Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Review
05/27/2006 - Updated 07/03/2006
This was a "kit" lens when I purchased Canon's Digital
Rebel XT/EOS 350D. It was $20 USD less than if I were to purchase
the items separately. As
attractive as the price was for the 18-55mm lens "kit",
after several visits to stores, such as Best Buy, Circuit City
and etc., I've determined that the 18-55mm was not for me. So I
bought Canon's EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM hoping that the construction
quality and focal length zoom range (5X) would be more towards
my liking.
Note that the "S" in the EF-S stands for "short back focus" and
will only fit on cameras with APS-C size sensors such as the Digital
Rebel XT. |
| What's in the box |
|
1 - Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens
1 - E-67U Front lens cap
1 - Rear lens cap
1 - Instruction pamphlet (in different languages)
1 - 1 year Warranty/Registration |
| Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Specifications |
| Image size |
 |
APS-C |
| Focal length |
|
17-85mm |
| 35 mm FOV (Digital Rebel XT) |
|
27-136mm equivalent |
| Construction |
|
17 elments in 12 groups |
| Diaphragm |
|
6 blades |
| Maximum aperture |
|
f/4 - f/5.6 |
| Minimum aperture |
|
f/22 - f/32 |
| Closest focus |
|
13.8" (0.35m) |
| Max magnification |
|
0.20x (at 85mm) |
| Distance information |
|
Yes |
| Image stabilizer |
|
3-steps |
| AF actuator |
|
Ring USM with full-time manual focus |
| Filter diameter |
|
67mm |
| Dimensions (diameter x length) |
|
3.1" (78.5mm) x 3.6" (92mm) |
| Weight |
|
16.8 oz (475g) |
| |
|
|
| Other Information |
| Angle of view (Digital Rebel XT) |
|
66.3º, 47º, 76.2º (17mm)
14.9º, 10º, 17.8º (85mm), (horiz, vert, diag) |
| Front element extends (focusing) |
|
No |
| Front element rotates (focusing) |
|
No |
| Front element extends (zooming) |
|
Yes, +1" (25.4mm) at 85mm |
| |
|
|
| Optional (Canon) Accessories |
| Lens hood |
|
EW-37B |
| Soft lens case |
|
LP1116 |
| A close up view of Canon's EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM |
 |
 |
 |
| Front |
At 17mm |
At 85mm |
 |
 |
 |
Stabilizer and
focusing switch
|
10-22mm (lt)
17-85mm (rt) |
FD 28-85 (lt) |
The body construction of Canon's EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM appears
to be all plastic, but the quality is drastically better than the
18-55mm "kit" lens and feels much more solid. It appears that the
17-85mm is much larger than the 18-55mm that I saw and when compared
to a 12 oz. soda can, it's about the same size and slightly heavier,
about 2 1/2 oz. more.
The focus ring has a smooth feel to it, but the zoom ring seems
to bind at the wider angles, from 17mm to 35mm. Hopefully
that will loosen up over time. There's also a very slight sloppiness
in the zoom ring.
Unlike the 18-55mm, the 17-85mm has a sturdy metal base. Already,
I'm feeling much better about the purchase, although at quite an
expense. Also the 67mm filter size for the 17-85mm, compared to
the 58mm for the 18-55mm, adds to the expense. |
| Using Canon's EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM |
Canon's EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, as I've noted before, does
feel more solid than the 18-55mm "kit" lens. It has IS
(image stabilizer) that the 18-55mm does not have. It is
also noticeably heavier than the 18-55mm by about 10 oz (6.7 oz
compared to 16.8 oz for the 17-85mm).
There are two switches, AF/MF (auto focus/manual focus) and image
STABILIZER ON/OFF that are accessible from the left hand. When
set to AF (auto focus), the motor is very silent, quick and accurate.
However, and I'm learning this as I go along, it fails to focus
on non-textured surfaces such as a smooth wall, solid colored clothing,
clear blue sky, etc. When it fails to focus, there's a blinking
green light in the camera's viewfinder letting you know that there's
a problem and, it will not let you take the picture. In these cases,
it's just a matter of centering on some detail (for example the
edge of the subject), lightly pressing and holding the shutter
button, then centering on the subject and take the picture. |
 |
 |
| At 17mm |
At 85mm |
The front element of Canon's EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6
IS USM does entend when zooming, contrary to what
I've read at some places. From 17mm (shortest) to
85mm, the lens will extend 1". Focusing involves
the rear elements so it doesn't affect the length
of the lens. While zooming and/or focusing, the front
element does not rotate.
