lens worked flawlessly in the wedding shoot! Quite frankly, I could not have shot the wedding and/or the images would not have been this great. I've not only received many compliments on the images themselves, but have also received enough side orders -- not even from the B & G to help offset the expense of the lens. Wow is the only word that comes to my mind. It is truly an amazing piece of glass. I shot the entire wedding with this lens, and a lensbaby in the confines of a small room, completely lit by tungsten lighting, and one soft box i brought in from my studio for some semi-formal shots.
Like I said, this one has not come off the D300. It's unbelievable. Well worth the money if you shoot pro, or just want the very best results.
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 zoom Lense, Thursday, 08 January 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This is the highest quality lense that I have ever bought from Nikon. This lense is great. With the price I paid from Amazon makes this lense a real keeper.
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1 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Who are they kidding?, Saturday, 27 December 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
1.5
Sharpness
1.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
2.0
Canon offers similar lens with image stabilization for about 20% less. By not offering image stabiliztion in-body, both Canon and Nikon extrorts permium each time you buy a lens. As far as this lens is concerned, for most users are better of with two fast primes and will be cheaper as well. Unfortunately, 50mm F1.4 is only Nikon prime that auto focuses on sub-D90 bodies. Current generation of Nikon bodies are best of the breed, but they don't lens selection Canon offers.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
What an upgrade, Monday, 15 December 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I bought this lens to mate with my new Nikon D300 and upon opening the box, I was stunned at that build quality, heft and it having a literally silent motor. Optically, you can tell the pictures are sharper and clearer but I have to disclose that I upgraded from using entry level Tamron lens worth about a tenth of this price. My goal was to end up with a professional level camera and optic that would leave no excuses other than user error for picture quality. Now the pressure is on me. I must warn that with the lens and a D300 body, you weigh in at just over 4 pounds. I invested in a neoprene strap to take the weight and have had no problems. The mm range is perfect for light landscape photography to general picture taking. I have no complaints and my extensive research showed that this is a top notch lens. I'm an advanced amateur photographer with about 30 years of amateur experience - upgraded from a D70s with a Tamron 28-105 (and other lenses) to this outfit. Very satisfied.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Expensive but... excellent quality all around, Thursday, 23 October 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I bought this as an upgrade to my existing 18-55 lens. Not a professional photographer but I have been working photos since Photoshop version 2.5 and I know a good shot when I see it. My 18-55 really did a nice job considering the cost and size.
When I got the 17-55, first thing I did was try to setup something to compare both lenses. I did a hand-held shot of a grouping of fallen leaves with both lenses sans filters at same apertures and focal lengths. The shutter speed ended up being just slightly different due to either change of outdoor lighting or Brightness of the lenses for proper exposure. When examined zoom out... the photos were very close in appearance which was surprising. However, when zoomed in... the differences became clear. The 17-55 produced more detail in some of the leaves mainly the veins of the leaves. If you were buying this lens alone for this reason... the price might not justify it. Further research shows the AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II to just about out perform most of the other offerings from competitors in this zoom and price range which could explain why images were very close. So... why pay the price?
Ok, the other thing of note is the extra f/stop down to 2.8. At 55mm the 18-55 is at 5.6 with widest aperture setting while the 17-55 can still hold it at f/2.8. Even at this wide open setting... I was amazed how much detail it captures. I shoot a lot of landscapes and often would go for aperture settings of f/8 -16 to maintain detail and DOF on the slower lenses but... I have been surprised how much DOF I could get at even f/3.3-4 which has been nice on those evenings when sun is dipping low and I don't feel like getting the tripod out.
