Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

Excellent – A lot can be said about this lens and is no wonder people can have different opinions on it. First off, even though I say this lens is costly, is actually reasonably priced for a Nikon professional lens range. An average price of any Nikon wide angle Professional lens is about $1600-$2500 and it varies on where you purchase the lens. While you can get a bargain from Ebay, you may not get what you want and Warranty may become an issue. Buying from a reliable dealer with warranty is a good way to go or alternatively online US distributors with good reputation can buy this lense and save you about $500.00.

The problem with this lens is there are reviews showing people who owned bad copies of this product and find the images not as sharp. Reading Ken Rockwell's review you will find it shocking that he gave the thumbs down and even rate a lower lens range a higher rating. Has this have anything to do with cost? Probably.

This lens is reasonably heavy when you compare to the lower end Nikon lenses. However the weight has been over exggerated by some as it doesnt weigh a ton. The lens doesnt weigh more than a 70-300mm VR lens. But that being said, some people prefer a cheaper, lighter lens they wont like this.

Picture quality, is pretty sharp and I mean dead on, however there are some people who have bad copies and unfortunately may have bad reviews for this lens.

A note to remember is that this lens does flare and you need to know its limits to avoid those situations.

Focusing is a bit thight for some users, I find it good rather than having a lens that creeps like the famous Nikon 18-200mm DX VR lens, some complain about the focusing ring is on the lower end and hate it, I know why Nikon did it and totally find it acceptable.

I have used this lens for my own wedding and love the results. Will not trade this lens for another substitute. On the note is a DX lens and not FX but does a pretty good job. High quality, fast lens, good optics. very reliable. Costly, heavy, focusing range may be limited if you are used to a 18-70mm lens. No VR function

DX Pro Mid range Zoom – You might wonder at first why I gave this lens only three stars, but it really does not have any thing to do with the quality of the lens as such. It is more to do with the mismatch between the Nikon DX format and the 'professional' photographer, at which this lens is clearly aimed. The build quality, price, ruggedness and features all suggest a pro user, however I have found the DX format a bit limited for a pro, with few fixed focal length lenses, and even fewer large aperture lenses.

The lens itself would be fine for an enthusiast if the price was a but less, but as it is I think it is a bit too expensive to recommend. Solid, sharp, useful range Heavy, expensive

OK – I purchased this lens following reading a lot of reviews and testing the lens in camera stores. The price of this lens is the main drawback for purchasing it, but on line stores have some pretty good bargains. The performance of this lens is incredible, I like it especially in low light environments and sports shooting. The USM drive is very quiet and very quick and extremely accurate. The weight of the lens is noticable, but the performance of this lens outshines that small burden. The sealing of the lens is excellent and guarantees to keep out dust and moisture. Picture quality is incredibly sharp. The Image Stabilizer function is brilliant. I use this lens and a 17-85 IS on my 20D and both are exceptional quality products. This is a very high quality lens that is worth saving for. No regrets spending the extra money over the f/4 lens which just doesn't come near the performance of the f/2.8.I have read reports where users have had trouble with the focus and stabilizer buttons on the body of the lens, but I have not experienced this problem. Just an awareness of these controls when using the lens will prevent errors. The lens is of solid build, sealed well and very high quality The autofocus doesn't work well when I use it in a darker condition, even I have used the light.