There appears to be a slight wobble in the focusing
elements when manual focusing. When rotating the
focus ring slowly in one direction, then rotating
in the other direction, the image in the viewfinder
shifts. It's a very slight shift and, if you're looking
for it, it is noticeable.
In my limited experience, Canon's EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6
IS USM exhibits one of the worst barrel distortion
I've seen. At 17mm,
you can't help but notice it in the viewfinder. Once
you reach 24mm, it all but disappears. Maybe Canon
should have limited the wide angle at 22mm but, in
doing so, it may lose the attractiveness of the wider
zoom range this lens now possesses. Vignetting is
also an issue at 17mm with the lens wide open at
f/4, but reduces dramatically at f/4.5. |
| Photographs using Canon's EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM |
 |
| Subject: |
|
Desert plants |
| Model: |
|
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT |
| Shutter Speed: |
|
1/250 sec |
| F-Stop: |
|
f/13.0 |
| ISO Speed: |
|
400 |
| Focal Length: |
|
33.0 mm |
| Notes: |
|
Notice the purple fringing on the background trees. |
|
 |
| Subject: |
|
Flags |
| Model: |
|
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT |
| Shutter Speed: |
|
1/400 sec |
| F-Stop: |
|
f/11.0 |
| ISO Speed: |
|
400 |
| Focal Length: |
|
85.0 mm |
| Notes: |
|
This lens is pretty sharp thoughout the entire zoom
range. |
|
 |
| Subject: |
|
Memorial |
| Model: |
|
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT |
| Shutter Speed: |
|
1/400 sec |
| F-Stop: |
|
f/14.0 |
| ISO Speed: |
|
400 |
| Focal Length: |
|
17.0 mm |
| Notes: |
|
Here is barrel distortion at it's finest. It is quite
noticeable at 17.0 mm. |
|
 |
| Subject: |
|
Teddy Bears |
| Model: |
|
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT |
| Shutter Speed: |
|
1/15 sec |
| F-Stop: |
|
f/5.0 |
| ISO Speed: |
|
400 |
| Focal Length: |
|
38.0 mm |
| Notes: |
|
Handheld, IS (image stabilizer) really does work at
slower shutter speeds. |
|
 |
| Subject: |
|
Fireworks |
| Model: |
|
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT |
| Shutter Speed: |
|
6 sec (bulb using RS-60E3 Remote Switch) |
| F-Stop: |
|
f/8.0 |
| ISO Speed: |
|
100 |
| Focal Length: |
|
85.0 mm |
| Notes: |
|
Use of tripod, bulb exposure,
manual focus. Fireworks display was about 1/2 mile away. |
|
 |
| Subject: |
|
Staircase |
| Model: |
|
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT |
| Shutter Speed: |
|
1/50 sec |
| F-Stop: |
|
f/4.5 |
| ISO Speed: |
|
400 |
| Focal Length: |
|
17.0 mm |
| Notes: |
|
Again, you will notice the barrel distortion in this
photograph and slight vignetting, although both can be corrected
in Photoshop CS2. |
|
| All the photographs above have been taken
in jpeg mode, and reduced 50% in Photoshop with moderate jpeg compression
to conserve disk space and bandwidth. Camera was handheld using auto
focus and image stabilizer
(unless otherwise noted). No color corrections,
level adjustments, sharpening
or croppings were made. |
| Conclusion |
Even though Canon's EF-S 17-85mm
f/4-5.6 IS USM may have some faults, it happens to be the lens
I use about 80% (or more) of the time on my Digital Rebel XT.
With a 5X zoom range, it covers the very wide to
moderate telephoto. For general photography with the Digital
Rebel XT, it happens to be the ideal all around lens for me.
I have the IS (image stabilizer) set on ON most of the time.
When activated, it is silent. Focusing is nearly instant and quiet.
Hand holding the camera in moderately lit indoors, or when outdoors
in cloudy, dawn/dusk conditions, without flash, where shutter speeds
drop to 1/60 sec (at 85mm) all the way down to 1/15 sec (at 17mm),
I'm able to capture surprisingly clear shots, without the usual
motion blur (camera shake) that you'll get without the image stabilizer.
I feel that the image stabilizer alone is well worth the additional
cost for this lens.
:-)
Gary Kawamura
|
|
