I bought this lens in October of 2013 for my T2i and I love it. It's the only lens I have for my camera but I think it's worth the upgrade from the kit lens that comes with the T2i. Great all-round general purpose lens.

It is a great general purpose lens for every day photography ,fast focus ,great picture details with low light capability . With lens hood it it has a wow factor ! But some how EF 50mm f/1.4 usm is more practical and easy to use if wide angle is not your need of the hour !

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM was announced in early 2006. The lens is designed to fit APS-C type cameras and has a reduced imaging circle with protruding back element which would cause mirror clearance issues if used on a full-frame camera.

As mentioned the lens is not a designated L grade lens and while this may not be really obvious based on the naked specifications it does show up with respect to its build quality.

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens is a fast lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8, so you can use it to obtain a shallow depth-of-field or help with reasonable exposures in lowlight situations.

Heavier than the kit lens but the 17-55mm f/2.8, is one of the best (if not the best) low-light walk-around lenses you can buy. Its 17-55mm focal length range makes it versatile for use in either landscape or portrait photography. It may be pricey, but it's worth every last paise you pay for it.

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Consistent Output; Easily Interchangeable; Lightweight; Quick Focus; Sharp Focus; Strong Construction

Scratches Easily

Having owned and used a Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM zoom lens for around 15 months, I feel that I have some well balanced experience with it. Being an EF-S lens (the 'S' standing for 'Short' back-focus), it is designed for use ONLY with cameras having APS-C size sensors.

Useful range; Fast f/2.8 aperture; Great IS; Superb image quality

Lens hood costs extra

This lens is the same as the kit lenses that come with the rebel series. ONLY A LOT BETTER! first off the F/2.8 is great in all situations especially for wonderful bokah and low light situations. The only reason why this lens is not an L series is because it does not work with all the cameras.

Consistent Output; Easily Interchangeable; Fast; Rugged; Sharp Focus

This lens is the same as the kit lenses that come with the rebel series. ONLY A LOT BETTER! first off the F/2.8 is great in all situations especially for wonderful bokah and low light situations. The only reason why this lens is not an L series is because it does not work with all the cameras.

Consistent Output; Easily Interchangeable; Fast; Rugged; Sharp Focus