Plus points:
+ IS. I was skeptical but the Stabilizer is just awesome for a rather hectic like me. Suddenly I have many-many sharp images.
+ Sharpness - but also image blur (at shallow depth look at the deliberately blurred image held areas very harmonious made).
+ Pace of USM Autofokusses and the opportunity to correct at any time manually.
+ 67 mm filter thread - at last I can use my old filter again ;-)
+ Non-rotating front lens (ideal for shooting with polarizing filter)
Minuses, there are also:
- Wide angle (17 mm) and covered with high-contrast scenes in image corners partly strong chromatic aberrations. (But can with RAW images in Photoshop or Aperture automatically calculated out!)
- Canon is so cute and can be absolutely recommended lens hood also pay expensive with 30 euros. The same applies to lens pouch. This makes Canon but until the Sauteurs L-price range, with all lenses.
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As for the distortion in 17mm setting: this there is indeed, as with any wide-angle zoom. Depending on the subject they disturb very or not at all fall on. So nothing for people who shoot mainly brick walls or bathroom tiles with wide angle. Moreover, it can correct problems in Photoshop CS2 also these aberrations.
All in all, a very consistent, comfortable lens that I do not want to miss.
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Addendum after six years of continuous use:
The lens I still have. It had twice the nice doctor because of defects in the iris. Seems to be a typical disease of this lens. Otherwise, it serves me still as a universal all-rounder. The range of applications was only outdone by the new 15-85. This I wanted to buy me initially after I switched to Canon 7D. With this camera, it was still all over the web, one can forget about the previous lenses, etc. The fact is that on the 7D, the kit zoom 17-85 show could certainly what it can! Its image sharpness on the high-resolution sensor has surprised me very positively. This power I did not expect from the otherwise ordinary lens, but it is so - is currently experiencing the lens with me their second youth.
