17-55 Dust issue

I have decided to buy 17-55 F2.8 from Canon, and I went to the store for demo and I saw boat load of dust particles in the lens which pissed me off.I want to know is it common with all 17-55 lenses? considering I am going to splash 1000$ so I want the lens to be clean from inside.

I am pretty sure the new one will come mostly dust free, but remember that lens is known for having alot of dust (but almost everyone says that has no affect on function).

I've had mine for 6 years and no dust. I never put it in its pouch and use it almost every day, indoors and out, with constant zooming. Doubtless some people have dust problems with it but I don't know how their use differs from mine. I can say that I have a UV filter attached and never leave the lens sitting around with the back/mount uncovered, but those are the only precautions I take.

GregDunn wrote in post #16747056
I've had mine for 6 years and no dust. I never put it in its pouch and use it almost every day, indoors and out, with constant zooming. Doubtless some people have dust problems with it but I don't know how their use differs from mine. I can say that I have a UV filter attached and never leave the lens sitting around with the back/mount uncovered, but those are the only precautions I take.

^ this! exactly. I bought mine used from lensrentals and it had a few small pieces of dust, but nothing serious. I've had it for another year since then and there's no new dust...

GregDunn wrote in post #16747056
... I can say that I have a UV filter attached and never leave the lens sitting around with the back/mount uncovered, but those are the only precautions I take.

From what I read in German forums a filter is kind of needed for this lens.
Without filter the dust is sucked into it, there are long holes near the front lens which allow air to enter easily.

Talked about it here

Any suggestions on a decent UV filter since that appears to reduce the issue? Asking since I know this is a touchy subject... currently I shoot no filters on my camera and with a cheap Tiffen UV filter on my wife's camera...

I have a B&W MRC, F PRO (standard, not slim) mount. No vignetting, good flare control, and lots of peace of mind!

Mine got dust inside. I followed the process available online to remove the front element and cleaned out the interior myself - it's easy and felt like a pretty low risk operation.

ZoneV wrote in post #16747432
From what I read in German forums a filter is kinf of needed for this lens.
Without filter the dust is sucked into it, there are long holes near the front lens which allow air to enter easily.

That makes sense. It's a win-win for me if so - I am one of the gadflies who prefers to have a quality UV filter on all my lenses.

A lot of people have dust issues with the 17-55mm and some have no issues at all. ( with and without filters )I have a brand new 17-55mm and I am paranoid about taking pictures with it this spring. The pollen here in the south is brutal so I'm considering a UV filter just to use in dusty conditions.

SVT Wylde wrote in post #16748972
A lot of people have dust issues with the 17-55mm and some have no issues at all. ( with and without filters )I have a brand new 17-55mm and I am paranoid about taking pictures with it this spring. The pollen here in the south is brutal so I'm considering a UV filter just to use in dusty conditions.

...or to paraphrase this statement, a lot of people have dust in their 17-55mm but only some make it an issue. I had a hard time buying mine, several returns due to various issues and in the space of 4 weeks I had 5 of these in my hands, all brand new, straight from a reputable shop and not a single one of them came dust free. All had some amount of dust and other crap inside, mostly behind the rear element but I eventually decided to keep the one that had dust specs right behind the front glass as this is NOT an issue and the lens is a great performer regardless. I had it for about a year now, use it all the time in all sorts of conditions and it has not acquired any extra dust. BTW, putting a filter on a zoom lens will not stop the dust from getting into the lens as it gets in through the gaps in the barrel.

Mag-1981 wrote in post #16749075
BTW, putting a filter on a zoom lens will not stop the dust from getting into the lens as it gets in through the gaps in the barrel.

That's true because my 15-85mm has a few specs of dust on behind the front element and I never knew it was a problem with this lens. It doesn't affect performance but I'd like to keep it to a minimum. I am about to sell the 15-85mm and I'll have to list the dust in my ad and it could affect the resale value.

I just turned a flashlight into mine. One or 2 small particles of dust. No filter. Had it since '07.

Mine's got a ton of dust, can't see it in photographs. Bad design or something I guess, only lens I own
that does it this bad.