In summary
This professional quality, mid-range zoom lens has been designed specifically for the ‘APS-C’ sized sensors used in all of Nikon’s DSLR cameras and is quite a different beast from the 18-55mm lens supplied with the D50 camera reviewed in this issue. Covering a picture angle equivalent to 25.5~82.5mm on a 35mm camera, it maintains its fast f2.8 maximum aperture throughout its zoom range, giving it a big advantage over the cheaper optic for photographers who shoot in dim lighting and those who require a high level of depth-of-field control with differential focusing. . . [more]
Full review
This professional quality, mid-range zoom lens has been designed specifically for the ‘APS-C’ sized sensors used in all of Nikon’s DSLR cameras and is quite a different beast from the 18-55mm lens supplied with the D50 camera reviewed in this issue. Covering a picture angle equivalent to 25.5-82.5mm on a 35mm camera, it maintains its fast f2.8 maximum aperture throughout its zoom range, giving it a big advantage over the cheaper optic for photographers who shoot in dim lighting and those who require a high level of depth-of-field control with differential focusing.
Don’t be fooled into thinking this lens is a lightweight; at 755 grams it requires some muscle to carry it around – especially on a pro-DSLR! The weight is partly accounted for by the optics, which consist of 14 elements in 10 groups, including three ED glass and three aspherical lens elements. That’s a lot of glass!
Zooming and focusing are controlled by two rings, the zoom ring being relatively close to the camera, while the focus ring is about two thirds of the way along the barrel. Unusually for a professional lens, no depth-of-field or infrared markings are provided, despite the importance of the former for cameras with smaller than 35mm size sensors. There’s no aperture ring, either, a common omission in all G-series lenses. Autofocusing is driven by Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology, which is fast and quiet. The lens focuses down to 36cm and all focusing and zooming movements are internal, so polarising filters require no adjustment when either setting is changed.
The lens mount is fitted with a rubber ring that seals out particles of dust and drops of water. It is supplied with a large, bayonet-mounting lens hood (HB-31) that clips firmly onto the front of the barrel and is reversed onto the lens for carrying, plus a soft, drawstring lens case. The filter ring accepts 77mm diameter attachments and the supplied lens cap is the new pinch-front type. A slider on the left side of the lens barrel selects between M/A (autofocus with manual override) and M (manual only) focusing. No other controls are provided.
We tested the 17-55mm lens on Nikon’s D100 and D2Hs camera bodies to eliminate any potential effects from the different sensors and evaluate its handling characteristics on two different styles of camera. Despite beign rather large and quite heavy for its focal length range, the lens was generally well balanced and worked equally well on the cameras we used.
One potential problem is the position of the zoom ring which may be awkward for photographers with large fingers or those who shoot with gloved hands, as you have to work in close to the camera body. The ring rotates through approximately one quarter of a turn as you zoom from near to far, which is not quite enough for really precise control over focal length settings. The focus ring is slightly wider than the zoom ring and more accessibly positioned – and, consequently, easier to control precisely.
We found clear evidence of barrel distortion in shots taken at the 17mm setting, but this had been corrected fully by 35mm, where no angular distortion was seen. No pincushioning was detected at the 55mm setting. Light falloff was also well controlled throughout the aperture range on both camera bodies. Flare was negligible, unless the lens was pointed directly into the sun. With less direct backlighting we found no visible contrast degradation and the supplied lens hood did a great job of keeping light from hitting the front element.
Imatest showed the test lens delivered adequate – although not outstanding – sharpness throughout the aperture and focal length range with f8 being the point of maximum sharpness at all focal lengths. However, you’d probably find it difficult to see any differences in shots taken with apertures between about f4 and f16. Imatest also revealed a low level of lateral chromatic aberration in shots taken at the 17mm setting, but not at other focal lengths. Again, this is unlikely to be noticeable without considerable magnification of image files.
One area where the 17-55mm lens was outstanding was autofocusing in low light conditions, where the f2.8 aperture allowed the D2Hs’s fast AF system to perform to its capacity. But, even on the D100, significantly faster focusing was recorded, especially with the 55mm focal length and f2.8 aperture combination. [25]
Specifications
Focal length range: 17-55mm (picture angle equivalent to 25.5-82.5mm on a 35mm camera)
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Minimum aperture: f22
Lens construction: 14 elements in 109 groups (three ED glass elements plus three aspherical lens elements)
Minimum focus: 0.36 m
Filter size: 77 mm diameter
Dimensions (Diameter x L): Approx. 85.5 mm x 110.5 mm
Weight: Approx. 755g
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