AFS 17-55mm f/2.8G DX

For the Nikon Pro photographer who usually carried the familiar trio of 17-35mm, 28-70mm and 70-200mm lenses, the move from film (FX body) to digital (DX) also required the change of at least two of these lenses to get back the familiar field of view of the wide angle effect. In the start of the digital era we all had to do with what was already available (eg: 17-35mm or 14mm) but eventually (better late than never) Nikon released the AFS 12-24mm f/4G DX lens that would take the place of the 17-35mm on the DX format bodies and a little latter (2004) Nikon released the AFS 17-55mm to take the place of the AFS 28-70mm. The 12-24mm was a bit of disappointment, not because of its performance (which was excellent) but for being one stop slower than anticipated and for not being offered in a tank like construction like the rest of the pro lens range. Thankfully Nikon didn’t follow the same path with the AFS 17-55mm f/2.8G DX – its build quality is second to none and offers a constant fast aperture.

The 28-70 zoom range may not be too exciting to some amateurs, but a lens with this range is always in a pro photographer’s bag, especially event and news photographers. Of course the DX format with its cropped factor has altered the usefulness of the 28-70mm lens, so if you are a DX shooter the AFS 17-55mm (26-83mm) is the lens you need.

About some of the negative reports
One thing that should be noted about this lens early on is that it is optimized for shooting wide open and for a zoom; it can produce excellent results throughout its zoom range at wide apertures. Its center performance is as good as the 50mm prime – that kind of performance from a zoom is more than excellent. But there a lot of negative reports on the net, usually from inexperienced photographers. This lens, like most Nikkors, is not a flat field lens, so focusing on your intended main subject at wide apertures and wide zoom settings requires more attention. (eg: if you’re having soft images, you may want to compose and then focus instead of focusing and then moving it off center –so compose first and then focus!).

Even though this is a more of peoples lens, that doesn't mean you can't use it for that purpose.

If you are mainly shooting scapes or anything else requiring small apertures, you are advised to invest in a different lens. The AFS 17-55mm lens is more of a peoples lens and not a landscape lens. That’s why its performance from f/8 onwards can produce mixed results. For landscapes the AFS 17-35mm f/2.8 and the AFS 12-24mm f/4G DX are the better choices.

Description
Generally speaking, this being a DX lens, doesn’t mean it will be small but it is a tight package when you consider what’s on offer. Overall it’s a heavy and large pro caliber fast zoom lens that covers quite an extended range for an f/2.8 optic.


Quick specs
Focal length: 17-55mm (26-84mm on FX)
Lens construction: 14 elements in 10 groups (3 aspheric and 3 ED elements).
Picture angle: 28–79 degrees
MFD: 0.36m
Filter size: 77mm
Dimensions: 85.5 x 110.5mm
Weight: 755gr
Diaphragm: 9 rounded blades

Focusing and handling
This is a conventional two ring design with internal focusing operating electronically through a SW motor that is both quick and silent. So auto focusing is excellent and the fast aperture helps to lock on to the subject. One of the benefits of AFS lenses is the ability to focus manually without the need for switches so manual focusing with this lens is a snap. It’s also a pleasure to use manually with a nice large focusing ring halfway up the lens barrel. When holding the lens the focusing ring lines up well with your fingers.

The zoom ring on the other hand is a different story. Some will find it OK, others will find it cumbersome to use. It’s quite close to the camera body and thin making it difficult to use when in a hurry. It’s also stiff, so forget about a one-finger operation. Personally I find it’s OK since I have large hands and fingers but others may not.

With such a useful zoom range, you can shoot a landscape detail at 17mm and straight after shoot a portrait at 55mm. Not light, but still a very versatile lens.

The inner barrel extends nearly 18mm (making the lens without hood physically longer) when zooming. The front element extends quite a bit when zooming towards the wide end and less so at the long end. It’s at its shortest physical length when zoomed at about the 35mm mark – this is in most cases not noticeable since the massive hood covers this extension. You may also want to know that the clearance between inner and outer lens barrel is so tight that it suggests some very fine engineering, something I’ve never seen in a lens before.

