Electronics : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens

Rating: - dont let the price put you off
A truly exceptional item.
I've had this about a year now and it's hardly ever off the camera. Almost all of my other lenses now languish unloved at the bottom of my bag.
Canon make an "L" series of "pro" lenses and the only reason this doesn't get assigned an "L" designation is a plastic lens barrel and the fact that (apparently) Pro-s don't go for this focal range. Other than that it's pro-spec (with a price to match). Oh, and of course the fact that it's an "S" (short back), which means it's designed to be more compact and as such will only fit onto those camera bodies with a reduced size sensor (400d / 40d/ 50d etc and not the "full frame" models that pro's lug around).
Don't overlook the value of that fixed f2.8 across the range with the image stabilisation. With this you can pretty much dump your flash guns as well! It also focuses fast and silently (I forgot just how until I cleaned-off one of my older lenses recently).
If Canon made a 50-200 of the same quality and price range as this you could put all your other lenses on ebay as you wouldn't need anything else. I WAS going to knock half a star off for the weight (yeah it's a brick) but then again......so is my 40d so they do tend to balance.
Highly recommended. You will have to add another 25 quid though for a decent lens hood as for some reason Canon scrimp there and don't give you one.

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Rating: - Fantastic, justifies its price
I'm currently using this with my EOS 350D, replacing a Canon 28-105 f3.5/4.5 USM zoom. That lens was itself a worthwhile improvement to the kit lens, but this is on a different plane altogether. Particular highlights include:

* Low light performance - IS really works, coupled with f/2.8 max aperture it's outstanding.
* Sharp pictures! Details are just beautiful, my 350D's 'only' 8 Mpixels are definitely the limiting factor now. The absence of any noticeable chromatic aberration makes a big difference too.
* Fast and (most importantly) accurate AF. Noticeably better than the 28-105, and a world away from non-USM lenses.

I find I'm not missing the extra telephoto range of the 28-105, and that 55mm is adequate. I'm not even going to complain about the relatively large size and weight of the lens - certainly it's not so bulky as to make it hard to hand-hold the camera.

The only possible caveat is that - like all EF-S lenses - it doesn't work on Canon's high-end full-frame sensor digital cameras, or older 35mm film cameras.

Otherwise - if you can afford it, go for it!

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Rating: - The star of the EF-S range
I bought this when I had my 400D and it was the reason that I didn't go full frame when I upgraded. So it sits on a 40D now and I love it. The IS system is useful when hand held at it's maximum, and the optics don't let it down at all. If you have a 400 or 40 series using EF-S lenses then your kit is not complete without one.

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Rating: - one amazing lens
This lens is super-versatile. 17mm is pleasingly wide for a general-purpose zoom. It's great right through the zoom range. WIth the optical quality of the 'L' series there's very few aberrations. The image stablisation is a dream for hand-held dusk and night photography. The circular aperture provides smooth background blur. If using an E-TTL II flash, this lens sends distance data to the flash which many of the EF lenses don't.

The only downside (other than the pricetag) is weight. I find it too heavy to take on a long walk. It is also quite big, and bad for snapshot portraits because people find big lenses intimidating. I find primes easier for those situations.

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Rating: - This is an amazing piece of glass!
This lens has the same focal range as the 'kit' canon 18-55mm, so anyone with
that lens will know what kind of range it covers. But this lens is altogether
in a different league in terms of optical quality and price! But if you have the money, get yourself a copy, because used properly, it will amaze you. The build quality is what you can expect from a high end consumer canon. There is no hood or pouch, which is a shame, because canon could have included these. I would recommend this lens if you're serious about getting the best from your APS-C DSLR, and you are not intending to move up to full frame in the next few years.