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View Full Version : Nikon's Ultra Sharp AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED Lens


Aaron Schultz
08-30-2007, 03:00 PM
<img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/AF-S-DX-Zoom-Nikkor%20-7-55mm-f2.8G-IF-ED.jpg" /><br /><br /><b>Product Category:</b> Digital Camera Lens<br /><b>Manufacturer:</b> Nikon<br /><b>Where to Buy:</b> <a href="http://thoughtsmedia.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=4159716/search=nikkor+17-55mm+f">Low Price Search</a> [Affiliate]<br /><b>Price:</b> $1,179 to $1,419 USD<br /><b>System Requirements:</b> F-mount DSLR<br /><b>Specifications:</b> Lens Construction: 14 elements in 10 groups (aspherical lenses &amp; ED glass elements). Number aperture blades: 9 (rounded). Closest Focusing: 0.36m/1.2ft. Min F-stop: 22. Dimensions: 85.5 X 110.5mm. Weight: 755g (1.66 lbs.). Built in SWM (silent wave motor) for ultra-fast &amp; ultra-quiet operation. <br /><br /><b>Pros:</b><li>Extremely sharp;<br /><li>Amazing auto-focus accuracy and speed;<br /><li>Excellent build quality.<b>Cons:</b><li>Hefty price tag;<br /><li>Hefty weight (for some).<b>Summary:</b><br />Nikkor brings us a top-quality gold-ring (professional-grade) lens with the AF-S DX 17-55mm F/2.8 G IF-ED. Sharp as a tack with exceptional build quality, its metal-body and rubber sealing to prevent against dust and humidity speak to its quality. A super-fast and silent AF system featuring a maximum aperture of 2.8 round out the offering. You'll definitely be getting what you pay for - if you can swallow the price tag.<br /><br />Read on for the full review!<!><br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>Out of Box Experience</b></span><br />Opening this box was just like Christmas morning, I'd been waiting and wishing, and it was finally here! Standard packaging was what I met - cardboard fitted to the lens with those little plastic baggies. The first thing that instantly struck me was the build quality of the lens: it's actually metal, which seems to be a rarity these days with most lenses. <br /><br />The next thing of note is the weight of the lens: hefty is the word for it. It weighs in at 755g, or 1.7 lbs, nearly double that of the 18-70 kit lens (390g/0.86lbs) that accompanied my D70s. But once it was on my camera body, the weight didn't faze me in the slightest. In fact, I loved the feel of the lens on the body - the weight distribution was great, and I had no issues one-handing the camera. That's exactly what a good lens should do - enhance the feeling of your camera, not make you feel tentative.<br /><br /><span><b>Using the Lens</b></span><br />To be completely honest, I fell in love with this lens after the first click of the shutter and a quick preview of the image it took. But alas, I must attempt to be subjective and put it through its paces. The first image I took was of a Slurpee I believe, and when you can tell the difference in sharpness of an image on a tiny low-resolution D70 screen, that's rather impressive. The cup had beads of condensation all over the outside and the lens at f/2.8 just made them pop. The fall-off was gradual, smooth and just plain gorgeous. I needed to do some serious testing to see what this lens could do! <br /><br />I brought the lens out to my family's land on a nice bright summer's day in July to do some outdoor shots with it using only available light. Needless to say, I was extremely pleased with the results. Below are some examples of both my 18-70mm kit lens and the 17-55mm (all images are shot at maximum aperture on aperture priority for comparison purposes here):<br /><br /><a href="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-nikkor-17-55mm-01.jpg"><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-nikkor-17-55mm-01small.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Figure 1: You'll want to click the image above for the larger version.</i><br /><br />The image on the left was taken with 18-70mm kit lens, and it shows definite softness to overall image. Particularly noticeable is a lack of detail in fur and eyes. The fall-off lacks in smooth, gradual progression and the background is "chunky". [<a href="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-nikkor-17-55mm-01-left.jpg">Original full-resolution JPEG, 2.12 MB</a>]<br /><br />The image on the right taken with 17-55mm shows a substantially sharper image, particularly noticeable throughout is the detail in the fur and eyes. The fall-off is smooth and gradual, while the background has a soft, natural look to it. [<a href="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-nikkor-17-55mm-01-right.jpg">Original full-resolution JPEG, 2.29 MB</a>]<br /><br /><a href="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-nikkor-17-55mm-02.jpg"><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-nikkor-17-55mm-02small.