Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX NIKKOR Lens

2021-10-06T12:43:51

excellent lens, I am very pleased with the article

Bryan P.

2018-12-25T16:51:53

There is no doubt that this is a kick a** lens. Photos were amazingly clear and sharp on cloudy winter days. Right now my needs are for a lens with more focal length . If I ever would want to shoot more landscape, this would be the lens I would want. Anyone looking for a wide angle zoom needs to look at this one.

Ron F.

2018-07-09T20:00:00

A fantastic walk around lens for DX if you don't mind a bit of weight. f/2.8 allows a street photographer more low light opportunity's. It's not that big, or heavy for a serious amateur, but a really good neck strap is required for all day use. Personally I use a smallish camera backpack that can hold my 70-200 f/2.8 and with a few bits of clips and webbing without the need for a neck strap, but one has to be somewhat creative to put the pieces together on the cheap.

WebFootSTi

Originally posted at

2017-05-29T20:00:00

it will be full potential unlock with d500. Love it

Pepenxmaster

Originally posted at

2016-08-04T16:35:34

the focus on this lens is super fast. Built like a tank and super sharp. I never travel anywhere without this lens in my bag.

DAVID C.

2016-05-25T20:00:00

I am basically a street photographer. I've used this lens almost exclusively on D7000 for 5 years. It is super sharp and the 2.8 allows low light shooting. It is heavy, no question. But the sharpness, zoom range and 2.8 depth of field are perfect for the pics I make. The one downside I've seen is that the rubber "zoom ring" stretches out over time (I am on #3). It is easily replaced via Nikon or third party. VR? None. But that is not a huge deal in my work. Long lenses, yes. But not this one. I'd probably turn it off based on past experiences with VR anyway. And the $ savings for "old" technology makes up for no VR as well.

StreetMan

Originally posted at

2016-01-16T19:57:38

This is by far the best DX lens from Nikon. Just try it from rental shop and you will buy it!!!!!

Mykhailo F.

2015-04-18T20:00:00

This lens is crazy on my D7100! When you get it right this thing almost hurts the eyes it's so sharp! Colors are amazing and it's built to withstand a war! I only have three complaints, sometimes there is chromatic aberrations, the zoom ring on mine is kinda weird feeling but from what I understand it's just the older technology which brings me to my next gripe, THIS LENS NEEDS TO BE UPDATED WITH VR! Fast focus and sharp sharp sharp! They will last forever, mine has been through 3 owners and probably 10years old. The zoom ring rubber is starting to come off! Just buy it! And don't be afraid to buy it used!

Ryan

Originally posted at

2015-04-05T21:00:00

Very good lens. Loved the image quality. Colors and contrast are excellent and very predictable.

ABHISHEK N.

2015-04-05T20:00:00

Once you put this on your Nikon DSLR DX body, it will never come off unless you need a wider aperture than f/2.8. The highest retail price on a DX lens is well worth every penny. You have the close-to-similar standard zoom range of 17-55 as the kit lens (18-55mm) that came with your body (unless you got the 18-140mm), but with more bells and whistles in image quality. You can achieve great depths of field (bokeh) to awesome sharp landscape photos at various focal lengths and aperture settings. One of the biggest drawbacks is the weight of the lens. It is definitely heavier than most DX lenses—including the 55-300mm, but no complaints with the quality of photos you're going to get in return. This is definitely my go-to lens in low-light conditions for portraits when a little zoom is needed. I use this lens intermittently between my D5200 and newly added D7200 bodies along with the 35mm f/1.8 prime lens.

josheek

Originally posted at

2014-05-21T20:00:00

This lens has been of great use to me in my work as a location scout. It never comes off my DX format Nikon! 17-55mm is a very useful range, perfect for low light interior shots, bokeh-licious portraits, and beautiful landscapes. It focusses quickly and accurately. Note, as a DX dedicated lens I would not recommend using with full frame FX format - vignetting will occur through the entire range.

