17-55 f/2.8 IS..should I buy one?

I need a wide angle lens to complement my 70-200 f/4 IS and was wondering about the 17-55 IS. This is for my 40D by the way!

I have read so many posts about dust..and Im not sure I want to pry the front lens off of a AUD$ 1300.00 lens.

Is this lens s.h.a.r.p?

Mainly need for general photography and lots of indoor work.

Can you suggest any other GOOD alternatives (such as the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8)?

I've had my 17-55 for almost a year now. I've taken close to 8,000 snaps with this lens and have no problems with dust. Pics are sharp also. Great lens but expensive.

anthonyl wrote in post #3831834
I need a wide angle lens to complement my 70-200 f/4 IS and was wondering about the 17-55 IS. This is for my 40D by the way!

I have read so many posts about dust..and Im not sure I want to pry the front lens off of a AUD$ 1300.00 lens.

Is this lens s.h.a.r.p?

Mainly need for general photography and lots of indoor work.

Can you suggest any other GOOD alternatives (such as the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8)?

I've got one, and for me it's worth every penny. It's so sharp that you risk poking your eye out. This is the lens that lives on my camera most of the time, and has produced some amazing results. In a lot of cases, the limit on sharpness was more my sensor than the lens itself. The only thing keeping it from having the red ring of Lness is the fact that it's EF-S mount.

toneyw wrote in post #3831888
I've had my 17-55 for almost a year now. I've taken close to 8,000 snaps with this lens and have no problems with dust. Pics are sharp also. Great lens but expensive.

Good to hear. Did you have a filter on the front from day one..I hear that helps keep the dust out?

It's Fathers Day here on Sunday and my wife said she will give me some cash next week so I can buy one.

I really like mine, the IS has come in handy on many occasions, I thought it was pretty wide, untill I got the 10-22, it also takes some amazing shots - does your wife have a sister?

Its a great lens, they all get dust, some worse than others, but i would not let that be the determining factor

I can only recommend it, it's really sharp on middle to large distances, AF is fast and almost silent and IS works very well too. Here's a LINK to a full review with tons of 100% crops, so you can really check how sharp it is, how well IS works etc.

Perfect focal length, razor sharp, fast with IS, vibrant colors, what more can you ask? I love mine, brought it to several different countries on vacation and no dust at all.

anthonyl wrote in post #3831897
Good to hear. Did you have a filter on the front from day one..I hear that helps keep the dust out?

It's Fathers Day here on Sunday and my wife said she will give me some cash next week so I can buy one.

There is no alternative !!!

This lens is a must for the 1.6 crops.

My lens did get a little dust behind the front element which had no effect on IQ. I cleaned the dust out, which was real easy, and I have used a UV filter since then and no dust.
Looking at the construction of the front end, you'll see why the UV filter is a must for keeping the dust out.

This lens lives on my 30D, and will do the same on my 40D when I eventually save enough for it, or I find a wife like yours !!!

There is an alternative called Tamron 17-50 2.8. It doesn't have IS, but IQ is supposed to be equal (or just marginally worse), they both have the same plastic built, but Tamron costs 1/3 of the Canon.

Janezz wrote in post #3833039
There is an alternative called Tamron 17-50 2.8. It doesn't have IS, but IQ is supposed to be equal (or just marginally worse), they both have the same plastic built, but Tamron costs 1/3 of the Canon.

I'm not saying the Tamron isn't a great value, but it doesn't have USM and it's more like 1/2 the cost (in the US). The new version of the Sigma 18-50 is supposed to be pretty good too....and if you like playing the waiting game, there is the Tokina 16-50.

How do you remove the front element to clean the dust. I also have a 17-55 and have gotten dust inside the lens. tks

v5educ wrote in post #3833673
How do you remove the front element to clean the dust. I also have a 17-55 and have gotten dust inside the lens. tks

Here you go.

https://photography-on-the.net …3&highlight=17-55+surgery

hjohnson wrote in post #3831893
I've got one, and for me it's worth every penny. It's so sharp that you risk poking your eye out. This is the lens that lives on my camera most of the time, and has produced some amazing results. In a lot of cases, the limit on sharpness was more my sensor than the lens itself. The only thing keeping it from having the red ring of Lness is the fact that it's EF-S mount.

the build isn't L either.

ed rader

'L' quality glass and sharpness with an L price tag, unfortunately not L build quality. But hey you buy lens' to take pictures not to try and break them. And this lens takes great pics. I got a DUST sucker version with 3000 particles per square inch however this does not effect IQ in the slightest it probably costs me 100,000th of a stop of light but with that superb IS it doesn't matter!