Canon EF-S 17-85mm Verdict
The EF-S 17-85mm promises to be the perfect general-purpose lens for owners of Canon DSLRs with EF-S mounts, like the EOS 400D / XTi or EOS 40D. The longer 5x optical range is far more useful than the 3x range of the EF-S 18-55mm kit lens, especially at the telephoto end, and the Image Stabilisation features are genuinely useful. As such it seems ideal for anyone who wants to upgrade from a bundled 18-55mm, or who needs a versatile option for a new EF-S body alone.
In practice though, the EF-S 17-85mm is a slightly mixed bag. On the upside, the range, stabilisation, build quality and fast, quiet USM focusing are a big step-up from the kit lens. But on the downside there was distortion and darkening in the image corners at wide angle – see our full review at Camera Labs for details. And for those who really like to travel light, it’s also much bigger and heavier than the kit lens.
But no lens is perfect and while the EF-S 17-85mm has some optical issues when zoomed-out, it still remains the best all-round lens for Canon EF-S bodies. If you want something brighter and better quality, you’ll need to go for the EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 (pictured above), but most people will find the EF-S 17-85mm a better choice. It’s an ideal upgrade from the kit lens and a great general-purpose option.
For sample images, detailed results and more features, see our Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS review at our sister site Camera Labs. |
