1. Introduction 2. Design and Operation 3. Test results 4. Conclusion & samples

Canon EF-S 17-85mm 1:4-5.6 IS USM review

First announced in August 2004 to coincide with the launch of the EOS 20D, the EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM is Canon’s logical upgrade from the basic 18-55mm kit lens supplied with its APS-C dSLRs. With a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 27-136mm, it covers a decent wideangle to telephoto range, making it a useful ‘walkaround’  lens which will cover a wide range of photographic opportunities. It also sports Canon's 2nd-generation optical image stabilizer, which allows hand-holding at slower shutter speeds than usual before the image-degrading effects of camera shake become apparent. This lens is clearly an attempt by Canon to replicate the success of their earlier 28-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM, which gained a strong reputation as an excellent performer on 35mm film; so is the 17-85mm up to scratch?

Headline features

• 27-136mm equivalent focal length range; F4-5.6 maximum aperture
• Optical image stabilization – 3 stops 
• Ring-type USM focusing with full-time manual override
• EF-S mount for Canon APS-C dSLRS only

Angle of view

The pictures below illustrate the focal length range from wide to telephoto:

17mm (27mm equivalent)	85mm (136mm equivalent)

Canon EF-S 17-85mm 1:4-5.6 IS USM specifications

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area

Foreword / notes

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read some of our Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

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Dpreview use calibrated monitors at the PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally also A, B and C.

1. Introduction 2. Design and Operation 3. Test results 4. Conclusion & samples