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
| Street price |
• US: $520
• UK: £360 |
| Date introduced |
August 2004 |
| Maximum format size |
APS-C |
| Focal length |
17-85mm |
| 35mm equivalent focal length (APS-C) |
27-136mm |
| Diagonal Angle of view (APS-C) |
78º - 18º |
| Maximum aperture |
F4-5.6 |
| Minimum aperture |
F22-32 |
| Lens Construction |
• 17 elements/12 groups
• 1 Aspherical element |
| Number of diaphragm blades |
6 |
| Minimum focus |
0.35m |
| Maximum magnification |
0.20x at 85mm |
| AF motor type |
• Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor
• Full-time manual focus |
| Focus method |
Internal |
| Image stabilization |
• 3 stops
• Single mode (no panning) |
| Filter thread |
• 67mm
• Does not rotate on focus |
| Supplied accessories |
• Front and rear caps |
| Optional accessories |
• EW-73B Hood
• LP1116 Case |
| Weight |
475 g (16.7 oz) |
| Dimensions |
78.5 mm diameter x 92 mm length
(3.1 x 3.6 in) |
| Lens Mount |
Canon EF-S only |
| Other |
Supplies distance information for E-TTL II flash metering |
* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area
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Jan 26, 2011
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Jan 20, 2011
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Jan 19, 2011
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Dec 21, 2010
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This is what happens when a Canon 17-85mm F4-5.6 lens meets 60,000 PSI of water pressure. Spoiler Alert: the water jet always wins.
Canon has today announced two new digital SLR lenses and a flash with digital features. The EF-S 17 - 85 mm F4 - F5.6 IS USM lens (US$600) provides an equivelant field of view of 27 - 136 mm (5x zoom), the EF-S 10 - 22 mm F3.5 - F4.5 USM lens (US$800) provides and equivelant field of view of 16 - 35 mm. Currently these new lenses can only be used on the Canon EOS 20D and EOS 300D digital SLR's (the only camera's to support EF-S lenses). Additionally Canon has also announced the Speedlite 580EX flash (US$480) with digital specific features such as zoom linked to sensor size and control of camera white balance.
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