Help me help a friend....lens choice...

Another vote for the 17-40!
The UWA (Ultra Wide Angles) like the Canon 10-22 may tend to have too much distortion for people > 14-15 mm's....

Lightstream wrote in post #2053375
17-85 IS USM - one of the best that you can possibly get.

IS beats one mere stop of speed any day. And the Sigma isn't even 1 stop all the way, it's just 1-2/3rd stop faster. Plus the ultrasonic motor - once you've gotten used to it, it's impossible to go back...

Amen to that! I am very impressed with this lens. Either that or the 24-70 EX DG from Sigma.

condyk wrote in post #2053507
Eh? Nice enough if you need IS but distinctly overpriced for the IQ IMO click

I'd go for a Sigma 15-30mm EX or a Canon 17-40mm to work nicely with the 50mm and as useful walkaround zooms, or if she wants a strictly ultra-wide option then the Tokina is about the best bang per buck at the moment. You need to watch out for distortion on any of these ultra-wides, particularly in people shots. Had all these lenses and happy to recommend. The Sigma 17-70mm seems to have a lot of fans too and very useful range. Not used that one tho'.

Thanks, I read the reviews early in the game (this was the second lens I've ever purchased), couldn't quite relate to the reviews though. After more than a year and more than 10K frames on this one, it's still pretty good.

NOT a competitor to the 17-40 though, because it is weak at the wide end (17-24mm specifically) and you need to stop down. The L will blow it away completely at this end. It's really after 24mm where it comes into its own wide open (if f/5.6 is really that wide), and it is surprisingly close to the 24-105L, although the L still has that little bit extra edge.

If IQ trumps the need for extra reach and IS, the 17-40 is an excellent candidate. It's really easy to love whether on a crop or full frame.