Comments about Sigma Sigma 17 - 50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM Auto Focus Lens Kit, for for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras. with Tiffen 77mm UV Wide Angle Filter, Professional Lens Cleaning Kit, Slip On Lens Cap for 77mm Wide Angle Filters,:

Let's first talk image quality. I have to say, I am surprised how good it is. Honestly, I would have to say that it's "L" lens quality. It's a little soft at f2.8, but by f4, it is incredibly sharp and the color and contrast is amazing.

The OS ("IS" in Canon terms) on this lens is quiet and works magically. It is comparable to any IS lens from Canon I've ever used. I've successfully shot decently sharp photos as low as 1/4 second shutter speeds.

One thing to be wary of, this lens does NOT have FTM (Full time manual) focusing even though it has a HSM (USM in Canon terms) motor. The focus ring rotates when focusing, which i find is a little distracting because I sometimes have my hand placed a little too far up the lens and I need to move my hand back a little bit so that the ring can rotate without disruption. I'm sure I'll get used to this soon though.

This is a well-built lens. There is no wiggle even when it's fully extended to 50mm. It has a very hefty solid feel and the zoom ring feels wonderful. There is also a zoom lock at 17mm, but considering how well the lens is built, I've had no issues with zoom creep and never had to use this. The lens has the feel of a high-end instrument.

This lens has a 4 year manufacturers warranty. This gives me peace of mind.

So all-in-all, for about half the cost of the Canon 17-55 f/2.8, you are getting a lens that in my opinion is just as good.

Comments about Sigma Sigma 17 - 50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM Auto Focus Lens Kit, for for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras. with Tiffen 77mm UV Wide Angle Filter, Professional Lens Cleaning Kit, Slip On Lens Cap for 77mm Wide Angle Filters,:

A great lens for stills, but a must for shooting video. The two main reasons are OS and a fixed 2.8 aperture.

- OS -
I purchased mainly to utilize the OS (Optical Stabilization) option while shooting video. I have the Canon 50mm 1.4f which is a great lens for low light, but with no OS it can get pretty shaky when hand held. In the small amount of test footage I can already tell a major improvement over non OS or VS

- Fixed 2.8f -
The fixed aperture eliminates exposure shifts during zoom. Although it is not often that I zoom while shooting (due to the level of difficulty to maintain focus), the exposure shifts were very distracting with my previous lens.

CON: Sigma lens cap won't fit with Tiffen filter. Supplied after market cap is cheap and hard to apply with lens hood on.

This lens competes with Canon's high end glass. Very solid construction and HSM is SUPER quiet! Well worth the investment. You will not be disappointed.