On my D300 with battery pack this lens feels like a good match and balances well in the hand. Without the battery pack, the lens makes its weight felt by wanting to nose dive “slightly”, but it still remains a good combo.

Even wide open, against a strong light source thats included in the framing, this lens performs admirably!

Flare
When using this large zoom you need to be aware of ghosting and flare problems when shooting towards strong lights or the sun – so it requires extra attention while shooting in these conditions. Well we can’t have everything in one lens, can we!

Chromatic aberrations
Chromatic aberrations are present if you go searching for them, especially towards the edges of the frame and in high contrast transitions, but the majority of images from this lens will be clean with good detail so don’t worry about it. Generally aberrations are kept well under control and only if blow up samples beyond 200% will you be able to notice any.

With people, especially with a horizontal frame, avoid placing them close to the edge of the frame or using the 17-19mm range.

Distortion
There is some noticeable barrel distortion at the wide end and some unnoticeable pincushion distortion at the long end with no distortion between 30-45mm. Like with most wide angle lenses, avoid putting people near the edge when between 17 and 19mm.

Performance
This is a pro caliber lens and originally had a high price tag, but what you get in return is a lens that is very sharp straight from f/2.8 onwards regardless of focal length. Since the introduction of the full frame Nikon bodies, you can find this DX pro lens on the second hand market for a real good price. Resolution is excellent at the wide end and gradually drops to very good as we get to the long end.

The AFS 17-55mm f/2.8G DX lens is a great peoples lens.

Wide open this lens performs a lot better than the legendary AFS 17-35mm lens with a lesser performance only in the contrast department and closed down performance. So stopping down the 17-55mm DX lens doesn’t increase performance as expected, but it’s still very good.

Wide open and till f/8, this lens shows outstanding performance with some nice bokeh performance as well. This is a dream lens for everyday use, people and event photography, weddings and portraits. When shooting architecture though, at the wide end, distortion may become more noticeable than you would like - so don’t buy this lens to shoot buildings. If you mainly shoot landscapes and architecture, the legendary AFS 17-35mm f/2.8 lens is the better choice. Although the AFS 17-55mm comes with a nice hood, care should be taken when shooting with a strong backlight. Overall the bokeh is very nice for such a zoom, the contrast and color are both excellent at all focal lengths and the sharpness is good all over with the center performance being outstanding.

On a recent hike, I used the lens in rainy conditions without a worry thanks to its good weather sealing.

Build quality
As mentioned earlier, the zoom ring is a bit too close to the camera body and a bit too stiff, but other than that, this is pro caliber lens in every other way, from the handling of the smooth focus ring to its excellent build quality and to its fast and silent autofocus. The massive scalloped bayonet lens hood HB-31 with the added locking feature belongs to the better hoods designed by Nikon. Being a G series lens means there is no aperture ring and the only other control is the usual M /AM switch. There is also a rubber seal on the rear mount for better weather sealing. The zoom ring is marked at the 17, 20, 24, 28, 35, 45 and 55mm focal lengths.

Last words
The extended focal length range compared to other offerings, the outstanding wide open performance and pro build quality are the three factors that make this an excellent choice for all DX users. If you are a DX shooter and need this range, there is no better lens than this.



IN SUMMARY

Chromatic aberrations
It’s there if you look for it (towards the corners in high contrast areas), but images from this lens will be clean looking so don’t worry about it.

Vignetting
This lens may show a little light fall-off especially at the wide end of the focal range and at f/2.8, but it’s negligible and totally gone by f/4. Overall an excellent performance!

Distortion
Distortion is also a little more than we would like at 17mm but not unexpected for such a zoom.

Sharpness
Impressively sharp from wide open till f/8 at all focal lengths. Best performance at f/4. Edges are a bit weaker, but being a peoples lens means this is not of great concern.

Notes
Not a perfect lens, but an outstanding performer nonetheless. Personally this is one of my favourite lenses for the DX format.



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