I have purchased way too much gear and never written a review, but this must be said. Purchased for a 30D backup. Pulled out for an emergency on the highest paying job of my life. Shot for publishing. Absolutely amazing. I feel like I stole it from Canon! Best lens for the 30D, period, and I have all the ones that matter..... You know who you are! Sharp, Fast, Sees in the dark. Shut up and buy it, and sell your red stripe wide eye on EBay. All you Odors out there, guess what, Earth is dusty! No affect on what brings in the cash or the memories. Expertise: Pro Problems Encountered: I didn't own it earlier....? OK, fine, dust. Oh no, run for the hills...... Previous Equivalent Item Owned: 16-35 L Items I Recommend: Spring for the hood even though it's a total hip

If you are one of the angry folks who feel this 'L' quality glass should be in an 'L' case and body, then I respectfully disagree with you. This is indeed 'L' quality glass, but I am so appreciative that it costs what it costs. If it did have the 'L' body, then I would not be able to afford this superb lens. The shots are dead on, clear, and full of color. The USM motor is quiet and quick. The IS is fantastic. I highly recommend this lens for your consideration. Just remember, it is not in an 'L' body, so if you do crazy outdoor, dusty, etc. photography, protect this lens. It's not an 'L' body. If you don't and care for your lens, then you will fine. Enjoy... I know that I am.

Hard decision between this lens and the 16-35L (II), price was the main factor (around $600 cheaper), and all claimed the image quality is the same.I have some L lenses and primes and this lens competes well against them. I'm very satisfied with overall performance (sharpness, color, contrast, etc.). The build quality is great, not L standards, but definitely better than say the 28-135. Telescope design is my only negative comment--hence the close call with the 16-35L. Although I'll guess it was needed with the focal range and attempts to keep the lens compact.Perfect focal length for general walk around use a bit longer on the high side would be a plus, but 55 on a 1.6 body is OK for my needs--same with 17mm. 2.8 is fast and IS help in low light static image shots.I would definitely buy this lens again. It's on my camera most of the time. Expertise: 20-year hobby Items I Recommend: hood, filter, 70-200 2.8

I wanted something that would give me a wide angle without getting the fisheye affect and this gets the job done nicely. Plus I have the added bonus of 50MM portrait type shots also.

The lens is very nicely made and takes great shots. Having a 7D with crop sensor camera, I really wanted the ability to take close shots of subjects. I did tons of research and didn't have a spend ceiling. I based this purchase on lens speed and zoom range. Very happy with the selection and will not likely be taking this lens off my camera for a very long time.

I thought it would be too much money for an aspiring photographer but it's the best investment I've ever made. Is the best lens to be on my 40D. Photos came clean, balanced, and f2.8 is great.

I bought this lens for a recent trip to Spain, planning on using it primarily for interior, low-light shooting. The lens performed very well in every situation it was used.I probably used this lens for around 800 shots, and in going thru them, the quality produced by this lens is very high. I've not seen the vignetting that others have seen, but I was not in the same situations, either. Having read so much about dust and this lens was and is a concern, but I've not seen any as of yet.While I'd prefer to not shoot at f2.8, it is sure nice to have when there is no other option. Many of the locations I shot have very low lighting. I watched most others use a flash where I was able to open the lens up and / or increase the ISO, go to a slow shutter speed and let the IS do its job. Which it did, very well. I was quite pleased with the results, indeed. Shooting 1/4 sec exposures or slower with solid results makes this lens worth the money for me.For the money paid for this lens, I would be MUCH happier if it were sealed like the L lenses are. I understand if Canon does not want to make an EF-S lens an L grade, but for those that still pay the premium price, certain benefits should also be included. Expertise: Serious Amature Problems Encountered: Absolutely none.

I've had this lens for about 9 months and shot around 5,000 images with it. It has become my main lens and I rarely use anything else except for specific needs, e.g. long telephoto shots. The images are incredibly sharp, the contrast is good and the colors explode. I love this lens. You will notice a little bit of barrel distortion at the widest focal length, particularly in building interiors, but only if you look for it. I have not experienced any vignetting others have reported except when using multiple filters. Absolutely no complaints about this lens and worth every nickel. Expertise: Former pro/Advanced Amatuer Problems Encountered: None that are not user related. Previous Equivalent Item Owned: 18-55, 17-85 IS, 28-135 IS, 28-200 Items I Recommend: Polarizing & gradient ND filters, lens hood

After long consideration, I opted for the EF-S 15-85 lens when I purchased by 7D because of the slightly wider angle and longer reach. While that is a great walk-around lens, it has been difficult to use indoors in churches and museums with low light when flash is not allowed so I bought this lens. Now this lens is on my camera 80% of the time. Focus is very fast, images are very sharp and there is much less CA with this lens than I have experienced with other wider angle lenses. For the money, this is about the best general purpose lens you could have on a crop camera.

Normally for Family parties and travel