Elbo

Originally posted at

2014-04-27T21:00:00

OK, gotta add what others haven't. This is my GO-TO lens for professional video. It works great on a video camera using DX-sized APC chips. It outperforms $10K pro lenses I've used on broadcast cameras. Sure, it doesn't zoom in quite as far, but I rarely find that a limitation. It's ƒ2.8 seems to gather as much light than the ƒ1.4's did on native HDTV broadcast chips. And my favorite part? Tack sharp wide-open, even far into the corners. Time for stills? Switch it over to the D7100 and the other reviews tell the rest. Some writers on other forums seem to knock that it hasn't been updated in some fashion, or is too heavy and big, etc., etc. Being a video guy, I'm not afraid of big. And perfection needs no updating. Get it, use it, enjoy the results. ONE WISH LIST ITEM: Video cameras would indeed benefit from image stabilization. While the lens is fast enough to not require the feature for stills, motion media would nevertheless appreciate a little damping of high-frequency jiggling. But, I suspect it would be a challenge to build it in, since it would require power and additional internal electronics for stabilization to work on any brand video body.

Rustyd100

2014-03-10T21:00:00

Real estate photos, portrait work. Auto focus is great, very sharp and focuses well.

Pam P.

2014-02-08T19:00:00

Après utilisation de l’objectif 17-55 f2.8, j’ai été estomaqué de sa performance. C'est un super objectif!! Merci Nikon

Jack

Originally posted at

2014-02-03T19:00:00

it's big ,it's heavy ............most importantly it's always on the d7100. the pictures are amazingly bright and sharp when compared to similar lenses of same focal length and f stop. expensive ? sure is , but you get what you pay for . top quality .

KENNETH N.

2014-01-11T19:00:00

This is a must have with your DX SLR compare this to the kit lens and you will throw the kit lens away. It is a professional quality lens and very fast at F2.8. It is my primary portrait lens backed up by a 70 mm to 200mm DX F 2.8 the pair are just about all you would need. It also does a wonderful job for weddings and landscapes. If you haven't purchased this lens yet you have no idea what you are missing!

Blues2cool

Originally posted at

2013-11-18T19:00:00

I'm a photo enthusiast. Recently I bought the Nikon D7100 with the kit lens (18-105). Although the kit lens is pretty decent, it's nearly useless in low light situations. So, after trying almost all DX compatible lenses from Nikon, I decided to buy the 17-55. It produces super sharp images, very nice bokeh, and performs very well in low light conditions. This will probably be the only lens I'll ever own. Undoubtedly this is the best lens anyone can buy. It's not cheap though. But hey, you only live once!

Giant S.

2013-10-21T21:00:00

I suppose if you're looking at this lens, you already know it's expensive. I got it used, so I didn't pay full price, but it still cost almost as much as my D7100. I won't go too into the details on this lens, but it is very sharp, very clear, contrasty, etc. it does way a ton, but on the flip-side it is very solidly built. The main aspect of this lens that I love is that it makes me take better pictures. Any fast lens will do this, but if you have a DX camera, this lens is the lens with the widest useful focal range that goes down to f2.8. And that is why you should buy this lens. Shooting with this as opposed to a kit lens that only goes down to f3.5 or higher if you're zoomed in, this lens just makes up for what I lack in photography skills. Now I suppose I could just get better at taking pictures and save some money, but lenses like this (and the 50mm f1.4 that I also have) are just a great shortcut. People look better, colors look better, and your pictures look better when you're shooting with a faster lens, at least in my experience. Can you take pictures that look as good with a $100 kit lens like the 18-55? Absolutely. You just have to be much more talented than I am.

William C.

2013-09-21T20:00:00

Now that it's been 10 years since this lens was dreamed up it would be great to see an update. I think the new effort from sigma will show there is a market for a mid-range crop sensor zoom that really ups the ante with sharp optics through out the entire aperture and focal range. Would much prefer this instead of a new variable aperture slush box.

Optikon

Originally posted at

2013-08-15T20:00:00

can not describe through words.It's perfect.May be one of the best DX lens till date. Go and grab you'll be satisfied.

Bi05

Originally posted at

2013-06-03T20:00:00

I just received my refurbished 17-55. I was surprised that it did not come in a Nikon box. It was packed inside a cardboard box surround by foam. It was well pack but I was surprised it was not in a Nikon branded box. The lens seems to be in fine working order. Front and back glass are clean and no dust. Body is also clean and in good shape. The parts that disappointed me were the caps and hood. The lens cap has obvious scratches and the rear cap has a "S" inscribed on it in silver Sharpie. The hood is also scratched up. I guess that is what you get with a refurbished product hence the three star rating.

Panther

Originally posted at

2013-04-22T20:00:00

I use this lens on a D300 and D600 Nikon. I find the lens an excellent choice for my type of photography being photojournalistic, commercial and event. The straight 2.8 holds true and works well under available light photography to include the times when flash is needed. The weight is no problem, I find that a heavier lens balances the camera for hand held usage and slower speeds. Shooting at f2.8 gives me continuous sharp images. BTW, the attached images are cropped, shot with the D600...in my opinion, this lens and the D600 is an excellent combination.

