Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens

I got this lens after some hesitation, partly because of its supposed "softness" and partly because of the lens working only on the aps-sized sensor cameras. I have been very glad that I decided to get it. The list price _is_ probably too high, but this is eBay, right? While I am amazed that some people will bid lenses and other things higher than mail-order retail prices, I was able to get this lens new from the eBay retail operation of one of the big New York stores for very much less than retail-- so much for its cost. As for softness-well, it produces images on a 20D that are sharper than the 35mm Kodachrome images from my best Nikkors, as digitized at 4000 dpi. It's not a copy lens, but the image stabilization is even better than that on the older IS lenses, and combined with the Canon high ISO abilities, this lens is a treat. By comparison with the little kit lens (18-55mm), it weighs a ton, but the total lens and camera package is well balanced and comfortable to use. Finally, the new 30D Canon shows that Canon is committed to the smaller sensor size for a little while longer, for sure.

i bought the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens few monthes ago. i am very pleased with it. its features supply descent camera for everyday use. its IMAGE STABILIZER works well. the only thing i dislike about the lens is its width, which is notisable, but harmless in terms of weight & operation.
to make a short story even shorter- its a great buy for common users, & in the right price.

Very very fast sending in good condition.
But the deliveryman has let my lens at the door all the aftertnoon.

Great lens and GREAT SELLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A+ SELLER!!! Wish you had more stuff for me to buy!!!!!!

Objet payé, compte paypal vérifié, mais adresse non confirmée a cause de paypal! Résultat = 3 semaine de perdues et pas d'envoi de la part du vendeur...LAMENTABLE!
Acheteurs autres que Américains, si votre adresse n'est pas confirmée (état qu'il est quasi impossible d'obtenir de la part de PAYPAL!...ou alors dites moi comment faire...car, en leur posant une question aussi simple, ils vous répondent que vous avez bien payé mais que vous avez été remboursé (3 semaines aprés!)car le vendeur exige une adresse confirmée! MAIS ON NE VOUS PROPOSE PAS DE SOLUTION POUR "CONFIRMER" VOTRE ADRESSE!) Donc, si votre adresse n'est pas confirmée, n'achetez pas chez DIGITALGOODYS.(sauf si cet avis a fait changer les choses...et pas que chez le vendeur!)

I have been shooting with a Tamron lens, and decided to try a Canon lens to see if they are really better. They are!! The focus is spot on and really fast. It's quiet and everything ( focus & zoom) work as smooth as glass. The pictures are excellent. I do not usally bother writing these reviews but this lens is worth it. Canon optics may cost a little more, but you get alot of bang for your buck. From now on I'm staying with Canon.

I took this lens with me to punta arena in argentina and had a beutiful time taking awesome pictures it was a nice lens to have on the trip.....

Great walk around lense, perfect for crop sensors! I'm very happy with it, my photos come out sharp and I can leave my 17-40L and 24-70L at home and save the L lenses for paid gigs. Only complaint is that there's no way I can use this on my film bodies.

depuis que j'ai refusé la garantie suplementaire, je n'ai plus de nouvelles de ce vendeur et ce malgré mes relances.

I bought the item and had it for about 2 weeks. so far i've loved it. it give me more range in terms of how wide i can go. its a great lense. my only draw back is that(and this is probably more my fault. is shooting manual with it.
i can't or don't know how to make the camera shoot manual. if you can assist me in this, please feel free to do so. if there're better lense out there please let me know. i do wedding, portaits, etc.

thanking you in advance

We used this lens at a wedding last weekend. Great addition to our canon family. Very fast & clear .Love this lens

Got the kit EF-S 18-55mm lens? That will only last a few month..... before you can't resist buying a better lens, that is. If you haven't buy the camera, ditch the 18-55mm lens and just buy the body only and use the $ to get this lens instead. Great lens, Image Stabilizer is a photo-saver in tons of occasion. The Ultrasonic Focus Motor provide incredible focus speed with minimum noise. I used it for my Rebel XTi and proves to be a great starter lens compare to the 18-55mm. Now I have to get rid of the stock lens somehow... eBay time..

The lens performs very well in daylight situation. Create good, sharp and clean pictures.The IS system is working well, USM motor is fast and quiet.

