13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Don't Leave Home without IT
Date of Review: Oct 19, 2006
The Bottom Line: This is an easy recommendation if you are trying to replace a bag load of primes or are simply looking for a great wide zoom. Look no further!
After battling over which lens I was going to go with 17-55 or 17-35 I decided to go with the 17-55mm and have not looked back. With more zoom (35-55) this unit really shines. Most 17-35 owners dislike this lens because it does not shine with film / full frame style bodies. The 17-55 was made exclusively for digital and it does the job quite well. The 17-55 exhibits extraordinary contrast and performs fantastic in low light. It's the lens I keep on my camera 80% of the time (I have to put the 70-200 VR on the rest of the time because it cannot be left alone).
The unit is built like a tank. With the 77mm barrel all my pro style filters work just fine! On my D80 (and previously my D50) the lens never let me down always performing solid. The difference however been this lens and a 18-55 is hard to justify the $1000 price difference. I would have like to see Nikon release a lens much like this one, however, with VR on it to allow for even better low light shooting (I'm sure the lens would be GINORMOUS if it did have VR :). Realize that performance wise the difference between 18-55 and a 17-55 is evident... just not as evident as the price would lead. The 17-55 certainly out performs the 18-55 and nudges past the 18-70 due to the pop the images produce. The lens produces just a bit more NOTICEABLE umph (color, sharpness, and contrast).