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Figure 1: You'll want to click the image above for the larger version.</i><br /><br />The image on the left was taken with the 18-70mm kit lens, again showing an overall softness, particularly throughout the clothing. There's a lack of skin detail and also in the eyes. The background, again is reduced to "chunks". [<a href="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-nikkor-17-55mm-02-left.jpg">Original full-resolution JPEG, 2.16 MB</a>]<br /><br />The image on the right, taken with the 17-55mm lens, shows a significantly sharper image overall. Skin detail is excellent, the eyes are crisp, and the clothing is sharp. The fall-off is gorgeous and gradual, with background again showing a natural softness. [<a href="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-nikkor-17-55mm-02-right.jpg">Original full-resolution JPEG, 2.19 MB</a>]<br /><br /><span><b>Any Lower-Priced Alternatives?</b></span><br />With the significant price tag that's attached to the 17-55 f/2.8, I can understand why someone would be asking this question (I've been asking it myself). I did some hands-on research to answer it; third-party companies such as Sigma and Tamron make lenses with similar focal ranges and speed in direct competition to Nikon - and at a much lower price point. <br /><br />Sigma has an 18-50mm f/2.8 and Tamron has an 17-50mm f/2.8, both created as alternatives to the Nikkor 17-55mm. The Sigma is the far less impressive of the two, with a plastic body construction that felt cheap. I also had focus problems and focus speed issues - I would be very hard-pressed to recommend this lens to anyone, even though it's nearly <a href="http://thoughtsmedia.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=28371557/search=sigma%2018-50%20f2.8%20nikon">1/3rd the price of the Nikkor</a>.<br /><br />I was much more impressed by the Tamron (<a href="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-tamron-17-50mm-f28-sample1.jpg">sample 1</a>|<a href="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/dmt/2007/ad-tamron-17-50mm-f28-sample2.jpg">sample 2</a>). It felt as though it was built much better than the Sigma and I was rather impressed by the sharpness and focal speed compared to the Sigma as well. I found the Tamron to have some focal issues in low-light situations shooting at f/2.8, both in terms of accuracy of focus and speed of focus. I was less impressed with the Tamron at 17mm, where it seemed to be softer and had some visible barrel distortion. All in all, the Tamron out-performs the Sigma but, logically, falls short of the Nikkor. With very similar price tags (the Tamrom is <a href="http://thoughtsmedia.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=20103643/search=tamron%2017-50%20f2.8%20nikon">about $400 USD</a>), both the Sigma and the Tamron could be seen as alternatives to the Nikkor if you're on a budget, as long as you're willing to sacrifice build quality, sharpness and AF accuracy/speed.<br /><br /><span><b>Conclusions</b></span><br />If you are looking to invest in some serious glass, then I have to say that the Nikkor AF-S DX 17-55 F/2.8 G IF-ED is a fantastic choice for the serious hobbyist to the professional photographer. With its impressive build quality and its unbelievable sharpness, it's a must for anyone's bag - if you can swallow that price tag. It seemed to matter very little whether I was at 17mm or 55mm, I noticed no easily visible distortion at either end. The auto-focus speed and accuracy were simply outstanding. Lastly, I have to make a note on the hood that accompanies the lens: finally a hood that's deep enough to be of use! The Nikkor 17-55mm lens is simply the best lens of its type that I've ever used - and I can give it no higher praise beyond saying that it pained me to have to ship it back to Nikon Canada.<br /><br /><i>Aaron Schultz is an up and coming Calgary based Fine Art photographer who thrives on attempting to understand, and grasp, the didactic relationship of both shadow and light through his images. He is supported by his wife Christine and his two dogs Max and Chi-Chi.</i>

Jason Dunn
08-30-2007, 09:17 PM
Expensive (wow, SO expensive!) but talk about great quality. The image of the dog really shows the difference in the lens - the image looks so much sharper and just...better somehow.

It's hard to swallow that price price - if it were about 50% off, I'd snap one up immediately. But this one lens is not far off the price of the new D300...so do I want a new camera or a new lens? That's a hard decision - I want both. ;-)