JRDPHOTOG

Originally posted at

2013-04-08T21:00:00

Bought used from Adorama. Excellent+ condition. Saved over $300. Fast AF. Accuracy and sharpness to match the 24Mp of my Nikon D7100.

DANNY E.

2013-03-18T21:00:00

I use it for my friend wedding. Thank God I got it !!! . Excellent pictures...

Mr E.

2013-03-03T19:00:00

i use this product to take indoor photos or landscape or even just sitting at my college taking pictures of plant life. only draw back to this lens is that it is a dx lens and i upgraded to fx shortly after so technically it was a bad investment on my part, and though part of me regrets buying the lens for that reason, performance wise there is ZERO regrets about it. people claim it is just as good as the kit lens, i can 100% claim that to be guaranteed false. I don't need to do mathematical test, only reviews of my own photos. If you think it's as good or worse than the kit lens you have a super bad copy or you are doing something wrong. I shoot in 100% manual with af/m mode on usually. the auto focus is 100% dead on even on distance shots. the image is noticeably sharper when the image is blown up. this is great when you want to crop part of your image, make detailed prints of larger size. i STRONGLY feel in my HIGHEST opinion people only claim this lens to be the same as the kit because they down sample it to such a small size (though maybe practical) that pretty much all lenses look the same. even my ipod might almost turn out as good as a kit lens if i made the end photo the size for facebook or instagram. at 100% crop i can guarantee the images are just more saturated? idk what the real term for it is... but like the greeens are greener and reds redder... and more hues... no where near as dead. also on my fx camera, ppl claim it to be a waste, just more elitist garbage in my highest opinion. if you own this lens, dont sell it back for a fraction just to pay hundreds more for the 24-70. I use it on a d600, n even with the 10mp, images look great just as good as the 16mp d5100 i previously had. and even a 10mp photo with a good photographer can make awesome prints, considering great old cameras like the d80 and d300 were only 10mp themselves and are MORE than sufficient for most photographers for prints. Then on the fx body with full 55mm zoom i can still get a pretty nice 35mm focal length roughly full frame. images shown are at the 55mm length with a full frame d600 camera, you can decide if it is too soft or junk. I am in no way a pro photographer, so i prob need more practice, but even in the hands of a persistent amateur, i think the photos come out quite nice with ZERO PHOTO SHOP, and only PP is changing it to neutral or standard filters...

DEREK M.

2013-02-04T19:00:00

I was hoping for a tack-sharp image and didn't get it even with careful technique. It may have been a bad copy since reviews of this lens are terrific.

Photo g.

2013-01-21T19:00:00

I've had the lens a little less then 30 days so I haven't shot a lot with it yet. I like what I have shot so far. The auto focus is fast and accurate and the photos are very sharp. I bought the lens used. It's in excellent condition and the price was substantially less then the price of a new one. The only negative about this lens is it's size. This is a big lens and if you have a small camera bag this lens will take up a lot of space. For the great image quality you get with this lens, it's worth making a space for in your bag.

JOSEPH M.

2012-12-12T19:00:00

This lens has changed everything for me!! I sold off my former variable lenses and primes in favor of this 17-55 f2.8. No regrets!!! It's a game changer!!!

MARIA B.

2012-10-09T21:00:00

I saw a refurb deal on this lens on Adorama an decided to give it a go. This replaced my 18-70mm kit lens from my old D70. The 17-55 is simply amazing. It now sits on my D90 and I get some amazing shots. The lens is big and heavy This lens might sit better on a larger DX model like the D300s or the D7000. On the D90, the barrel casts a shadow when you use the on camera flash. If you use the lens hood (which you will want in the noon day sun) the shadow is very pronounced. With a real speed light, it's not a problem at all. Right now, it's pretty much the only lens that is attached to my D90.

Ryan M.

2012-09-07T20:00:00

I've used my Nikkor 17-55 lens during the past five years for everything from shooting portraits and sports scenes to photographing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I don't mind the extra weight because the photos I get with it are stunning -- time and time again, particularly in low light situations. I used it first on my D80 and now use it exclusively on my D90. With a lens this good I don't feel the need to upgrade my camera -- I don't think I could ever get any better shots. Bottom line -- this is Nikon's best DX format lens and well worth the few extra ounces of weight.

JStJE

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