I got one of these as my first step up from the kit lens on my Rebel XTi, the 17-55 kit lens. It gave me about half of what I wanted but overall I was disappointed. It did not help that I came into this owning an S2 and an FZ5.

it's a nice range; plus with IS it's much more useful than the kit lens; and not too much more expensive

it's even slower than the kit lens focus isn't that great in low light

Another addition to Canon's slowly growing collection of EF-S lenses designed exclusively for the 300D, 350D 20D and now 30D cameras, this 17-85mm model is aimed at advanced amateur photographers as an extended standard zoom lens. We take a look at how it performs.

Excellent resolution holds up throughout the focal range; IS system helps a lot in low light; The lens makes a good replacement for kit lenses; The focal range ideal for a walkabout lens

Distortion is bad at the widest settings and a little CA creeps in; Front lip is prone to damage; Hood is an optional extra

Another addition to Canon's slowly growing collection of EF-S lenses designed exclusively for the 300D, 350D 20D and now 30D cameras, this 17-85mm model is aimed at advanced amateur photographers as an extended standard zoom lens. We take a look at how it performs.

Excellent resolution holds up throughout the focal range; IS system helps a lot in low light; The lens makes a good replacement for kit lenses; The focal range ideal for a walkabout lens

Distortion is bad at the widest settings and a little CA creeps in; Front lip is prone to damage; Hood is an optional extra

I found this lens to be a great walk around lens. With the IS it provides lower light hand holdable shots otherwise not possible. Great overall lens for the 20d. Cons: A little vignetting at extreme f4 @ 17mm.

The Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4~5.6 IS USM was announced in August 2004 as general purpose zoom for Canon digital SLRs with EF-S lens mounts; compatible bodies include the EOS 300D / Rebel, EOS 350D / Rebel XT, EOS 400D / Rebel XTi, EOS 20D and EOS 30D.

Useful 5x optical zoom ratio; Effective Image Stabilisation; Fast USM focussing motor; Polariser-friendly internal focusing

Visible light fall-off at wide and tele; Relatively expensive for specification; Lens hood not included; Only compatible with EF-S bodies

The Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens combines a very useful zoom range with image stabilization in a light and well-performing package . Keep in mind that the 17-85 IS is an "EF-S" lens and only works on EF-S compatible Canon EOS bodies such as the **D and Digital Rebel / ***D Series.