The lens is big... and it is a Bit heavy... but everything about it says quality to me. It feels like a solid and well built lens in hand that can probably withstand a fair amount of abuse from traveling and the environment. I would probably prefer the zoom ring and focusing ring to have swapped places as the focus ring is in front and zoom in back but that is probably just my personal preference. I am throughly happy with the lens and its the most used lens I have at the moment on my D200. I look forward to getting more f/2.8 Nikkor lenses now.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Better than Leitz/Leica, Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I have been a photographer for over 40 years, beginning in high school sports for the newspaper. I used a 50mm f2.0 Summicron lens, for years considered the sharpest lens available for 35mm photography. I switched to digital several years ago, with the Leica digilux. Then I got smarter and purchased a Nikon D80, with the 17-55mm as my basic lens. This is a masterpiece for me: sharper, less distortion, and better color than any of my old leitz lenses, including the 35f2 aspherical, 24f2.8, 50f2, 90f2.8, and the 135f4. My 11X14 prints show amazing detail. I estimate the Resolution at better than 80 lines per mm (the point at which the human eye can no longer "see"additional detail).
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
high quality build!, Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
if you have a DX body, want a pro grade lens then this is it.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Outstanding General Purpose Professional Grade Len, Thursday, 18 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
Having made the decision to move from film to digital, I purchased this lens along with the excellent 70-200 f2.8 VR for my D300 body. I prefer to use a flash as little as possible so the faster f2.8 lenses are a must for me.
This lens is much larger than similar kit lenses and it weighs considerably more. It actually provides a nice balance for the D300 with MB-D10 attached. The autofocus is very fast and precise and the images it produces are tack sharp. I use it as my everyday general purpose lens with outstanding results.
As others have stated, more expensive equipment doesn't necessarily mean you'll get better photos. The premium price reflects features and build quality. A $200 kit lens may very well provide comparable image quality at your backyard barbeque. But for those who need and will take advantage of the wider aperture in low light settings, this lens has few equals among standard zooms.
Bottom line: If you plan to take advantage of the wide aperture, this lens is an uncompromising must-have. It is an outstanding lens for those who need its capabilities. However, if most of your shots are outdoors in daylight, or you're used to using a flash inside, this lens might be more than you need. Save your money and get the excellent all purpose AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED or the less expensive AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.
Note that this is a DX lens and is intended to be used specifically on the smaller DX sensor cameras (everything from D40 to D300). Anyone with a D700 or other full frame (FX) sensor should look at the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70 f/2.8G ED. Of course anyone with an FX camera should already know that. But anyone considering upgrading to an FX camera in the near future might want to rethink purchasing this $1200 lens.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Outstanding General Purpose Professional Grade Len, Thursday, 18 September 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I purchased this lens along with the excellent 70-200 f2.8 VR for my D300 body. I prefer to use a flash as little as possible so the faster f2.8 lenses are a must for me. While there are other Nikon lenses in this zoom range for considerably less money, this one fits the needs of photographers requiring outstanding optics and the speed of a fixed aperture f2.8 lens. (Most kit lenses are variable aperture, meaning the aperture gets smaller as you zoom in.)
This lens is professional grade - built like a tank and relatively heavy. It is much larger than similar kit lenses and it weighs considerably more. The added weight actually provides a nice balance for the D300 with MB-D10 attached. The autofocus is very fast and precise and the images it produces are tack sharp. I use it as my everyday general purpose lens with outstanding results.
As others have stated, more expensive equipment doesn't necessarily mean you'll get better photos. The premium price reflects features and build quality. A $200 kit lens may very well provide comparable image quality at your backyard barbeque. But for those who need and will take advantage of the wider aperture in low light settings, this lens has few equals among standard zooms.
Bottom line: If you plan to take advantage of the wide aperture, this lens is an uncompromising must-have. It is an outstanding lens for those who need its capabilities. However, if most of your shots are outdoors in daylight, or you're used to using a flash inside, this lens might be more than you need. Save your money and get the excellent all purpose AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED or the less expensive AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.
