Replacement for EF-S 17-85mm/ 4,0-5,6/ IS USM

[m]

hello,

I got this lens with my camera as a kit about 5 years ago.

The aperture failed. Pictures could only be taken wide open.
A local shop estimated 200 to 300€ for repair. No way.

I got the spare part for 30€ and managed to replace the aperture unit myself and the lens seems to be working fine again. *phew*
All it takes is a steady hand and the right tools, as you can see in the attached image ;D
However, I had to realize that these kit lenses are not built to last.

Even though I got this thing working again, I don't know when it will fail again and if I can fix it.
So what other lens could replace this one?

The Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM looks really nice.
-> The focal lengths don't match, I lose a lot on the tele end of the lens.
I opened LR and created a chart to see which focal lengths I use the most.
The diagram shows number of images over focal length
The majority is taken at 17 mm, not the tele end.

This makes sense as a lot of the images are taken with (on camera) flash and it does not have the reach to illuminate longer focal lengths properly.
Most of the images at longer lengths are not really good.

I could swap lenses to a 50mm for a little more reach.

One mm of difference in focal length makes quite a difference for a wide angle.
Will I miss the 17mm, being limited to 18mm?
But the numbers suggest that I just go "as wide as possible".

Who owns this lens and could share some experience?

What other alternatives do you suggest?
The lens is mostly used for events and landscape.

Thanks for your ideas!

 

[JumboShrimp]

I would suggest the Canon EF-S 15-85/3.5-5.6 IS (24-135 equiv). Great range in a relatively compact package. Have used one for about a year with no issues and very good IQ. Check Canon Refurbished for best price.

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

If you tend to use often zoom in 17mm, it looks like you would be happier with something wider. There is 16-35mm L, but it is not very exciting on a APS-C camera. Canon 15-85mm is the obvious choice without spending a fortune.

 

[brad-man]

I would suggest the Canon EF-S 15-85/3.5-5.6 IS (24-135 equiv). Great range in a relatively compact package. Have used one for about a year with no issues and very good IQ. Check Canon Refurbished for best price.

+1 This is a great single lens solution with great versatility and sharpness. It can be had for around $500 during a Canon refurb sale. Take the "leftover" money from the difference in price of the Sigma, and buy a better flash

 

[andyhad]

Another vote for the 15-85. Solid build, great image quality, and wide. I bought it for my 60D, and hardly ever use my older 10-22 now. Surprised nobody has said - if you really do everything at the wide end, have you played with an ultrawide? Not much of a walkaround lens, but it looks like 22mm would cover a lot of your shots! Maybe with a nifty fifty chucked in?

 

[m]

hi guys, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I guess I was not quite clear on the focal length.
If I had a 15mm lens, the diagram would probably look the same, just shifted to the left.
If anything, I wanted to point out that I don't need a lens longer than ~50mm

I had a look at the 15-85 and have serious doubts about this lens.
Lasting for a year without issues is something I take for granted.
I was disappointed that my lens only lasted ~5 years.
Availability on the refurbished market does not add to the reputation of this lens or underlines its solid build.
And as I just refurbished a lens myself that I plan to keep as a backup, I want to buy a brand new lens.

To get an overall impression, I went to dxo mark and the Sigma scored twice as much as the Canon lens. 20 - 10
Photozone speaks of a "new (negative) record" of vignetting at the wide end for the Canon. :-\
So while it has more zoom on paper, it doesn't seem to perform that well.

The only real advantage of the Canon seems to be the stabilisation that the Sigma misses.

The aperture unit of my current lens failed because of the movement during zooming in and out.
I don't feel very confident extending the zoom range even further.

and buy a better flash

Bit of a misconception here, I think. I own a good flash.
It's not applicable to throw it directly at the subject, producing harsh shadows.

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

Let me guess: The defective part was the flat cable that connects the opening mechanism of the diaphragm? Unfortunately Canon 17-85mm has this problem quite often. I believe that lenses with more robust construction (such as 15-85mm) have greater durability.
There are several options lens starting at 17mm:

Canon 17-55mm IS
Sigma 17-50mm OS
Sigma 17-70mm OS contenporary
Tamron 17-50mm
Tamron 17-50mm VC

If you want to experience ultra wide lens, there is the Tokina 12-24mm and 12-28mm. I have a Tokina 16-50mm (no longer produced) I can say that was made ​​to last many years.

 

[candc]

What type of shooting do you mostly do? I have a 17-85 that I never use anymore. I now use the sigma 8-16 for most of my landscape shooting and the sigma 18-35 for portraits and when I want a nice blurred background. Its the sharpest normall zoom you can put on a crop body but the range is limited.

 

[m]

There are several options lens starting at 17mm:

Canon 17-55mm IS
Sigma 17-50mm OS
Sigma 17-70mm OS contenporary
Tamron 17-50mm
Tamron 17-50mm VC

Thanks for the list. I'm capable of googlin' together 17mm lenses.
As said I do not insist on 17mm. What I like to hear about are personal impressions =)

I have a Tokina 16-50mm (no longer produced) I can say that was made ​​to last many years.

I heard of Tokina's solid builds.
How did it perform optically?

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

There are several options lens starting at 17mm:
Canon 17-55mm IS
Sigma 17-50mm OS
Sigma 17-70mm OS contenporary
Tamron 17-50mm
Tamron 17-50mm VC

Thanks for the list. I'm capable of googlin' together 17mm lenses.
As said I do not insist on 17mm. What I like to hear about are personal impressions =)

I have a Tokina 16-50mm (no longer produced) I can say that was made ​​to last many years.

I heard of Tokina's solid builds.
How did it perform optically?

Tokina 16-50mm F2.8 has very good picture , but it has the weakness of chromatic aberration at wide angle, at maximum aperture diaphragm. So I specifically avoid the combination 16mm F2.8 . As a general rule, the greatest weakness of the Tokina wide angle lenses is chromatic aberration. There is no perfect lens. In the case of zoom lens, when zoom is in short end, performance can be completely different from performance at zoom tele end, and completely different in the middle of the zoom. In different diaphragm apertures, the performance also varies dramatically. So to choose the best lens for your case, compare the tests several similar models, and see if the weaknesses are in the position of the lens zoom and aperture diaphragm would you most like to use. It is important to compare only tests performed with the same methodology. If you compare the test of a lens in PHOTOZONE with another lens test in DXO, the results have useless because the test methodology is completely different, and give invalid conclusions.