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've shot about 2,500 pics with this lens - auto mode, manual mode, multiple custom settings, Image stabilization on and also off. I've enjoyed the lens and many great pictures.

The image stabilization is wonderful and when needed it DOES make a difference.
Comfortable in the hand although heavier than what I was used. Once you see your first set of pictures, the weight seems a very equitable trade off.
Sharp pictures, responsive autofocus, comfortable to manually focus.

Only complaint is that if you have 2 filters, don't back it out fully to 17mm unless you leave some room to crop. You will get shadowing in the corners that you'll want to get rid of.

Pros:
5x zoom
Super-fast Ultrasonic Motor
Image Stabilization
Full-time manual focus ability
Circular aperture
Non-rotating front element
Excellent optical quality

Cons:
Size
Weight
Cost
Macro performance

The added telephoto range (5x zoom ratio, 28-135mm equivalent), super-fast Ultrasonic Motor and Image Stabilization were well worth the cost for me. I am constantly shooting in low light conditions, so Image Stabilization has been a lifesaver.

An important note on Image Stabilization: It will significantly improve your hand-held slow shutter shots (i.e. low light) ONLY if the subject is not moving. It lens can't keep your baby from flailing it's arms, but it can keep the image on the image sensor a little more stable and counteract the hand-shake that even the best photographers have.

The lens is large and heavy compared to the standard 18-55mm kit lens, but I prefer its more substantial feel (most of the time) but it will make you camera bag noticeably more snug. If your Camrea is a tight fit with the stock lens, it will probably not fit your bag with this lens - something worth planning for.

The components are all high quality (metal mount, aspheric elements etc.). This is simply a great general purpose with a broad range of abilities.

The one area in which I miss the stock lens is in macro photography, the stock 18-55mm has a very good close-focusing ability of just .9 feet whereas the 17-85mm is at 1.2 feet, with the higher telephoto focal length of 85mm the framing is virtually the same, but I prefer the 18-55mm for macros, it's just good - especially for the price.

The cost is considerable, especially if you are upgrading for the first time, but there are a few things to consider:
1] For $400 (or less), you can extend your camera body’s usefulness considerably. If you have a $1200 30D, that’s a sound investment.
2] If you are replacing a kit lens, they fetch $70-$100 on eBay.
3] If you think you want something that’s full frame compatible (meaning an EF and not a EF-S) for that “some day”, consider that Canon is still producing APS-C (EF-S) sized cameras by the millions, literally. MEANING the resale market will be quite strong for decades to come.

If you're looking for a good Pro-sumer choice, this is it; if you're looking for a professional Lens with awe-inspiring optics, look at spending a grand (or two) more (USD).

With the newest Nikon D80 reportedly having surpassed the latest Rebel XTi in the ongoing battle of the prosumer DSLR, I decided to save a large sum of money (relatively speaking) and bought last year's highly acclaimed Rebel XT with the 18-55 lens kit. Sadly, once out of the box I wasn't overly impressed with the image quality, except for a few functional advantages over my much-used Canon A620.

After a fair amount of on-line reading and a trip to a local photography store to consult their photo guru I bought this lens, and what a marked difference. Replacing the bundled 18-55 USM lens with this 17-85 IS USM has really made the camera for me. Now the resulting images have the striking high quality I had been eagerly anticipating.

While the 17-85 IS USM lens is significantly (but not obscenely) larger in size, weight and definitely cost relative to the bundled lens, more importantly it fulfilled the goal of the whole undertaking: creative, strikingly high quality images taken easily.