Canon 17-55 f2.8 EFS IS USM questions

[praline3001]

i got my Rebel T3i for a gift the other day and now I am doing some research on what lens I want to start with. The camera came with a kit lens (EFS 18-55)
I am looking at this 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM as my first lens. Anyone have experience with it?

I am looking for a carry around everyday type lens. I have 3 kids and 5 pets and I love grabbing my camera and snapping shots of them. I don't have time to set up full lighting and all of that good stuff. By the time I did that, the subject would be off doing something else I will be investing in lighting for those special occasions but on a everyday type thing I need a lens that can take lower light. I also really would like to have the USM due to the quiet factor. I like candid shots!

It does have a whopper of a price tag for a "My first lens" and I do want to try and get the most bang for my buck. Does this lens work well as a carry around multi purpose lens?

Also with the price tag. I have found this lens (new) from between $1200 and $550. A friend in real life told me about buy here photos and how they are cheaper? I looked on their site and WOW they are cheaper. I am just not sure if this is a case of too good to be true kind of thing. Anyone else ever use buyherephoto.com?

What kind of problems could I run into using this lens as my multipurpose one?

Thanks!

[ceremus]

First of all, all reports indicate that reseller is a bait & switch fraud. My advice is to stick with B&H, Adorama, or some other reputable seller.

I own the 17-55 as my default standard-zoom lens. It is expensive indeed, but you do get a lot for your money. First off it's a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture, so it's a fast zoom that works well in lower lighting, and can easily create a shallow depth of field (sometimes too shallow, depending on your subject).

It is also very sharp wide open. Sharper even than a few comparable Canon L lenses. It carries the same UD elements as the L series, so you're really getting top-of-the-line glass in a gold-ringed USM shell. The lens's build quality could be better, the housing is mostly plastic, and the focus ring is not dampened as well as it could be (note complaints on turning the ring feeling "gritty" or "sandy"). None of which really detracts from using it in everyday shooting however. The zoom ring is nice and smooth, full-time-manual focusing is an included feature (no need to flip the MF switch to focus manually) and the front element does not rotate during focus so there are no issues using a polarizing filter.

The IS feature is also very good for handholding it as a walkaround lens, with a good hand holding technique you can get sharp shots with slower shutter speed that would normally require the use of a tripod or monopod.

The one caveat other than the cost of the lens is that it is an EF-S mount, so it will only work on cameras with a crop-body sensor. If you plan on upgrading to a full frame camera in the future (5D, 1D series), it won't be usable.

Otherwise, if you have the money I say it's a solid investment, I've been very happy with it.

.

[praline3001]

Thanks for the advise. I had one of those 6th sense things telling me it was too good to be true


I still want the lens but I am going to wait until after the Holidays. I don't think my 3 kids would fully appreciate it if I bought the lens and wrapped it up for them from Santa

[karen_s]

The Canon 17-55 2.8 was the first lens I bought after getting the Rebel Kit (XTi). It's a very good lens. The only issue I have had with it is an occasional bought with chromatic aberration. It seems to happen when I shoot at 17mm and the light just hits the lens a certain way. It's not been a big problem though, just an occasional issue.

It's been a wonderful walk around lens although it is significantly bulkier and heavier than the kit. I don't mind the weight but to some, that's a very important factor.

I appreciate the IS most when shooting storms. It often gets rather dark as the clouds move in and the IS allows me to shoot at low speeds like 1/20th or so. (I don't like to lug around a tripod.)

I also use it indoors, a lot. It's been a great lens for getting shots of my dogs. But, the 2.8 can only do so much. It will still be hard to get a fast enough shutter speed to catch action. I added a flash a few years ago and combined with that lens, well, it's been a great combo for indoor photography.

By the way, B&H photo has instant savings (Thru Jan 7) on several lenses right now and that is one of them ... instant savings of $120 puts it down to $1000 even.

[praline3001]

I really think I will be happier with it. I am trying to be frugal where I can because I basically need everything. Talking to hubby, we are going to budget it with income taxes so I should get it in Feb/March. That should give me some time to get a little experience under my belt.

