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Archive 2014 · 17-55 IS lens questions

  
 
herion
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 17-55 IS lens questions


Well, I'm just about to bite the bullet and get this lens. I've got a few of questions for those FM'ers that own the lens:

1. I've heard that it tends to collect dust behind the front element. How true is this? How easy is it to clean? Are we speaking of sending into Canon for vacuuming ?? Does keeping a filter on the front of the lens help keep the dust out?

2. How prone is the lens to flare?

3. Is it a good idea to get the associated lens hood (or no-name generic)

There are a few out on the B&S forum and I've pm'ed the sellers.

Thanks in advance!



Aug 02, 2014 at 10:58 AM
daleg
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 17-55 IS lens questions


answers - from my limited experiences:

dust - I've kept a b+w uv since day 1 on my used 17-40. I've never had an issue with my images. the filter's probably a good idea.

flare - I recently used this lens, mounted on a 60D (using articulating LCD), propped on a bean bag w/cable release, to shoot a fountains and fireworks show at a large, public, horticultural gardens (without the salad bowl shaped oem hood - which may have interfered with setting the direction of the lens - due to it's exaggerated shape). I may have had 2 images with peripheral octagonal shaped ghost/flare images. Both were cropped in post production. Thus, in conditions that favor lens flare, I was very happy with the images produced.

hood - I'm not a big fan of attaching a salad bowl to the end of a lens. maybe one could velcro stuffed animals to it to amuse kids (large and small). otherwise, it just makes storing the lens more difficult re: its odd shape.

other - one day I took this to an event I was shooting - and the auto focus (AF) simply didn't. It sounded like a meat grinder. It searched forever, and never focused. It had been gently handled and had suffered no impact or other trauma (to my knowledge). $175 (net of cps gold discount) and a trip to canon for repairs, and it's good as new - but caution: the AF mechanism can break - in my case, god knows why/how.

otherwise, it's a decent lens on an APS-C body.

just my experience, ymmv. good luck.



Aug 02, 2014 at 11:39 AM
mpoole
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 17-55 IS lens questions


It does collect dust. A filter helps. There are instructions floating around the web on how to clean it yourself
I haven't had a problem with flare
I do use the hood to avoid flare and protect the front element
This lens has some IS quality problems, be careful when buying used



Aug 02, 2014 at 12:00 PM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 17-55 IS lens questions


You won't want to use the 17-55 IS for sunsets but other than that you won't notice flare. I always removed the UV filter for sunsets but still got ghosting images even with the hood installed. As for dust, with a UV or polarizer filter installed most of the time, I didn't notice any dust during the 7 years I owned the lens. However the vent holes behind the front retaining ring are know to draw in dust, especially if you zoom quickly and frequently in dusty environments. The filter helps seal the front vents.


Aug 02, 2014 at 01:52 PM
Max10
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 17-55 IS lens questions


1. It collects dust. The dust gets attracted on the extended barrel surface due to electrostatic charge, and a filter does not help it. I have no experience of cleaning the dust.
2. I tried some backlit shots, and did not notice any flare issue.
3. It is good to have a lens hood.

If you have any plan to go FF in the near future, think twice before spending your money on it.



Aug 02, 2014 at 02:46 PM
mine1
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 17-55 IS lens questions


I would not worry about if you go full frame or not, always buy for what you want now not what you "think you might get later", if you buy this lens used or on sale refurbished you will not lose any money if you go full frame and will have had the right lens for the job all the way up until you went full frame and then you just sell it at no loss.


Aug 02, 2014 at 02:52 PM
RobDickinson
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 17-55 IS lens questions


Mine did get a little dust over the years, but it never affected images.

Flare, yeah it flares a little at times, I shot many direct sun photos wasn't a problem.

I bought the genuine canon hood, well worth it, cuts down on flare, glare, increases contrast and protects the lens can be stored reverse mounted on the lens.

Get it, fantastic bit of kit



Aug 02, 2014 at 03:10 PM
herion
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 17-55 IS lens questions


This is so darn harder than I thought... I have a Siggie 2.8 EX DC which is a smidge soft at f2.8, but "pops" nicely at f4. Built like a tank. I am seriously considering FF (perhaps a used 5D3, but waiting for Photokina to see what's coming down the pike). I'm just agonizing over the lens vs. a FF body. I only have 2 APS-C lens (Siggie 18-50 and classic 10-20).

Grrr - I think I'm going to have to be patient ... and I *hate* being patient!




Aug 02, 2014 at 04:21 PM
J Williams
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 17-55 IS lens questions


Great lens. I hate to mention this as it looks like I am self advertising, but I just listed one with my 60D on the buy/sell. If I am breaking any rule by mentioning this please remove post. Regardless, this is a great lens. For a crop camera I don't see how you could do better. I love mine and only decided to sell because I got a 6D and 24-70. If you don't print really big or do a lot of real high ISO shooting the 17-55 and any recent crop body are a great combo. To get anything better requires going FF and getting top notch glass in my opinion. Hope this helps whatever you do.