I didn't realize there would be such an amazing difference between the 18-55mm kit lens and the 17-85mm IS USM lens. It's absolutely amazing!!! Now I understand what all the fuss is about with IS lenses! This lens has a macro setting and is equivalent to a 28-135mm range in 35mm world. I can't wait to really take it out on shoots. Great glass!

Sorry, was bad experience.
it's my first time on ebay I have received a box full with trash, magazine, but no item, I have explain to the seller, very negative hard to deal with.

I contact with ebay's customer services, ebay's security, paypal, and my credit card company, I provided all proofs of the fact. I got my money back and may be in later time on I will buy one, because I did not the one I won it in auction.

This is now my favorite walk around lens. It is sharp and clear as well as relatively light weight and very powerful. I love the flexibility and versatility it offers me while working in all conditions. An extremely good value for the money. Especially for what I found it for on ebay.

In general, this lens is good for everyday carry and shooting. While not as sharp as 'L' glass, it's more than adequate and has the advantage of longer tele reach. Build quality is reasonable, and the IS function as well as optical quality is a great advantage over the normal kit lens supplied with the Rebel XTi. However, the lens does suffer from tele creep when carried nose down. Slightly agrivating, but not a show stopper.

I feel this len is an excellent general len for most shot-at-the-moment situtations. Its very good outdoors or in good lighting but limited inside or in poor lighting. I work for a newspaper and need to take quick shots and at various zooms, quality in not as important as quickness. Therefore, this len works for me.

I love the overall performance of this lens. I think all lenses should have image stabilization. I am able to hand hold at 1/15th of a second and get great results. The color you get with this lens is over the top.

I guess you could say I have re-discovered photography with this lens. The fun is back and boy is it so much fun

I use a Canon EOS 20D and with the kit lens your pictures are jus passable.
Canon should package a camera of this price with a much better lens and get reviews more favorable to the camera lens combination. That is another story. One that I think Canon has heard, but not listening to. They should realize that loyalty only goes so far.

That being said, Canon quality can,t be beat. I'll stay with Canon for the near future.

I bought this lens for everyday, general use purposes. The wide angle to mid tele zoom is perfect for those situations.
The build quality is solid. The weight is much heavier than the 18-55 kit lens that came with my Rebel XT. The USM motor is very quiet and fast at focusing.
In good light or used with a flash it produces sharp pictures. But I found that in low light conditions without a flash it was too slow. At f/4 was just not fast enough to capture moving objects even with IS switched on and with high ISO. As a result I had to go out and buy an additonal lens. (In my case, the 50mm 1.8)
Overall, I think it is a little expensive, especially since it does not come with a lens hood. But I am happy. The USM, with IS and full time manual focus are great features.

I bought this lens because it is versatile, and lightweight. I will take it backpacking. The image stabilization is excellent, with sharp images at 1/4 sec (I admit that was on the 17mm end of the lens). On the downside, f5.6 at 85mm is pretty slow, and for portraits I prefer to use a prime 85mm lens instead.

I got into digital photography with a Canon EOS 20D body, with which I used the lenses that originally came with a Canon film camera. The EF-S 17-85mm is the dedicated primary lens for the 20D and it is really first rate, a great improvement over the old EF 20-88 zoom.

This lens came highly recommended from a group of friends who are photography enthusiasts, and this lens did not disappoint me at all. Since my hands are not the steadiest on the face of the planet, I needed the IS (image stabilization). The IS is great! Other than the stock lens that came with my camera, this is currently the only lens I own. I can get some good macro shots with this lens as long as the object is six or seven inches away from the lens. For me, the telophoto side of it leaves a bit to be desired. I rated it "Good" because of the telophoto aspect of it. It is a great lens for walking about and taking pics of things moving (has a very fast focal time) or standing still. Would I buy this lens again? Yes, the macro lens for Canon does not offer IS (for me, a tripod is needed), and the larger telophoto lenses that come with IS are pretty expensive. It is a great middle of the road lens.

This lens has become my #1 lens. I almost use it for everything I shoot. Now I can consider myself a pro.

This is a good lens with good glass. Not an L quality but plenty good.
Positives: USM, IS, Moderate Zoom
Negatives: ? long term build quality, Variable aperature zoom. Not a great lens in lower light situations. The IS will allow slower shutter speeds however.
I have found a reasonable solution for indoor flash. Buy a device that attaches to most external flashes called the Ultimate Light Box. This will help this lens get the light it needs for indoor photography without blowing out the highlights.