Debating Whether to get the Canon 17-55mm IS 2.8 for my Canon 7D or Not?

M

matt9b

Well-known member
To buy or Not to Buy... :2vrolijk_08:

I was going to get a Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS for my 7D today, but I'm reading horrific reports of so many failures on this lens, :Drogar-BlackEye(DBG higher failure rates than any other lens.

I will be using this for video so my IS will be on all the time.

I'll be using this as my workhorse to shoot music videos. I have a family 50th birthday party to go to this weekend and was hoping to get a nice stable IS video lens before then.

I'm now tempted to just stick with my Canon 50mm 1.8 and shoot at 60p slowed down to 24p for video. For me, this always results in smooth/stable motion anyway, and a nice look. :thumbup:

I guess I'm just asking for opinions and advice ... seems silly, I'm in that indecision phase.. :undecided: just wish the 17-55mm was more reliable. At £755, I don't want a lens breaking on me after the warranty runs out. Hmm..

:dankk2:
 
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well i've read reviews of the tamron 17-50mm 2.8 VC(vibration control)...and its a widely used lens on this site . I just ordered mine also to go with my 7d which i will get today. u can consider that. The focus throw is short from what i read and i was concerned about that, but alot of people use it so i guess its not that bad. I was reassured its pretty usable by a member here

Theres also the tokina 16-50mm 2.8...but thats not IS or VC
 
Jordan_Sopinsky said:
Where did you see this?
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All over the place, online, from friends, and also rental shops. There are quite a few rental shops with many copies (50+) of this lens and other lenses, and report that it is their highest failing lens.

Many people reporting of having to send it back to Canon repeatedly for repair, and problems surfacing within months again, or of the lens failing after the 1 year warranty.

I'll see if I can find a link for you.. not sure if I'm allowed to post links to other forums on this forum though?
 
As far as I know, there's no problem posting links to other forums.

It's disappointing to hear of this given the quality of the glass. What exactly is failing?
 
I can't speak about the Canon lens, but for less money have been very pleased with the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 VC and 18-270 VC for video and images.
 
The Canon EF-S 17-55 f2.8 is my go to lens on the 7D. I haven't had a single problem yet with mine, and the biggest "complaint" I've seen made is that the lens isn't as dust or weather-sealed as Canon's L lenses. But again, I've had no problems with mine.

Some have theorized that the inclusion of the IS system in this lens may be contributing to the problems some have had. But the lens is still rated by reviewers at over "9" on Fred Miranda, and remember that people who don't have problems with their gear tend not to post about the fact that their gear works.

I highly recommend the lens, as long as it's purchased from an authorized Canon dealer who can provide warranty/service if needed.
 
only thing that worries me is its size, weight and price.. will be afraid to take this one on the beach. :violin::bath::nads::Drogar-Smoke(DBG): maybe i should have gone for the tamron 2.8 vc after all! lol
 
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I rented a Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS for a 4 day behind the scenes shoot last week and couldn't stand it. I'm not sure if I got a lemon from the rental shop or not, but the lens was incredibly soft on the edges when I shot with any aperture wider than f/4. The lens also wouldn't hold focus when I zoomed out from telephoto to wide. I was constantly chasing the focus and 2nd guessing the sharpness of the image.

I bought the tamron 17-50 before the weekend and absolutely love it. IMO it produces a much better image than the Canon (or at least the Canon I was using previously) at nearly half the price. My only complaint is the short throw of the focus ring, but I knew that going in and it's not a huge deal to me so long as I have my Z-Finder.
 
modernPrimitive, from those images you're making me wish I ordered the tamron! This is doing no good for my happiness after purchase! Canon 17-55mm arrives today.

EDIT: 2nd thoughts, if u check all the different focal lengths and f stops, both lenses cross over at different settings, with canon being a bit better at most of its focal range at the edges, and the tamron losing contrast & sharpness. Still bit tricky to tell from lines, would have been nice to see a short film or something shot on each lens by the same guy.
 
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matt9b said:
modernPrimitive, from those images you're making me wish I ordered the tamron! This is doing no good for my happiness after purchase! Canon 17-55mm arrives today.
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I'd trade with you but you probably don't want the non-VC. Don't fret, you made a good purchase. :laugh:
 
Is it normal to be hearing a loud rumbling noise coming from the lens when IS is turned on? :shocked:

It's hard to describe, like a rusty motor whirring inside the lens with a few knocks and bumps. Is that normal? Hmm... This won't be good if I want to record audio while filming.
 
What's wrong with the Kit lens 18-55mm ?


I'm assuming beach shots would be during the day, if at night you would probably need more than 2.8 anyways. IMO after using the kit lens so extensively and getting great footage from it, I highly doubt I would get another lens within that same focal length just to have a constant aperture at 2.8.


Now if it were 1.4 or 1.8 then yes I would understand, but not at 2.8. Instead I would just opt for some older primes to cover those focal ranges which are generally more sharper than zoom lenses anyways.

Paying $1000 for that kind of lens to me is seriously overpriced. For that kind of money I can get a whole set of older mint condition primes......
 
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