Aug 02, 2014 at 04:36 PM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 17-55 IS lens questions


herion wrote:
This is so darn harder than I thought... I have a Siggie 2.8 EX DC which is a smidge soft at f2.8, but "pops" nicely at f4. Built like a tank. I am seriously considering FF (perhaps a used 5D3, but waiting for Photokina to see what's coming down the pike). I'm just agonizing over the lens vs. a FF body. I only have 2 APS-C lens (Siggie 18-50 and classic 10-20).

Grrr - I think I'm going to have to be patient ... and I *hate* being patient!



if your that close to considering FF then probably not the best choice to get the EFs .
I went from a crop body (7D) with the the 17-55 to a 5D3 and a 24-105 (already had the 24-105 before i went FF) and the ONLY regret I have about the change is having to sell the 17-55 . that lens was so so much better than the 24-105 it hurts




Aug 02, 2014 at 06:06 PM
RobDickinson
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 17-55 IS lens questions


I never got the 24-105, didn't seem to grab me like the 17-55


Aug 02, 2014 at 07:32 PM
Scott Stoness
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 17-55 IS lens questions


17-55 is an excellent lens - I have one.


1. Don't worry about dust. It will not effect your image.

2. I have not experienced flare with my 17-55

3. Get the lens hood. There is always flare.


That said, I would be inclined to the 16-35 f4 if you are considering a ff at some time. Since I bought a ff (5dii followed by 5diii) I never use the 17-55 but I cannot bring myself to part with it.

see http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/425-canon_1755_28is_50d?start=1

vs

http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/877-canon_1635_4is?start=1


Almost 1/3 more resolution with better corners. But if you need 2.8 you need 2.8.



Scott



Aug 02, 2014 at 07:42 PM
DLP
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 17-55 IS lens questions


I resisted the temptation to go FF for several years just because I enjoyed this lens so much. Just an awesome piece of glass for the $$$. Remember when looking at the minor niggles about this lens that there are plenty of complaints about other glass costing 2x as much.
As far as dust goes I had zero dust in mine when I sold it but this is a lens I did keep a UV filter on most of the time.
I didn't did not find flare to be objectionable or problematic but it is there in select scenarios. I also used the factory hood.
The cost for this glass today in the second hand market really makes this lens a no-brainer. Just a few years back this one frequently sold for 20+% more than what I see them listed at today.
Just an all around great piece of glass that is very versatile.




Aug 03, 2014 at 08:10 AM
ange
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 17-55 IS lens questions


I'm another one who has had a filter on from day one and I've had no dust problem. I agree that dust will get in due to zooming too, but it has been shown that the front element isn't sealed very well and a filter will give some help with that.

I have had problems with the IS mechanism. Mine started making a bit of noise on focus (focus/recompose). During the noise, focus would hesitate a bit and then pop in with the image shifting a bit to the right (through the view finder).

Canon had it twice and finally fixed it under warranty.

Andy



Aug 03, 2014 at 08:23 AM
timbop
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 17-55 IS lens questions


It's a great lens, I highly recommend it. I always kept a filter on mine and never had a dust issue, although it might have been fine without it. I got the hood for mine (I like the protection a hood adds), and never really felt I had an issue with flair.


Aug 03, 2014 at 09:42 AM
cheem
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 17-55 IS lens questions


Ian.Dobinson wrote:
if your that close to considering FF then probably not the best choice to get the EFs .
I went from a crop body (7D) with the the 17-55 to a 5D3 and a 24-105 (already had the 24-105 before i went FF) and the ONLY regret I have about the change is having to sell the 17-55 . that lens was so so much better than the 24-105 it hurts



I loved my 17-55 with 40D and have never felt the same attachment to my 24-105 that came with my 5D3. The 17-55 was responsible for 95% of the 30K images on my 40D.

In terms of dust, there was a little in mine and it never impacted IQ at all. I always had a filter on it and from what I understand the dust was attracted into the lens via the area that moves when you zoom the lens, kind of like bellows.



Aug 03, 2014 at 10:02 PM
Quanger
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · 17-55 IS lens questions


I too also enjoyed shooting with my 17-55 but I did have some problems during the ownership (owned it for 4years since new).

Minor issues:
-dust (despite using uv filter). Dust seems to be sucked in through the zoom mechanism? It does not affect image quality. There's a guide online that shows you how to remove the front element to remove the dust if you're brave enough.
-barrel creep. Because it's quite nose heavy, when your camera is pointed down, the zoom will automatically extend. Just a bit annoying.
-no hood. For such an expensive non-L lens, no hood was just annoying.

Major issue:
-Image stabilizer failure. It failed into my 4th year of ownership. Cost me $260 CAD to have it replaced by an authorize canon dealer. Makes me think twice about owning a lens with IS. Funny enough, since I've moved to FF, I do not own any lens with IS (I own a 17-40, 50L, 135L).




Aug 04, 2014 at 01:56 AM
Kisutch
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · 17-55 IS lens questions


I love this lens. I have a little dust in mine, but it doesn't affect IQ so who cares.

My zoom ring was tight when I got the lens. It loosened up, but then it got stuck and failed when I was in the middle of a trip, had to send to Canon for repair for $200 or so.

I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up. The only legit issue IMO is the size, it's a clunker.

Just took one of my favorite shots ever with this lens last week



Aug 04, 2014 at 03:17 AM





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