Note that this is a DX lens and is intended to be used specifically on the smaller DX sensor cameras (everything from D40 to D300). Anyone with a D700 or other full frame (FX) sensor should look at the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70 f/2.8G ED. Of course anyone with an FX camera should already know that. But anyone considering upgrading to an FX camera in the near future might want to rethink purchasing this $1200 lens.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Nikon 17-55 f2.8 ED-IF - A Superb Lens, Sunday, 17 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I initially owned the Nikon 18-200mm VR lens after purchasing my Nikon D300 body earlier this year. The 18-200 of course is a do-all mid-line lens and shouldn't be too critically compared to the professional line of Nikon glass. I used the 18-200 briefly as I became more familiar with my new D300 and found the images from the 18-200 were adequate, although not as crisp and sharp and high Contrast as many of my Canon lenses had been before I migrated over to the Nikon side after 12+ years of using Canon gear. When I recently got a wedding shoot to do that required only available light and no flash for the entire 1 hour ceremony I now had the reason to consider purchasing the 17-55. Considering the Nikon 18-200 falls well short of a large enough aperture for low light photography and in reviews, is softer in resolution over-all anyway compared to the 17-55, this was my motivation to sell my 18-200 and pick up the Nikon 17-55 2.8 lens. (I've also added a 70-300mm Nikon VR to my bag to fill the telephoto void, I posted an excellent review on Amazon for this lens as well). The wedding was very recently shot, with most all images during the available light ceremony shot wide open at 2.8 due to the very low lighting in the church. Much to my relief, the images all turned out superbly and were very sharp, had excellent contrast and color saturation even wide open (I always shoot RAW for most important photo jobs). I was also absolutely delighted in the lens regarding how quick the focus was in the low light (basically instant with no hesitation as soon as the shutter release was pressed to take the photo. Many shots required a large shift in focus from far to very close-up and the 17-55 didn't fail me even once, frame to frame. In many cases I had to quickly raise the camera to my eye and fire off a burst with no lag time to spare for the focus to occur if I was to capture a perfect shot and not miss the opportunity. The lens never filed here even once. They say, you get what you pay for and considering the 17-55 goes for around the $1200 mark, you're getting the excellent optical quality that only a high end Nikon lens can give you. If you need to shoot in low light levels, or just simply want the very best images that your camera can give you, a high-end lens is the ONLY way to go. This lens will not dissapoint you once-so-ever.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
As Good as my Leica Summicron!!, Sunday, 03 August 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I have recently switched from a Canon 1D Mark IIN to a Leica M8. Then, missing all of the features of modern SLRs I switched again to a Nikon D300. A very good move! An almost perfect camera!
First off, I love big, fast glass that is sharp, sharp, sharp. And this lens delivers. I did a lot of research before buying this lens and it is the only lens I saw that had 5 stars on Amazon. I care a lot about what my peers think. So I took the plunge. I had this weekend to play with it and the results are stunning. It is as clear as any lens I have ever used. Just as good as my Leica Summicron 50. And I thought that lens would never be topped.
Some Leicaphiles may dismiss that statement and think I just didn't know how to use it. Maybe... but the Nikon 17-55mm DX lens should not be dismissed.
If you like fast lenses and don't care about weight (by the way, my previous lens was a Canon 24-70mm L f2.8 you wanna talk about weight!) than this is the lens to get.
Do your research and I think you'll ultimately wind up back here placing this in your shopping cart.
The lens is built like a tank and looks beautiful. It focuses like lightning and again, is sharp, sharp, sharp. I am adding images taken with this lens to my website [...] soon.
GET IT!!
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
The best, Monday, 14 July 2008
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This is simply a splendid lens. On my D 200 it has produced miracles. Indeed color rendition is simply superb as is contrast. I thought initially it was going to be a bit expensive but my friendly camera store convinced me othewhise. It is a great allround lens that can be used for everything despite its size. The only problem is that at 17 mm and even before, the built-in flash on the D 200 will give a shadow of the lens on the bottom so yuo will probably be better off using a separate flash (that I have still not bought but that I now recommend all my friends to buy with these Nikons). I also never use the sun shade since the lens then simply becomes enormous. I had been using some older autofocus lenses on my D200 before but this has now become my standard lens.
