Standard zoom · APS-C

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

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a APS-C zoom lens (17–55 mm, f/2.8) for Canon EF-S. It belongs to the standard zoom class — ideal for everyday shooting, travel, events and walkaround use.

17–55 mmf/2.8Canon EF-S
17–55 mm
Focal length
f/2.8
Maximum aperture
79°–29°
Diagonal angle of view (APS-C)
APS-C
Designed for
3.2×
Zoom ratio

Specifications#

Brand
Canon
Model
EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
Lens type
Standard zoom
Focal length
17–55 mm
Maximum aperture
f/2.8
Image circle
APS-C (23.5×15.6 mm)
Mount(s)
Canon EF-S
Projection
Rectilinear
Stabilisation
Yes (optical)
Autofocus motor
ultrasonic (USM)
Lensfun correction profile
Yes — distortion/vignetting/TCA

Equivalent focal length on different cameras#

Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).

Camera formatAt 17 mmAt 31 mmAt 55 mmEquiv. aperture (DoF)
APS-C26 mm · 79°46 mm · 49°82 mm · 29°f/4.2
APS-C (Canon)27 mm · 77°50 mm · 47°88 mm · 27°f/4.5
Micro Four Thirds34 mm · 65°62 mm · 38°110 mm · 22°f/5.6

Depth of field & background blur#

Computed on its native APS-C format (CoC 20 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 16 mm f/2.8 on aps-c.

FocalApertureat 1 mat 2 mat 5 mat 10 mHyperfocalBlur @2 m
17 mmf/2.838.6 cm1.75 m87.1 m∞5.29 m0.2%
17 mmf/457.3 cm3.02 m∞∞3.71 m0.2%
17 mmf/81.48 m∞∞∞1.86 m0.1%
31 mmf/2.811.1 cm45.5 cm3.08 m16.8 m17.6 m0.7%
31 mmf/415.9 cm65.8 cm4.84 m47.5 m12.3 m0.5%
31 mmf/832.4 cm1.43 m23.4 m∞6.17 m0.3%
55 mmf/2.83.4 cm14.1 cm90.2 cm3.72 m55.3 m2.4%
55 mmf/44.9 cm20.2 cm1.30 m5.51 m38.7 m1.7%
55 mmf/89.8 cm40.7 cm2.74 m14.0 m19.4 m0.8%

Handheld & night-sky limits#

NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).

BodyMin. handheld shutter (longest focal)500 rule at 17 mmNPF at 17 mm, f/2.8
APS-C1/80 s20 s13 s
APS-C (Canon)1/80 s18 s12 s
Micro Four Thirds1/100 s15 s12 s

Compatible cameras#

Bodies in our database with a native Canon EF-S mount. Full-frame bodies switch to an APS-C crop with this lens.

Adapt it to other systems#

Sony E-mountCanon RFNikon ZFujifilm X-mountMicro Four ThirdsL-MountCanon EF-MFujifilm G-mountHasselblad XCDNikon 1 (CX)Pentax QSamsung NXCanon EFNikon F

Similar lenses#

Frequently asked questions#

Is the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM full frame?

No — it is designed for APS-C sensors. On a full-frame body it vignettes or triggers crop mode.

What is the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM equivalent to on APS-C?

Its focal length is already the real value for APS-C: 17–55 mm frames like 26–84 mm on full frame.

What is the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM good for?

As a standard zoom it suits everyday shooting, travel, events and walkaround use.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources