Delurking here for a moment to ask for opinions on a good general walkabout Canon lens.  I would like to upgrade my general "kit lens". 

I have the EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM, and I've not been very impressed with it.  Of all the shots I took on a recent vacation, I only "processed" a couple dozen of them.  I was very disappointed in them because the quality of the images was far less than I expected.

I have read reviews on several lenses.  It seems that three very popular Canon lenses are:
EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
EF 17-40mm L USM
EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM

I was wondering if those of you who have experience with these lenses could offer any opinions?  Granted, the f/2.8 is a very desireable feature, but the IS on the last lens is a very big plus for me.  I have a macro lens and two telephoto lenses, all Canon, and upgrading to a good general lens should take care of my needs for a while.

Any thoughts you could offer?

Thanks for your time, Maria

Hello Maria,

i've used the 17-40mm ... really excellent !!!! I heard the 24-70 is not really great, but i've not tested it.

I'm using a sigma 18-55 f2.8 dc ex for canon on my 20d - absolutly fabulous !!

Hope this help !
Olivier

I have Both the 17-40 and 24-70 both L so you will not be disappointed in quality the 24-70 is a perfect portrait lens a bit unusual in the the widest angle is at the longest Zoom so the reverse of the usual.. Cant see a lot of point in IS at 2.8  but the lens is quite a lump around same size and weight as the 24-105mm which is also a fine lens and a bit less than the 24-70mm

Thank you both for taking the time to respond.  I know I could go with Sigma, Olivier, but I'd like to go with a Canon lens if I can.  The 17-40 seems to be quite a nice lens, though I've not spoken to anyone who has used it before.  I'm not quite sure what you mean, Danny, when you say "a bit less than the 24-70mm"... are you referring to less in price or less in all-around quality?  "IS"  is always a plus for me, because I generally surprise myself when I "thought" I had a good shot, only to see later a blurred shot because I moved or jerked the camera. :)  It sounds like you highly recommend the 24-70, except for the widest angle, which I would like to have for panoramic and general landscape shots.  Each of the lenses reviewed at: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-Zoom-Lens-Reviews.aspx describe good and bad points, but all three sound so good, that I just can't decide.  

Yes Maria  the24-70mm  is  more expensive and you wont go wrong with any of your choices the fact of the matter  that no one less will meet all your needs hence why I got two of the 3 ... 

I have been delighted with the optical performance of both the lens and in my view they run very close to the performance you would expect from primes..

As you have pointed out with the EFS 17-85 IS you own IS is somewhat curtailed owing to the f4 with the24-105 as it is with the EFS... I often use the above lens for landscape and a tripod is always best in any case.. And nearly always best for studio work too..  Having 2.8 will enable better and faster focus performance as well..  

I love my 24-105 I rarely have a need for a wide angle or a long tele so this lens really works well for me and for being a f4 it still has great DoF control imo. Its also sharp as a tack at f4

Thank you very kindly, Danny and Viper.  I'm down to two lenses to choose from now.  Hopefully I'll come up with a choice before Christmas so I'll have time to practice before next spring, when I am hoping to be able to vacation abroad, if all goes well.  I think I should be able to rent the lenses at one of the better shops in the city.  Thanks very much for your opinions.  I appreciate it.

Maria

Hi, Maria,

I have the 24-105 L and I love it. Before I got it I was using a Canon 28-200, and I was disappointed with how soft it was. The difference between it and the L is like night and day.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ has very good reviews and lots of info about Canon lenses.

Dennis

Another good link to some informative Canon lens info.....

http://www.canon-europe.com/Support/Documents/digital_slr_educational_tools/ef_lens_work_iii.asp

Thanks, guys!  Some very good information on those sites.  I appreciate the links!

Guess it depends on what exactly dissapponted you with your 17-85? Since it is an "S", I'm assuming that you are using a digital (1.6 multiplier?). None in the range mentioned are then really wide angle. And in this range, I'd find the cost of IS better spent on a good tripod. So much depends on individual style and expectations. As a general purpose lens, I find the 24-70mm f/2.8 [on a Canon 20D] gets quite a bit of use. It tends to now be my "default" lend when I'm not really sure something else would work better.

It is not cheap, nor is it lightweight.

Aloha Maria,

I have owned the Canon  24-70 2.8 for a couple years now, and I find this lens to be invaluable.  It takes very decent pic's and focus's quite fast.  I use this as my walk around lens and it suits my needs from portraits to landscapes.  The only issue I would think you would have besides the price, is it's weight.  It is quite a heavy lens, but to me the results far outweigh it's weight.  It really wasn't a big issue for me, but it does get heavy when you carry it for any prolonged period.  Other than that, the majority of my shots in my gallery are with this lens.  I really do love it!!

Aloha~
Dave~

Thank you both very much.  The reviews I have been reading certainly give the 24-70mm very high marks, and it's nice to be have some images made with that lens to view to help decide, Dave.  The weight is a concern, as well as lack of IS, but the 2.8 is always a top draw.  Thanks, I appreciate your opinions!

Attached Link: http://pixel-peeper.com/lenses/canon/

There is a large collection of full size picures made with about every Canon lens at the enclosed link, including those that you are considering. I have a very sharp copy of the 24-105L and it's on my camera 90% of the time. The 17-24mm range is not too important to me and I wouldn't want to mis the extra reach of 70-105mm, so for me it's the perfect walkaround lens.