I did order the EF S 60mm f/2.8 macro USM. I was studying several indoor photos using this lens and it does really nice for portraits. I have to wait for it to come in but that gives me 3 lenses the other two came with the camera:
EF-s 18-55mm f/3.5-5.56 IS
EF 75-300mm f/4-f/5.6

Considering I have only owned my T3i for a couple of days I think I am doing pretty good. Its just going to take some time to get the exact lenses I want.

[karen_s]

Take your time when it comes to investing in lenses. If you just got your DSLR, it may take you a bit of time to find what you like to shoot and how you like to shoot it. That will really determine what lenses you will end up with in the future.

I do have the Canon 60mm 2.8. It is one SHARP lens. You may find the focus hunts in low light, and when shooting macro, you may prefer manual focus. If you can get past those two things though, the results are quite nice. It's also a nice compact little lens that won't make your carpel tunnel flare up.

[andrewdt]

I have had the 17-55 for two years now. I absolutely love it. The full frame issue can be a negative for some, but I am happy where I am.

It is sharp wide open, the IS is incredible and it really is not too big and bulky.

[Preeb]

Originally Posted by praline3001

Thanks for the advise. I had one of those 6th sense things telling me it was too good to be true


I still want the lens but I am going to wait until after the Holidays. I don't think my 3 kids would fully appreciate it if I bought the lens and wrapped it up for them from Santa

You really can't go wrong with that 17-55 f2.8. I love it for just about anything. I even have a portrait of my niece and her boys taken in very poor light in a bar/restaurant with high ISO and just 1/13 sec shutter speed hand held and the IS helped make the image tack sharp. I guarantee that you will love this lens.

I also have the 60mm f2.8 and it too is an excellent lens. You seem to be headed in a good direction.

[graciousness]

I shoot a lot of kids (having one of my own) constantly on the move. I do mostly candid shots of families and kids so I do understand what you are aiming for.

Instead of a new lens with low f/stop for low lighting capability, may I recommend investing in a flash unit? That will really cater to what you want instead of another lens.

I have good lenses and I can tell you that none of them gave me the satisfaction that I need when I shoot kids on the move until I started using flash. Do understand that it's not only for indoor shots or low light - you also use it as fill flash outdoors. Fast lenses are great and helps, however, it is really with the use of flash that I managed to control light and movement using manual settings. It really didn't take me long at all to get used to using flash and it made a world of difference. Can't go back again.

What you need to realise is the use of fast shutter speed is what is going to help you freeze those kids in your photographs. Before flash, I was not quite satisfied with the results and left it to the camera to decide what settings I want (P Mode). Even using AV wasn't giving me the desired results with moving children. Only until I started using manual and flash that I managed to have control and got the results I wanted consistently.

So if you have flash - USE IT. Practice using bounce and fill flash whilst using manual mode. In bright days, you can underexpose those bright skies and use fill flash to bring your subjects to light if required and freeze motion. Normally, I use shutter speed between f/90 and f/125 to freeze them, then would use fill flash if their faces are in shadow areas and need more exposure.

If you are really keen on getting a lens that will also be good for portrait, I would get the 24-70mm L f/2.8 or 24-105 f/4 L. I know they are quite a bit more pricey, however, they are good investments in the long run and should you change camera body at some point, you don't have to worry about getting new sets of lenses.

Maximise what you can do with your current gears first, replenish with flash, etc, and then decide later what lenses you really want for longer term use.

Cheers and I hope this helps,

Grace

[ceremus]

An external flash would be a worthy investment.

Although personally I wouldn't suggest one of the 24mm L zooms for use on a crop body. The 24-70L is just about as expensive as the 17-55, but it doesn't have IS, and less sharp than the 17-55 at comparable focal lengths and apertures. The 24-105L has a stabilizer, but is a full stop slower than f/2.8, so if you're not using a flash you had better have decent available light. And with both 24L zooms, you won't get true wide angle views on a crop body. If you plan on going full frame in the future, by all means go for the L glass, but for that kind of money on a crop body I'd much rather have the 17.