Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS Lens in Singapore

By Robert • May 15, 2006

Robert heard some good news while visiting camera shops in Singapore over the weekend. The much anticipated ultra-wide zoom lens, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 is expected to be in stock here within the next week or so. The initial price will be about S$1,950 including the 5% GST. This price converts to US$1,245 at last Friday’s exchange rate. For comparison, the price at B&H (in NYC) is $1,196 (without sales tax) including 3-day UPS inside the USA. They are showing an estimated availability of June 2006. Keep in mind that for non-residents the GST in Singapore is refundable at the airport which would bring the price down to S$1,853. This price includes an international warranty.

The ‘S’ in the EF-S lens name refers to the ’short-back focus’ design which is only compatible with EOS dSLR cameras equipped with APS-sized sensors (starting with the EOS 300D). EF-S lenses feature a protruding rear element which requires a special mirror design to avoid a collision of the mirror and the rear part of the lens. Some people consider the Canon EF-S 17-55mm as an improved upgrade path from the Canon EF-S 17-85mm. I see it more an alternative to the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 or the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 for EOS 350D, EOS 20D and EOS 30D users.

The key attractions of this lens are it’s excellent sharpness and image stabilizer. The image stabilizer provides an effective 3-stop gain in shutter speed for hand-held photography. This combination of features will be very useful for photography in poor or mixed light locations such as conference halls, exhibitions, museums, etc. Currently, the use of ambient light or fill-flash requires offsetting slow shutter speeds with a high ISO setting. The choice has been either a high percentage of rejects or grainy images.

Here are the pros/cons of this lens as I see them:

Pros

Excellent resolution

Image stabilization provides 3-stop gain

Front element does not rotate

Near silent USM auto-focus drive

Full-time manual focusing (FTM)

Filter size is 77mm

Cons

High-price

Vignetting at wide apertures

Lack of weather-proofing

Build quality

Lens hood not included

I am looking forward to reading first impressions from photographers once this lens gets out into the market. For additional information, see the excellent review on PhotoZone.

Clicking on the thumbnail will take to the Canon EF-S 17-55mm page at Amazon.com. Hint - try hovering over the thumbnail for a quick update from Amazon.com.

Also, you can find the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens at a number of eBay Stores.