Impressed with EFS 17-85 IS

[Pixels]

Have just bought 2nd hand EFS 17-85 IS and am mightily impressed with results. This is my first IS lens and the extra stability IS gives hand held shots is a real bonus. Also I find the clarity and sharpness excellent, and the colours vibrant. Attached a first test shot - obviously the small size for posting doesn't give the full effect. By the way -any other happy owners of this lens - I would be interested to see some of your best shots.

[Pinto]

This lens is soft at 17mm wide open, but can give excellent results stopped down a little. For me it is an excellent walk around range. Just wish it was a little faster. You should be very happy with it.

[alexanderjba]

Yeah, the 17-85 is pretty great, could be a little faster, but that is what the 17-55 f/2.8 IS fits in...:D

I got mine with my camera (both together and both second hand) and love its weight, and the sharpness, though I would suspect that mine is particularly sharp, and I have none of the problems that other have described...

[Skip Souza]

Speed isn't everything. Most wide zooms are a little soft wide open at the wide end.

This one was at 22mm, 1/6 sec, f/4(wide open), hand held, no flash, heavily cropped detail of a tapestry in hurst castle.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=58360&d=1140495656

This one was at 33mm, f/4.5, 1/8 sec, no flash, hand held over a squirming three year old :-)

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=25911&d=1125379133

Got to love that IS.

[Neilyb]

Haven't had much chance to play with mine, hoping for a nice weekend......so far it knocks all spots off the kit lens and IS rocks!

[calicokat]

Congrats on your first IS, now your hooked

[alfa1six4]

Congrats on your new purchase! Here is one of mine that shows IS in action. Handheld, no flash in a dim museum.

http://gcerasoli.smugmug.com/photos/46726864-L-1.jpg

56mm 1/20sec f/5.6 ISO400

[EOSX]

My 17-85 is now my favorite walk around lens. It does a great job and the IS helps.

[Hephaistos]

this lens is far to be perfect, but the range is so awesome... a lens made for every moment !


some of my shots with it :

http://artforge.free.fr/absolut/baie-rvb.jpg

http://artforge.free.fr/absolut/mouette-seule.jpg

http://artforge.free.fr/absolut/retouche-ciel2.jpg

[lensmen]

Great shots.

heard a rumor that it is actually a L lens optics inside an EF-S shell. Reason for this was the price point, very close to the 17-40L.

....i am eyeing on this baby.... soon.... soon.

[ugadawg]

For the most part I love mine, especially the IS. Here's a couple shots:
1. Shutter priority, ISO 100, 125 @ 16, 26mm focal length
2. Shutter priority, ISO 100, 125 @ 14, 85mm focal length

[Nikolas]

Happy birtday aaron?
Birtday????????????

[MuffYz]

I was convinced to change my kit lens with the sifma 17-70 but now dubt are re-coming out...15mm long + IS...how is your copy with CA?
Bye

[Pixels]

Congrats on your first IS, now your hooked
Yes I think you're right! I don't usually use a tripod, but IS goes some way towards getting maximum freedom from shake.

[Neilyb]

I mentioned in another thread that since the Sigma was only 2.8 for like 3mm then the canon was only half a stop behind it at any one time, and it has IS...and USM....and AF/MF ring.....and beats the Sig by 15mm... :)

[danster]

Nice shots in your gallery Alfa1six4! Which lens did you use for the Landscape/Waterfall folder? I'm sitting on the fence about buying the 17-85mm...

[pup]

all the shots that are on my webpage
are from a 17-85mm that I rented on easter weekend
It was my first ever dSLR lens.

[The Limey]

I think mine is a great walk around and can't wait for next month till the 17-55 2.8 comes out but will still use mine as walk about for the extra range
Graham

[dave_bass5]

Ive just ordered a Sigma 17-70 but its out of stock so i can either wait or order something else.
Im replaceing a sigma 30mm 1.4 and Canon 28-105 USM MKII and was going to get the 28-135IS but the Sigma was quite a bit cheaper. i also looked at the 17-85IS but it was alos a bit out of my price range but now i rethinking.
Im not fussed about loosing f/1.4 (i have a 50mm 1.8 ) but i love my 28-105. is the quality of the two IS len's as good? i know i loose a couple of stops but im hoping the IS makes up for that speed wise. i shoot snaps mostly so dont need L but would like to streamline my lens collection. plus i will sell the sigma and 28-105 to help finance the new lens. i also have a Sigma 70-300 APO so that takes care of the zoom end. i just cant decide on the 17-85 or 28-135. i will go for the better quality lens i guess.
Thanks for any thoughts
Really impressed with the above shots.

Edit: i just odered a 28-135IS. based on the focal length and the photzone review. i know there are good and bad points but as long as its IQ is as good as my 28-105 ill be happy.

[Neilyb]

I am not too happy about the amount of CA at the wider end of the lens, it can be rather bad, especially long exposures (1sec plus). Photoshop RAW also struggles to control the blue and red colourations, alot worse than I expected from a £400 lens. Heres an example

http://www.neilyb.de/ca.jpg

[alfa1six4]

Nice shots in your gallery Alfa1six4! Which lens did you use for the Landscape/Waterfall folder? I'm sitting on the fence about buying the 17-85mm...

Thanks very much for having a look!
The waterfall gallery was shot with a Sigma 18-125mm. I sold that lens in favor of the 17-85. The 18-125 had a little more reach and for the most part was a fine lens optically, but the autofocus was not terribly accurate and quite slow compared to a USM lens. The 17-85 was the first Canon lens I've used with USM and IS, so there was no going back.

[pup]

I'd say go for the 17-85 but its the first dSLR lens I ever used in my life so I have nothing to compare it to. I took about 1100 pictures last weekend with it, some were the best in my life: Also, I travelled, which is rare for me. So it was a great walk around lens. There are some problems at 17mm but that's all I really noticed.