The Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens is a popular alternative to the 18-55mm lens that commonly ships with the Digital Rebel XT and XTi (400D). At nearly $600 retail, the lens is certainly not cheap, but it does offer the advantage of an image stabilization system and a relatively wide focal range.

The wide 17-85mm focal range is perhaps the number one reason why users choose this particular lens over the standard 18-55mm. As you can imagine, having a lens that spans the wide-angle to near telephoto range is great in situations where additional lenses cannot be easily carried with you. Also, as long as you don't do a great deal of telephoto photography, the 17-85mm lens can act as a basic telephoto, keeping you from having to buy an additional telephoto lens.



Canon claims that the lens's image stabilization system allows "safe hand-holding at speeds up to three stops slower than otherwise possible."
The lens does this by making small adjustments in response to movements and vibrations caused by the user and environment. There have, however, been a few reports of problems with overall sharpness under a variety of conditions. In addition, the maximum aperture of 4 isn't likely to satisfy everyone, and in some situations it may negate the improvements provided by the image stabilization system under low light conditions.

Despite these issues, the Canon 17-85mm lens is considered by most to be useful and reliable lens, especially for anyone who already owns a Canon Digital Rebel XTi, XT, or 20D, and desires a "one size fits all" lens.

Key Features

• Compact, light design with a 5x zoom ratio - 28 to 135mm eq.
• Aspheric element with two Aspherical surfaces utilized
• Close-focusing to 1.15 feet
• Ring-type Ultrasonic motor for superior AF performance
• Image Stabilization extends the lens's usefulness in low-light levels
• Circular aperture design
• Non-rotating front element; lens length does not change during zooming
• EF-S lens mount -- exclusively for EOS 20D and Digital Rebel bodies