canon 17 85 is. any good

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jinja chin

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hi there im interested in buying above lens but have read some bad reviews ie barrel distortion and being soft any advise would be most welcome
 
I had one of these...

IS, USM and range are nice but f4 is a bit limiting and there's a lot of distortion at the wide end. One review I read said that it distorted more than any lens they'd tested.

I gave mine away and replaced it with a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8, no IS or USM and a more limited range but still a much better lens IMVHO.

But, if you don't want fantastic accuracy at the wide end and are happy with f4 the range the 17-85mm and it's IS and USM are great.
 
I upgraded to 17-85 from the 18-55 (original none IS) when I had my 350D. Range is good but the f/5.6 at 85mm (none constant aperture) is limiting. My copy was reasonably sharp but you can't avoid the distortion and CA at the wide end, though it can be fixed in PP.

Ultimately I was never entirely happy with it and got a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. This barely ever left the camera until I had the funds and traded it and the 17-85 against a EF-S 17-55.

In summary, I found it a little average.
 
Barrel distortion is not uncommon with various consumer lenses and it can be rectified with software.
I owned a 17-85 for a year and at the current prices they are going for secondhand, they are worth it.
I accepted the ca and barrel distortion but my main gripe was that it performed badly in lower lighting conditions and I don't mean at the level of light when a f/2.8 or lower lens is required.
f4-5 is fine for the condtions I am thinking about but for some reason th 17-85 struggled quite badly.

Although it's more expensive and I've paid no attention to it, perhaps the new Canon EF-S 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM would be more ideal if it is within your budget.
If it is, read some reviews.
 
I have the 17-85 IS and it's on my body all the time, it's well built and nice to use, but it get's bad write up's... mainly because of the vignetting at the 17mm end, also because it can be a little soft, but if you can pickup a used one for £150-£200 for that kind of money I think it's worth it.

If you are buying new the 17-85 IS retails for over £400 at places like Jesspos which is crazy money, the new Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 OS HSM is a much better lens from what I know and is certainly alot cheaper!
 
It's not one of Canon's finest, but I got some great pictures out of mine. Handy range, good IS, well made, nice to use.

See this review, and check the sotware corrections you can do in DPP on page 3. Really easy, makes a big difference. The version of DPP you have with your 40D needs updating I think to get corrections for that lens - it's a free download :thumbs:

Edit: forgot the link! http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_17-85_4-5p6_is_usm_c16/
 
Only been using this lens for about 4 hours... and so far I'm impressed. Haven't gave it a good work out yet but if at around this price ranged lens there are only minor/specific differences between it and competitors. Bit of a controversial topic so best advice is to go and try one for yourself - renting may be a good option.
 
I'm trying to decide whether or not to sell mine. I have only taken a few test shots with it so it really is as new (came with camera a couple of weeks ago). I had an 11-16 and a 17-55 (and also a very old 70-210). The plan was always to sell it but I'm not quite sure whether to or not due to the handy range. I could always use the proceeds to buy a 55 to something or better 70-200 but have spent a fortune already!
 
cheers for the advise there is one going on here for £150 im looking at one because ill be after 70 200 f4is soon [i think not 100 % yet ill talk to you lot about that] and i want somthing to fill the gap so i dont want to spend to much on it ps the 70 200 will be second hand if i can find a good one
 
jinja chin said:
cheers for the advise there is one going on here for £150 im looking at one because ill be after 70 200 f4is soon [i think not 100 % yet ill talk to you lot about that] and i want somthing to fill the gap so i dont want to spend to much on it ps the 70 200 will be second hand if i can find a good one
Click to expand...

Can't really go wrong for that price - it's a £350 lens new.

I've added the link to my post above - see how DPP works its magic on it.
 
ive just deciedede to buy it and some ones piped me to the post owell thanks for all the advise ill keep my eye out ill also look at the tamron 17 50 cheers
 
The 17-85mm is a nice practical lens. The 4-stop IS is very useful and it does not weight too much. Sure, L's are better and the 17-55mm is very good but in the 17-85mm price range there is nothing better.

Do not buy new. 17-85's can be found for £200 used and there are lots of decent examples to choose from.
 
i used my 17-85 IS lens for the first time this morning - just a few test shots, and i'm very happy with it.

The reason i wanted it was it's a good focal length for a walk about lens, comes with IS and is good value for money.
 
jinja chin said:
ive just deciedede to buy it and some ones piped me to the post owell thanks for all the advise ill keep my eye out ill also look at the tamron 17 50 cheers
Click to expand...

Hey there, I am wanting to sell my Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens, however my post count doesnt meet the criteria as yet to post in the For Sale forum.

Its a few months old and like new with no marks or scratches.
Upgrading to a faster lens in the future so in no real rush to sell however its yours for £200 delivered.

Apologies if this breaks any rules for posting an ad in a thread.

James
 
You will get nicked for this.:lol::D:p
 
I had a 17-85 for a while. It's a nice lens to use and the focal length range is very useful. Optically it was not much better than the 18-55 IS I had before it. The distortion at the wide end was so bad it was almost comical.

As others have said, there's plenty of second hand copies around and they go for reasonable money. It's niceness to use makes it worth £200. It's IQ makes it a rip off at full retail price.
 
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